I haven't had a car for 20 years that has used oil between services. However my recently aquired Signum 2.2 petrol has done a short 3k in my hands and the oil level has dropped to half way between the max and min marks on the dipstick. I want to top it up and I know it is 10/40 in there. Two questions.
1/ Do I need a specific type of oil, EG syth or semi syth ?
2/ Roughly how much should I pour in or is it just a case of trial and error until it reaches max ?
Thanks !
H
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 23/08/2008 at 16:26
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Both questions should be answered in the car's handbook.
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Sadly neither are. It just states 10/40 and top up as required.
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If it's like most Vauxhall handbooks it will contain very little on oil specifications. The full oil details are to be found in the Service Book.
JS
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HB
Should be 5W-30 fully synth. There's 5 litres in there, so trial - not error - is the way to go.
Another dipso DGi... [See recent running-in thread.]
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Are you sure it doesn't say more in another section of the manual? The one I had was quite verbose in the correct section saying check with a warm engine and wait several minutes for it tro drain and it is 1 litre between max and min etc....
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Most modern Vauxhalls I've had are 1 litre between max & min on dipstick as suggested. Check when engine hot but after 10 minutes drain down time on level ground. Local Vx dealer uses 5W/30 fully synthetic now even on our Corsa when they used to use 10W/40 semi synthetic. If you have 10W/40 in there now then Vauxhalls own 10W/40 semi synthetic is very reasonably priced especially if you know someone with a Trade Club card.
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Thanks all. Put in a wee drop of 10/40 semi synth Castrol. Not quite to top marker until we see how it goes. Like I said, a re-learning for me. Didn't think modern engines used oil between changes. Nothing I've had for "donkeys" has.
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 23/08/2008 at 19:15
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As Screwloose says, should be 5w/30 fully synth, but for some strange reason some Vauxhall dealers are still putting in 10w/40 semi synth in the older 2.2 engines.
Here's their official recommendation:-
www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx/owners/engineoils.do#Signum
As for oil consumption, my previous 2.2 Vectra (registered 2004) used approx 1 litre of oil every 2500 to 3000 miles (dealer used 10w/40 semi synth) - but my current 2.2 (registered July 2006) had only used a ¼ litre of oil in 10,000 miles (dealer used 5w/30 fully synth)
Varying reports of oil consumption with this engine over on vauxhallownersnetwork and vectra-c.com. Some good, some bad.
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I don't know if it really matters on modern cars, but the way an engine is driven for its first few miles is supposed to be critical for oil consumption. However, by the time even the first owner gets the car, it's probably too late.
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