# Castrol GTX any good?



## jako999 (Oct 19, 2006)

Hi all new season so time for an oil change again in my Ducato 3.0L
I went to ASDA today and they have Castrol GTX 5W-30 on a special at £4 per Lt so the grade is correct but iv'e never used Castrol before is it any good after all for the 8Lt's that's only £32 what a bargain but is it up to the job?
Thanks in advance


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## RobMD (May 9, 2005)

IMO Castrol oils are as good as you will get, and have been my oils of choice for years.

Castrol GTX is a straight mineral oil, and will do a good job, but for newer engines a semi-synthetic oil like Castrol Magnatech is better but will cost a lot more.
If you use your van regularly and change the oil a couple of times a year, GTX will be O.K., but semi-synthetics give better protection for engines not used so frequently, which is often the case with a Motorhome.


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

For about £37.00 + VAT we get 20 litre drums of Chevron Supreme 10W-40 Semi-Synthetic diesel oil from Costco.

We use that in our petrol V8's as well as the Renault Trafic diesels.

We will be in there again in the next few days, I'll re-check the price.

Peter


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## Spiritofherald (May 18, 2012)

If it doesn't say 'semi synthetic' or 'fully synthetic; then assume it's meant for classic cars which were built with bigger tollerances and little (if any) emmission control. I'm not pretending to be an expert in oil technology but I am led to believe from reading various forums that mineral oils won't harm your engine, but do offer less protection to your modern engine than semi-synthetic.


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

Spiritofherald said:


> If it doesn't say 'semi synthetic' or 'fully synthetic; then assume it's meant for classic cars ......


You are confusing the type of oil with the grade Spirit. 10w/40; 20w/50 etc is the grade and determines the thickness of the oil at cold and hot temperatures. You are right in saying that some oils such as 20w/50 suit classic cars and as engines got better and tolerances finer then they started to use generally thinner oils. Semi and fully synthetic oils are a fairly modern invention that can give longer life between services but its still important to have the right grade.

Many of the cheaper brands such as Comma meet all the relevant specifications that the vehicle manufacturers specify. Read your manual and then read the label on the back of the oil container.

JohnW


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