Member Since: 10 Mar 2021
Location: Nicosia
Posts: 74
Just some thoughts on Engine oil Types...
Hello to everyone,
Caution: long post/runt below!
I found myself with some free time on my hands and I seem to be driving myself insane (yet again).
After owning the car for 2 years and still not figuring out what the correct engine oil type is for the TDV6, I started, yet again, to read up on the whole confusion regarding this and as I can’t seem to find someone in Cyprus to actually answer these (and many more) questions, I thought I’d start writing down.
Yes, this is regarding the age-old question about the engine oil and oil type, etc…
Don’t get me wrong, I am no expert and this is just me thinking out loud but here goes…
I have tried out various types of oil (Castrol, Syneco and Motul) and still not have come to a conclusion. The owner’s manual states “SAE 5W-30 meeting specification WSS-M2C913-B only...If you are unable to find an oil that meets the specification defined by WSS-M2C913-B, you must use an SAE 5W-30 oil meeting specification ACEA:A3/B3.” (This whole thing got me started after watching Christian and Vera’s video on the ‘wrong engine oil where he reads from the manual that the standard engine oil is the B1/B3 oil’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGvQAbM_YQY)
As pasted above, my manual and other online ones I have found all say A3/B3.
All the oil finder websites when you type in Discovery 3, TDV6, 2006 Non-DPF give you 5W30 A5/B5 although companies like Motul and Castrol still make the A3/B3. Ravenol even finds the code-specific oil WSS-M2C913-B but in ACEA A5/B5 (?!?!)
Reading up on the ACEA standards, one can only get confused by what precedes and what supersedes the other. What I gather though is that the A3/B4 oils differ from the A5/B5 mainly in the HTHS figures as seen here (https://www.opieoils.co.uk/t-acea-car-engine-oils-specification-explained.aspx) and especially on this site there are some really nice diagrams right at the bottom depicting that (https://www.s-oil7.com/eng/knowledge/expert/view.jsp?seq=78).
One of the most informative things I have read regarding this, comes from this website (https://penriteoil.com.au/knowledge-centre/Specifications/194/acea-service-classifications/364) and is attached right below. This gives in figures the difference in the ACEA standards. The most interesting thing taken from this though is in the ‘Checking Specifications part, Number 2 – A5/B5 does not cover A3/B3.
From all the above information I have gathered, it seems that the most suitable (or perhaps most closely associated with what the manual says) is the A3/B4 spec oil at 5W30 yet from what I read on this forum most people tend to use the A5/B5.
I have tried Castrol Magnatec A5/B5 5W30, Syneco C1 5W30, Motul C3 5W30 and Motul A3/B4 5W40 and I can say the car seemed quieter and smoother with the Magnatec (although it has been some time and some 12-13K miles ago.
Last change I did I also changed to the 5W40 since I believe is better for the warmer Cyprus conditions. I always go by the book on things like this but then again Ford and Peugeot/Citroen gave me the benefit of the doubt (but this is besides the point at the moment).
Is there anyone here who can shed some light regarding the A3/B3(B4) and A5/B5 differences? The main ones as said above are the HT/HS and the TBN and I have no idea how much you can differentiate from the recommended specs before the car starts giving you problems (or plainly put; for the best maintenance of the engine).
In addition to this, I have mainly noticed that most people use the Magnatec (instead of Edge or GTX). Is there any specific reason for doing so or does it just happen to be coincidence?
This isn’t a post to divide opinions, it's just for conversation's sake and just me hoping to get somewhere with my dilemma of picking out my next oil (in which I’m leaning towards Castrol Magnatec 5W40) but no idea if it should be A3/B4 or A5/B5.
Runt over
ThanksDiscovery 3, TDV6, HSE, 2006
GAP IID BT Tool
10th Feb 2023 3:50 pm
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20732
JLR used to require a 5W30 A1 spec oil, which was superseded to an A5 spec for 2.7/3.0 non-DPF cars, and a 5W30 C1 for those equipped with a DPF My D3 Build Thread
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