Fully synthetic 5w-30 oil in Europe?

[Qliver]

Hello everyone,

so finding the right oil for my 2LT Camaro seems to be a bigger challenge than I expected. From what I've gathered by reading old threads in the forum, most people use fully synthetic Mobil 1. However, it seems most 5W-30 Mobil 1 oils in Germany are "SHC Synthese Technology" (produced by hydrocracking), which from my understanding is not fully synthetic oil. Same seems to go for Castrol and most other Europeam brands.

What specifications should the oil meet? Dexos 2 should be OK in Europe, but how about the ACEA rating, API rating?

Can anyone recommend a specific oil (brand and product name)? And most of all, should I bother looking and paying more for ones that are "fully synthetic"? Hoping someone can shed some light on this issue!

[Russell James]

I wouldn't over think it. That same engine is in millions of cars and SUVs, no special oil requirements. I'm sure the Mobil 1 over there is just fine for it.

There is nothing wrong with semi synthetic.

It's like eggs and Egg Beaters. Sometime real eggs are just as good if not better.

[wakespeak]

Any Dexos2 approved oil will work, which includes some 0w-40s. Otherwise an ACEA A3/C3 (this is a European rating) oil is fine. 5w-30 ACEA A3/C3 are easier to find now. The European Camaro model owners manuals are also available online, just Google.

[sherob]

You can get Motul can't you? They sell a 5w30 Dexos 2 oil.

http://www.motul.com/cn/en/news/spec...exos-2-tm-5w30

[Qliver]

How about this one? Opel GM Dexos 2 5W-30 ACEA C3


Anyone got experience with this oil? Fully synthetic and dirt cheap

[jesuslperez66]

Mobil one 5w 30 cost around $9.00 box for 1/4 Castrol cost $16.00 for the same you get what you pay for.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Annatar]

"Remaining oil life" is at 39%, so I've done some research, having the same doubts as the author of the thread. Here is what I found.

Based on Mobil1 suing Castrol around 1999 over "fully synthetic" claims and losing, all oil producers may now legally claim that oil is "fully synthetic" even when the basis for that oil is mineral, non-synthetic. The final product is made by hydro-cracking and additives, as the author of the thread wrote.

These "fully synthetic" oils belong to group III.

Group IV are poly-alpha-olein based oils. That means that the base for the final product is synthetic. As with group III, additives are added. The amount of Sulfur is higher than in group III oils, with content >= 0.6 ppm which is good because Sulfur is the chemical element which aids in lubrication.

Group IV oils are marketed as "100% synthetic" versus the group III's "fully synthetic".

Herein lies my dilemma: I was so far unable to find an oil that's labeled "100% synthetic" in Europe. I'm still researching whether "leichtlauföl", an oil with low viscosity at cold start temperature is a 100% synthetic group IV oil, but so far I do not have enough information to reach a definitive conclusion.

I also have not figured out how a group III or a group IV oil is labeled on the canister, but so far, I have not seen any explicit group labelling one way or another.

Then I came upon DEXOS standards. Camaro owner's manual specifies an oil which complies with DEXOS 1 standard. My research indicates that, at the time of the DEXOS 1 specification, the only oil which met this standard was Mobil 1 5W 30 of unknown composition (whether group III "fully synthetic" or group IV "100% synthetic", I do not yet know).

And here again I ran into not only that, but another snag: I was not able to find a DEXOS 1 oil, only DEXOS 2 compliant oil here in Europe. I then researched further to confirm that DEXOS 2 supersedes DEXOS 1, but the closest thing to confirming this were vague statements that DEXOS 2 is "backward compatible" with earlier GM standards, and I quote "GM-LL-A-025 (gasoline) and GM-LL-B-025 (diesel) specifications for the European market". DEXOS 1 is not explicitly mentioned. But my ZL1 is a North American model not sold in Europe, nor compliant with European norms and regulations without homologation! I've yet to find an authoritative source (or a source which I would consider as such) clearly stating that DEXOS 2 meets or exceeds the DEXOS 1 specification.

Can anyone from GM or a GM certified technician confirm or deny that an oil complying with the DEXOS 2 specification is also compliant with DEXOS 1, as specified in the Camaro owner's manual?

I ended up buying the "fully synthetic" DEXOS 2 compliant Mobil 1 SUPER 3000 XE 5W-30, but I am not convinced that I purchased the correct oil. Have I?

[Annatar]

Originally Posted by Qliver

How about this one? Opel GM Dexos 2 5W-30 ACEA C3


Anyone got experience with this oil? Fully synthetic and dirt cheap

Would this oil also be adequate for the ZL1? Is this a 100% synthetic oil?

[polizzio]

Originally Posted by jesuslperez66

Mobil one 5w 30 cost around $9.00 box for 1/4 Castrol cost $16.00 for the same you get what you pay for.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You can walk right into any walmart in the USA and purchase a 5 qt container of Mobil 1 for $26.

Or walmart "supertech" branded full syn for $18, same 5 qt container. Blended and bottled by the Warren Corp, manufactured regionally by Citgo or Quaker State.

[wakespeak]

Originally Posted by Annatar

"Remaining oil life" is at 39%, so I've done some research, having the same doubts as the author of the thread. Here is what I found.

Based on Mobil1 suing Castrol around 1999 over "fully synthetic" claims and losing, all oil producers may now legally claim that oil is "fully synthetic" even when the basis for that oil is mineral, non-synthetic. The final product is made by hydro-cracking and additives, as the author of the thread wrote.

These "fully synthetic" oils belong to group III.

Group IV are poly-alpha-olein based oils. That means that the base for the final product is synthetic. As with group III, additives are added. The amount of Sulfur is higher than in group III oils, with content >= 0.6 ppm which is good because Sulfur is the chemical element which aids in lubrication.

Group IV oils are marketed as "100% synthetic" versus the group III's "fully synthetic".

Herein lies my dilemma: I was so far unable to find an oil that's labeled "100% synthetic" in Europe. I'm still researching whether "leichtlauföl", an oil with low viscosity at cold start temperature is a 100% synthetic group IV oil, but so far I do not have enough information to reach a definitive conclusion.

I also have not figured out how a group III or a group IV oil is labeled on the canister, but so far, I have not seen any explicit group labelling one way or another.

Then I came upon DEXOS standards. Camaro owner's manual specifies an oil which complies with DEXOS 1 standard. My research indicates that, at the time of the DEXOS 1 specification, the only oil which met this standard was Mobil 1 5W 30 of unknown composition (whether group III "fully synthetic" or group IV "100% synthetic", I do not yet know).

And here again I ran into not only that, but another snag: I was not able to find a DEXOS 1 oil, only DEXOS 2 compliant oil here in Europe. I then researched further to confirm that DEXOS 2 supersedes DEXOS 1, but the closest thing to confirming this were vague statements that DEXOS 2 is "backward compatible" with earlier GM standards, and I quote "GM-LL-A-025 (gasoline) and GM-LL-B-025 (diesel) specifications for the European market". DEXOS 1 is not explicitly mentioned. But my ZL1 is a North American model not sold in Europe, nor compliant with European norms and regulations without homologation! I've yet to find an authoritative source (or a source which I would consider as such) clearly stating that DEXOS 2 meets or exceeds the DEXOS 1 specification.

Can anyone from GM or a GM certified technician confirm or deny that an oil complying with the DEXOS 2 specification is also compliant with DEXOS 1, as specified in the Camaro owner's manual?

I ended up buying the "fully synthetic" DEXOS 2 compliant Mobil 1 SUPER 3000 XE 5W-30, but I am not convinced that I purchased the correct oil. Have I?

UK (European) owners manual. See the 2015 manual (same as 2014).

Dexos 2. If the oil above is Dexos 2 or ACEA A3/C3 rated you're fine.

[StreetRage320]

Originally Posted by Annatar

"Remaining oil life" is at 39%, so I've done some research, having the same doubts as the author of the thread. Here is what I found.

Based on Mobil1 suing Castrol around 1999 over "fully synthetic" claims and losing, all oil producers may now legally claim that oil is "fully synthetic" even when the basis for that oil is mineral, non-synthetic. The final product is made by hydro-cracking and additives, as the author of the thread wrote.

These "fully synthetic" oils belong to group III.

Group IV are poly-alpha-olein based oils. That means that the base for the final product is synthetic. As with group III, additives are added. The amount of Sulfur is higher than in group III oils, with content >= 0.6 ppm which is good because Sulfur is the chemical element which aids in lubrication.

Group IV oils are marketed as "100% synthetic" versus the group III's "fully synthetic".

Herein lies my dilemma: I was so far unable to find an oil that's labeled "100% synthetic" in Europe. I'm still researching whether "leichtlauföl", an oil with low viscosity at cold start temperature is a 100% synthetic group IV oil, but so far I do not have enough information to reach a definitive conclusion.

I also have not figured out how a group III or a group IV oil is labeled on the canister, but so far, I have not seen any explicit group labelling one way or another.

Then I came upon DEXOS standards. Camaro owner's manual specifies an oil which complies with DEXOS 1 standard. My research indicates that, at the time of the DEXOS 1 specification, the only oil which met this standard was Mobil 1 5W 30 of unknown composition (whether group III "fully synthetic" or group IV "100% synthetic", I do not yet know).

And here again I ran into not only that, but another snag: I was not able to find a DEXOS 1 oil, only DEXOS 2 compliant oil here in Europe. I then researched further to confirm that DEXOS 2 supersedes DEXOS 1, but the closest thing to confirming this were vague statements that DEXOS 2 is "backward compatible" with earlier GM standards, and I quote "GM-LL-A-025 (gasoline) and GM-LL-B-025 (diesel) specifications for the European market". DEXOS 1 is not explicitly mentioned. But my ZL1 is a North American model not sold in Europe, nor compliant with European norms and regulations without homologation! I've yet to find an authoritative source (or a source which I would consider as such) clearly stating that DEXOS 2 meets or exceeds the DEXOS 1 specification.

Can anyone from GM or a GM certified technician confirm or deny that an oil complying with the DEXOS 2 specification is also compliant with DEXOS 1, as specified in the Camaro owner's manual?

I ended up buying the "fully synthetic" DEXOS 2 compliant Mobil 1 SUPER 3000 XE 5W-30, but I am not convinced that I purchased the correct oil. Have I?

yes this oil will do just fine, actually will exceed requirements..don't forget to get a good high quality synthetic filter.

[Annatar]

Originally Posted by wakespeak

UK (European) owners manual. See the 2015 manual (same as 2014).

Dexos 2. If the oil above is Dexos 2 or ACEA A3/C3 rated you're fine.

Originally Posted by StreetRage320

yes this oil will do just fine, actually will exceed requirements..don't forget to get a good high quality synthetic filter.

You people here are wonderful! I feel like I'm a part of some big happy family which genuinely cares about its family members! Amazing.

I ordered four pieces of AC Delco's PF48E, GM part #19303975 from newgmparts.com since they ship to Europe and their shipping rates are the lowest I've been able to find so far.

[sbubbaklein]

how about Shell Helix, factory fill Euro Ferrari.

[Annatar]

Originally Posted by sbubbaklein

how about Shell Helix, factory fill Euro Ferrari.

Synthetic, DEXOS 2 compliant. That would work.