Dealer recommended oil for 1000 mile change
 

Just rang the 3 dealers close enough to drive to for my 1000 mile service and am quite suprised by the differences in price and recommendations. Car is a MY04 WRX with 850 miles on it. Handbook and service books haven't arrived yet so I've not been able to see what the supplying dealer recommends. It's UK spec so I assume service intervals and recommendations will be the same.....

Dealer A - 1000 mile service is £90 + vat and is a general check over with oil and filter change. Oil used is Shell Helix semi 5W-30. Same oil is used in subsequent services and fully synth not required on this car if left standard.

Delaer B - 1000 mile service is the same as the 10k mile service. Cost is £130 + vat and they use Castrol GTX semi 10W-40. Same oil is used in subsequent services and fully synth not required on this car if left standard.

Delaer C - 1000 mile service is purely an oil and filter change, no other checks necessary until 10k unless owner asks for them. Cost is £60 + vat and the oil used is Mobil 1 0w-40. This oil is used in all services thereafter. They said the Mobil 1 motorsport (15w-50?) is too thick for this car.

So who's telling the truth :)

I'm planning to run AMSOIL 10w-40 ester synthetic in the car which has a 25k mile service interval, but change it every 10k with the dealer services and possibly a filter change every 5k (not decided yet) at home. May wait until the 10k service to add the AMSOIL if people think it's best to have a semi in there while the engines still loosening up.

Where would you take your car?

Same old head/heartache ref oil. You end up reading lots of advise do a search on oil to get all past debates and have to make your own mind up I'm afraid. You will never get the absolute answer that would make you satisfied.

Let's look at this objectively.

In order of cost (most expensive oil first)

Mobil1
Shell Helix
Castrol GTX

Types of oil

Mobil1 (Fully Synthetic PAO)
Shell Helix (Semi-synthetic "hydrocracked" petroleum)
Castrol GTX (Mineral Oil)

The most suitable grades mentioned 5w-30 or 40 and 10w-40.

For a start, although it's cheap, the GTX is a mineral oil and I wouldn't use this unless you were changing it every 2000 miles.

The Shell Helix is a middle of the road, fairly cheap affair which will give protection but would still change every 3-4000 miles.

The Mobil1 is the best oil you've been offered and should be good for 6-9000 miles although 0w-40 will probably be fine it's not a requirement. 15w-50 is very popular here but 10w or 5w would be a better winter grade.

I would buy your own oil and supply it in preference then you know the quality/viscosity that's being used. I would suggest Motul or Silkolene for starters.

Cheers
Simon