Dealer says my engine is leaking oil because it is synthetic.. BS?

Jupiter Rover

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2006
1,690
0
South Florida
I have extended warranty and my engine was leaking a good amount of oil Dealer changed some gaskets/seals. Now my engine continues to leak a good amount of oil. It never used to leak oil. Maybe a drop here and there but not small puddles under my disco. I have been using royal purple 15w40 for my last 3-4 oil changes and now the dealer is saying it is because of my oil. That the cleaning agents are too strong and the oil is too thin because it is a synthetic.

They now recommended a Conventional oil such as Valvoline. and then questioned me about using a 15w40 oil.

Is this just an excuse/complete bull?


They also told me they will no longer do warranty work regarding oil leaks. Basically telling me Royal Purple oil is *voiding* my warranty.
 

adriatic04

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2007
2,506
2
cleveland, oh
I think it's BS but at the same time you are using out of spec fluids on your warranty eligible truck, so they do have a right to refuse. I would be using spec fluids to be sure things get covered, once you are out of warranty you can do whatever you want.

they will find each and every reason to deny claims, CYA
 

Jupiter Rover

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2006
1,690
0
South Florida
Chris-St Louis said:
Synthetic is REVEALING a failed part, not causing it.

Want me to school them on Oil Sheer? ;)

Thanks. I wanted to get some second opinions, just in case I was ill informed.

I'm talking to them and explaining how they're morons in a nice way. :)
 

Zarati

Well-known member
A new engine that runs Synthetic from the beginning should never have issues. The issues usually start when an engine has had normal oil in it for many years. The sludge buildup cakes on the seals and drys them out. The engine wont leak because the oil sludge is sealing it up. When you put in synthetic it is highly detergent and will "clean out" the engine. This can clean buidup off the seals and now your old, dry seals will leak.

Not really a fault of the oil, more a fault of the inferior dyno oil that was run previously. Either way though, on old engines, I generally wont convert them over to synthetic unless I"m prepared to replace all the seals.

ON the same hand, my D1 has 175k Miles on it and is still running strong on Synthetic. ANd my Audi 5-cyl Turbo had 300k+ miles on it when I sold it with no issues. :)
 

reka12

Well-known member
Dec 27, 2007
138
0
Get your manual out. It should list the minimum oil specifications required by LR. If the oil meets those specs, they should not have any argument (imo).
 
Oct 27, 2004
3,000
4
I used Rotella 15-40, and woudl advise just about everyone too use it. But let me at least tell you why.The HD Diels 15W-40 products have a High Temperature High Shear (HTHS) rating that is similar to the ACEA A3/B3, A3/B4 and C3 ratings. Plus, the ZDDP has been reduced making it safe for Cats and O2 sensor. Some guys think being a diesel 15W-40 oil is why the cams last longer,becuase it had hgiher ZDDP freaked when it was reduced,but the real difference is the HTHS and similar requirements.

SAE xx rates oil viscosity at 100C/212F

SAE xxW rates oil viscosity at one temperature that is well
below zero but varies depending on the rating (IE: -35)

HTHS rates oil viscosity and shear at 150C/302F

All SAE 0W-30,5W-30,10W-30,0W-40,5W-40 and 10W-40 ratings have the exact same minimum HTHS requirements. (2.9 at 150C/302F) . So a 10W-40 is NOT necessarily any thicker at 150C than a 0W-30.

An SAE 0W-30 that is also ACEA A3/B3, A3/B4 or C3 approved has a minimum HTHS requirement of 3.5 at 150C/302F

So an ACEA A3/B4 approved SAE 0W-30 is actually required to be much thicker at 150C/302F and provide far better HTHS shear protection than an SAE 10W-40 that is not ACEA A3/B4 approved is required to provide. YES, a 0W-30 can be thicker than a 10W-40!!!

SAE 15W-40 has special requirements that exceed the individual "15W" and "40". The include a minimum HTHS of 3.7 at 150C/302F.

Typical SAE 10W-40 and SAE 20W-50 products are discouraged by virtually EVERY OEM and they are not approved by any OEM for use in modern cars. So, many oil companies that make them use their cheapest base stocks in these products and the result is inferior protection when compared to other modern oil products. These 10W-40 and 20W-50 products do NOT share the ZDDP limits that the more common ILSAC approved 5W-30 and 5W-20 products have, but the absence of those strict ZDDP limits in 10W-40 and 20W-50 has not shown any real advantage in camshaft protection (or anything else).

The ACEA A3/B3, A3/B4 or C3 ratings will insure that the oil provides good protection under HTHS conditions. You can find these ratings in the Castrol Syntec 0W-30, Mobil 1 0W-40, Valvoline Synpower 5W-40 and other similar products. These products will be thin enough to allow the flow
required to flush away abrasives and will still provide the required high temperature high sheer protection. I like Rotella. It fits.

You will NOT find that approval in Mobil 1 5W-30, Mobil 1 10W-30, Mobil 1 0W-30, Castrol Syntec 5W-30, Valvoline Synpower 5W-30 or other seemingly similar products. These are NOT the correct oil products for with flat tappet lifters, like the Land Rover V8

BRAND MEANS NOTHING!!!!!!!! If you turn the bottle over and it does not say that it is ACEA A3/B3 (or A3/B4, or C3) approved, then it does NOT meet that approval!

So, using Mobil 1 is NOT the answer, using Castrol Syntec is NOT the answer, and using Valvoline Synpower is NOT the answer. Only certain products within those lines (and others) meet the requirements.

Anything that has ANY of the following approvals will NOT meet the requirements you need to protect the 1960s Tech, flat tappet lifters engine that Land Rover Used:

ACEA A1/B1, A5/B5, C1, C2 GM 6094M, 4718M ILSAC GF-4


The choice is yours. I like Rotella.
 
E

ek5usmc

Guest
I use 10w30 Mobil1 synthietic. Your saying this is the wrong oil? Whatever is best for these motors. What synthetic and weight oil do you recomend other than Rotella, just wondering? Thanks
 
Oct 27, 2004
3,000
4
Look at the data sheet for your oil, if it does meet ACEA A3/B3, A3/B4 or C3 ratings it does not have the sheer ratings to protect a flat tappet engine like Rovers V8.

Take a look. Mobil one 10-30 does not meet this spec.
http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil_1_10W-30.asp


I beat the hell out of dead horse on LRO, give it a search.

Another good link.

http://www.acea.be/images/uploads/pub/070308_ACEA_sequences_2007_LD_and_HD.pdf

More on HTHS

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5322/is_200705/ai_n21287233
 
Last edited:

Jupiter Rover

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2006
1,690
0
South Florida
RoverLee said:
if they wont fix it now put the recommended valvoline in it and if it still leaks then go back to them
They're fixing it. But that is what I am doing. Putting the valvoline in and waiting to see what else leaks. Pretty sure all the seals are just getting old. The dealer was telling me the old conventional oil that the PO was using built up a *natural* barrier around the seals. I told him that is sludge. It's sludge right? Who wants sludge in their engine..
Chris-St Louis said:
I beat the hell out of dead horse on LRO, give it a search.

Yeah you did, That is where I learned most of what I know about oil.
 
Last edited:

fosterchild420

Well-known member
Feb 18, 2008
301
0
Prospect, VA, USA
ok i have gotten lost here. I will be specific so that maybe that will cut to the chase and get away from broad statements.

99 DII with 4.0 V8, does it have flat lifters or not?

i ask because i just changed the oil in the wifes and i have been using 5w30 mobil 1. I was forced to use 10w30 mobil 1 as no one has the 5w30 right now. (totally different story, will tell some of it another time.)

I already run 15w40 in my beamer because it has 250k miles. I am just wondering because since i change the oil, i have a lifter tap on the left bank. It was there ever so slight before, but very noticiable now.
 

JohnB

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2007
2,292
12
Oregon
I run 5w/30 isn't that what the RAVE specs.
My BMW I run 15w/40(rebuilt 3.5 w/20K)purrs. I'm a dino type of guy.

Am I alright?
 
Oct 27, 2004
3,000
4
JohnB said:
I run 5w/30 isn't that what the RAVE specs.
My BMW I run 15w/40(rebuilt 3.5 w/20K)purrs. I'm a dino type of guy.

Am I alright?


What brand 5-30? Check the spec sheet. You want a oil with a min of 3.5.