Petrol/ Diesel engine oil--same?

[Kos]

Is Diesel engine oil the same as petrol engine oil?
The reason I ask is that my lease car is due in for a service on THursday but needs oil now. I don't want to buy diesel oil only for it to be drained on Thursday if I can make do with the Castrol oil that I've already got until then.

[Toureman]

Completly Different.

Get the correct oil.

[homer75]

Your Castrol oil will do fine. Diesel oil is slightly different in that is has detergent properties but for what you are doing any oil will do.

[homer75]

Tourman is right but for a short term top up days before a service it won't matter.

[tomtech]

if you care to look at the available oils now on the market you will be astonished to find that the old fashioned detergent oil has virtually vanished.please dont be mislead by inappropiate advise. a good quality 10/40 semi synthetic will run in any engine. a fully synthetic oil may be required for certain, late,low mileage engines, but for general use, the 10/40 is your safest bet. it will give good performance in naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines. please adhere to your service schedule.

[Andyvon]

As above Kos, the oils are different but not much so. I would advise that you get some mature and professional advise from more than one source. Have a quick chat with two or three local garages and motor shops as they will be quite happy to answer your question (try to avoid the teenage assistants though with all respect to them - they probably won't know) Even just give them a ring. If they all say the same then you can't go far wrong.

[homer75]

Stick any kind of oil in it in it ! it's only for a few days for Gods sake !

[homer75]

Synthetic oils are another way to improve diesel performance. Diesels tend to be dirtier. Synthetic diesel oils tend to be formulated with a stronger detergent dispersant additive package to help address the extra soot and by-products of combustion. Premium synthetic oils keep engines cleaner.

[wheelnut]

Interesting answers-I always assumed petrol/diesel oils were different but this belief was shattered by my local main Nissan dealer who uses Castrol gtx Magnatec out of the same tank in both types of engine! I was worried as mine's a diesel and I thought they should use gtd Magnatec - so phoned Castrol technical guy who told me they were both the same anyway ! Not sure what to believe now...

[tomtech]

looking at homers four totally different answers i guess you are none the wiser. why dont you just put in what your vehicle handbook says to put in, i just give in, i may hang myself.

[Toureman]

I thought my first answer was adequate,

Use the correct oil, I have a 2002 laguna petrol but I do know that even putting the wrong diesel oil in a Laguna diesel engine will very quickly wreck the engine, the correct sae oil deisel is crucial never mind putting petrol engine oil in.

Find out here which oil your car needs............

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectiongenerica rticle.do?categoryId=9004356&contentId=7007654

Whilst your engine is still ok.

[homer75]

All I can say is thank God it's nearly Thursday and the car will be serviced very soon. Hopefully with correct oil ! lol
Don't hang yourself TomTech it's only oil !

[tomtech]

its ok, i managed to resist the temptation, just preparing a meal and frying off my onions and garlic in 5/30 fully synthetic!

[homer75]

Glad to hear it Tom but I hope you are aware that onions should only be fried in a semi-synthetic oil which has a minimum spec of 505.01 !

[woodchopper]

A useful link below -

http://www.daviesautocare.com/oiltypesinfo.htm l