- You are currently viewing DISCO3.CO.UK as a guest - Register to take part or Log In
Flatlander
Member Since: 20 Jul 2015
Location: Here
Posts: 575
|
If I didn't have a stock of the 'official' fluids, I'd probably not either - except for the transmission and engine - I use the correct spec. 'Magnatec' version, mainly because most of my weekday motoring is short journeys in slow moving traffic - and the Mrs. works at a Ford dealer so can get it at staff rates.... 
In all seriousness, for engine & transmission oils, I'd personally go with the absolute best I can get, given the change intervals and the cost of rectification of premature wear / failure, sure, drivetrain can also suffer from substandard lubricants but the repair costs are a lot lower if there is any accelerated wear. Short, stop-go journeys are worse than longer, more relaxed journeys for powertrains particularly so for me, I want to use every 'small gain' I can to protect it's longevity. There is a world of difference in determining the best value for you and your usage case versus looking for the cheapest option across the board - and equally going for the 'gold' option across the board can be a waste of money in some usage cases.
Last edited by Flatlander on 28th Dec 2022 11:01 pm. Edited 1 time in total
|
 28th Dec 2022 10:58 pm |
|
|
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10502
  
|
Well that’s an interesting take on things Kaj
I tend to use the recommend stuff on fluids I will only change once during my ownership.
But for the gearbox I used liquid molly 1800 😂 as it was a good price at the time
|
| 28th Dec 2022 11:00 pm |
|
|
LT
Member Since: 31 Dec 2005
Location: South West
Posts: 23556
 
|
I’m a recent convert to Smith and Allan oils:
https://www.smithandallan.com/
Great prices, especially if you buy in bulk. So what I’m planning on doing is draining and refilling the gearbox every approx. 6 months, having initially done two drains and refills on the same day.
On the SDV8 it’s almost exactly 3 litres per drain.
My logic, which I admit could beflawed, is that two drains a year (when it’s on a ramp anyway) is better than a more comprehensive megaflush every 50k-70k miles. 2006 D3 HSE (Original & still the best)-GONE
2010 D4 HSE (A bit bling)-GONE
2014 D4 HSE (Almost too bling)-GONE
2015 D4 HSE (A heated what?)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Written Off)-GONE
2016 D4 Landmark (Surely the last!) PD1881 rims-GONE
2017 FFRR SDV8 Autobiography (now semi-retired)
|
| 28th Dec 2022 11:53 pm |
|
|
kajtzu
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6642
 
|
While I didn’t list LiquiMoly (owned by Würth) previously it’s also commonly accepted as a “known good ATF” because - and I’m completely guessing now - anecdotally like the others based on a low number of mishaps. Someone tried it out and it worked for long enough.
Most people (myself included) are not chemical engineers and similarly most of do not have access to spectroscopes or other advanced tools to determine whether something is equivalent, close enough to not matter or far enough to matter greatly. So we end up either reading forums, watching YouTube or reading specifications. If we’re being generous it’s “analyzing data” but many times it could be described as “cargo culting” because we truly do not know why something has originally been chosen by someone else.
My own philosophy for the D3, which seems to have become somewhat of a hobby, is to figure out are there equivalent products, am I willing to take on the risk of something breaking, am I reasonably confident I can fix the problem somehow, etc. if yes, go for it. If not, make it someone else’s problem (= pay someone else). The latter has not happened in several years, however, besides stuff I don’t want to do (replace brake lines) or don’t have facilities for (the same and wheel alignment for example). 
If Mannol sells at 5W-30 oil for 4 eur/liter and Castrol’s concoction is 11 e/liter, I’m getting the former. I’m pretty much assuming all major players have identical oils for my purposes and they all meet the spec set by JLR (and ACEA really). I haven’t noticed any correlation between choice of oil brand, engine sound, power, mileage, etc. The thing that most affects mileage is whether you’ve got a jammed brake piston or brake shoes.
But why did I buy Brembo pads and disks rather than genuine? Why not TRW or something else? Because I like the brand. I have no info beyond the price and forum posts which one is better/worse. I do know Brembo doesn’t even make them themselves (or at least didn’t use to). There isn’t enough data for anyone to determine any kind of statistical significance.
Why are my wipers Bosch AeroTwin? Because people tend to recommend them and I like them better than Valeo Silencio XTRM. Price wise they’re pretty much the same.
Why is my cabin air filter Mann’s antibacterial and antifungal one? Because I’d like for the marketing department for once not to just claim things and really do hope the filter is better than the cheapest paper filter one can get.
My day work is in an industry where “no one pays list [price]”, there are always second, third (or nth) sourcing available for anything, where marketing claims rarely meet what actually ships, the purchaser and user are different people, etc. etc.
|
| 29th Dec 2022 12:30 am |
|
|
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10502
|
In the case of LiquiMoly they make a number of different compatable fluids for different gearboxes.
The the number eg 1800 is used to denote what it is for. And at least it’s the correct colour!
|
| 29th Dec 2022 12:58 am |
|
|
kajtzu
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6642
|
Curiosly TopTech 1800 and 1800R are approved for Dexron VI and Mercon LV 
|
| 29th Dec 2022 1:09 am |
|
|
|
|
Yankee_Rover
Member Since: 02 Jun 2021
Location: Seattle
Posts: 183
  
|
Interesting discussion. Only info I can add is that it is the Ford 6R80 (not 6R60) which is the licensed ZF 6HP26. I have the 6R80 in my Ford pickup, which made it simple when I did fluid and filter changes in that and the LR3 last summer. Some parts are easier to source via Ford and others ZF. While Mercon SP was used in the 6R60 and some early 6R80 installations, Mercon LV is the “latest and greatest” fluid. It’s hard to get SP anymore, and what’s left is expensive. 5-10 years ago, SP was cheap and plentiful, so many LR3 owners did use it, but ZF Lifeguard 6 is cheap enough now that it makes sense to just use the genuine stuff. LV is about $6/liter and ZF LG6 $15/L. When I did my filter and fluid change I used about 7L, so the added cost for genuine was $60 —not bad when amortized over 30k miles. 2008 LR3 HSE, 4.4L V8
|
| 31st Dec 2022 3:26 am |
|
|
|
Posting Rules
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
DISCO3.CO.UK Copyright © 2004-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
|
|
