[Automatic Tony]

Hi all I'm in the UK and I'm just about to change the engine oil in my 2013 1.6 petrol engine i30. In my manual it says to use an ACEA A5 oil. BUT. Under the bonnet There is an official Hyundai /shell sticker that says" important use only ACEA C3 Low Ash oil". I phoned Hyundai and they initially said to me to go with what the manual says and use a shell ACEA A5 oil. I phoned a few other dealers and some didn't even know what an ACEA  grade is.  One dealer said that their bulk oil is C3 and that is what they would use. Still confused i iPhoned Hyundai back they were very helpful and went into a more technical sheet that showed a shell Helix oil e c t which is in fact a C3. If I put my registration number in the Shell oil finder an A5 oil is recommended. if I put my details in manually a C3 oil is recommended ?? I'm still confused but swayed towards C3, any views ?

[CraigB]

Hi Tony, mine is also a Euro built 1.6ltr petrol...A5/B5 or simply A5 oil is the correct type for your engine, I’d think a 5W-30 would still be suitable for your climate.

[tw2005]

Hi Tony, mine is also a Euro built 1.6ltr petrol...A5/B5 or simply A5 oil is the correct type for your engine, I’d think a 5W-30 would still be suitable for your climate.

I was reading up on the  myriad of specs   ,  is your take the C3 spec is more related to a diesel with DPF?  @CraigB

ACEA Engine Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org

[Dazzler]

Hi Tony, mine is also a Euro built 1.6ltr petrol...A5/B5 or simply A5 oil is the correct type for your engine, I’d think a 5W-30 would still be suitable for your climate.

I was reading up on the  myriad of specs   ,  is your take the C3 spec is more related to a diesel with DPF?  @CraigB

ACEA Engine Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org

Yeah I think that is the case. The Low ash oils are required for the Diesels with DPF.

[CraigB]

Hi Tony, mine is also a Euro built 1.6ltr petrol...A5/B5 or simply A5 oil is the correct type for your engine, I’d think a 5W-30 would still be suitable for your climate.

I was reading up on the  myriad of specs   ,  is your take the C3 spec is more related to a diesel with DPF?  @CraigB

ACEA Engine Oil Specifications - oilspecifications.org

Pretty much what Dazz said C3 is a mid saps suitable more for diesels with DPF, I think there is a few petrol vehicles that also require C3 oil due to a certain generation of catalytic converter used in some of the European brands.

[Automatic Tony]

Hi guys thanks ever so much for your input it really is appreciated. Here's a bit of an update two other Hyundai dealers recommended other oils one was dexos 2 which I thought was a GM oil which meets specifications C3 another dealer recommended shell ultra extra which is  an A3 spec. I too felt that C3 was more for diesel engines but it seems can be used for petrol as well. Hyundai UK list both A5 and C3  so I'm guessing it's ok to use either I just wanted to use the best  for the engine. My head is still spinning but I'm finding it sooooo hard to ignore the label under the bonnet lol going to try calling one more dealer before I take the plunge. Thanks again guys.   

[eye30]

Sticker on my 1.4 petrol shows c3

[CraigB]

Sticker on my 1.4 petrol shows c3

I'm not familiar with the 1.4ltr motors but Tony's 1.6ltr is definitely A5 as is all the current model PD 1.6ltr turbo petrol engines.

[eye30]

Here picture of my handbook showing my 1.4 petrol should have ACEA A5  or above.
(Also quoted for 1.6l)

Yet sticker in engine compartment say c3.

Car always serviced by hy authorised service centre.
Checked invoiced but oil grade not stated so assume c3 used.

[mickd]

Here picture of my handbook showing my 1.4 petrol should have ACEA A5  or above.
(Also quoted for 1.6l)

Yet sticker in engine compartment say c3.

Car always serviced by hy authorised service centre.
Checked invoiced but oil grade not stated so assume c3 used.

All is revealed   

[CraigB]

Here picture of my handbook showing my 1.4 petrol should have ACEA A5  or above.
(Also quoted for 1.6l)

Yet sticker in engine compartment say c3.

Car always serviced by hy authorised service centre.
Checked invoiced but oil grade not stated so assume c3 used.

Like The Hyundai service centre that I used to use, they used A3/B4 Castrol Magnatec in everything as it was easier and cheaper...certainly wasn’t better  should always use what’s written in the manual as service centres are more concerned with the price they pay for oils.

[Automatic Tony]

Hi guys, here's a further update on the oil. I phoned two more dealers they both recommended C3 so I think that's four out of five main dealers recommending C3 over the telephone. I phoned the dealer that had been servicing my car prior to me owning it and they had put in A3 oil.  However as I mentioned in another post Hyundai uk have both A5 listed and C3 listed for my car,  so although they are different  grades of oil they said either would be ok. I did get C3 in the end, I  just couldn't ignore that sticker.  Lol 

[tw2005]

Hi guys, here's a further update on the oil. I phoned two more dealers they both recommended C3 so I think that's four out of five main dealers recommending C3 over the telephone. I phoned the dealer that had been servicing my car prior to me owning it and they had put in A3 oil.  However as I mentioned in another post Hyundai uk have both A5 listed and C3 listed for my car,  so although they are different  grades of oil they said either would be ok. I did get C3 in the end, I  just couldn't ignore that sticker.  Lol 

Seems a safe bet. I know with the diesels they like to have those warning tags too regarding grades particularly where there  is a DPF or No DPF. I've got both types now but have stocked up in the non DPF oils, and my label has come off the DPF motor cover.
From what I've read the wrong oil can kill the DPF which are worth thousands. You'd like to think if they've gone to the trouble of applying a specific label there's a reason. 

[Automatic Tony]

Yes.  That would be an expensive repair for the cost of a gallon of the wrong oil.

[CraigB]

I'm still unsure why they're recommending C3 for a petrol though, can only put it down to diesels being so popular in the UK that price wise it's a cheaper option to obtain and use an oil that's compatible between both fuel types and more readily available, from what I can read up on A5 would still be the preferable oil in a 1.6 petrol.

[eye30]

Can someone confirm whether this is correct....

So long as the oil spec is equal to or higher then that is ok......

[tw2005]

I'm still unsure why they're recommending C3 for a petrol though, can only put it down to diesels being so popular in the UK that price wise it's a cheaper option to obtain and use an oil that's compatible between both fuel types and more readily available, from what I can read up on A5 would still be the preferable oil in a 1.6 petrol.

@CraigB  Was in my mind too.
From what I've read though the "C" class is meant to be catalyst and DPF friendly, so could the answer to this riddle be the emissions standards and the type of CAT?

[CraigB]

The cats used in GD models are gen3 type and completely compatible with A5 oil which is catalyst friendly, I’m currently running a gen4 cat which is still compatible to run with A5 oil to which I think the new PD’s are either gen4 or gen5 catalytic’s for stricter emissions laws and the A5 oil is still the recommended oil for those too.

One of the main reasons I feel A5 should be used is the petrol engines are higher revving and A5 sheer tolerance’s are higher hence giving better protection at high rpm.

[tw2005]

The cats used in GD models are gen3 type and completely compatible with A5 oil which is catalyst friendly, I’m currently running a gen4 cat which is still compatible to run with A5 oil to which I think the new PD’s are either gen4 or gen5 catalytic’s for stricter emissions laws and the A5 oil is still the recommended oil for those too.

One of the main reasons I feel A5 should be used is the petrol engines are higher revving and A5 sheer tolerance’s are higher hence giving better protection at high rpm.

headache 

[sundiz]

Here the dealer put mobil 1 esp 5w-30 c3 to 1.6 petrol gd. I use the same in my fd diesel.