Branded engine oil.

Comma oil - not a chance in hell of catching me ever using it again.
Back in the day when it first came out we used in in the company vehicles and one by one we had to rebuild the engines - 5 of the mothers - problem? the oil was recycled ie filtered, cleaned up, buffered and resold - went form lubrication / oil mode to water mode in seconds.
IIRC correctly there was a police force somewhere in England had similar problems with their panda cars - all went quiet on that one - guess Comma paid to silence the fuzz.
I have no idea what it is like now but I would not touch it.
 
doug748 said:
Don't use the very cheap Comma stuff unless it has the line of incomprehensible numbers and letters on the label, Comma knock out some 20/50 stuff which has not been submitted for classification, so the 15/40 may well be the same

Now this stuff is probably fine for putting into an old banger but few people will want to chance it with a boat engine. I often use it (20/50) as a flushing oil in motorbikes.

I have found Halfords mineral stuff to be generaly fine, it normally has the incomprehensible letters and numbers. The 20/50 looks reassuringly like the old green Duckhams.
Click to expand...
Vyv Cox's website has an explanation of the specification codes for lube oils. You can also get some info on Wickipedia.
 
cliff said:
Comma oil - not a chance in hell of catching me ever using it again.
Back in the day when it first came out we used in in the company vehicles and one by one we had to rebuild the engines - 5 of the mothers - problem? the oil was recycled ie filtered, cleaned up, buffered and resold - went form lubrication / oil mode to water mode in seconds.
IIRC correctly there was a police force somewhere in England had similar problems with their panda cars - all went quiet on that one - guess Comma paid to silence the fuzz.
I have no idea what it is like now but I would not touch it.
Click to expand...
Even 'expensive' oil is a lot cheaper than engine spares.
 
doug748 said:
Don't use the very cheap Comma stuff unless it has the line of incomprehensible numbers and letters on the label, Comma knock out some 20/50 stuff which has not been submitted for classification, so the 15/40 may well be the same

Now this stuff is probably fine for putting into an old banger but few people will want to chance it with a boat engine. I often use it (20/50) as a flushing oil in motorbikes.

I have found Halfords mineral stuff to be generaly fine, it normally has the incomprehensible letters and numbers. The 20/50 looks reassuringly like the old green Duckhams.
Click to expand...

Comma make the Halfords branded oils I understand. Just look up th Comma website they've been around a long time and I used their oil in my Alfas over 20 years ago with no trouble. They have a help line to help you get the right oil spec. I think Comma might even have bought out Duckhams, but I'm not sure....good old green slime 20/50 eh!

Tim
 
cliff said:
Comma oil - not a chance in hell of catching me ever using it again.
Back in the day when it first came out we used in in the company vehicles and one by one we had to rebuild the engines - 5 of the mothers - problem? the oil was recycled ie filtered, cleaned up, buffered and resold - went form lubrication / oil mode to water mode in seconds.
IIRC correctly there was a police force somewhere in England had similar problems with their panda cars - all went quiet on that one - guess Comma paid to silence the fuzz.
I have no idea what it is like now but I would not touch it.
Click to expand...

Nearly all oil is a mix of recycled/reprocessed stock and new base stock. Comma is not unusual in that respect. Too many people use it for it to be a problem. In 44 years of driving and three years as a warranty claims bod,the only oil faults I have consistently come across are people running out of the stuff and wondering why the engine went bang.

They've been going 50 years http://www.commaoil.com/#maincontent

Tim
 
Last edited:
Alfie168 said:
Comma make the Halfords branded oils I understand. Just look up th Comma website they've been around a long time and I used their oil in my Alfas over 20 years ago with no trouble. They have a help line to help you get the right oil spec. I think Comma might even have bought out Duckhams, but I'm not sure....good old green slime 20/50 eh!
Tim
Click to expand...


Well good. Post a link to show us that Comma make the Halford's product and I would be obliged. Not shocked or staggered, just obliged.

I have re-read my original post and it seems good advice to me.

Whilst Comma continue to market oils without API rating information, all it products should be treated with caution.
 
doug748 said:
Well good. Post a link to show us that Comma make the Halford's product and I would be obliged. Not shocked or staggered, just obliged.

I have re-read my original post and it seems good advice to me.

Whilst Comma continue to market oils without API rating information, all it products should be treated with caution.
Click to expand...

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/en...l/halfords-15w40-mineral-petrol-diesel-oil-5l


XT2000 15W-40

[TABLE="class: details"]
[TR]
[TD="class: lft"]
7731.jpg
[/TD]
[TD="class: rgh"]Pack Size: 1 LT 4 LT
Product Code:
XT21L



Semi synthetic, high performance 15W-40 oil, suitable for petrol and diesel vehicles including those with fuel injected and multivalved engines.

Comma recommends this product for applications requiring: MB 229.1, MB 228.3; VW 501 01, VW 505 00; ACEA A3/B4; API SL CF CG-4

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
Last edited:
Have been buying Comma fleet mineral and semi synthetic) oil for 20 odd years for use in boats from my local motor factor Agabridge).
Also use in my Smart Roadster ( Fully synthetic) and for two other VAG cars in the household.
Have also used the motor factors own brand when buying larger quantities as suspect it is the same stuff with different label.
Have yet to suffer any problems and all of my engines are abused for many many years
 
Last edited:
oldgit said:
Have been buying Comma fleet mineral and semi synthetic) oil for 20 odd years for use in boats from my local motor factor Agabridge).
Also use in my Smart Roadster ( Fully synthetic) and for two other VAG cars in the household.
Have also used the motor factors own brand when buying larger quantities as suspect it is the same stuff with different label.
Have yet to suffer any problems and all of my engines are abused for many many years
Click to expand...

Come to think of it, its a good job they called it Comma and not Full Stop isn't it...:D:D;)

Tim
 
Alfie168 said:
I think Comma might even have bought out Duckhams, but I'm not sure....good old green slime 20/50 eh!
Tim
Click to expand...

Duckhams was bought by BP some time ago, and then phased out. BP also own Castrol, and oils branded BP or Castrol, of the same spec, are the same. The prices change depending on market, with the Castrol brand being premium in some areas, and the BP brand in others........
 
doug748 said:
Well good. Post a link to show us that Comma make the Halford's product and I would be obliged. Not shocked or staggered, just obliged.

I have re-read my original post and it seems good advice to me.

Whilst Comma continue to market oils without API rating information, all it products should be treated with caution.
Click to expand...

Well...Esso make Halfords Oil and Esso owned Comma from 1989 and when Esso became part of Exxon Mobil, so did Comma. In 2012 Exxon Mobil sold Comma to the Brazilian company Cosan Lubrificantes e Especialidades of Sao Paulo.

Actually, if you look carefully the ratings are there, and if you have a problem they have an advice line to help you out, or they always used to. So as I thought, whole lotta nonsense not to use a Comma oil of suitable grade and spec, but nobody's forcing anybody.

Tim
 
sailorman said:
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/en...l/halfords-15w40-mineral-petrol-diesel-oil-5l


XT2000 15W-40

[TABLE="class: details"]
[TR]
[TD="class: lft"]
7731.jpg
[/TD]
[TD="class: rgh"]Pack Size: 1 LT 4 LT
Product Code:
XT21L



Semi synthetic, high performance 15W-40 oil, suitable for petrol and diesel vehicles including those with fuel injected and multivalved engines.

Comma recommends this product for applications requiring: MB 229.1, MB 228.3; VW 501 01, VW 505 00; ACEA A3/B4; API SL CF CG-4

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Click to expand...



I think that Alfie was saying he thought that Comma made Halford's branded oils, which may very well be true of course. It alters nothing.
 
Last edited:
I also use Comma mineral oil on my Beta, sold by my local motor factor, one of the few makes who sell mineral diesel oil. I initally bought Duckhams years ago but no longer available. My friend has bought a large tin of Millars, 25litres I think.
 
I've used Comma in various cars and in boat engines for years too. Baffled by earlier statement that the spec wasn't shown on the packaging. It's always been there when I've looked, but then I always look at the spec before buying a pack of oil.
 
sailorman said:
I posted it to show the spec rating that was claimed not to be there
Click to expand...


That is because the spec rating, that claimed not to be there, is there on that product but not on the oil that was originally referred to in post 5. A post which has been quoted a number of times but seems to have been read not at all.


If you want to see the Comma oils which dare not speak their name see here:

http://www.commaoil.com/passenger-vehicles/products/view/538

Try downloading the data sheet for full specification. And a good chuckle.

Comma Motorway is another hiding it's light under a bushel, I have two of them in the shed.
 
Best thing is to buy basic multigrade mineral diesel engine oil from the supermarket - e.g. Asda.
This will be closest to what your engine needs and will not waste money.
If it says API C"X" where "X" is D or any letter after D in the alphabet then it will be fine.
Best thing you can do for your engine is not let it idle and change the oil often.
You will see old farts routinely running engines at idle in marinas and surprise surprise their engines blow smoke because the bores are glazed. If it aint working turn it off.
 
sailorman said:
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/en...l/halfords-15w40-mineral-petrol-diesel-oil-5l


XT2000 15W-40

[TABLE="class: details"]
[TR]
[TD="class: lft"]
7731.jpg
[/TD]
[TD="class: rgh"]Pack Size: 1 LT 4 LT
Product Code:
XT21L



Semi synthetic, high performance 15W-40 oil, suitable for petrol and diesel vehicles including those with fuel injected and multivalved engines.

Comma recommends this product for applications requiring: MB 229.1, MB 228.3; VW 501 01, VW 505 00; ACEA A3/B4; API SL CF CG-4

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Click to expand...

It doesn't actually say it meets any of those MB and VW specs.....

It's like saying we recommend you use our margarine where the recipe requires butter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

O
“The Dog that Didn’t Bark:” Yanmar. 4L HASTE.
Replies
2
Views
275
oldgit
O

Share this page

Top