Popular Engine Oil Manufacturers

We stock premium-quality engine oil from a huge range of trusted manufacturers, including world-leading performance brands like Castrol and Shell, and specialists in durability like Triple QX and Mobil.

What Is Engine Oil?

Engine oil is a specially formulated lubricating fluid designed to withstand the high temperatures and constant movement in your engine.

It acts like a protective layer between all the moving metal parts in your engine, stopping them from grinding against each other. Without this important oil layer, the friction would cause the engine components to wear down quickly, seizing your engine.

If your oil level drops too low or the quality of it deteriorates, your engine could grind to a stop and break. That’s why keeping an eye on your oil level and changing it regularly is essential to keeping your whole car healthy.

For more information, explore our expert guide on everything to know about engine oil.

Which Engine Oil Do I Need For My Car?

Finding the right engine oil for your car is crucial to keeping your engine working effectively. With our handy registration lookup tool, you can enter your registration, and we’ll only show you the engine oils that are best suited to your car. From there, you can choose the brand for you and whether you’d prefer synthetic, semi-synthetic or mineral oil.

When Should I Change My Engine Oil?

Engine oil is designed to keep all the parts of your engine running correctly, but overtime it collects dirt and deteriorates, and will eventually need to be changed.

You should change your engine oil at least every 5,000 miles. To find more information for your exact vehicle, check your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommendation of when to change your oil.

If you drive very frequently or drive in challenging conditions, this will put more of a strain on your engine, meaning your oil has to work harder, and so degrades faster. In this case, we recommend changing it every 3,000 miles instead. Look out for some of these common signs that you’ll need to change your engine oil:

The oil looks black and sludgy, rather than amber and syrupy
When pulling the dipstick out, the oil looks dirty and has gritty particles
Your engine is making loud noises
Your dashboard oil warning light is illuminated

How Do I Top Up My Engine Oil?

If your engine oil still looks good but is below the minimum line when you check the dipstick, you’ll just need to top up the oil.

Firstly, turn off engine and wait for it to cool
Now, under the bonnet, look for the filler cap - it’ll be labelled ‘oil’ or with a symbol
Using the dipstick to guide you, pour in small amounts of the right oil at a time using a funnel to avoid spills
Keep checking the dipstick in increments as you fill to make sure you aren’t overfilling the engine oil

FAQs

How Do I Check My Engine Oil Level?

You can easily check your engine oil level by looking at your dipstick.

Park your car with the engine off and cool
Pop open the bonnet and look for the dipstick (it’ll usually have a brightly coloured hook or loop at the top of it)
Pull the dipstick out carefully and wipe off the oil
Then click it back in and pull it out again - this will give you an accurate reading of your oil level
The dipstick will have two lines or dots with a gap in the middle; you ideally want your oil level to sit between them. If it is below the lowest line or dot, you’ll need to top up your engine oil straight away

If your car doesn’t have a dipstick, all you’ll need to do is check your vehicle information display on your dashboard that will indicate when your oil level is low.

What Do The Numbers Mean On The Oil Container?

The numbers on engine oil containers can be confusing, but they just refer to the oil’s viscosity. The viscosity of engine oil indicates how easily it flows around the engine depending on the outside conditions.

Since temperatures fluctuate so much in the UK, most of our engine oil is multi-grade, which is why you’ll often see 2 numbers on one container, like 5w30 or 10w40. In this case the ‘w’ stands for Winter, showing the oil’s viscosity in lower temperature. The lower the number before the ‘w’, the better the engine oil flows in cold conditions.

What Happens If I Put The Wrong Oil In My Car?

Putting the wrong engine oil into your car can damage your car’s engine system and lead to immediate poor engine performance. This is why it’s crucial to check your engine oil is compatible with your vehicle before using it. Filter your results with our registration lookup tool to find the correct engine oil for your car.

How Do I Dispose Of Engine Oil?

You always need to dispose of engine oil safely; it’s an environmental hazard and so needs to be handled carefully. Never pour engine oil down drains, outside onto the ground or in your household bin.

Old engine oil should be put into a clean, sealed container and taken to a recycling centre, local oil bank or a garage that can safely dispose of it. It’s also always best to keep a spill kit on hand when switching out your old engine oil.

Can You Go Back To Regular Oil After Synthetic?

Yes, there’s nothing wrong with switching back to regular engine oil after synthetic oil, as the two are compatible with each other, so mixing them won’t damage the engine. If you’re looking for more in-depth advice, explore our blog on mixing engine oils.

Vauxhall Vivaro Life Engine Oil

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