Here is some FAQ for motul

What is oil shelf life ?
Motul is ISO 9001 certified and according to our quality procedure, Motul
products are guaranteed for 2 years after the production date. To be
sure, we keep one sample of each produced batch and check it from time to
time during 2 years. After 2 years we have no experience therefore we
cannot guarantee our products.

What does Technosynthese mean ?
Nowadays, the terms synthetic, semi-synthetic and synthesis base have
been tainted, because it is not enough to add a few % of PAO to claim to
rival the performances of oils using MOTUL synthesis techniques.
All techniques using synthesis products, developped and fully mastered by
MOTUL for 30 years, are gathered under the generic name TECHNOSYNTHESE.

Oil for bikes/ Oil for cars. What is the difference ?
Most of 4 stroke bike gearboxes use engine oil as a lube. To reduce wear
and increase gearbox life, we include gear additives into bike 4 stroke
engine oils. And the oil must not perturb clutch efficiency.
For bike oils, the JASO (Japanese manufacturer association) is very
concerned by the clutch sliding problem so they issued some requirements
and standards.
Motul 5100 and 3000 oils for 4 stroke engine bikes are JASO MA approved.
To complete that, Motul performed the JASO T904 tests on 300V`s to be
sure that 300V`s work properly without any clutch problem.
On the other hand, for cars, there is no gearbox or clutch problem
therefore we can use for example friction modifier additives to reduce
friction into the engine. This will provide power output improvement.
For bikes we strongly recommend to use bike oils and for cars, we
strongly recommend to use car oils.

Drain intervals
Drain interval depends on the use, for common daily driving the best is
to follow the car maker recommendations. If you drive very hard or
sometimes go to a track or attend to Saturday evening runs, it is better
to reduce drain intervals.
In the same way, if your engine is modified or tunned, it not possible
anymore to follow the car maker recommendations therefore is is better to
reduce drain intervals as well.
Therefore, as soon as you use your car in a special way, racing, runs…it
is better to use a high quality lubricant as 300V or 8100 for example.

300V or 8100/6100 ? Make your choice :
Oil choice depends on your use :
300V are especially designed for racing, Motul is providing to end-
consumers the lubricants set up for the teams : that is to say that the
products you can find on the shop shelves are the same as products used
by the teams for races.
These lubricants have to be strong enough to resist at very high
temperature, provide the best lubrication, reduce friction… In one word,
meet all the stringent requirements for racing.
8100, 6100… are designed for common daily use : in this case, you will
ask your car to start every morning, drive it in the stop-and-go traffic
to go at work, and drive it back to home in the evening. To complete that
you will not be agree to go for service too often.
Requirements for daily use are different from racing.
Motul 8100, 6100 … are made for that. In these conditions and with these
lubricants, you will be able to follow the car maker recommended drain
intervals without any trouble.


800 2T premix Ratio :
For off road applications, we recommend to use Motul 800 2T Factory Line
OFF ROAD in premix at 2% (50:1).
For road racing applications, we recommend to use 800 2T Factory Line
ROAD RACING in premix at 3,33% (30:1).

Premix longevity ?
According to the tests performed, oil do not separate from the gasoline
during roughly one month but this depends on gasoline and storage
conditions. Therefore the best is to prepare premix just before use and
shake before use.
The most important problem should be that gasoline is loosing its burning
properties when exposed to the air. This can cause ignition problems.


What is the difference between a synthetic oil and a mineral oil?
A lubricant is said to be " mineral " when it is based upon refined crude
oil. Synthetic lubricants are manufactured through chemical reactions
taking place between various chemical components.
The process for obtaining a synthetic lubricant is therefore more complex
and more costly. Nevertheless, synthetic oils have superior properties,
including greater resistance to oxidation; this allows their use under
very severe conditions (high temperatures) and also results in increased
times between oil changes.
Semi-synthetic oils can be obtained by mixing mineral and synthetic oils.
This produces, at a more reasonable cost, properties that are superior to
mineral oils since they retain the high performance characteristics of
the synthetic base.

On packaging, what does 15W-40, 5W-40, etc., mean?
These are SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) viscosity grades that
class four-stroke engine oils in relation to their hot and cold viscosity
characteristics.
These grades are defined as follows:
· a winter grade, followed by the letter W, 15W for example
· a summer grade, this figure comes after the winter grade, 40 for
example
The smaller the winter grade number (0W, 5W, 10W, 15W, 20W, 25W) the more
the oil remains fluid at low temperatures, and therefore the easier it is
to start the engine in very cold weather.
The higher the summer grade number (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 the more the oil
remains viscous at high temperatures (100°C), and therefore the more
protection it provides to the motor during strenuous use. Present day
engines are designed to operate with a hot oil viscosity of SAE 40. In
winter, a cold grade of SAE 15W is ample to provide starting without
problems. An oil of SAE 15W-40 is therefore suitable for temperatures
ranging from -10°C to +40°C. (refer to the vehicle manufacturer`s exact
recommendations).

What is the difference between 4T engine oils for cars and 4T oils for
motorcycles?
The main difference between the two vehicles is that the majority of four-
stroke motorcycle gearboxes are lubricated by the engine oil. In order to
reduce pinion wear and increase the life of the gearbox, MOTUL
incorporates `Extreme Pressure` additives to motorcycle 4T oils.

My vehicle is fitted with a four-stroke engine and until now has used a
competitor`s oil. Can I use MOTUL without damaging my engine?
Four-stroke engine oils are compatible and miscible (easily mixed). It is
therefore perfectly possible to utilise a quality MOTUL oil in your
vehicle.

Can I mix two types of oil of different qualities and brands?
For the same type of oil (e.g., four-stroke engine oils), the mixing of
different brands and qualities is possible. However, be careful that you
respect the minimum quality level recommended by the manufacturer.
Moreover, the quality of the mixture obtained will generally be that of
least good product, and will depend upon the exact proportions.
It is not possible to mix oils of different types (four-stroke engine
oil, two-stroke engine oil, gearbox oil, automatic transmission oil,
brake fluid, etc.).

At present I am using a 15W-40 oil in the engine of my car. In very cold
weather (-10°C), when starting, I hear a rattling. What should I do?
Your engine probably has hydraulically actuated pushrods. At low
temperature, a 15W is too viscous to ensure the proper operation of such
pushrods. You should therefore use a 10W-40 or 5W-40, in accordance with
the manufacturer`s recommendations.

At the moment I am using a 15W-40 oil in the engine of my car which now
has more than 100,000 km on the clock. I note that I have and excessive
oil consumption and wish to reduce it without undertaking major work on
the engine.
Moving to an oil that is more viscous when hot, such as 15W-50, 20W-50 or
15W-60 is likely to greatly reduce your oil consumption and without any
risk to your engine.

What is the difference between diesel engine oil and petrol engine oil?
The constraints imposed by the two engines are not entirely identical:
more particularly the minimum performance levels of chemical properties
relating to detergent action and dispersion are different. Nevertheless,
virtually all oils in the MOTUL range largely meet such minimum levels
and therefore possess the required standard and approval for both petrol
and diesel engines.

How long can I keep my two stroke oil and petrol mixture? Should it be
prepared just before use?
Since the miscibility, i.e., mixing ability of MOTUL 2T oil is perfect,
there is no time limit related to the lubricant. For use in competition,
certain users have the habit of carrying out the mix just before use in
order to obtain optimum efficiency from the lubricant and to reduce the
percentage in the mix. For standard road use however, such precautions
are irrelevant.

At present I use a SAE 80W-90 in the manual gearbox of my car. During
cold weather, for the first few kilometres, gear changes are very stiff.
What can I do?
These difficulties probably come from using an oil that is too viscous
when cold and which hinders the correct operation of the synchromesh
mechanism. Using an oil with a viscosity of 75W-90 should solve the
problem.

MOTUL Racing Brake Fluid 600 is classed as DOT 4. Is MOTUL Brake Fluid
DOT 5.1 better?
The DOT 5.1 Brake Fluid is essentially intended for ABS braking systems
that require an increased fluidity. The RBF 600 has both dry and wet
boiling points that are higher than the DOT 5.1: this is why it is suited
to difficult conditions such as competition.

What is the difference between the MOTUL Inugel 50 coolant and the MOTUL
Inugel Type D? Can they be mixed?
The Type D is a Renault designation used since about 1993 to define the
quality of the recommended coolant in its small cars. Renault calls
classical coolants, such as Inugel 50: Type C.
It is highly inadvisable to mix these two types of coolant in a cooling
circuit: the resulting mixture risks causing deposits and it may lose its
anti-corrosive properties. This would have serious medium to long term
consequences for the engine.
It should also be noted that Ford Europe also uses this "new " coolant in
new vehicles since 07/98.

A grease is a grease. Why are there so many types in your range?
Grease is composed of an oil and a binder (soap), and it resembles a
sponge filled with oil. Depending on its use, a grease may be required to
be extremely soft (for central greasing) or to have high consistency
(used in the hubs of heavy goods vehicles). Furthermore, by varying the
quality of oils and soaps used, it is possible to obtain extremely varied
properties, such as extreme pressure resistance, water resistant, etc.
The MOTUL range covers the majority of applications. For specialised use,
the BECHEM range is also available.

When using a catalytic exhaust system, are there precautions that should
be taken in relation to engine oil?
The only constraint regarding engine oils in this respect is that they
must have low phosphorous levels, since this destroys catalytic exhausts.
The whole MOTUL range of four-stroke engine oils is fully compliant. You
can therefore use MOTUL without any risk to catalytic exhaust systems.

There are " energy economy " oils. What is the relationship between a
lubricant and fuel consumption?
The viscosity of an oil comes from the internal friction within the oil:
the more viscous the oil, the more internal friction. By using a low
viscosity oil (generally SAE 0W-30) in an engine, the losses caused by
friction internal to the lubricant are reduced: the petrol consumption is
therefore enhanced by a few percent. However caution should be used, this
type of oil is not suitable for all engines. Check that the vehicle
manufacturer does in fact recommend this viscosity.

What are the advantages of 300V?
The 300V range is formulated from an ester based synthetic oil. At
present this is the best technology available on the market. These esters
have better properties when compared to other oils: the oil film cannot
be sheared, there is a permanent adherence to metal components
(polarity), resistance to very high temperatures, biodegradability, etc.
These products originally formulated for competition may also be used in
mass production vehicles.

 

Wow good post. I didnt read all of it but that really helps explain a lot

 

Viscosity Index Improvers.

An oils viscosity will decrease as the engine temperature rises. Viscosity Index Improvers are added to reduce this thinning. They are a key addative in the production of multigrade oils.

VI Improvers are heat sensitive long chain, high molecular weight polymers that increase the relative viscosity of the oil at high temperatures. They work like springs, coiled at low temperatures and uncoiling at high temperatures. This makes the molecules larger (at high temps) which increases internal resistance within the thinning oil. They in effect "fight back" against the viscosity loss in the oil.

"Shearing"

The long chain molecules in VI Improvers are prone to "shearing" with use which reduces their ability to prevent the oil from losing viscosity. This "shearing" occurs when shear stress ruptures the long chain molecules and converts them to shorter, lower weight molecules. The shorter, lower weight molecules offer less resistance to flow and their ability to maintain viscosity is reduced.

This shearing not only reduces the viscosity of the oil but can cause piston ring sticking (due to deposits), increased oil consumption and increased engine wear.

Like basestock quality, VI Improvers also vary in quality. The best quality ones are normally found in synthetic oils (Group IV - PAO / Group V - Esters) and it is important to understand that the less of these in the oil the better the oil will stay in grade.

Which oils require more VI Improvers?

There are two scenarios where large amounts of these polymers are required as a rule.

Firstly in "wide viscosity" multigrades. By this I mean that the difference between the lower "W" number and the higher number is large for example 5w-50 (diff 45) and 10w-60 (diff 50) are what is termed as "wide viscosity" oils.

Narrow viscosity oils like 0w-30 (diff 30) or 5w-40 (diff 35) require far less VI Improvers and therefore are less prone to "shearing".

Secondly, mineral and hydrocracked (petroleum synthetic oils) require more VI Improvers than proper PAO/Ester (Group IV or V) synthetic oils as they are less thermally stable to begin with and this is due to the non-uniform molecules in petroleum oils as opposed to the uniformity of synthetics built in laboratories by chemists.

It is a fact that some synthetics require little or no VI Improvers to work as a multigrade due to their superior thermal stability.

How to identify a good "shear stable" oil.

API and ACEA both conduct tests called HTHS (High Temperature/ High Shear) and all oils carrying these specifications are tested and scored.

For all oils, these test results are available however, they are often ommitted from the oils technical data sheet! Oil Companies have a tendency to publish the figures that they want you to see and therefore you often need to dig further or ask for certain information when comparing the performance of various oils.

High-Temperature/High-Shear

This test is a simulation of the shearing effects that would occur within an engine. In fact, it's actually designed to simulate motor oil viscosity in operating crankshaft bearings.

Under high stress conditions where shearing can occur, the VI Improvers (polymers) break down. As they do, the viscosity of the oil decreases. This is what the High Temperature/High Shear test checks for.

The HT/HS test is measured in Centipoise (cP) as the Cold Crank Simulator test is. However, in this case, because you're hoping for the least loss of viscosity with an increase in heat and stress, you want the cP value to remain high.

Each SAE multi-viscosity grade has a specific lower limit for the HT/HS cP value. If a multi-viscosity oil cannot achieve a cP value above that limit, it cannot be classified under that viscosity grade. For instance, according to the SAE specifications, an oil must achieve an HT/HS cP value of 3.7 or higher in order to be classified at the 15w40 viscosity grade.

The thinner the oil the lower the number.

Comparisons of HTHS numbers.

Here for comparison sake are a few numbers that we have compiled from data sheets and requests to the oil companies concerned. These are well known oils and considered to be "quality" synthetics so these comparisons are relevant.

Silkolene PRO S 5w-40
HTHS 4.07

Motul 300V 5w-40
HTHS 4.51

Silkolene PRO S 10w-50
HTHS 5.11

Motul 300V 10w-40
HTHS 4.19

Silkolene PRO R 15w-50
HTHS 5.23

Motul 300V 15w-50
HTHS 5.33

Mobil 1 Motorsport 15w-50
HTHS 5.11

Castrol RS 10w-60
HTHS 3.70

 

great write up. I only use motul fluids in my evo. If theres a fluid its motul.

 

I can't read

 

I use to use the 300v motor oil until I ran the local place out of stock and they never re-ordered it.

 

def. great write up. should be stickied.

 

I used Motul 300v in my 2003 Ducati. Not only did using this oil drop my engines operating temperature considerably over the Agip I previously used, almost 25 degrees overall, but it smells awesome when it burns. Heh.