Chevy Monza

[driver21]

i got a chevy monza with a 1598cc engine, the previous owner used Shell 50 body (oil) for the engine. But seeing that they had the car parked up for a longwhile they emptied the oil and the gas from the car, so now i'm kinda curious as to the oil i put in.. Do i have to use the same oil or could i put another... And if anyone knows the correct price of the Shell 50 body (engine oil) could u share it with me, and where has it... I'm on the east-west corridor

[damieG82]

assuming its the original engine (which is in fact an Opel/Vauxhall unit), it's supposed to use 10W-40 (aka '40 body'). I personally find those engine temperamental so I won't suggest diverting from manufacturer specs. The winter performance rating of the oil (the number in front the W) is very important too. Ensure its 10 or less, like 5.... 20W-XX oil won't flow fast enough at a cold start and will cause valvetrain wear. Yea it'll take a while before any noticeable problem develops, but it will eventually.

You dont have to stick with Shell, altho its a very good oil... regardless modern oils are designed to mix with other brands or types (mineral to syntec or vice versa). Maintaining the same grade is the important factor (ie dont mix a 10W-40 with a 20W-50 for instance). Go with whatever brand suits for pocket... note however if you go with a regular mineral oil you'll have to change it faster than a synthetic