I really need some help please. I have a 7.5t Iveco 75e15 and recently had it serviced. The oil was changed to a synthetic one by a respected wagon mechanic on the basis it was a horsebox, not doing many miles and so would be better and cheaper in the long run as it wouldnt need as many oil changes. It has done 275000kms and Im now told by some people the oil is too thin especially for an older higher mileage vehicle. Others are saying synthetic oil is better for it??? At first it ran better but now I feel its noisier as in 'tappy', seems to tick over faster on idling and Im worried its the thin oil. Im in an awkward position and can not question the expertise of this mechanic but Im worried I will ruin the engine if I dont sort it soon and I cant find any info on which oil it should have anywhere. Thanks from a non mechanical female driver!

Confused, May 2009

Hi guys sorry to hijack the thread but doesn't anyone know the size of these vehicles fuel tanks? The model in question is a 2000 iveco ford horse box 7.5 ton. thanks!

Tj, August 2016

Hi guys sorry to hijack the thread but doesn't anyone know the size of these vehicles fuel tanks? The model in question is a 2000 iveco ford horse box 7.5 ton. thanks!

Tj, August 2016

thick oil isn't always better, thick(viscosity)don't mistake thick with always being better. Imagine your heart and blood vessels and turn your blood thicker? less circulation and penetration. 10w/5w means that at cold tempfully synthetic isn't thinner as such, well it is kind of, basically it will be thinner or operate better at colder temperatures without becoming unstable as a fluid, diesels run very cold so fully synth will be a great benefit, for thicker oil to work properly it has to heat up(diesels take forever to get to operating temp)so a 5w/10w oil would in theory work at lower temps far far better, now if your getting a tapping noise maybe the higher end of the grade is not enough, go for a w40 over a w30 then it remains stable at higher operating temps, what grade fully synth is it? Also the engine oil has nothing to do with brake air pressure, that is the compressor. With regard to oil though it would be best to stick to manufacturer recommendations, but if not just go middle of the road 10w40 semi synth, not all engines are designed to run synthetic oils. Using your ears is sometimes the best gauge of what oil is best, 'tapping' would suggest top end noise, so in theory fully synth should be best for this?

Richard dob, July 2015

Don't believe everything you read. James sounds like a nice bloke but is completely wrong on a couple of points. Iveco 7.5 tonne vehicles have air over hydraulic brakes, which means that air is needed for the foot pedal brakes as well as the handbrake. Secondly air pressure is in bar not psi. Thirdly, if the air pressure keeps dropping to 8 bar, when previously it stayed just under 12 then there is a leak somewhere.

Iveco Fitter, May 2011

We run a lot of these trucks and maintain them inhouse,the correct oil is Diesel 15/30 oil, not syn, that is only for the new engines ie euro 4 or 5. if in dowt just phone your local Iveco dealer.
Good luck

Richard Skelcher, October 2009

i will take the pint as long as its only coke as i dont drink (boring i know). if you want go on ebay and my user name is eric16405 go on my details and contact me thur there as you can not put any contact info on here. i am at goole so if you are only north manchester its not that far and if you want i can help you out, i know my wife wants to goto that horse supermarket (robinsons) near wigan, as we have a sec A that she is braking to drive, the offer is there if you want it just dont give up it will be worth it when you are on your way to a show and win loads of rosettes to put up in your truck.

james, June 2009

Hi James, if only I did live closer to you, I would definately buy you a well deserved pint for all your help!!
When it was serviced by first mechanic, he put me new rear lights (the whole unit) as the old one was cracked and Im now told they arent Iveco ones and the connectors for the reverse light etc arent the same so what was straightforward now isnt. The first mechanic said the horsebox convertor had messed the wiring up and I didnt need the reverse light for MOT. He checked the bulb but it wasnt that and mentioned the Loom?? and said it was a pain so we just left it. New mechanic mentioned I had no reverse lights and said although not required, reckonned it better if I had them which I agree. Im not sure if the mirror arm is long enough to fit the wide angled mirror on as new mechanic reckons my normal mirrors arent Iveco parts and dont slide as far down. God what a mess. Im sure it will be sorted soon and hopefully I can them begin to trust and enjoy it. The dream of owning a horsebox has definately turned into a nightmare and I feel like getting it plated in Sept and trying to get rid of it.
I will have a look at the mirror on Ebay, thanks for that.

Thank you, June 2009

you know if you lived closer to me i would have done all the work my self then you wound never have had all this hassle, just buy a wide angle mirror of ebay Item number 260421619750, and get you husband to fit it as long as its on the passenger side mirror arm, it will be ok, your reversing lights, check the bulb if ok check fuse if not it might need the switch on the gearbox replacing very easy job its just the same as a car just remember that you dont need them for an mot they are not even checked. hope all this helps and you and your horse are very happy, i used to run a horse transport business until this recession hit and i sold my truck.

james, June 2009

Hiya, thanks for the reassurance. The wagon drives very well, even the Iveco hating first mechanic said that which was a shock. It drove well with both oils but seemed to get louder and louder, well tappy before the change back to normal oil. I had to laugh as I heard the exact noise it was making the other day stuck in traffic and it was coming from a posh VW!!
My drive home wasnt long but it drove great and didnt seem tappy when ideling so fingers crossed. We are on holiday this week so when I come back I am going to get the psi?? looked at. I have become neurotic about it now I know but if I wasnt transporting a horse I wouldnt worry. I just need to know its right. Any ideas on what my lowish psi? could be and why it was at 12 then after the service was 8 (I do know when the brake fluid was put in after the brake fluid pipe was replaced, he didnt bleed them???) or would you just leave it and stop worrying? Ive still got the mirror and reverse lights to sort (as I havent got any!!) , yes more to go at yet but then hopefully I can stop worrying. Thanks so much for all your help.

Neurotic!, June 2009

Right yes your brakes will work with the pressure at 8 psi, if the air went to low the handbrake would stay on and you wouldnt be able to drive it, the little light in the air gauge will need replacing before the test and the air buzzer should go off when the air is to low, the air does go down a bit when the handbrake is relised as its the air holding the brakes off so you are able to drive, so did it drive and sound any better after you had the oil changed ? and just rember if your foot brake did go you can aways pull the handbrake up slowley to stop the truck (dont pull it on to much as it will just lock the rear wheels up and you will stop very quickley)

james, June 2009

Hi james, thank you for looking on here again, I bet you wish you'd never looked in the first place lol!!
So to put my mind at rest, my brakes WILL work if the pressure gauge goes low??? Im paranoid I wont stop now. The mechanic did pump the brakes to show me the warning light, which didnt come on!! So I presume that doesnt work, then he revved it up so the gauge went to 12 and it released air, stayed at 12 then dropped down to 8 on the drive home (about 3 miles) When I bought it having never sat in a wagon before it wouldnt move and I didnt realise the air had to be at a certain pressure before it would move. This turned out to be 2 air leaks which once fixed solved the problem. I havent got a manual for it so I am totally useless, hence all the questions. Im not the luckiest person as you can see and really hope I havent bought a load of trouble!
Thanks for all your help I really do appreciate it.

Grateful, June 2009

Hi you dont have it easy do you, right i doubt it will make any diffrence about it been a 75e17, it will be ok on normal oil, did it run any diffrent after you had the oil changed ?

next the air as long as the air warning buzzer is not going off then it should be ok anything between 8 and 12psi is normal running pressure, there is away you can turn up the regulator up on the compressor, i would say pump the brake pedal until there is no air showing on the gauge(dont have the engine running to do ths). Then start the truck up and just leaving it ticking over until you hear the air blow off (it should just take 5 mins at the most) and see what the gauge is at. i dont see what the air has to do with you foot brake as the air only works on the handbrake.

james, June 2009

Sorry forgot to say my brake fluid pipe had corroded, was replaced and it may have been when this was replaced that the gauge went down to 8. Im all mixed up with this damn wagon. Seems like everythings wrong.

Thank you, June 2009

Just hoping you may read this James as something else has now cropped up!! Firstly it is a 75e17 Iveco Cargo Tector not a 75e15, I didnt know this as it hasnt a tector badge on it but the lovely new mechanic put me right. When I bought it the Air brake pressure gauge was at just under 12. After the synthetic oil was put in it was at 8??. I dont know why it lowered but it has stuck at this ever since and first mechanic said it was fine. I had the oil changed to 15/40 on Friday and the new mechanic said this gauge should be higher and that it could be something to do with the compressor? What do you think? I did notice the brake pedal felt hard especially when coming down hill but after the new mechanic pumped it back up to 12, they felt keen. This may be my imagination as I feel Im loosing faith in this vehicle now. After the short journey home the gauge had gone back to 8.

Fed up., June 2009

Thanks James.
Im going to hopefully book it in for an oil change on Friday and get the new mirror law thing sorted out too. Hopefully it was the oil and it will be back to normal soon.
Thanks again.

relieved!!, May 2009

Hi, just change it back, i had a Mercedes truck and that was on synthetic from new and was fine, we then ran a 7.5 ton Mercedes on an 04 plate and that was on normal oil because Mercedes had said it would run better on normal oil as if its not run from new then it shouldn't be changed as synthetic oil is very thin and the chances are it will just start using it and synthetic oil is very expensive and you wont be doing a million miles in a horsebox so just stick normal oil in 15/40 and it will be fine.

james, May 2009

Hi Richard, thanks for replying. I feel a bit fed up again now. I was hoping the engine getting noisier and ticking over fast on idling was down to the thinner oil. My husbands mechanic (not a wagon one!) reckoned it be better with oil like treacle?? So you dont think the thin synthetic oil would be detrimental to a higher mileage wagon?
I was going to take it next week for a change back to 'normal oil' and was hoping it would start to run quieter again.

fed up, May 2009

if you want to look after your iveco engine you can't beat fully synthetic oil.....we started running our iveco's on mineral oil and noticed a big difference on power and started getting turbo's failing

richard, May 2009

Sorry forgot to say its a 2001 reg.

pain!!, May 2009

By the way Im based in North Manchester

Grateful, May 2009

Thanks James, its really getting me down as when I bought it (as a chassis, got it converted hence the high mileage) it ran great. The mechanic works with wagons for a living but they are new and this oil was put in another much older horsebox and its fine but its done half the miles. I cant ask the mechanic as he will say the oils fine and he thinks Im being over the top as it is but I just know its getting worse each time I drive it. I did ring Iveco when it started to 'tap' and they said it should have 15/40??? but then someone else in the know said the synthetics fine. I will lose a good mechanic if I get the oil changed so I need to know for sure. Thanks again, I appreciate it, you answered my question about the oil pressure gauge which is something else that has gone a bit mad since the oil change. Oh dear.

Feel better now!, May 2009

Hi ring an iveco dealer and ask them what they think to it running on synthetic oil, i would say it was alittle to old to run on it, i had a V reg Mercedes truck and that was run from new on synthetic oil, where are you based ? and if you want to change the oil run it until its hot then just drain it off and fill it up with normal diesel oil the filters will be fine, not being funny we had a horsebox and it never did that higher mileage going out every weekend and normaly it would be 10000 miles between services so putting synthetic oil in does seam alittle over the top.

james, May 2009