What oil does a Renault Sandero 2018 take

Q: What does «5W-40» mean?

No es una marca ni una calidad. Son dos números que dicen qué tan espeso es el aceite , y cada uno habla de un momento distinto. El 5W es el motor frío, recién prendido. La W es de winter , invierno en inglés. Entre más bajo el número, más rápido corre el aceite apenas arrancas, que es cuando más se desgasta un motor. El 40 es el motor caliente, después de unos minutos andando. Ese es el número que trabaja casi todo el tiempo en Cartagena, donde el carro nunca amanece helado.

Q: What's that code next to it?

Junto al grado va un código: RN0710 o RN17 . Eso es la norma , y es la parte que casi nadie mira. La norma es el sello que Renault le pone al aceite que probó en este motor y aprobó. Un tarro puede decir 5W-40 bien grande en el frente y no tener el sello: el grado es el mismo, pero el aceite no es el que la marca aprobó. Por eso la norma manda sobre la marca del tarro. Si cumple la norma, sirve; si no, da igual lo bonita que sea la etiqueta. Las dos que ves arriba están aprobadas para tu carro, cada una con su sello: 5W-40 cumple RN0710, y 5W-30 cumple RN17. Cualquiera de las dos está bien.

Q: Why do two engines of the same size take different oil?

Los dos tienen 1.598 centímetros cúbicos —eso es el «1.6» que oyes decir, el tamaño del motor—. Pero no son el mismo motor. El 1.6 8V tiene 8 válvulas, y el 1.6 16V tiene 16 válvulas. Las válvulas son las tapitas que dejan entrar la gasolina y salir el humo. Más válvulas es un motor más completo por dentro, con más partes que lubricar y más recorrido que llenar de aceite. De ahí sale la diferencia de 1,5 litros entre uno y otro. No es un detalle: echarle los litros del pequeño al grande lo deja corto.

Q: How do I know which one I have?

Dos formas, de la más fácil a la más segura: 1. Por la tarjeta de propiedad. La cilindrada no sirve aquí —los dos motores miden 1.598 cm³—, pero la línea del carro a veces trae el «16V». Si no lo dice, pasa a lo siguiente. 2. Por el motor. Abriendo el capó hay una plaquita pegada al bloque con un código: K7M o K4M. Ese código no miente aunque le hayan cambiado algo al carro, y es la forma segura de salir de dudas. Si no estás seguro, mándanos una foto de la tarjeta de propiedad por WhatsApp y nosotros te decimos cuál es.

Q: What happens if they put in the wrong one?

Nada explota al otro día, y por eso mucha gente ni se entera. Lo que pasa es más lento: un aceite muy espeso tarda en llegar a las partes de arriba del motor cuando lo prendes, y uno muy delgado no aguanta la presión con el motor caliente. En los dos casos el desgaste corre más rápido de lo que debería. Y quedarse corto de litros es peor que el grado equivocado: si falta aceite, la bomba empieza a chupar aire y hay partes que trabajan un rato sin lubricar. Por eso preguntamos siempre la versión antes de ir.

The short answer

The Sandero of that year came with two different engines, and they don't take the same thing.

1.6 8V

1.598 cm³ · K7M engine

3,3 liters

Counting the new filter

1.6 16V

1.598 cm³ · K4M engine

4,8 liters

Counting the new filter

A LubriGo technician changing a car's oil on site in Cartagena — This is how the change is done: the technician arrives with the oil and filter your Renault Sandero calls for and works wherever you have the car.

What each number means, explained from scratch

If you've never sat down to look at this before, here's everything behind those figures.

What does «5W-40» mean?

It isn't a brand and it isn't a quality rating. They are two numbers telling you how thick the oil is, and each one is about a different moment.

The 5W is the engine cold, just started. The W stands for winter. The lower the number, the faster the oil flows the moment you start up, which is when an engine wears most.

The 40 is the engine hot, after a few minutes of driving. That's the number doing the work almost all the time in Cartagena, where a car never wakes up frozen.

What's that code next to it?

Next to the grade there's a code: RN0710 or RN17. That is the standard, and it's the part almost nobody looks at.

The standard is the seal Renault puts on the oil it tested in this engine and approved. A bottle can say 5W-40 in big letters on the front and not carry the seal: the grade is the same, but it isn't the oil the manufacturer approved.

That's why the standard outranks the brand on the bottle. If it meets the standard, it works; if it doesn't, it makes no difference how nice the label looks.

Both of the ones you see above are approved for your car, each with its own seal: 5W-40 meets RN0710, and 5W-30 meets RN17. Either one is fine.

Why do two engines of the same size take different oil?

Both have 1.598 cubic centimetres —that's the «1.6» you hear people say, the size of the engine—. But they aren't the same engine.

The 1.6 8V has 8 valves, and the 1.6 16V has 16 valves. Valves are the little lids that let the fuel in and the exhaust out. More valves means a more elaborate engine inside, with more parts to lubricate and more passages to fill with oil.

That's where the difference of 1,5 liters between the two comes from. It isn't a detail: putting the small engine's quantity into the big one leaves it short.

How do I know which one I have?

Two ways, from the easiest to the most reliable:

1. From the registration card. Engine size is no help here —both engines measure 1.598 cm³—, but the car's trim line sometimes carries the «16V». If it doesn't, move on to the next one.
2. By the engine. Open the bonnet and there's a small plate stuck to the block with a code: K7M or K4M. That code doesn't lie even if something has been swapped on the car, and it's the sure way to settle the question.

If you're not sure, send us a photo of your registration card on WhatsApp and we'll tell you which one it is.

What happens if they put in the wrong one?

Nothing blows up the next day, which is why plenty of people never find out. What happens is slower: an oil that's too thick takes longer to reach the top of the engine when you start it, and one that's too thin can't hold up under pressure with the engine hot. Either way, wear runs faster than it should.

And being short on liters is worse than the wrong grade: if oil is missing, the pump starts sucking air and some parts run for a while with no lubrication. That's why we always ask which trim you have before we set out.

How much does the mobile change cost?

The full change —synthetic oil and filter, done wherever the car is— starts at $240.000. The price moves with the number of liters the engine calls for. Message us with your car's engine and we'll give you the exact figure before we set out.

We come to your home, your workplace or wherever you have the car parked. Nothing to drop off, no queue.

Ask for the price on WhatsApp

Where these figures come from

We didn't take these from our own experience or from a blog: they are the documents Renault publishes for this car. You can open them and check for yourself.

Manual de utilización Logan / Sandero (X52) — Renault, accessed 2026-09-09.
Motor Oil Catalog (Renault · Castrol) — Renault, accessed 2026-09-09.