I did consider tuning with recent BF sales, but it's plenty fast for me already. Braking and cooling upgrades are higher on the list. Much rather keep the engine happy to 200k than the cats. Emissions and mpg not a concern. Going to give the Pennzoil Platinum Euro 5w40 a try. Any sense in testing the existing oil given I have no clue what it is?
Side note: I appreciate the feedback from everyone. Learning a lot.
You have numerous threads about Pennzoil Platinum Euro.
It is GTL based oil. Very clean, high HTHS.
You can’t go wrong with it. It is repackaged Shell Helix 5W40.
Not sure are we getting now this version of Helix. From oil.ru:
PI SP; ACEA A3/B3, A3/B4; BMW Longlife-01, MB-Approval 229.5, 226.5; VW 502.00/505.00; Porsche A40, Renault RN 0700, RN 0710, PSA B71 2296, Fiat 9.55535-Z2, Fiat 9.55535-N2 – meets the requirements, Chrysler MS 10725, MS 12991.
1) Pour point -57°C. We can immediately rule out the presence of VHVI hydrocracking , which is what these oils are typically made from. This oil is GTL- based; otherwise, it wouldn't have such a good pourpoint. Shell truly has exceptional low-temperature properties, just as described. It can be safely used in Siberia and other cold climates.
2) The base number (BN) of 11.38 is high. The oil has good detergent and neutralizing properties. It effectively quenches the acids that form during fuel combustion. It should really keep pistons clean from carbon deposits. It has good resistance to low-quality fuel. The only drawback is that the previous version of Ultra had a higher BN of 12.49 mg KOH. They slightly revised the additive package to reduce the oil's ash content and the risk of detonation in modern engines (LSPI). Overall, the detergent properties are still good; the description doesn't lie.
3) Another telling NOACK parameter is the NOACK (volatility of masses at high temperatures) of 5.7%. As a reminder, in this test, the oil is kept at 250°C for 1 hour. Then, the percentage of mass that has evaporated is calculated. So, if a regular oil shows 10-11% on a crack test, that's considered good. But here, the result is almost twice as good. These are the advantages of a GTL base oil. The less mass the oil loses, the less deposits it forms (all other things being equal, of course). It oxidizes less, has a longer mileage, and requires less top-up. Generally, GTL oils typically have the lowest NOACK (volatility of masses). Even PAO oils of this viscosity have around 7%, while here, it's 5.7%.
4) The viscosity has become even lower! Now, it's not just a low-viscosity, economical 5W-40 like the previous version of Ultra. It's now almost 5W-30. Let me remind you that a "40" oil according to the SAE J300 standard should be between 12.5 and 16.3 cSt, and ours is 12.79. A little more and this oil could be called a 5W-30. Now, fans of thick viscosities will say that "the oil is too thin, which means it doesn't protect well against wear." This is not always true. The manufacturer may use more base oil and less polymer thickener. As a result, the oil will even sag less and provide the same wear protection as thick oils. Incidentally, the low viscosity index of 168 only confirms this.
6) Flash point of 251°C. Beyond all praise! While conventional hydrocracking oils have a flash point of 225-235°C, this one is on average 20°C higher. This is again an advantage of the thermally stable GTL base oil. Even compared to the previous version of Ultra, the oil has become more thermally stable. Previously, the flash point was 245°C.
7) Sulfur content has also decreased to 0.222%. This reflects the purity of the base oils and the modern additive package based on magnesium and calcium salicylates.
8) Sulfated ash = 1.16%. It's clear that Shell (Infineum) has again redesigned the additive package and made the oil cleaner. The previous version of Ultra had higher ash and sulfur levels.
9) Infineum additive package. It contains organic trinuclear molybdenum, which reduces friction and improves fuel economy. It also contains a high amount of boron as a dispersant, trapping contaminants. This allows them to be flushed out with the oil drain. A detergent-neutralizing additive based on calcium and magnesium. This innovation reduces the risk of engine failure due to premature combustion of the mixture in the cylinders. It also contains anti-wear additives based on phosphorus and zinc. It's likely that only Shell will have this package, and no one else will. Because Infineum is a related company, they are creating something special for themselves. This is precisely what we observe from the analysis.
The IR spectrum shows the presence of a peak at wavelength 722, characteristic of GTL .
Conclusion. Shell, as always, has produced a great product. Shell Helix Ultra 5W-40 is more fuel-efficient, more thermally stable, and safer for direct-injection engines. It's cleaner in ash and sulfur. It's made from a high-performance synthetic GTL basestock . Its parameters are fine; there's nothing to complain about. This oil might not be as popular with performance car enthusiasts because the viscosity has become lower. But I won't try to convince you. You just have to figure it out for yourself... Personally, I don't think it offers any worse wear protection. Ultra is a good fit for European Mercedes, BMW, and Renault vehicles. It's a good option for turbocharged VW TSIs. If you don't mind the expense, you can also use it in a Lada. However, I'd recommend Shell Helix Eco 5W-40 or Shell High Millage 5W-40 based on price and quality. In fact, it's even suitable for Japanese and Korean cars. The viscosity is now low, which means the oil is even closer to the topic.
