4.73 L vs 5 L oils

[camrydriver111]

I noticed some oils come in 4.73 L (5 quart) jugs and some in 5 L jugs.

I assume this is because oils blended in Canada and Europe will use metric?

Is this a factor when you are buying oil? If it is the same price, you will get 0.27 L extra with the 5 L jug.

I sometimes see 4.4 L. Why do they make it that size? Is it shrinkflation?

 

[supton]

Because they can?

I was confused when I bought Aisin branded CVT fluid and it came in... quart containers. Of course it drains something like 2L precisely when I do a drain and fill...

 

[FCD]

In Europe the most common sizes are 1,4 and 5L , anything else is rare.

 

[MolaKule]

4.73 Liters = 5 quarts, and most packaging these days state that.

Where do you find 5 Liter jugs?

 

[Spedestrian]

The Motul and liquimoly I have come in 5L bottles. My BMWs take 6.5L or 6.9qts so either package size is fine by me.

 

[camrydriver111]

4.73 Liters = 5 quarts, and most packaging these days state that.

Where do you find 5 Liter jugs?

In Canada. Pennzoil and some Castrol grades come in 5 L. It says Made in Canada on them. M1 is always 4.73 and says USA, so I assume it depends on the country it was blended.

Pennzoil and M1 are the same price, but since the Pennzoil is 5 L, it is technically cheaper.

 

[SR5]

In Australia they sell 5L and 6L jugs. They are usually priced so that $ per unit volume is effectively the same, it’s just that 6L is a more convenient size for many modern engines.

For some diesel engine oils, they also sell 10L cubic jugs, which are usually priced a bit more economically.

 

[GSCJR]

In Canada. Pennzoil and some Castrol grades come in 5 L. It says Made in Canada on them. M1 is always 4.73 and says USA, so I assume it depends on the country it was blended.

Pennzoil and M1 are the same price, but since the Pennzoil is 5 L, it is technically cheaper.

Here's a twist:

In Canada, SuperTech either comes in 5L jugs or 946mL bottles; both made in USA

 

[Patman]

In Canada. Pennzoil and some Castrol grades come in 5 L. It says Made in Canada on them. M1 is always 4.73 and says USA, so I assume it depends on the country it was blended.

Pennzoil and M1 are the same price, but since the Pennzoil is 5 L, it is technically cheaper.

Valvoline and Quaker State are also sold in 5L jugs in Canada.

 

[SR5]

I sometimes see 4.4 L. Why do they make it that size?

That is for the very convenient 1/54 of a Hogsheads. Just ask grandpa Simpson.

 

[Patman]

When I had my 2000 Civic I liked having the 4.4L jugs up here because that engine didn’t burn oil (not until much later) and I could just put the entire 4.4L in it (slightly overfilling but not by too much) I haven’t seen any 4.4L jugs in a long time but it used to be common up here for a while.

 

[camrydriver111]

When I had my 2000 Civic I liked having the 4.4L jugs up here because that engine didn’t burn oil (not until much later) and I could just put the entire 4.4L in it (slightly overfilling but not by too much) I haven’t seen any 4.4L jugs in a long time but it used to be common up here for a while.

I think Kirkland might be 4.4 L or the Castrol sold at Costco. I can't remember which one

 

[OilyOrangutan]

I think Kirkland might be 4.4 L or the Castrol sold at Costco. I can't remember which one

Kirkland is 2x 5QT/4.73L Jugs, as for the Castrol I can't be 100% certain, but I believe my memory is telling me there were 5L jugs.

 

[GSCJR]

I think Kirkland might be 4.4 L or the Castrol sold at Costco. I can't remember which one

A long time ago, it was Mobil Super 1000 and 5000 that were each sold in 4.4L jugs.

 

[GSCJR]

When I had my 2000 Civic I liked having the 4.4L jugs up here because that engine didn’t burn oil (not until much later) and I could just put the entire 4.4L in it (slightly overfilling but not by too much) I haven’t seen any 4.4L jugs in a long time but it used to be common up here for a while.

Were using Mobil Super perhaps?

 

[Patman]

Were using Mobil Super perhaps?

No, back in those days in Canada everything was sold in 4.4L jugs. We didn’t get the bigger 5qt and 5L jugs up here for most oils until probably 2005-2010 or so.

 

[Snagglefoot]

The 4.4 liters is 97% of an Imperial gallon which was in use in Canada until Canada went metric in the late 70’s. An Imperial gallon is 4.54 liters. Maybe the motor oil companies used the 3% as coffee money.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Here is a pic of a 4.4 liter jug of the US Castrol Edge with the Dexos approval presently available at Canadian Tire.

 

[KrisZ]

Those volumes were around in Canada for a long time now, so it’s nothing new.
It’s usually the big box stores that use them and it’s done to make price matching difficult or even impossible because the items need to be identical for price matching.

 

[KrisZ]

4.73 Liters = 5 quarts, and most packaging these days state that.

Where do you find 5 Liter jugs?

If I remember correctly Walmart Canada uses 5L jugs for the major oil brands in most popular viscosities. Then there is another big box store called Canadian Tire and they sell in 4.4L jugs.
Like I mentioned above it’s done to avoid price matching.

All the other smaller automotive retailers, like Napa, Parts source etc. sell in the 4.73 or 5 quart volumes presumably because they don’t have access to their own container supply, so they use the US containers.