Angry!!!! Why no 5W-20?!

[LouDawg]

I'm just going to have to start stocking up on the 5qt jugs of the Motorcraft 5W-20 whenever I see it at Wal-Mart. I've been there twice recently and not only are they always out of 5qt jugs of 5W-20 MC (they carry it...just out), they don't have any 5qt jugs of ANY 5W-20 oil, including synthetic! I was even going to buy Castrol GTX today just because I wanted to change it before the weather got bad. But nope...no 5W-20. Moreover, they were even out of MC and GTX 5W-20 in the quart bottles. Literally, the ONLY 5W-20 they had in any form was Mobil 1 in qt bottles...that's it. No PZ dino, no Havoline dino, not Valvoline Dino, no QS dino, zip, nada, zilch. And they were WELL-stocked with everything else in every other "normal" viscosity range.

Autozone and Pep Boys weren't much better. I ended up getting (5) one-qt bottles at AZ for $2.59 each, a little more than WM but at least available.

So what's the freakin' deal with 5W-20? My gosh, it's THE specified oil for pretty much every Honda and Ford back to 1999, maybe further. You'd think that WM would at some point notice the dearth of this viscosity or how fast it's moving off the shelves compared to the ubiquitous 10w30 and 10W-40, and even 5w30. Are Wal-Mart's buyers that obtuse or behind the times, or is their system broken, or some combination? Heck, I'd have had better luck getting 20W-50!

Okay, rant over...but I'm still fuming!

 

[mrsilv04]

As soon as I change oil, I go ahead and buy the supplies for the next change within the next week or two. That way I have everything I need when I want it... and if it takes a couple of days to find what I need, it isn't a problem.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Never have the problem.

Having a stash is the way to go. You buy oil always on sale and HAVE it when needed.

Has worked for me for 30+ years!

Nothing beats under a buck a quart oil!

Take care, bill

 

[wavinwayne]

The W-M's here are always fully stocked with single-quart bottles & five-quart jugs of multiple 5w20 oils, including synthetic. You'd think Indiana W-M's would be fully stocked with 5w20, since you guys get such cold weather. Weird.

 

[Drivebelt]

I would just use 5w30 and call it a day. I just don’t see enough of a difference between that and a 5w-20 to worry about -- a couple of cST (or less) at 100C.

So, maybe you lose up to 1% gas mileage. Just think of 5w30 as HDEO for applications that call for 5w-20.

 

[LouDawg]

It still doesn't answer the question relating to why there is so little 5W-20 when so many manufacturers are now calling for it.

As for using 5w30, I simply prefer 5W-20 since it what Honda recommends. As long as it under warranty, that's what I feel I should use.

 

[Pablo]

The ONLY 5w-20 today at Schucks was Lucas synthetic $7.49/ qt. Is that even a PAO?

I hear ya bro - me thinks there are many DIY folks dropping 5w30 in their new Hondas, Fords, etc or everyone gets their oil changed at the shop, quickie lubes, or stealer.

I do sell a fair amount of XL 5W-20 locally, so there is demand, and it's way cheaper than Lucas 5W-20 (and M1, too).

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Quote:

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It still doesn't answer the question relating to why there is so little 5W-20 when so many manufacturers are now calling for it. As for using 5w30, I simply prefer 5W-20 since it what Honda recommends. As long as it under warranty, that's what I feel I should use.

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Why not complain to the store managers? Then go to Pep Boys and complain there.

Really, the best remedy is to stay stocked-up. Don't wait until the last minute to shop for a particular oil or weight.

 

[ewetho]

I see 5W and 10w30 in Fords all the time from quicky and not so quicky lube places. Stupid, they work great on 5W-20 just not the 4.0L, diesel or if you are rich enough for the Shelby GT500 or Ford GT.

We put it in cars as early as '93. Yeah that meant I had to do the OC twice on one ladies car even when we showed her the FORD TSB that speciefied it as the update to her manual and what not. Did not say it on her oil cap or owners manual so she wanted 5w30. Whatever.... Drain and refill.

5W-20 seems to be fairly available now but Walmart is not the beacon of 5W-20 oil that is for sure. Slim to no pickings. The only choice one day was 0W-20 M1.

Most of the time they have Motorcraft too but not much else. Have to goto a real auto parts store for real oil.

 

[Greggy_D]

Quote:

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It still doesn't answer the question relating to why there is so little 5W-20 when so many manufacturers are now calling for it.

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LouDawg, I'm seeing the same exact thing here at the Michigan WMs. MC is the ONLY 5w-20 they carry and for the past two months it has been nearly impossible to find at 3 separate WMs. At the Ghetto WM in Ypsilanti, I snagged 2 jugs only because they were stocking the shelf as I walked down the aisle. The other two WMs haven't had a trace of it, but the shelf sticker is there.

You're right though......no PP, no Havoline jugs, no anything 5w-20.

 

[MC5W20]

I used to have the same problem - so I built up a stash. If you have a checker/schucks/kragen nearby look for coupons. When they have coupons for "any synthetic blend" for $1.99 a quart I buy five and stash it. The 1.99 a quart price equals what I would pay at walmart for mc5w20. I have 15 quarts of syntec blend 5w20 waiting in reserve now.

 

[Greggy_D]

Quote:

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I used to have the same problem - so I built up a stash.

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Oh, we already have a stash. But you need to scratch that itch every time it rears its ugly head. I can't help but stop in WM every time I drive by one, even though the stash is overflowing.

 

[Patman]

Quote:

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I would just use 5w30 and call it a day. I just don’t see enough of a difference between that and a 5w-20 to worry about -- a couple of cST (or less) at 100C.

So, maybe you lose up to 1% gas mileage. Just think of 5w30 as HDEO for applications that call for 5w-20.

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But for short trippers, you'll see more than a 1% difference in MPG since the viscosity of most 5w20s is closer to 45cst at 40c, while most 5w30s are around 60cst at 40c. So during the warmup cycle a 5w20 will be a lot thinner than a 5w30.

 

[427Z06]

Quote:

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We put it in cars as early as '93. Yeah that meant I had to do the OC twice on one ladies car even when we showed her the FORD TSB that speciefied it as the update to her manual and what not. Did not say it on her oil cap or owners manual so she wanted 5w30. Whatever.... Drain and refill.

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She scammed you, Dude! She just wanted a free oil flush.

 

[widman]

I once chatted with a Walmart manager and he said he ordered what people bought. I asked about products he didn't stock and he said when they sold enough they would order it. Sort of stupid, but that is what he said.
That said, I have yet to stock 5W-20. I've been fighting for 7 years to introduce 5w30 and 10w30, and so far haven't even gotten the Nissan dealer down from 15w40 and 20W-50. Ford is the only one who immediately jumped on the 5w30 in 2000. I put 5w30 and 10w30 in the Nissans I service and people are amazed at how much quieter they are.
The Honda dealer says it is all a lie, and 15w40 is what is really required. They also buy Texaco 15w40 for Japanese built Hondas and Brazilan 15w40 for Brazilian assembled Hondas, because - they say - Brazilian assembled Hondas cannot use any other oil or they will wear out before the warrantee.

So bottom line is: STUPIDITY REIGNS.

(maybe we could lobby to make the reading of this forum required for mechanics and inventory managers?

 

[Mr_Incredible]

WM makes their $$$ by selling in volume. If it sells, they sell it. There is only so much shelf space to go 'round, so they have to make choices.

5w & 10w30 are the largest selling weights. There will be a preponderance of those weight oils.

That, plus, it will only take a few buyers in a store (among the many thousands that pass through the store daily) buying the oil you want to make an empty shelf for you.

When WM stopped selling the Mobil1 Truck & SUV 5w-40, I had to go to different stores to find what they had left. Some was even in the closeout section. Now I can't find it at all and had to move on to other oils.

 

[LouDawg]

Seems to me a company as sophisticated as WM would do more than just stock based on what (they perceive as) sells. How do they know how good it would sell if they don't stock it? I'd bet that the inventory turnover *rate* for 5W-20 is nearly as good if not better than 5w30 or 10w30. I would also think they would somehow have a finger on the pulse of what the manufacturers are specifying and at least consider moving in that direction. And if not WM, then Pep Boys and Autozone for sure.

To those who said I should stock up and such, sure...I can stock up, no problem. But that doesn't address the original question as to why so little 5W-20 when it's now so commonly specified? If that's what I have to do, that's what I'll do. But it doesn't address the root cause of the matter, to me. I'd rather not have my money tied up in inventory...that's why I go to WM, et al.

One more thing: one of the reasons I was so irritated is that they always used to carry a decent supply of 5W-20...ANY 5W-20. It just seems like here in the past few months that it's almost disappeared.

And BTW, I am an inventory manager, for whatever that's worth. (Not in retail...)

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Lou Dawg

Odds are, none of the buyers for Walmart know squat about passenger oils. This company is not in the auto parts business anyways. If you have a wholesale complaint, take it up with Walmart. Don't expect BITOG to have the answers you are seeking.

Kinda' like barking up the wrong tree.

 

[LouDawg]

777, the main purpose of my post, besides to rant, was primarily to pose rhetorical questions regarding the sale and distribution of a particular viscosity of pcmo to spur discussion. I believe that's what we do here: discuss all things motor oil. Gosh, motor oil has been sliced and diced pretty much every way possible here...this is just one more. I'm not expecting BITOG to have the so-called "answers I am seeking". Good grief, don't turn it into a demand for answers.

And it wasn't just about WM...it was also about PB's and AZ's glaring lack of 5W-20 stock. I'm not sure, but I think they might be in the auto parts business.

Have a great day!

 

[Mr Nice]

I noticed that a Walmart I was in has the 5 quart jugs of Pennzoil 5w20 (yellow bottle). I thought this was discontinued by WMT.

Does your Home Depot still have any 5w20 Pennzoil left over from the closeout, maybe you can score a few quarts of 5w20.