another german castrol question

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This may be a stupid question, but I can't seem to find any info about the illusive german castrol syntec for anything besides 0w-30. Is this the only kind that is now being made in germany? or are all the different weights of syntec now the german type that everyone is looking for? I can't seem to find ANY german castrol around me or anyone that really knows about it.
 
quote:

Originally posted by hrdjeepzj:
This may be a stupid question, but I can't seem to find any info about the illusive german castrol syntec for anything besides 0w-30. Is this the only kind that is now being made in germany? or are all the different weights of syntec now the german type that everyone is looking for? I can't seem to find ANY german castrol around me or anyone that really knows about it.

The 0w30 Syntec that's made in Germany is bottled and sold in Europe as Castrol Formula SLX. The other grades of Syntec sold in North America are made in North America. You may still find some bottles of domestic 0w30 Syntec on the shelves. You have to look at the back label: it will say "Made in Germany" on it.
 
As far as I know, only the 0W30 is made in Germany, but who knows what plans Castrol has for the future...my understanding is they are not being very vocal on this whole issue (and neither is Autozone, the one place it has shown up in the lower 48). Don't be surprised that no one seems to know about it. None of the Autozone personnel I have talked to about it have had a clue. It has only been reported on this board as having shown up in about 6 or 7 states (none in MI that I am aware of) and in Canada. My impression from following the threads on this board and from my own experience, even the places it has shown up, with a couple of exceptions, it has been in only very limited quantities (in two weeks I have found 3 cases in 2 stores out of a potential of 7 stores) and we have been able to identify only two lot numbers.
 
I am sure that the German ACEA rated A3,B3,B4 Syntec 0W-30 will replace the old USA made ACEA A1 Syntec. Part of the problem is that in some places the 0W-30 grade is not popular at all. I have seen the old USA made 0W-30 Syntec on the shelves at Kmart and AutoZone here in Vegas and I would have to say that it looks like the product at Kmart was about four or five years old
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and the product at AutoZone was at least two years old going by the amount of dust that covered the bottles of oil. Unless they put this stuff on sale it could be another year or so before we have it (German Syntec) here in Las Vegas.

When I was in Kmart several months ago the bottles of Syntec 0W-30 looked just like the bottles of Castrol Syntec 5W-50 that I purchased in 1997. That was the first time I bought Castrol Syntec and I remember what the bottles looked like because of their somewhat interesting appearance.

[ July 20, 2003, 12:31 AM: Message edited by: Sin City ]
 
quote:

Originally posted by Sin City:
I am sure that the German ACEA rated A3,B3,B4 Syntec 0W-30 will replace the old USA made ACEA A1 Syntec. Part of the problem is that in some places the 0W-30 grade is not popular at all.

Sin City,

Here's hoping you are right on in your first sentence and I am certain you are right in your second. I hope that as we move toward Fall and Winter more people will try the 0W30 that is already on the shelves triggering Autozone's (and whomever else joins the sourcing) automated ordering system causing their distribution centers to start pushing larger quantities out to their stores. I can't help but wonder, since we have seen the stuff in the Southeast, the Midwest, the Mountain West and California (i.e., coast to coast) how much more must be out there that we just don't know about.
 
I like the theory of dumping the German 0-30 in N.A. due to it's unpopularity in Europe. Hence, the same price as the other grades. Doubt the other grades will be shipped in. Fingers and toes crossed.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Dr. T:
I like the theory of dumping the German 0-30 in N.A. due to it's unpopularity in Europe. Hence, the same price as the other grades. Doubt the other grades will be shipped in. Fingers and toes crossed.

Dr T,

Your thinking has merit...one thing keeps me from going with it, unreservedly, however; on many of the Castrol national websites, SLX is still prominantly featured; however, using this same logic, one thing that supports your thesis, is that Castrol Deutschland (IMO the one that really matters) features ONLY Formula RS in its "whole synthetic" category ("Race" and "Sport" formulas). You can find SLX on the website but it is NOT a featured synthetic. Therefore it may be being dumped not just on NA, but on all the Ausländers.
frown.gif


[ July 20, 2003, 05:56 PM: Message edited by: pscholte ]
 
quote:

Originally posted by Dr. T:
I like the theory of dumping the German 0-30 in N.A. due to it's unpopularity in Europe. Hence, the same price as the other grades. Doubt the other grades will be shipped in. Fingers and toes crossed.

Who says it's "unpopular" in Europe?
 
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