Can somebody show me a low quality, bad engine oil

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Hi,

I often hear the comment: "Just pick a good quality engine oil and you will be fine". But what is a good and a bad engine oil? Can somebody please link me to some website or photos showing engines oils that are of low quality and should not be used? All the engine oils I have seen in my life fulfill a series of the common specs according to their label such as SAE, ACEA, MB, VW and so forth.

Lucas
 
Stop at many gas stations and buy 3 brands you've never heard of. There's a decent chance one isn't very good.
 
Originally Posted By: LucasDK
Hi,

I often hear the comment: "Just pick a good quality engine oil and you will be fine". But what is a good and a bad engine oil? Can somebody please link me to some website or photos showing engines oils that are of low quality and should not be used? All the engine oils I have seen in my life fulfill a series of the common specs according to their label such as SAE, ACEA, MB, VW and so forth.

Lucas



Since you live in Denmark I can not comment on the oil situation there.
 
Originally Posted By: mclasser
If it doesn't have the API certification donut, RUN.
Motorcycle specific oils don't carry API certifications. That doesn't stop their makes from charging big money for them tho.,,,
 
Accel SF 10w40 from walmart.

Sure it has a sloppy pile of additives, but it's built to a price point, and not as good as something made to the SF spec, which you can't do anyway-- the API has obsoleted it.
 
I saw an SA rated oil at this grocery store that's going out of business. On the back it says "This motor oil contains no additives" haha
 
Are those examples from PQI just really old stock or are they actively being marketed to this day?
 
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
Are those examples from PQI just really old stock or are they actively being marketed to this day?


They are actively being marketed to this day
crazy2.gif
 
A brand you have never heard of before, with an obsolete API service category (SH or earlier) or no API certification at all has a good chance of being a bad motor oil. That isn't absolutely true however because there are less common brands that you may not have heard of (some of whom make very good motor oil).

On the other hand (almost) any API SN designated oil will be fine (fingers crossed) for most applications - with long oil change intervals, turbos and racing applications excepted.

I have a can of API SA rated motor oil on my work-bench. I use it to lubricate hinges and similar applications.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I saw an SA rated oil at this grocery store that's going out of business. On the back it says "This motor oil contains no additives" haha
It's "All natural".
 
My Toyota Corolla from 1991 requires a SE, SF or SG quality oil. The question is, if I can lower my standards and just go for the cheapest as I wont need a SN quality oil.

I rarely see the SEA donut here. Just SAE xyz written in letters on the backside.

Lucas
 
Well, our local Supermarket (IGA) carries two brands of motor oil...

"IGA Signature 20w50" - API SG/CD
"Black and Gold 20w50" - API SG/CD

Room is there to get Valvoline of some sort, but it hasn't come in yet.
 
There used to be some very high paraffin oils like Speedol that was crazy cheap. We used to pour it through old flat heads that drank it at about qt every 200 miles
laugh.gif


It was bad oil, but who cared... The car was shot too!

I'll bet there are some bad oils from Russia ...
 
SE oil isnt thaat bad for a 91 corolla, but why dont you go for at least SJ ... Much easier to find
wink.gif

Ive used Havoline SJ in my former 95 Golf GLX for more than 100k miles and sold it clean and fine, is still being used nowadays.
 
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