Can you even buy a "bad" oil anymore? Even cheap syn is great!
- Thread starter smonska
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Just did an OC at the dealer on my Ford. they used some unknown, bulk non-synthetic. Supposed to be Motorcraft. I have not yet verified the bulk tank.
Engine has never run better. Better then Valvoline Advanced FS 5W20 , better than QS FS 5W30, and WAYYYYYY better than a horrid batch of Castrol Edge 5w20 - where the engine sounded like it was taking itself apart constantly.
p.s.: I bet a UOA for any of these oils would not provide evidence of anything awry - but I might also bet the Edge would look the worst of the acceptable
Patman
Staff member
IMO there really aren't any bad oils that would cause any harm, but there are some oils out there that some people think are boutique oils and they pay a premium for those oils but I don't think they are all that special. For me that oil has always been Royal Purple. And I have no evidence to support my next two choices but I also believe Liqui Moly and Motul are overhyped and overpriced oils.
For some reason Motul is the be all and end all engine oil in motorcycle shops.
VOAs have been posted over the years and I can't see anything to get all excited about.
Instead of looking for the best oil, I'll settle for second or third best.
I'm an early changer ("How dare you."), so a boutique would be a waste on me.
Plus I drain hot, let it drip for an hour and the horror......perform early oil changes on new vehicles and pre-fill the filters.
VOAs don't show dirt in the oil, so I'm not worried about "unfiltered oil" going into the engine.
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Patman
Staff member
I like the "sleeper oils" that can be found in Walmart, Canadian Tire etc, but don't cost a fortune. Oils like the original green GC 0w30, M1 ESP, Pennzoil Euro L, QSUP etc. It feels good to buy oils in the stores that have a lot of really good approvals but yet don't cost a bundle. That's not to say that there isn't a place for the more expensive boutique oils, but I just prefer a good bargain myself
Yeah, I remember you driving all over the GTA for 0w30 "German" Castrol for your Firebird. I think it was blended in Belgium.I like the "sleeper oils" that can be found in Walmart, Canadian Tire etc, but don't cost a fortune. Oils like the original green GC 0w30, M1 ESP, Pennzoil Euro L, QSUP etc. It feels good to buy oils in the stores that have a lot of really good approvals but yet don't cost a bundle. That's not to say that there isn't a place for the more expensive boutique oils, but I just prefer a good bargain myself
Last summer I bought 5 pails of T5 15w40 for $60 each by stacking savings and Canadian Tire money, followed by 6 jugs of M1 0w40 API SP and 5 jugs of 10W40 GTX API SP. (I boycotted BP products for 5 years after the Gulf blow-out) When Diesel fuel hit almost $2.00 a liter, I could almost burn engine oil for the same price.
This right here. And if you don’t care about the SAPS level any Euro 0W-40 on the shelf is another great option.I like the "sleeper oils" that can be found in Walmart, Canadian Tire etc, but don't cost a fortune. Oils like the original green GC 0w30, M1 ESP, Pennzoil Euro L, QSUP etc. It feels good to buy oils in the stores that have a lot of really good approvals but yet don't cost a bundle. That's not to say that there isn't a place for the more expensive boutique oils, but I just prefer a good bargain myself
Patman
Staff member
The original green formula was actually made in Germany, it was labeled as Formula SLX over there at the time. IIRC, when the formula changed away from that version, that’s when production switched to Belgium. Others will correct me if I’m wrong. I do recall for sure that the Castrol 0w40 that I was running in my ex wife’s BMW was made in Belgium though.
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How do you see brands like Amsoil and HPL fitting into this? Do they have a role/use case or is it all a waste of money?
And also those question applied to brands like PP vs PUP which carry the same certs but are clearly marketed as "different products"?
Same here. Where I live Castrol Edge 5W30 A3/B4 with MB 229.5 seems to be Castrol's default 5W30 that you can find everywhere and is often on sale at a decent price. Right now one of the auto stores has a half price sale on it. I don't need low SAPS, so I don't over think it, and often just grab that oil.I like the "sleeper oils" that can be found in Walmart, Canadian Tire etc, but don't cost a fortune. Oils like the original green GC 0w30, M1 ESP, Pennzoil Euro L, QSUP etc. It feels good to buy oils in the stores that have a lot of really good approvals but yet don't cost a bundle. That's not to say that there isn't a place for the more expensive boutique oils, but I just prefer a good bargain myself
Those are a steal at Walmart. Also, M1 0W-40, ESP X2, etc.
Not a waste of money, but I think they're among the best out there. A waste of money is to buy HPL and dump it after a few thousand miles. Makes me shake my head.
If people stopped buying these tiny little high revving turbo engines, we wouldn't have any "oil related issues". That's what v6 & v8's are for.
JK People, don't get too excited.I have lots of Kirkland Signature Full Synthetic 5W-30's that I bought on sale at Costco for $15.50 a jug. I am told they are same as WM ST.
I can't talk bad about them since they are still a guest in my garage. When they leave, I have the right to change my mind ... but so far, very good. At least they don't burn in couple of cars I use them for up to my 4-5K miles OCIs. And the engines sound smooth like they have real moly. lol
I don't have any other way to measure their performance except not burning plus the feel, smell and the touch once in a while. Plus other people's UOA which we appreciate their support!
I am also aware that I can get cancer by touching or feeling the oil if I lived in certain states.
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Depends. My engine is known for chewing lifters/cams and the cause of this could very well be partly oil related. A filter doesn't trap the smallest particles which cause the most damage, the only way to get that stuff out is to change the oil.
In a 2.4L NA Honda Accord, I'd run HPL past 15k without worry if the UOA's were good.
My truck doesn't go past 7000 miles, HPL or not. It's like a $6000 repair, or, an extra $50/year to do 7k intervals instead of the ~12k my truck meter suggests, do the risk/math.
This:
Only bad oils I’d say are stuff like Accel and City Star and Bullseye. Even Providence brand and Super tech are great oils for the price.
Certifications ensure that oils meet, at the very least, a minimum standard. For many folks, that’s good enough. For fewer folks, but who are disproportionately represented on here, they would like more than meeting minimums. The difficulty is in finding concrete evidence of how far beyond minimum standards various oils can go, or determining if what evidence is available now justifies the increase in price paid.
FWIW, Warren Distribution (SuperTech, Amazon Basics, Kirkland) was bought out by a venture capitalist firm a few years back. While not necessarily anything that would stop folks from purchasing those products, VC firms don’t exactly have a track record of improving quality.
FWIW, Warren Distribution (SuperTech, Amazon Basics, Kirkland) was bought out by a venture capitalist firm a few years back. While not necessarily anything that would stop folks from purchasing those products, VC firms don’t exactly have a track record of improving quality.
Interesting. Looks like they were acquired by Trail Creek Investments in 2016. I think Kirkland oil was first available in 2019 so maybe it's not all bad news
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