Dealership oils

[Glenda W.]

It's obvious...whatever oil they use doesn't affect your vehicle. If indeed if even what 10% of claims people like you make. It's supposed to meet manufacturers specs-for whatever application it's used for. It's hard to believe many dealers would put at risk a multi million (or in many cases billion) dollars business using the wrong oil in your motor.

At least you worked at a dealer. Usually the claims are from-"I know a friend of a friends 3rd cousin twice removed from a second marriage who made these claims."
Yo

It's great we have diversity on this board-and I didn't go any easier on my comments either.

Here’s another claim. In those 12 years turning wrenches I had torn down hundreds of engines. Not all approved oils produced the same results. Certain ones stood out.

 

[CKN]

Here’s another claim. In those 12 years turning wrenches I had torn down hundreds of engines. Not all approved oils produced the same results. Certain ones stood out.

And you always had records of oil change Intervals on said engines?

 

[kschachn]

My 2008 Mini Cooper manual says to use Castrol 5w30 oil. I was told by the dealer parts department that the official Mini Cooper branded oil is made by Castrol. An independent Mini/BMW shop I have used, used to use Castrol Euro Synthetic. Now they use Penzoil Platinum Euro. I asked about the change and the owner said that BMW/Mini now have Penzoil making their branded oils.

There’s no approval listed? A brand is a marketing agreement, not a specified approval.

 

[Glenda W.]

And you always had records of oil change Intervals on said engines?

Yes. Repair orders have maintenance history on top. Also most customers were repeat customers/fleets. Obviously if it was a new customer we wouldn’t have a history.

A good example was Mobil 1 Tri Syn. Some of the cleanest high mileage engines I’ve ever seen to this day.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

It's like this-at the risk of repeating myself (since it appears 90% of threads are these days). I have had dozens upon dozens of Dealer visits. The oil change was done correctly. My motor didn't blow up. They have performed warranty work to my satisfaction

I am 67 years old-I am not crawling underneath vehicles to change oil anymore. I am capable-but simply don't wish to.

I have had no dealer issues-I must be in The Twilight Zone......

Glenda wasn't discussing crawling under your vehicle, in the reply prior to yours.

 

[Jetronic]

Most there at dealership service centers don't know the difference between Mobil-1 and Mobil Syn. They often see the Mobil emblem and mistake it for Mobil-1.

There are also tons of Oil Change places that use (for example) Pennzoil sticker on their bulk tank and there's not an ounce of Pennzoil inside the tank.

I myself would never purchase bulk tank oil. Settling of additives occur and those getting the bottom of the tank additives get more & by the time the tank is only 1/4-1/2 full, well those customers get less additives due to settling.
Nobody is going inside these tanks daily and shaking & stirring the contents.

If you are a regular purchaser of bulk tank oils, always buy from a very high volume oil change shop. That way their tank oils get constant changeover.

You do realise the oil is pumped from the bottom of the bulk tank?

 

[Jetronic]

Dealers rarely use drums -- its either quarts or bulk.

0W16 and 0W20 are $13.24/gal or $3.31/qt.

we used drums for gear/transmission oil, ATF, coolant (2 types) and quarts for brake fluid. some stuff in 60l drums, most in 209l

 

[Jetronic]

Personally I’ve had service writer’s not know the difference between Mobil 1 and Mobil super syn. They just know it’s Mobil and synthetic or synthetic blend.

Sounds about right.

 

[Engineer]

One Toyota dealer in my area used a bad Pennzoil(thats what he told me) that caused severe sludge at 5k miles. The sludge caused the timing chain to elongate and throw a light. The dealer tells me it was my fault for not changing oil at 3k?

Mobil 1 you say?

The other Toyota dealer where I bought another 4Runner brand new was running Pennzoil semi synthetic (told me in a hush voice like he was letting me in on a secret) ... Did the oil change there to keep the warranty? Now I do it myself and I see a lot of carbon and varnish on the oil filter receptacle. Need some more good oil changes for that to go away.

Mobil 1 is NOT what the Toyota dealers in our area use.

 

[Foxtrot08]

One Toyota dealer in my area used a bad Pennzoil(thats what he told me) that caused severe sludge at 5k miles. The sludge caused the timing chain to elongate and throw a light. The dealer tells me it was my fault for not changing oil at 3k?

Mobil 1 you say?

The other Toyota dealer where I bought another 4Runner brand new was running Pennzoil semi synthetic (told me in a hush voice like he was letting me in on a secret) ... Did the oil change there to keep the warranty? Now I do it myself and I see a lot of carbon and varnish on the oil filter receptacle. Need some more good oil changes for that to go away.

Mobil 1 is NOT what the Toyota dealers in our area use.

Is the dealer an Autonation dealer?

As that would track. But other wise the Toyota program is pretty strong.

 

[Engineer]

Is the dealer an Autonation dealer?

As that would track. But other wise the Toyota program is pretty strong.

No they are not. But I understand not all dealers follow the standard.

 

[kschachn]

One Toyota dealer in my area used a bad Pennzoil(thats what he told me) that caused severe sludge at 5k miles. The sludge caused the timing chain to elongate and throw a light. The dealer tells me it was my fault for not changing oil at 3k?

That story is a bunch of nonsense all the way through. I’m surprised that as an engineer you buy it.

 

[Engineer]

That story is a bunch of nonsense all the way through. I’m surprised that as an engineer you buy it.

Story to you experience for me.

 

[The Critic]

Story to you experience for me.

How long ago was this incident? Seems impossible for any API SN or SP to “cause sludge” at 1yr/5K intervals in any Toyota product.

 

[wemay]

Is there a running thread keeping up with what manufacturers dealer oils are? (I did search but found not much) If not, would it be informative to have one?

For example, we know subaru is Idemitsu oil. I think a fee other japanese cars are, too.

Maybe we could include UOA if we get them too.

The reason I'm asking: I'm curious what Hyundai/Kia uses for their dealer/bulk oil since we plan on sticking with the oem services for my wife's 2024 seltos that gets about <4k miles per year.

Our Hyundai dealership uses Quaker State, as the sticker says under-hood. When I had a Sportage, that dealer used Valvoline, but KIA "recommended" Total Lubricants in the manual.

 

[factorytuned2012]

The days of waxy pennzoil are long gone. No way was that an oil related issue in that length of time.

 

[lokijoker]

There’s no approval listed? A brand is a marketing agreement, not a specified approval.

The manual says: “Mini recommends Castrol” in the section about approved engine oil.

 

[cheesepuffs2]

Yeah I know they change suppliers every 3-5 years or so. It’s often. A lot of the “shell” made stuff. Or “castrol” made stuff is made by a toll blender like Pinnacle.


That’s the whole joke, neither shell or BP/castrol really blend their own stuff in the US. They sub it all out.

To play devil's advocate, why does that matter as long as Shell/BP ensure that there is a robust quality management system in place at the sub-contracted blenders?

 

[cheesepuffs2]

Mobil 1 seems cheap and a diluted brand these days anyway.

What makes you say that? Too many choices?

 

[cheesepuffs2]

The manual says: “Mini recommends Castrol” in the section about approved engine oil.

That's a marketing agreement.