You can also ask your dealer service department if they have a particular brand of oil when you’re doing your oil changed. Or ask them what other brands do they carry that may be to your liking.
Dexos-Synthetic Equivilent?
- Thread starter Jasoneg
- Start date
AC Delco synthetic is GM’s ‘official’ Dexos oil. What they mean is they are using another bulk Dexos-certified oil.
Could be GTX synthetic, could be Mobil synthetic…it WILL be a Dexos-licensed oil; too much liability in not using it in new GM’s
Could be GTX synthetic, could be Mobil synthetic…it WILL be a Dexos-licensed oil; too much liability in not using it in new GM’s
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
Make sure your oil is SP / API / ILSAC-equivalent and save your oil change receipts. If DIY purchased, make sure the receipt date, product and viscosity is clearly visible. Use OEM-equivalent oil filters.
You won't lose your warranty if Dexos 1 Gen 3 is not on the jug.
Neighbor saves all his M/T five quart jugs & oil filter boxes, on a shelf in his garage, until the warranty has expired.
You won't lose your warranty if Dexos 1 Gen 3 is not on the jug.
Neighbor saves all his M/T five quart jugs & oil filter boxes, on a shelf in his garage, until the warranty has expired.
You mention bulk dealership oil as though is it equivalent to the three excellent brands you mentioned. Unlikely.
Because it is the cheapest, unbranded stuff, bought at no concern for anything other than price.
What leads you to believe they’re buying the cheapest possible stuff? Let alone unbranded?
My experiences supplying over 700 car dealerships says different. But I’m curious what leads you to believe what you’re saying.
What are you supplying these 700 dealers?
98% are on OEM programs.
Motorcraft for Ford stores
Honda for Honda stores
Subaru for Subaru stores
Mazda for Mazda stores
Etc.
The 2% that are not on dealer program buy house brand. But it’s not a price driven issue. As well, our house brand is made by blenders that do blending for the major. We do not sell off spec oil at all. Nor do we buy from people who sell off spec oil. That’s non negotiable.
We sell a few Toyota and GM stores because they find more value in our house brand program than their OEM program. We install and maintain oil distribution equipment and such.
At the end of the day, the OEM programs are very “recommended” by the OEMs. Either through carrots or sticks. Oil counts as a part. So they get a rebate on it if they do X amount of dollars in parts. And if they’re buying oil, they get a Z kicker on top of that.
The Ford program is essentially mandatory for Ford stores. The GM program is almost the same. It’s very hard to get GM stores to buy anything but GM/Ac Delco/Mobil product. One of our family’s long time friends owned 2 GM stores. And would not buy oil from us because of the program.
Not only that, OEMs do take samples. And do audit their dealers for quality checks and such. So for a dealership to run off spec product or in the case of GM stores, a non Dexos product, would shock me.
Example of a ford program “stick” - if you’re not on the motorcraft program, for warranty work they reimburse you at bulk rate for the quarts that they have to use. Which is much lower than quarts cost. If you’re on the program, they reimburse you at quart rate, for bulk product. Which is much higher than the bulk rate.
So that’s a big, big deal. They also pay for marketing programs with oil change specials if you’re on the motorcraft program.
You get a parts rebate. You get a volume rebate. And many more “carrots.”
Last edited:
Fair enough, but why would any dealer not answer the original question about what oil is being supplied?
Hanlon’s razor.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
Service managers have no idea who they’re getting oil from. They probably see a delivery truck once every two to four weeks. They’ve never bothered to go look at the tank label. They don’t see the bills. They’re getting paid just enough to stand there and deal with people who can’t figure out how to turn the heated seats in their car off.
Parts guys are no different the majority of the time. They need the vin number to figure out what oil actually goes in it.
Add in with the GM program, they have options to buy either AC Delco or Mobil. So it could be either of those depending on the program or car.
It’s a job to them, they get paid to be there. They don’t get paid enough to care. BITOG is the .0000001% of oil users. So the fact you care and are knowledgeable enough to ask the question, does not mean they care or are knowledgeable enough to answer your question.
GM dealerships I have had experience with claim to use Mobil lubricants...I would also be shocked to learn that any GM dealership would be using a non Dexos oil in vehicles they service...
Bill
Bill
Unbranded? Really? Just a blank drum of mysterious motor oil?
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2023
- Messages
- 11
I just had my first GM dealer service last week (7000 miles, I have changed the oil myself 2 times already) on 24 Silverado HD 6.6 gas and they told me they used Mobil 1 Dexos full synthetic in their shop, unless asked for AC Delco specifically.
Mobil 1!! That’s honestly impressive. When I worked at a GM dealer we had Mobil 1 by the quart for the corvette. Our bulk oil was Quaker State. AC Delco was available by the quart by request.
This is just an example. And this is older / extremely out dated so I assume “safe” to post. Also 1 of a few pages. But the dealers have the option on the GM program for either Ac Delco or Mobil 1 on their parts program.
It was the Corvette oil before the 0W-40 at some point.
Patman
Staff member
ESP 5w30 was never the “Corvette oil” at all actually, it was never recommended. Only the 0w40 ESP Formula (which was the factory fill in 2019 and became the recommended oil for 2014-2018s). I started using ESP Formula 5w30 in my 2018 on it’s second oil change though, even though it wasn’t recommended by GM
Mind you, for reasons that’s dated from 2021.
I can’t in good conscience post the newest information because of confidentiality reasons. I figured 3 year old info isn’t secret.
It’s just proof that AC Delco and Mobil 1 are both considered GM dealership oil. And on the GM parts program.
Edit:
I’m not even a Mobil / AC Delco distributor. So technically speaking, I shouldn’t have this information either. Annnnd now it’s here!