Discount oil in Oz.

[Kesa32]

Those two Penrite oils make for an interesting comparison:

Penrite HPR 5 (5W40) a full-SAPS synthetic with API SP, ACEA A3/B4 and MB 229.5 (they showed the MB certificate at one stage).
KV100 = 14.4 cSt,
VI = 167,
Zinc = 1240 ppm,
TBN = 10.4,
SA = 1.28%

Penrite Enviro+ (plus) 5W30 a mid-SAPS synthetic with API SP, ACEA C3 and VW 504 00 / 507 00 (they link to the actual VW license certificate).
KV100 = 11.7 cSt (thick for a 30 grade),
VI = 169,
Zinc = 850 ppm,
TBN = 6.62,
SA = 0.70%

Both are full synthetics, both do their job. The HPR 5 does it the old way with a heavy inorganic (metallic) additive package. The Enviro+ does it the new way with very high quality base stock and I assume some expensive organic antioxidants that don't show up on a regular oil analysis.

The change in direction is motivated primarily from wanting to protect the catalytic converter in the exhaust system and reduce exhaust emissions. It's probably only possible since the dramatic increase in fuel quality via the reduction of sulphur in the fuel.

Most of the world (China, India, Canada, USA, NZ, Europe) is limited to a max of 10 ppm (parts per million) sulphur in their fuel. Australia is the exception, right now our limits are:
- Diesel 10 ppm
- PULP 95 & 98 RON 50 ppm
- ULP 91 RON (~87 Octane) has a 150 ppm sulphur limit.

According to the manufacturer often real world levels at the Aussie pump is typically 15 to 30ppm (petrol). From memory, the old school leaded Super from decades ago was something like a 800 ppm limit. Anyway the talk is Australia will move to 10 ppm limits for all fuel sometime in the near future (late 2024 to 2027 ?). The drive is to reduce emissions like NOx.

From the engine oil point of view, less sulphur in the fuel means that less acid fighting TBN is required and therefore SAPS / SA% level can be reduced while keeping the oil change interval (OCI) to similar distances. Also a lot of the job of the very early ZDDP oil add was to act as an antioxidant to stop oxidative thickening of the oil. Now with less sulphuric acids being formed from the fuel and more stable base stock being used for the oil, then less ZDDP is required.

I like my ZDDP & TBN, but I can see where they are going with this, and the modern levels of ZDDP & TBN make sense to me given the improvements in fuel quality. Especially given I change my oil every 10,000km. However I would be worried about a person in Oz who only runs ULP (to save money) and then pushes the OCI to 20,000 km (to save money). I'm sure these people exist.

Hey mate , your knowledge of oil chem is better than mine lol , though l know the basics and that gets me through, but yes a lot of people don’t care about their car’s mechanical needs and hate spending money on them , EVs will suit them and others that are clueless mechanically, which is a huge percentage these days lol , a bloke where l used to work used to brag how he’s saved so much never servicing his car ( old AU XR8 ) , he just topped the oil up when it started rattling lol , it blew up @180k / a few years of ownership , and he sold it for parts , still claiming he was financially better off ! They exist …..

 

[SR5]

a bloke where l used to work used to brag how he’s saved so much never servicing his car ( old AU XR8 ) , he just topped the oil up when it started rattling lol , it blew up @180k / a few years of ownership , and he sold it for parts ,

That should be a crime. I really liked the Ford AU XR8, great looking rear wheel drive V8 Aussie muscle car.

 

[Kesa32]

My young brother had a nice AU XR8 same colour as the ones in your pics , he regrettably had to sell it ( he’s a mechanic for Thales and does the army’s maintenance in https://www.google.com/search?clien...cjDAIEQkeECKAB6BAgJEAI&biw=1259&bih=767&dpr=2

 

[97prizm]

At Repco in Australia, 14-24 February 2019.

Castrol Magnatec 10W40 semi-synthetic, API SN/CF and ACEA A3/B4
is $25 for 5L (save $24)

Valvoline XLD Premium 15W40 mineral, API SL/CF
is $17 for 5L (save $23)

Why the insane oil prices. Does Australia have a really HIGH tax on oil or something?

 

[97prizm]

That should be a crime. I really liked the Ford AU XR8, great looking rear wheel drive V8 Aussie muscle car.


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View attachment 201672

For some reason maybe it's just me but the round headlights look out of place on that car.

 

[Kesa32]

Why the insane oil prices. Does Australia have a really HIGH tax on oil or something?

lol we get ripped for everything mate , our dollar is crap at the moment too , though we still get bent over regardless as the population isn’t huge like the USA etc , for instance diesel is currently around $2 per litre ( that’s around $11 Australian if we came over there and used our money to buy a gallon of your diesel ( 3.8 litres ) with our money ) but here obviously we pay $9 an Australian gallon ( 4.5 litres ) basically things like oil filters are around $20 depending on the vehicle whereas you guys pay around half that ….

 

[SR5]

This weekend 9-10 March, it's 20% off all Castrol oils and Repco brand oil filters at Repco stores.
Also Penrite MC4ST motorcycle oils are 25% off.