Engine Oil Comparison and Composition Breakup

[Rishi]

Hi Folks,

I am trying to understand the various engine oil options available in the market and reading some of the articles on the website I do have a some understanding about the various additives added.

However, I'm not able to find the actual composition of the various products available in the market. I have gone through websites of Castrol, Pennzoil, Mobil and Valvoline and was surprised that none of them mention about the chemicals and its percentage contribution in the final product.

I would like to understand the method which generally experts use to compares various oils from different brands.

Particularly, I'm looking forward to understand how to differentiate products from different brands on the basis of

• Base Oil Quality
• Additives Quality/Type
• Anti-smudge Performance
• Horse Power Alteration
• Impact on Fuel Efficiency

 

[chubbs1]

It is a BIG industry with a lot of "secret" "Proprietary" blends and additives. I love your questioning, it makes perfect sense, like a child asking what is in a hot dog?...a lot of secret proprietary ingredients. We will never know the answers to these questions with any certainty. Much of what we do here is go by what others experiences are. Then we try to make the best with the knowledge we've gained.

Welcome to the world of oil! Just stick around and read as much as you can. Unfortunately some of the oils may be different than what are available to you in India. You want to stick with the big names, Mobil,Shell,BP, MOTUL. India is still a major user of group 1 (I), base-oils I believe. Things are changing rapidly though. Over here we are using Group II,III,IV mostly. Look forward to seeing you on here!

 

[Rishi]

Thanks for the quick reply.

So, going by your reply, I assume the quality and performance is typically assessed primarily through personal and others' experiences.

Also, how do I know that which group of base oil is being used in any product. In the MSDS or PDS, the products only mention Base oil.

Particularly, I'm trying to understand the global engine oil market, so have segmented these oils as

• Mineral Oil - Conventional Or High-Mileage
• Synthetic Oil - Fully Synthetic Or Synthetic Blend.

So, which category uses which base oil?

 

[INDYMAC]

Welcome to BITOG Rishi. Many of us here wonder about the same things that you are asking. Does it really matter? Probably not.

The answers are available, but result from rather expensive testing. Some of that testing has already been done on some engine oils at the Dyson Analysis Weblog, and results published. It is a private forum that requires a small fee and a non-disclosure agreement. I've been a member for about 3 years now, and will continue to be. Individual testing is available also, if you have a favorite oil that you want to test.

Good luck, and have fun here!

 

[A_Harman]

Here are a couple of links to API and ACEA oil specifications. These are good things to study in order to understand the basics of engine oil formulation.
API certifies oils in North America, and ACEA certifies oils in Europe.

http://www.api.org/certifications/engineoil/pubs/index.cfm

http://www.lubrizol.com/EuropeanEngineOils/ACEA2008.html

 

[Bruce T]

Base oil composition and additives in motor oil directly reflect the manufacturer's wholesale cost, so they're kept secret from both consumers and competitors. Manufacturers want to maximize their retail profit by using the cheapest possible ingredients that meet API certification. Of course, advertising implies expensive ingredients.

Testing for base oil composition isn't cheap, but it's not a total guessing game. You won't find expensive base oils in the US below about $10 per quart (444 rupees), although you use liters in India. Manufacturers will usually mention when their oils contain expensive base oils, but not the percentages. Virgin and Used Oil Analysis can help you judge the performance of a particular oil in your vehicle. Sometimes a cheaper oil can do just as well.

 

[Rishi]

Hi guys,

I was looking into details of motor oil mentioned on various sites and on this forum.I've gathered some information, and thought of sharing with you.

I could very well understand that the typically, cost breakup for different types of engine oil (conventional, high-mileage, and synthetic) changes even for a single grade (5W30).

As we proceed from conventional to synthetic, the cost component of base oil as a portion of total raw material cost decreases while the cost of additive packages increases.

One of the prominent reason for cost increase of additive is that basic additives are added to conventional oil as cheaper additive displaces cheaper base oil in case of conventional oil, while expensive additives displace synthetic base oil in case of synthetic motor oil.

Someone throwing some light on this will be highly useful.