Fun at the Dollar store.

[Chris142]

I had to run into one this morning to grab some things. Great prices! Anyway as I'm walking out I see a lady pouring the 2nd of 2 qts of Non Detergent oil in her Toyota.

Why do people buy the non detergent stuff when it's right next to the good oils and all are the same price? I was looking at the oil selection they had before I went outside.

They had "SG" rated 76 oil and Valvoline Racing that was newer "SM". Even the SG stuff would be ok for a 1980's Toyota. But she got the Chalet stuff.

Makes no sense.

 

[rriddle3]

Maybe she thought the picture on the bottle was prettier?

 

[oilyriser]

if it needed two quarts...

 

[Johnny]

Was the bottle yellow or black. I believe rriddle3 has it correct. It was either the label or the color of the bottle that made her pick it up. There should be a law against selling SA rated oils in discount stores and gas stations.

Actually it should only be sold in parts stores and stored in the back room where someone would actually know what they were looking for and have to ask for it.

 

[AcuraTech]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
There should be a law against selling SA rated oils in discount stores and gas stations.

Actually it should only be sold in parts stores and stored in the back room where someone would actually know what they were looking for and have to ask for it.


Agreed. Why do they still sell this stuff anywhere but a parts store? The people that have a reason to use this are few and far between.

Then again, what can people really expect from the cheapest, most generic brand on the shelf?

 

[AcuraTech]

On second thought, I would imagine the only reason they sell it is because it sells. It's a cheap way for oil companies to unload low quality base-stock.

 

[eljefino]

Was it actually a dollar a quart?

"Family Dollar" does not take selling stuff for a dollar seriously, like Dollar Tree*. Have noticed "american" 30-and 40- weight non detergent, 30 weight detergent, and finally 10w30 SL/SM stuff, increasing in price.

Oddly, in the late 90s, in my pre-BITOG days, I thought havoline was a cheap knockoff of valvoline, trying to cash in on the name. What cemented it for me was finding it in family dollar next to the super cheesy stuff.

To Accell's credit (they are that cheap stuff at walmart) they print in 1/2 inch high letters that it's for 1988 and older vehicles. As "SF quality" (API does not license obsolete standards) it may have an adequate supply of cheap additives to keep things in check, at least as a top-off oil.

Give that lady credit, someone drilled into her that "any oil is better than no oil" and she checks the dipstick.

* Dollar tree was briefly home of tropartic 10w30 synblend for $1/qt. I bought them out.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Quote:
* Dollar tree was briefly home of tropartic 10w30 synblend for $1/qt. I bought them out.


Yup. I still got 20 or so qt's of T/A SS left. Stupid me, I passed on several cases of the Dino.

 

[Pablo]

If you find motor oil for under, say .80$ or even $.90, snap it up and buy a diesel. If it's SA, all the better for your diesel. Diesel fuel in well over $3.50/a gallon here right now.

 

[Panzerman]

What would anyone ever need a SA oil for. Anything it can do, a modern oil will do better. Alot of Diesel oils are still SL which would better suit older engines, but SA. I see no use except door hinges and to keep dust down.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
What would anyone ever need a SA oil for. Anything it can do, a modern oil will do better. Alot of Diesel oils are still SL which would better suit older engines, but SA. I see no use except door hinges and to keep dust down.


Dude - you can BURN it in your diesel, and not worry about the ash!!!

 

[kc8adu]

if the toyota is that bad an oil burner it will likely die of other cause than cheap oil.a neighbor here had a ford pickup that burned/leaked so much oil he would grab what i drained from engine/trans/psf/diff changes and use it in the "mosquito fogger"
despite being a totally worn out junker he still got another 50k out of it.
never changed it just dumped in 3 qts a day of whatever came from my drainpan.

 

[andyd]

at a local Hess gas station/ minimart, I saw 2 stroke mix oil in with the regular oil. Wonder how that would do in the sump?

 

[Aldaris]

Originally Posted By: kc8adu
if the toyota is that bad an oil burner it will likely die of other cause than cheap oil.a neighbor here had a ford pickup that burned/leaked so much oil he would grab what i drained from engine/trans/psf/diff changes and use it in the "mosquito fogger"
despite being a totally worn out junker he still got another 50k out of it.
never changed it just dumped in 3 qts a day of whatever came from my drainpan.
Don't they check emissions in Dayton?