Got German?

YZF150 · Jun 13, 2003

If you have any of the German Castrol 0w-30, please state:

1. Dealer/store/chain name
2. Location purchased
3. How much you bought and how much was available
4. Is there any left or have they gotten even more

I'm really interested in trying to determine whether this oil has come to the continent to stay and/or how widely it is being distributed. Since Castrol won't answer any inquiries, I thought I'd investigate the issue with the troops here.

Thanks all.

G-MAN · Jun 13, 2003

1. Dealer/store/chain name
AutoZone.
2. Location purchased
Spartanburg, SC.
3. How much you bought and how much was available?
Six quarts.
4. Is there any left or have they gotten even more?
Those six quarts was all the German stuff they had. Behind that was OLD STOCK SJ rated domestic made 0w30. I haven't been back to see if they've gotten any more of the German 0w30 in.

tenderloin · Jun 13, 2003

1. Autozone

2. Friend purchased in Apple Valley CA (High Desert So Cal)

3. 12 qts

4. All that was on shelf

oilcanboyd · Jun 13, 2003

8 autozones in south los angeles, hawthorne, inglewood, east torrance, and lomita did not have any german syntec.

i bought up all 6 quarts in west LA and today i bought 6 more in hawthorne leaving two on the shelves.

FowVay · Jun 13, 2003

1. Purchased from Autozone
2. Store located in Newnan, Georgia.
3. I purchased 20 quarts over the course of 3 weeks.
4. The store keeps 2 cases (12 quarts) on the shelf.

Patman · Jun 13, 2003

Up here my local Walmart has tons of it. At first it didn't look like they were going to restock it, since they got a big batch, then I noticed nothing but the old stuff. But now they've got a huge supply of it, so people must be buying it, and they keep restocking it. For those of you in the GTA, it's the Winston Churchill/401 Walmart in Mississauga.

YZF150 · Jun 14, 2003

Hey FowVay, does that store have any of the older, domestic version of the oil in addition to the German?

The reason I ask is, I get the impression that Autozone doesn't restock a store until they sell out of something. I am beginning to believe that they don't distinguish between the two oils in that company. One Castrol 0w-30 is the same as another, it seems. It appears that stores that still have some of the old stuff don't get the German version.

cangreylegend · Jun 14, 2003

If they don't restock until it's sold out then, to get the new stuff, do them a favor and buy the old stuff. No??????

G-MAN · Jun 14, 2003

quote:

Originally posted by YZF150:
Hey FowVay, does that store have any of the older, domestic version of the oil in addition to the German?

The reason I ask is, I get the impression that Autozone doesn't restock a store until they sell out of something.

It didn't seem to be that way at my AutoZone. The German stuff comes in a six quart case just like the regular Syntec. My AutoZone appears to have gotten ONE case in, and they put all six bottles of it on the shelf IN FRONT OF the old stock. I bought the six bottles of German Syntec, and what was BEHIND it was old SJ domestic made 0w30.

Mystic · Jun 14, 2003

If Castrol wants to sell this stuff, why do they not put more in the stores? Apparently, it is in demand. They should start stocking it.

bretfraz · Jun 14, 2003

1. AutoZone
2. Lilburn, GA
3. 5 quarts but they had more available
4. I assume they still have it in stock

I'm sure Castrol is in control of their distribution. Its AutoZone's decision to put the product on the shelves. I'm sure if A.Z. has old SJ 0W-30, they want to sell thru it ASAP. For all we know, Castrol cut A.Z. a sweet deal to buy the old SJ formulation which is why we see so much of it on store shelves. But who knows.

Let's not ***** about things we don't understand. If you want to know what's going on with German Syntec at A.Z., start at the store manager level and work your way up. Develop a contact within A.Z.'s Regional Distribution Center as they can easily check their current inventory, incoming product, and product availability in their stores. You should also find out who the district or regional rep is for Castrol, the person who is responsible for servicing local A.Z. stores and the distribution center. They will also know the status of product availability.

YZF150 · Jun 14, 2003

In demand by the obsessives frequenting this board. Not so in demand by Joe Public. Look at all the old Castrol 0w-30 that's been sitting there forever, just gathering dust.

Who else? Anyone?

FowVay · Jun 14, 2003

YZF, my autozone did/does still have several quarts of the old stock. They keep two cases on the shelf (12 quarts) so when someone comes in and buys 4 or 5 quarts then the store will reorder a case or two. It's funny because I go to this store frequently and it's obvious that people are picking through the old stock to buy the new stock. Those same 5 quarts of old stock have been on the shelf for months but their new German oil gets sold pretty fast. The manager offered to order any quantity that I wanted and he told me that their oil shipment comes in on Wednesday mornings if I was needing the oil urgently.

4DSC · Jun 15, 2003

Oh what the heck,

representing the other side of Canada I have seen this oil at the Wal-Marts up here too.

Wal-Mart
North Van.
only 4 quarts....
...because the 1 quart left was leaking

They only had a few of the US-made ones left, but I think I've seen the German version at the other Wal-Marts here too.

gfcrane · Jun 15, 2003

Have not yet seen any here in southern Utah. Have checked two AZ, two Walmarts, and a Kragen store several times. The manager in one AZ looked at me like I was crazy when I asked about the stuff. Since the climate here is just like Las Vegas, all the 0W-X oil bottles are dusty and don't seem to move at all. It looks like I'll have to drive north to find any if I want it that bad.

ShoBoosted · Jun 15, 2003

It seems our local WalMart here in Fort Erie,Canada, is restocking with the Made in USA stuff..no more German on the shelves..glad i have 2 cases left!

YZF150 · Jun 15, 2003

Boosted, is the restocked oil the old A1 oil, or is it A3, VW, BMW, etc.-spec'd oil, labeled like the German oil?

Others here have said that there is now a US-made SLX oil like that made in Germany. Their website implies this, too.

G-MAN · Jun 15, 2003

quote:

Originally posted by YZF150:
Others here have said that there is now a US-made SLX oil like that made in Germany. Their website implies this, too.

I don't see where their web site implies this at all. It simply gives the specs for the 0w30, and with the exception of the GF-3 rating, what's on the web site could easily apply to the German stuff.

My take on what's on the web site is that whoever did it got a little mixed up and combined the German specs (A3, etc.) with the old domestic 0w30 specs (GF-3, Energy Conserving). Unless there is some mysterious Syntec 0w30 out there that meets ALL these specs, the Castrol web site is simply WRONG.

YZF150 · Jun 15, 2003

Interesting. Danke, VW.

Well, it's available in Eastern Time and Pacific Time zones. Anyone else?

YZF150 · Jun 15, 2003

Right you are. I think that the GF-3 spec is included erroneously. I am recalling a previous discussion in which I believe it was stated that they're now making this stuff domestically. I admit that I was too lazy to search for that thread to confirm or clarify what was said. But I think I recall that someone said that they had seen "Made in USA" on bottles of 0w-30 that had the same specs as the German oil.

Got German?

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