How to find & I.D. German Castrol oil

[pscholte]

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Originally posted by Jim Spahr: I have heard a lot of discussion about the new German Castrol oil but have some questions. First I understand it is green in color, synthetic, found only at Auto Zone stores, has a red label, and is made in Germany. Sells for about 4.99 per qt. Why is it considered to be a great oil? What are the advantages over other oils? What weights does it commee in? Is it found anywhere else? Can it be mixed with other synth and dino oils?

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That it is a "great oil" is obviously subject to debate by members of this board. Patman and I will tell you, and each new UOA supports our contention, that it will prove to be one of the great oils will see until the next technological advances come along. While I don't want to be redundant with palmerwmd, it has an outstanding pour point, is a nice thick 30W, and yet gives good fuel economy, has demonstrated that even with hard use, it doesn't thin out (see Patman's UOA on his Firebird that included 9 quarter-mile runs), and its wear numbers, supported by UOAs are superb. It comes in 0W30 only and is available in the US at Autozone only (so far). I would not mix it with anything else; you don't need to. Let me make this clear...are there other oils you can use to get long engine life, extended oil change intervals and superior overall lubrication performance? Absolutely. So what it comes down to is what do you like? If you like green oil that had its genesis in Europe, is probably heavily ester-fortified, and will give you superior lubrication performance, then GC is what you want. If only the last part, i.e. superior lubrication performance matters to you, pick any of the highly regarded oils you like (e.g M1) (I am not here to sell you on GC, just to answer your questions). It ultimately comes down to a partly intellectual, partly emotional choice. I've made mine and I am EXTREMELY satisfied with it. [ October 17, 2003, 01:31 PM: Message edited by: pscholte ]

 

[Al]

I would further suggest using the . There are hundreds of posts on this oil in the last 3 months [ October 17, 2003, 01:41 PM: Message edited by: Al ]

 

[novadude]

Personally, I feel that all this GC propaganda is getting old. Is it a great oil? Probably. Is it worth driving all over town looking for the elusive red bottles, so that I can see a few less PPM of wear on my analysis reports? Definitely not... at least not in my mind. Give me something I can readily buy at Wal-Mart, or at the corner parts store. If I have 2 ppm more Iron / Copper / Lead with my $1.08 /Qt Chevron (or whatever) I can live with that, and still sleep at night. There is a fine line between making an informed oil decision, and becoming obcessive. Some of us like to walk that fine line (I am as guilty as the next guy). [ October 17, 2003, 01:54 PM: Message edited by: novadude ]

 

[Jelly]

Yeah, but a few guys on here at grade A certified oil nuts (no names, please!), wanting the lowest wear numbers possible. To each his own, right?

 

[Patman]

The thing with this oil for me is that I can readily buy it at Walmart. I go there every Saturday anyways, to pick up odds and sods, so I like the fact that I can buy a great oil there too. Mobil 1 and Delvac 1 are the only other truly synthetic oils sold there, but they don't sell M1 in 0w40 viscosity there and Delvac 1's 4L jugs make it too much of a pain to use for my 5L capacity. So for me, I don't need to drive all over town at all to get this oil. I did at first, as when it first came up here I needed to try a few Walmarts before I finally found it, but now it's pretty easy to find. I really like the fact that this oil is a 0w oil which is also at the very top end of the 30wt range and in my case it doesn't thin out either. That's very important to me. It seems to be the perfect match for my climate, it's got the awesome cold weather flow, but it's got the thick 100C viscosity to protect in hot weather too. In my Firebird, the wear numbers are significantly better with this oil so far than anything I've run to this point. That's not to say that another oil wouldn't do just as well, I do believe Amsoil 5w30 and Redline 5w30 could do just as well and possibly better, and Mobil 1 0w40 might just do just as well too. But these oils would either cost me more, or not be as easy to obtain. You certainly can't argue about the performance of this oil, it's been very consistent so far. I do worry what might happen when API SM comes into play in a year or so though. Will Castrol still get their 0w30 from Germany or will they begin making it here again? I won't let that stop me from using the oil now though.

 

[pscholte]

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Originally posted by Patman: I do worry what might happen when API SM comes into play in a year or so though. Will Castrol still get their 0w30 from Germany or will they begin making it here again? I won't let that stop me from using the oil now though.

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Pat, If your strategic reserve is sufficient, what happens in a year is of no consequence. Also, what if the anti-Castrol bias evident on this board were lifted, people started using Syntec and the outstanding UOAs came rolling in? What would people say then? I know, "Yeah, the results are superior, even better than PAO-based oils, but I am paying more than I need to for a Group III oil." I guess nobody eats at nice steakhouses either, because you can get just as full (and if you are selective) with just as good nutrition at a fast food place. SIGH

 

[novadude]

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To each his own, right?

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Exactly! I'm not knocking anyone, that is for sure. Maybe I am just jealous because I have not seen GC at the stores I frequent. (Then again I haven't looked real hard... I like my cheap dinos! lol).

 

[userfriendly]

Phcholte What really happens is people log on to oil discussion forums and the first thing they learn is that there are five or more base oil groups. Suddenly, because of the Castrol-Mobil thing X number of years ago, they become anti group III Castrol haters EVEN IF THEY HAVE NEVER BOUGHT THE PRODUCT IN QUESTION It wouldn't matter a whit if Castrol or brand XYZ out performed another brand of "true synthetic" engine oil, those people will remain anti Castrol/group III and post their opinions on discussion boards because that is all they know about the engine oil subject. Have you noticed that very few discussions ever get past the topic of viscosity or group number and the same people post the same argument every time? About a month ago I posted that this group III thing is getting very old in a hurry and older by the day. What if tomorrow Mobil or some other major pulled out of the consumer PAO synthetic engine oil market and stopped selling PAO base stocks to the boutique blenders due to tight world supplies, and the fact that group IIIs perform just as well in real world testing? What if tomorrow a new base stock was invented that cost half as much as group IIIs to produce and performed 10 times as well as PAOs? Well call them group 10s. Now you would get the same people complaining about the high retail price of group 10 engine oil. Those people are so worried that someone is making a profit that they cannot sleep at night. There is never going to be a PAO VS group III thread to end all PAO vs group thread discussions. Not on this board or any other until there is a new kid on the block. I'll bet when that new kid arrives, call it group 10, it will be a rose by another name. AND...the oil companies, wise to the internet, will not offer that or any other new product on the open market. If this Castrol bashing continues I predict that: Those engine oils and other lubricants blended from group 10s will only be available from the major refiners as finished products.

 

[pscholte]

userfriendly, Thanks for a meaningful input to this debate. I find it discouraging that so many people lock on to a perspective (or prejudice or bias) and regardless of the universe of considerations surrounding it, refuse to accept any other possibility than the one on which the persepctive (or prejudice or bias) was founded. I have pointed out more than once on this board that back in the 80's when Mobil was already selling Group IV/V engine oil in Europe, Shell had a hydrocracked oil they were selling and they clearly represented it as a synthetic, and its cost was as much or more than the Group IV-basd oils. I have heard no one "take Shell on" for that. I have pointed out that you can probably find discrepancies in advertising or marketing with almost every company out there and that there are companies whose ethics are questionable (off-shore sweatshops, undermining local economies, etc) but none of our members have indicated they will bow to principle in any issue except rejecting that nasty, horrid, unethical Castrol. Could it be that we are seeing selective ethics (e.g. "I have other oils I like so I can afford to make Castrol an example and reject their products, but hey I really like XXXX and nobody else makes it; so what if the company that produces it subjugates third world cultures)? I am disappointed because I think emotion and prejudice are guiding this debate instead of honest concern. To those of you who REALLY believe Castrol is from the dark side, I do not include you in that assertion; but for those who have not really thought through this and are knee-jerk reacting, if the shoe fits... None of this is intended to be mean-spirited; I am just trying to make sure everyone knows the real why of their position. This has become an "issue" for me, not just because of GC, but because I believe it has gotten to the point of irrationality.

 

[userfriendly]

Can I get up now??

 

[Jim Spahr]

I just got back from my Auto Zone. It has Castrol Syntec in 0W/30 at 4.79 per qt. with a red label. but on the back of the bottle, the label said - Made in USA with Domestic and Foreign oils. or something like that. Can I assume that is not the real German Castrol?

 

[palmerwmd]

It HAS to say "Made in Germany" and in the API donut the bottom thats says "oil conserving" has to be blank, ie it doesnt say oil conserving in the good stuff. When members say label they actually meant the background to the "0w-30" its yellow on the regular stuff orange and/or orange/red for the german stuff. Fred...

 

[G-MAN]

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Originally posted by Jim Spahr: I just got back from my Auto Zone. It has Castrol Syntec in 0W/30 at 4.79 per qt. with a red label. but on the back of the bottle, the label said - Made in USA with Domestic and Foreign oils. or something like that. Can I assume that is not the real German Castrol?

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Yeah, if it says Made in USA you can pretty much bet it's not "Made in Germany." Here is what the back label of the German made 0w30 looks like:

 

[pscholte]

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Originally posted by userfriendly: Can I get up now??

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You always had my permission.

 

[Jim Spahr]

I have heard a lot of discussion about the new German Castrol oil but have some questions. First I understand it is green in color, synthetic, found only at Auto Zone stores, has a red label, and is made in Germany. Sells for about 4.99 per qt. Why is it considered to be a great oil? What are the advantages over other oils? What weights does it commee in? Is it found anywhere else? Can it be mixed with other synth and dino oils?

 

[palmerwmd]

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Originally posted by Jim Spahr: 1)Why is it considered to be a great oil? What are the advantages over other oils? 2)What weights does it commee in? 3)Is it found anywhere else? 4)Can it be mixed with other synth and dino oils?

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1) Its pour point is so low we suspect its at least a group IV lubestock, possible even group V. Its one of teh thickest 30 weight you can buy almost a 40 weight only 2 Cst less at 100C than MOBIL 1 0w-40. Seems highly stable = doesn't lose viscosity during an interval.Only Castrol oil that is better than group III. 2) Only 0w-30 ( sigh)_ 3)Not to my knowledge 4) Yes, but why? ( emergency refill on isde of road?_ Fred..

 

[Last_Z]

It is obvious to me that GC is the oil people love/love-to-hate! Pscholte, the bias is both ways! If we could only stop talking about it for a day or two, maybe we could get back other important stuff and oils out there. I'm sorry, but I find the "General and off topic" board more interesting these days. Rick