I am convinced...

[Jimmy9190]

Napa house brand oil is the same as the Valvoline brand. I changed my oil today and tried the Napa HM 10w30 because of the increased price on Maxlife. The Napa oil was over $1.00 cheaper. It poured like Maxlife, was exactly the same color as Maxlife, looks to be the same thickness as Maxlife and even smells the same as Maxlife. My truck sounds the same at start-up, builds oil pressure the same, runs and idles the same as it does on Maxlife.

I had searched here and on the Internet for an answer whether the two are the same and I found no conclusive proof. I emailed Ashland and they said it was the same base stock with a different add pack but they never came right out and said yes or no.

As far as I'm concerned, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well then it must be a duck. And for what it's worth, before I did the OC I had to take my used oil to AAP for recycling and their price on Maxlife was the same as Napa, $5.09 per quart.

As long as I have no detrimental effects from the Napa brand, I'll keep using it.

 

[strombony]

I was verbally told over the phone by a Valvoline tech that Napa branded oil is in fact made by Ashland..but with a lesser additive package. Now why they would do that I've no idea.

Makes me wonder if he just told me that so that I'd spend my money on the brand name; thus, more money for Ashland. Who knows.

 

[Jimmy9190]

I had the same questions and came up with the same conclusion. Ashland wants us to buy the Valvoline brand so they make more profit.

 

[cornfused]

Hey Jimmy, Do a voa on both and let us know!!

 

[sciphi]

Quack, quack!

No you're not going quackers!

 

[rg200amp]

Only way to tell is a VOA on both.

Id put my money on the Maxlife has some more additives.

Its like buying a Ford Crown Vic, or a Licoln Town Car. SAME CAR, the cheaper one has less "additives" then the more $$ Lincoln.

 

[TallPaul]

Do both meet exact same specs? When I bought some NAPA Syn it did not meet the lightweight diesel spec, but the Synpower did. this was back in the SL days though.

 

[greenaccord02]

You're probably right. It would likely be more expensive to forumulate and produce 2 different oils than it would to use the same add pack in both.

 

[JonnyHotcakes]

VOAs of Synpower and Napa Syn show that the napa has a weaker add pack.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

Reference the VOA's

 

[Jimmy9190]

Now I am really convinced. I put about 250 miles on my truck a week commuting to work, and I checked my oil today when I bought gas, like I always do every time I stop for gas. And the Napa HM was the same shade of yellowish-amber, slightly green color that Maxlife always took on after the first week or so of driving after an oil change. My truck runs just as smoothly and sounds the same at a cold start-up and while driving, and it's getting the same MPG too. Oil pressure is right where it is supposed to be. The Napa oil even smells the same on the dipstick. Yes, I take a whiff every time I check my oil.

 

[Jimmy9190]

Now I have about 2000 miles on the Napa HM and it is in as good or better shape as Maxlife would be at that mileage. By this point Maxlife would have been a lot darker than the Napa oil was today when I checked my oil after buying gas. That is not to say that dark colored oil is a bad thing. The oil level is right where it should be and I'm still getting great MPG, nice smooth quiet cold starts and a really smooth-running engine with it, same as I did with Maxlife.

Just thought I'd add to this old post in case anyone else has questions abou the Napa brand HM. It is turning out to be a great oil for a good price. I might just order a UOA kit for it and see what comes back on it.

 

[Johnny]

Don't know about the NAPA HM oil or synthetics, but from 1986 to 2004 regular NAPA oil was the exact same oil as Valvoline regular oil. Don't know what they have done since 2005.

 

[FrankN4]

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1116699#Post1116699

 

[Firehawk409]

i always thought it didnt mean much if they oil changed to a darker color.....to a certain extent. On my 94 fbody the oil turns dark no matter what oil i have used within a short time of use.

 

[Valvman]

I can assure you that the Napa High Mileage oil and Valvoline Maxlife are not the same formulation. Without going into great detail there is less detergent and no moly in the Napa oil and the baseoil mix does not provide the lower volatility that Maxlife provides.