Is there such thing as a "bad" oil at a chain?

[supra911]

Oil semi-newbie here...

I am reading about 1000 threads on this site and was wondering if there were BAD oils at LARGE RETAILERS like Walmart..?

Let's say my sister calls me says her oil light is on her dash (04 BMW 3.0L which calls for 5w30)..
She pulls into a Walmart a block away and checks hIer oil. It barely touches the dipstick, which isn't life-threatening since it's out 2 quarts out of 7. She calls me and asks which oil to get. And i tell her just grab any motor oil off the shelf, so she wouldn't stress out. She picks up a quart conv super tech 5w-20.. Which is probably the most "wrong" oil for her at WM.

To me this is perfectly okay. I wouldn't hesitate waiting another 1k or so before changing her motor oil.. This story never actually happened..

But is there such thing as wrong/bad oil... Especially in an emergency cases?

Another scenario. If ur oil light comes on on the freeway. You stop and you are 2 at out of 5 quart low. Your car calls for 5w30.. A BITOG'er pulls up behind you and offers you a bottle of 5w-20 citgo conv. Do you accept or are you going to walk/tow to nearest autozone 2 miles away?

 

[Coprolite]

Put what is available into the car. If that puts the resulting mix out of specifications, you could use that remaining quart in your example and put in a heavier(or lighter) spec. oil and bring it back into the correct range.

The biggest issue is how would it get 2 quarts low? ;-)

Bad oil would be something like ATF or gear oil in the engine.

 

[dave1251]

Nothing wrong with using the most cost effective API certified oil in a emergency used oil would be better than no oil.

 

[KeithS_NW_Ohio]

This is why I carry a quart of my current fill in the trunk.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

ATF would be fine in a pinch; car would probably run better for a week than with ILSAC GF4. Wicked wide vi in a mixture of hydrotreated paraffinics and polar Naphthenics when oil had to perform well without additisation. Equivalent to 20-30 grading depending on if its dexron iii or type F. Little DP. Its "just oil".

 

[bepperb]

Yes. Accel non detergent is a horrible oil for any car... available at WalMart's everywhere.

 

[daves87rs]

Just don't get Accel or 30wt oil, and it will be fine.

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: KeithS_NW_Ohio
This is why I carry a quart of my current fill in the trunk.
Bingo.

I check the oil often enough to know when it may need to be topped off, but you never know if you might have to go somewhere unexpectedly and forget to do so and end up a quart down in some God-forsaken wilderness...like Jersey...

 

[Donald]

The "bad" oil would likely not be at a large chain like Walmart but at a $1 store or surplus store. Possibly an out of the way quick-check market that has old oil that does not meet current standards.

If you by SN oil at Walmart I would assume it meets the SN oil specs.

Not true at "Joes Dollar Store" where you can but "Value Oil" that is rated SA.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: supra911
Let's say my sister calls me says her oil light is on her dash (04 BMW 3.0L which calls for 5w30)..


The only codicil I would add is that in a 2004 BMW, one would have to be sure it's actually calling for an API/ILSAC 5w30, and not something with BMW's own specifications. The European manuals I've seen require oil meeting their specs, but allow for ACEA oils in an emergency top up, and even API/ILSAC oils in such a scenario.

So, if I were driving a BMW and needed a quart or two real bad and there were no appropriate BMW certified oils, sure, I'd pick something off the shelf. For an oil change, though, that would be a different matter.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: bepperb
Yes. Accel non detergent is a horrible oil for any car... available at WalMart's everywhere.


Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Just don't get Accel or 30wt oil, and it will be fine.



Accel is not "horrible" in itself, it's just not for use in modern automobiles as clearly stated on their SF-formulations for "older" cars. There's a difference, some might desire an older, lower detergent or non-detergent oil to nurse old equipment or cars. That being said, Wal-Mart should clearly state this rather than relying on the disclaimer on the bottle...

Accel does make SN-rated oils with the API Starburst on them sold regionally and previously at my local Big Lots!.

 

[teddyboy]

It almost certainly won't hurt the car. That being said, communication is cheap and easy today. Why didn't you just keep her on the phone and walk her to the exact optimal choice which in this case would have been two quarts of some name brand 5W30 full synthetic? It is a BMW afterall.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Ha! Accel is manufactured by WPP:

http://www.pqiamerica.com/AccelNov2010.htm

I wonder if their SF-rated oil is really all that bad. It could be a Group II with a dated additive package. But, VOA's on older oils from the 70's and 80's actually show they had comparable additives to today's oils...

 

[Zako2]

BMW is not a good analogy because the oil has to meet one of BMW's LL requirements. Last time I checked, my local walmart had zero products with BMW Long Life approval. The most common oils with LL-1 approval at Mobil 1 0W40 and Castrol 0W30. There are also Pennzoil and Synpower MST (forgot which grade). If you need a top off quart, anything would probably work. I wouldn't go thinner than 30-grade though.

A better question would start with "I have a Ford.." then the answer would be that any oil of correct grade that meets Fords approval (most do) sold at Walmart should be good enough.