Is Valvoline really that bad?
- Thread starter farrarfan1
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"All Climate costs around $1.77 a quart which is the same as Pennzoil and Castrol ( at least in this area's Walmart) slightly less than Havoline at $1.42 and Mobil Drive Clean at $1.17."
I believe your numbers are accurate as of today. Which is why I was hoping the reformulated Mobil DC's used oil analysis turn out good. That is a 60-cent, 50%+ difference, in price, for the Valvoline, a possibly lesser-quality product. Over the course of a year, one free oil change!
I believe your numbers are accurate as of today. Which is why I was hoping the reformulated Mobil DC's used oil analysis turn out good. That is a 60-cent, 50%+ difference, in price, for the Valvoline, a possibly lesser-quality product. Over the course of a year, one free oil change!
Valvoline is a OK lube,but for the $$ there is better oils out on the market,test labs results only compair to the API etc,,the real world varible engine designs ,filters whatever,will only prove the outcome,and also to throw in climate/season..change times.............BL
Thanks blupupher, I wondered when someone was going to point out that Walmart's SuperTech is NOT actually white-lable All-Climate.
It's from an old (Quaker State?) plant in Louisiana, if my memory is accurate.
Bryanccfshr: "I had just about the same reaction to seeing good ole Valvoline getting beat up, I soon realized I was an easy mark for marketing types after looking closely at the facts."
My story is pretty much the same. As of about 3-4 years ago, Valvoline was the one brand I had heard no bad things about ... so I assumed it was a good, safe choice. Then I had them outright lie to me about products specs and found out they don't refine their own PCMO base stocks.
Now, they are the last brand I would buy.
--- Bror Jace
It's from an old (Quaker State?) plant in Louisiana, if my memory is accurate.
Bryanccfshr: "I had just about the same reaction to seeing good ole Valvoline getting beat up, I soon realized I was an easy mark for marketing types after looking closely at the facts."
My story is pretty much the same. As of about 3-4 years ago, Valvoline was the one brand I had heard no bad things about ... so I assumed it was a good, safe choice. Then I had them outright lie to me about products specs and found out they don't refine their own PCMO base stocks.
Now, they are the last brand I would buy.
--- Bror Jace
Well let me add some fuel to the fire.
Our family has an 89 Honda Prelude which has lived on Valvoline oils and Napa Gold filters for 220,000 miles thus far.
It still burns no oil but has a slight leakage from a seal. We recently upgraded to Maxlife, the seal leak has stopped.
10w-30 has been its grade for its entire life.
Its a sample of one I know, but nonetheless an impressive sample. In this case, clearly Valvoline has been good enough. Further, this car has been the one the kids used and probably not driven with care.
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Bob
Our family has an 89 Honda Prelude which has lived on Valvoline oils and Napa Gold filters for 220,000 miles thus far.
It still burns no oil but has a slight leakage from a seal. We recently upgraded to Maxlife, the seal leak has stopped.
10w-30 has been its grade for its entire life.
Its a sample of one I know, but nonetheless an impressive sample. In this case, clearly Valvoline has been good enough. Further, this car has been the one the kids used and probably not driven with care.
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Bob
No need for a flamesuit. Valvoline is an average oil at a premium price versus Chevron/Havoline, Castrol GTX, Pennzoil, and the Motorcraft (ConocoPhillips) oils.
For instance, the Motorcraft oil is semi synthetic for $1.44 at WalMart versus $2.50+ for the DuraBlend.
If it works for you, stick with it. Keep in mind there are better oils for your $$$.
For instance, the Motorcraft oil is semi synthetic for $1.44 at WalMart versus $2.50+ for the DuraBlend.
If it works for you, stick with it. Keep in mind there are better oils for your $$$.
Yes Bob, that is a nice testimony to Valvoline All-Climate, but the car is afterall a Honda. I mean come on, a Honda will run on tea! LOL, well just adding some humor, and your story is interesting. Thanks for seeing the light of it.
I can not say anything about Valvoline oil in the past 12 years or so but I can say that we have a 1974 Chevelle Laguna S-3 with a small block 400 motor that has been in the family since it was new and has seen nothing but Valvoline 10w30 or 10w-40 oil.
It's first 7 years was spent driven fast and hard in California and the next 10 not so fast and hard here in Colorado.The oil was changed at or close to 3,000 miles each time.
At 180,000 miles it started to puff a little oil at times so we replaced what was left of the O-ring type valve seals with umbrella valve seals and that took care of the oil puffing. While we had the valve covers off the engine we noticed no sludge on the heads at all, just some oil staining.
The car had 230,000 miles when I parked it over 12 years ago and it still did not use any oil as of then, and I have not driven it since.
In 1991 we started to use Motorcraft oils, we even use them in our G.M. trucks. So I can say that Valvoline at least did a good job of protecting the engine in our old Chevelle.
It's first 7 years was spent driven fast and hard in California and the next 10 not so fast and hard here in Colorado.The oil was changed at or close to 3,000 miles each time.
At 180,000 miles it started to puff a little oil at times so we replaced what was left of the O-ring type valve seals with umbrella valve seals and that took care of the oil puffing. While we had the valve covers off the engine we noticed no sludge on the heads at all, just some oil staining.
The car had 230,000 miles when I parked it over 12 years ago and it still did not use any oil as of then, and I have not driven it since.
In 1991 we started to use Motorcraft oils, we even use them in our G.M. trucks. So I can say that Valvoline at least did a good job of protecting the engine in our old Chevelle.
It seems there would be a point where a company benefits more from exceeding the spec by some margin greater than the variability in their forumlating process to ensure they don't flunk the API spot checks. However, maybe Valvo has the variability down to a minimum.
But for all the precision suggested in your comment, it seems strange for them to focus on just passing the spec.
What I find remarkable about Valvoline is that Maxlife, though the MSDS indicates (to me anyway) that it is mostly Group I, performs very well. Must be that smidgeon of PAO, which suggests a mix of one quart M1 and a cheap dino might just be the superbrew.
In my reviewing the tech data sheets (at least the old SL sheets) the Valvoline oils looked pretty good for cold properties--except for All Climate. I was not impressed with All Climate in that respect, nor flash point.
Hopefully, I wasn't too harsh on Valvoline All-Climate. I was speaking of all the SL stocks still available and earlier SJ etc.
Now with SM GF-4 coming on, I'm reserving all judgements based on past experience.
I have a goodly supply of GF-3 syn to use up, so I'll let everybody else find out how good SM really is.
Now with SM GF-4 coming on, I'm reserving all judgements based on past experience.
I have a goodly supply of GF-3 syn to use up, so I'll let everybody else find out how good SM really is.
Best evidence at this time seems to support three blenders for Supertech...
1. Warren
2. Mobil
3. Old Quaker State / Pennzoil Subsidiary in Louisiana
It depends on what part of the country you live in.
Gene
1. Warren
2. Mobil
3. Old Quaker State / Pennzoil Subsidiary in Louisiana
It depends on what part of the country you live in.
Gene
I think Haley has a real solid comment.
Ashland has discontinued the MAPLC partnership with Marathon and is no longer tied into the Grp 1 production from the Catlettsburg, KY lube plant.
Add in the new spec's for GF-4/SM and the Valvoline brand quite probably will display major formulation changes.
Both the DuraBlend & All Climate 5w30's have lower cold crank ratings for GF-4/SM, an indication of the use of GRP II+ and III base oils.
We need some used oil analysis to get a good indication of the add pack changes, as additives for oxidation are dropping out & replacements for lesser amounts of ZDDP are coming on-board.
Valvoline is regularly 10 to 15 cents cheaper per quart than the other "name brand" oils on the shelf around my area, so I dunno where the "crappy product at a premium price" non-sense is coming from. Yea, it has no moly or boron. Neither does motorcraft oil, which is touted as becoming the lord and savior of motor oil on this board (even though the new 5w30 has the lowest HT/HS of any 30 weight oil I've ever seen).
Ouch...All-Climate now up to $1.88/qt. at local Okie WalMart, and compare to Phillips 66 Trop-Arctic's 5w30 synthetic blend at $1.12/qt., 67% less cost. IMHO can't justify it, unless the used oil analysis show something we haven't seen yet. I realize if you buy at grocery store, both would sell for $2.67/qt!
Our Walmarts in this area don't carry Trop Arctic. I just checked out the ads for Advance Auto. They have 5 quart jug of Maxlife for $8.44 ($1.68 quart) and All Climate for $7.26 ($1.45 quart)for 5 quart jug. I think we tend to forget that other places besides Walmart sells oil. Now if somebody can tell me that Maxlife is OK to use in new cars...
I would get the Maxlife. That is a very good price. Last I looked at the Valvoline site, Maxlife is OK to use in new cars.
I will have a "SM" UOA on Durablend 5w30 for us all in about 1k miles or around the middle of Febuary. I'll be changing it out at 3k miles for a nice baseline. It will be out of a 2.7L Hyundai Sonata '03. I can't wait to see the difference from the previous "SL" UOA if any.
I've used Max-Life, Durablend and Synpower over the past year.
The price was the best as all were free after rebates.
The price was the best as all were free after rebates.
I have had great luck with Valvoline. My last car 95 Civic sold running perfectly with 210,000 miles had nearly 65% diet of Valvoline conventional every 4k miles never an engine issue.
My new car Subaru WRX gets the same every 3750 miles which are put on quickly though. I drive 25k miles/year mainly highway. I happen to use Valvoline in both cases since dealer uses it. I just can't see myself doing it myself, especially under warranty, when it takes
I will post back when the turbo fails if ever, I plan on keeping it to 200,000 miles.
My new car Subaru WRX gets the same every 3750 miles which are put on quickly though. I drive 25k miles/year mainly highway. I happen to use Valvoline in both cases since dealer uses it. I just can't see myself doing it myself, especially under warranty, when it takes
I will post back when the turbo fails if ever, I plan on keeping it to 200,000 miles.
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