"Lower tier " oils you have run...

[bluesmokertdi]

these days, brands are not really significant, what matters more is the base oil (group 1-5) and the API approval

 

[Oil Changer]

Valvoline.

 

[Johnmpb]

these days, brands are not really significant, what matters more is the base oil (group 1-5) and the API approval

Why does the base oil matter when the API approval does not take that directly into account? I don’t see any vehicle manuals telling owners to look up base oil groups, but I do see them mention api and ilsac requirements

 

[suburbandoom]

Lately, i've used FRAM more than any of the others...along with the FRAM filter deal.

Ditto. Did two runs of the 5w40 in my kids VR6, because we needed the lube & filter at that very moment, and AAP had the best deal. Never tried an Amalie product prior to that. Never tried a house brand before. As expected, it did its job.

 

[Braapdaddy]

STP (Amalie) 5w30 in the fleet 4.6, 5.4, 6.8 Fords

STP (Amalie) 5w40 Euro in the VW and mostlikley to finish the stash of it in the wife's new to us Mercedes-Benz


Now I know this part will start a dumpster fire since Lucas is debatable by most on here to be lower tier since the oil stabilizer is junk

Lucas 15w40 magnum in the diesels (Ford)
Lucas gear oils trans fluids and power steering fluid in the diesels

Lucas 0w20 syn in the Tacoma 4cyl

CONSIDERING Amalie dual clutch

 

[Chris142]

Carlube and super -s

 

[kschachn]

Lower tier oils are those that do not have stringent approvals or licenses or are those that make up things to appear that they do. You can get both a good low SAPS C3 or a full SAPS A40 oil for next to the price of a lower rated oil. What’s the point?

 

[bbhero]

Don't think that's what I was totally thinking about kschachn... A strong majority of people don't really need oils that are C3 etc etc etc.

I was thinking about API SP and Dexos approvals...

Though I agree with you to a good degree.


I know Super S and Cam2 had Dexos approvals. Which carried a legit license number.

Now when it comes to MB, BMW, and or Porsche approvals... I do believe be you are right about that.

Amalie, Super S, and Cam2 do not do well when it comes to those approvals. Even Warren Oil does not do the best with that either.

If I needed or wanted say a Porsche C30 approved oil... I'd be getting that Mobil 1 ESP 5w30 from AZ.

 

[bbhero]

Good thread. What I’ve run in the past that would be considered low tier...Super Tech synthetic, Carquest synthetic, Napa Synthetic, Quaker State, Amalie.

My next oil change very well may be Amalie (because I have a stash of it). And years ago...back in the conventional oil days, I ran my 1999 Honda Accord to 289,000 miles using nothing but Super Tech conventional oil. Well, I should say mostly Super Tech, otherwise it was franken brews consisting of Wolf’s Head, house conventional from my work (lord knows what that was).

Question is, are these low tier oils as good as Mobil1, Pennzoil Platinum, Valvoline Synthetic, Castrol Edge, SRGT, TGMO, Castrol Magnetec? Because I’ve used all those oils too. And prefer that over the low tier stuff.

Good question... Whether or not low tier oils are as good as Valvoline, Pennzoil Platinum, Castrol Magnatec etc ???

Of say a lower tier oil has Dexos approval, API SP like say Valvoline Advanced full synthetic or Pennzoil Platinum .... I would tend to say it would make no real difference or very little difference between them.

Nothing against Valvoline, Pennzoil, Chevron/Havoline, Mobil or Castrol... They all make really very good oils to run.
I have run oils made from all of them. I may well run more Valvoline and or Chevron/Havoline again soon enough.

Now when it comes to say real tough hard to meet standards like MB, BMW, Porsche, VW.... I'd definitely go with Mobil 1, Pennzoil, Chevron/Havoline, Castrol, Valvoline.

 

[PimTac]

I think the definition of a lower tier oil is blurry. The big names produce budget lines of oil. Are they lower tier like Supertech or Fleet Farm? That might be unanswerable.

 

[bbhero]

I'd say Full Synthetic Pennzoil black label would be equal to Supertech, Federated Auto parts full synthetic, Fleet Farm etc etc.


A good oil that is API SP approved.

 

[Johnmpb]

I think what @bbhero means (correct me if I’m wrong bud) is what NO NAME/generic/store brand/etc oils have you guys used.

Stop making it so difficult

“Wellllllllllll Mobil has 5336788.567 different types of oil so I’m not sure what you mean sir ”

 

[Gene K]

Store Brand - Supertech

Name Brand - Mag

Motorcycle - Maxum

Boat - Tech 2000

 

[dwasifar]

Occasionally I'll get AAP/CarQuest(AOC)...Now it's labeled FRAM.

Does it come in cardboard bottles?

 

[dwasifar]

My takeaway from reading, here and elsewhere, is that any API or Dexos oil is fine if you change it regularly, but if you're going to stretch your interval, you'd want a more premium oil. Obviously there is not universal agreement on this point, but it seems like a reasonable conclusion.

Since I change at 3000, I buy Kirkland (Warren) and feel fine about it.

 

[SR5]

Lot of history here, but in my sump today is Penrite Mower oil, a SAE 30 Monograde that is rated API SG/CD. Just saying...

 

[Ignatius]

I currently have some Resolute brand 0w20 in my Outback that seems to be doing just fine. Fleet Farm had it on sale and I had a $5 coupon on top of that. From what I gather it is a Citgo made house brand oil.

 

[Bill_W]

I do not consider Kirkland 0w-20 lower tier cause it has all requirements I need but I use it sometimes for a short OCI. Less expensive is a better description. I use it as a safe engine flush.

 

[Shel_B]

I've never used what you call a lower-tier oil. I started paying attention to oil changes when I bought my first new cars, and that was in 1984 when I bought two Mazda GLCs, one for my wife and the other for myself.

Started running Red Line, and ran them exclusively on that oil until we got rid of them in 1992-3 or so. They each had over 190,000 literally trouble-free miles on them.

Wifey and I split in 1991, and I bought a new Ford Ranger and subsequently another Ranger, both of which ran M1. I started the first Ranger on Red Line but after meeting an engineer from Mobil, I moved to M1. With the exception of one fill of Amsoil (I met an Amsoil rep and decided to try the oil), I've been an M1 guy ever since.

When I bought the Camry I now have, it desperately needed an oil change, and I ran a shortish OCI on Castrol EP. But I'm an M1 guy at heart, and run M1 EP 5w-30 in the Camry now. I bought some M1 EP HM a while ago, but on my next change I'll go back to the regular EP.

I do have some remnants of EP 0W-20 and 5W-30 HM, so I'll mix that with some regular 5W-30 EP just to get rid of the odds and ends and then go back to regular 5W-30 EP.

I am considering one of the HPL 0W-30s or 5W-30s, but I've not decided yet as I need to look into the cost/benefit value.

 

[Imp4]

Lower tier oils meaning Super S, Amalie, Cam2, Warren Oil, Warren Distribution and or others. These oils can also be store branded like say Providence oil from RK, or say Federated Auto parts oils from WD.

This makes no sense. Either an oil has an approval or it doesn't.
Are you suggesting to compare oils that differ in approvals?!?

If you're suggesting to compare oils that have the same approval, what is your comparison criteria?

Please clarify.