Tom NJ
$100 Site Donor 2026
Obsolete oils such as SA, SB, SC etc. can be easily found in stores across the country, especially in convenience stores and often in lower income areas. These oils are positioned on shelves among modern motor oils, usually at a lower price, and many tout performance claims while failing to note that the oils can harm most car engines on the road today. Granted there are some limited legitimate applications for some of these oils, such as in air compressors and light duty equipment, but car engines are not among them.
Let's face it, most consumers have no idea what these API letters mean, and like most of us tend to trust product labels, believing that companies would not actually sell harmful products. I know some will say "buyer beware", but I disagree. We can't all be knowledgeable in all fields, and except for BITOGers, oil is just not the center of most people's lives.
So should these products be labeled "Motor Oil", and positioned on shelves with real motor oils without warning, where consumers shopping based on price may be fooled?
In my personal opinion, the marketers of these products know exactly what they are doing - exploiting the innocence of ordinary people for profit without regard for how many engines they damage. I find it despicable! If they want to sell these products for legitimate applications, why not state clearly on the label what these applications are, and that you should NOT put it in your car engine, as the API recommends? Back label statements like "Always consult your owner's manual" or "Follow manufacturer's recommendations" are cop out caveats and no excuse for tricking people and damaging their engines.
I first learned about SA oils at my first national SAE meeting in the early 80s, and was appalled to find them everywhere. Here we are 30+ years later and little has changed. I am still appalled.
What are your thoughts?
Let's face it, most consumers have no idea what these API letters mean, and like most of us tend to trust product labels, believing that companies would not actually sell harmful products. I know some will say "buyer beware", but I disagree. We can't all be knowledgeable in all fields, and except for BITOGers, oil is just not the center of most people's lives.
So should these products be labeled "Motor Oil", and positioned on shelves with real motor oils without warning, where consumers shopping based on price may be fooled?
In my personal opinion, the marketers of these products know exactly what they are doing - exploiting the innocence of ordinary people for profit without regard for how many engines they damage. I find it despicable! If they want to sell these products for legitimate applications, why not state clearly on the label what these applications are, and that you should NOT put it in your car engine, as the API recommends? Back label statements like "Always consult your owner's manual" or "Follow manufacturer's recommendations" are cop out caveats and no excuse for tricking people and damaging their engines.
I first learned about SA oils at my first national SAE meeting in the early 80s, and was appalled to find them everywhere. Here we are 30+ years later and little has changed. I am still appalled.
What are your thoughts?
