Oil is Oil

[Al]

I know I have said this before. But I've seen no difference in synthetic, nonsynthetic, "full synthetic", and "True Synthetics" (group IV/V like Amsoil, Shaeffers, Redline, Royal Purple, Motul) at 6K miles and very likely 10K miles with UOA results.

I know, I know..its what we do here on BITOG.

Shhh...Its our dirty little secret

And I suspect its true with oil filters also. But thats for another time unless someone wants to comment on it.

 

[RyanY]

I would argue that the sale/clearance oil is always the best. Assuming, of course, that it meets the recommended spec.

 

[JustN89]

Really, really glad this opinion got reiterated yet again, and that this important, thought-provoking sentiment got its very own thread.

 

[Glenda W.]

In before the lock!!

 

[Analog-1]

 

[thunderfog]

You probably just caused several dozen instantaneous heart attacks.

 

[Hall]

You forgot to add "trigger warning" to your subject

 

[userfriendly]

I would argue that the sale/clearance oil is always the best. Assuming, of course, that it meets the recommended spec.

That’s what all the dealerships, fast lube joints and repair shops do.
So someone answer me this; What percentage of engine oil is destined for the do it yourself market?
What percentage of people buying engine oil look for the lowest price and not a particular brand?
What percentage of the do it yourself market people perform used oil analysis?
What percentage of the do it yourself people buy so called boutique lubricants?
What percentage of those people will publish or post UOA results?
What percentage of YouTube content providers should cut their caffeine intake?

 

[650NutKase]

We split hair here on this site. For 99% any oil is good oil.

 

[Glenda W.]

Some don’t enjoy the finer things in life.

 

[I<3oil]

Lol

 

[JimPghPA]

I know of 4 instances of engines being ruined that belonged to relatives / friends. 1 the oil was changed regularly, 2 no where near often enough, and one ran with not enough oil. Also one case of a sludged up engine from too many miles between oc.

 

[Plumb Bob]

I know I have said this before. But I've seen no difference in synthetic, nonsynthetic, "full synthetic", and "True Synthetics" (group IV/V like Amsoil, Shaeffers, Redline, Royal Purple, Motul) at 6K miles and very likely 10K miles with UOA results.

I know, I know..its what we do here on BITOG.

Shhh...Its our dirty little secret

And I suspect its true with oil filters also. But thats for another time unless someone wants to comment on it.

And what's the point of this thread?

 

[userfriendly]

And what's the point of this thread?

Your point?

 

[cryptolyme]

oil has different additives and base stocks. yes, it all looks like oil. great observation sir. maybe this should be pinned.

 

[ripcord]

And what's the point of this thread?

Threads don't need points around here, lol. We're all here just to express our OCD in a safe and friendly environment.

 

[Pablo]

Nope. 10K OCI's in doctor's Toyotas prove oil is NOT oil.

Some oils CAN last 10K, others can't.

Point is, you CANNOT say oil is oil without qualifiers, so oil is not oil.

 

[dnewton3]

In low stress situations, of moderate use, then I'd agree. Someone who OCIs ever 3-5k miles with a port-injected engine and drives perhaps 20 miles to/from work in a moderate environment won't ever see the difference. I've even personally had some excellent UOAs at 10k-12k miles with "normal" oils in my old 4.6L Fords. The syns proved no better at wear protection than did the ST dino lube. And there was no alteration of cleanliness measurable either.

But there are also high-demand situations, longer OCIs, and extreme design concerns that require far more than the basic lube efforts. Here premium, even boutique, lubes will prevail easily over their counterparts.



As usual, the proper answer is "it depends" ...

 

[Hall]

engines being ruined .... 1 the oil was changed regularly

What was the cause of the failure ?

 

[Owen Lucas]

I know I have said this before. But I've seen no difference in synthetic, nonsynthetic, "full synthetic", and "True Synthetics" (group IV/V like Amsoil, Shaeffers, Redline, Royal Purple, Motul) at 6K miles and very likely 10K miles with UOA results.

And I suspect its true with oil filters also. But thats for another time unless someone wants to comment on it.

I agree and I don't think it matters in most consumer applications. Heavy equipment, construction use / taxi, aviation, trucking, yes you want the best.

How many beaters are running out there with frankenmixes using el-cheapo oil and 3 year old filters?

In my option your vehicle is more likely to fail from poor engineering than not having the perfect oil and OCI.

For example my 05 Scion drives just fine at 180k miles, but then again it is a Toyota . I bet these results wouldn't be so easy to replicate with an 05 Malibu. The Malibu would be scrapped for a dozen other problems before oil quality issues become apparent.