Meijer's Thrifty Acres here in MI OH KY IN IL has their store brand oil for $6 a 12 qt case. Says packaged by Citgo. Exact same bottle, different label.
I see the SA/SB oil at many places, and yeah, it usually is grossly overpriced.
oils NOT to use
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I see the SA/SB oil at many places, and yeah, it usually is grossly overpriced.
I would have to add Exxon Superflo to the list. I took my Durango in to the dealershit a few months back to have some transmission work done(under warranty of course). While it was in the mechanic, for some unknown reason, changed the oil in it. I didn't ask them to and wouldn't pay them for it....that's a whole different story. Anyway I asked them what kind of oil it was and he said "it's Mopar which is really just Exxon Superflo." He also said that depending on the shipment some of their oil comes in branded Mopar, some comes in branded Exxon. I took my car home, got ready to leave for work the next morning and noticed the engine sounded horrible on startup and seemed more noisy than usual. Drove it for a few days and it never seemed to get better. I finally said to heck with it, drained the oil, changed the filter, and filled it back up with my usual Pennzoil. The noise was gone after that.
Long story short: Exxon Superflo will NEVER go in my engine again.
Long story short: Exxon Superflo will NEVER go in my engine again.
I recently bought a used car. The records said it had Valvoline 5W30 in it. I ran it about 5000 miles, had it analyzed and it looks fine. Wear numbers normal, oxidation - nitration normal, TBN of 4.6....Good results. I see no problem with Valvoline.
I noticed someone mentioned "store brand" or "convenience store" off brand oils. I have done business with some of the companies who belnd these products. Their comments wer that they are the same as most any brand. Often times, the merely change the label.
The point is, an SL rated oil is and SL rated oil. Regardless of the brand name. One can't go wrong using an SL oil for 5000 mile intervals so the tere is no need to "stay away" from proporly blended store brands.
Having said that, I did find an SA rated oil on the shelf in a Miami area ghetto convenience store a year or so ago for $1.79 or so. I had no idea that anyone even made such trash anymore.
Don
Quaker State
Superflow
Pennzoil
House brands, not including Chevron, Motorcraft.
etc.
[ August 14, 2004, 08:42 AM: Message edited by: mf150 ]
Superflow
Pennzoil
House brands, not including Chevron, Motorcraft.
etc.
[ August 14, 2004, 08:42 AM: Message edited by: mf150 ]
If the new management is still holding the prices where they were when the old management went to group III base oil and kept the price like it was when they were making group IV PAO. Then yes the new management is not any better than the old.
This is in response to Patman's post on May 15, 2004
As to the original subject. Just use Mobil 1 or Amsoil and don't worry about it.
If you have to use a dino oil. I think that Pennzoil or Chevron Supreme would be a good choice.
[ August 14, 2004, 09:15 AM: Message edited by: westex39 ]
This is in response to Patman's post on May 15, 2004
As to the original subject. Just use Mobil 1 or Amsoil and don't worry about it.
If you have to use a dino oil. I think that Pennzoil or Chevron Supreme would be a good choice.
[ August 14, 2004, 09:15 AM: Message edited by: westex39 ]
Like Tallpall, I also use some Valvoline products.
I'm not an oil chemistry expert, but something is suspicious when people judge the quality of an oil by the add pack observed in a virgin oil analysis. We have seen plenty of oils with supposedly weak add packs perform well in UOAs.
If we could all rank oils simply by looking at VOA add packs, then producing good oils would be as simple as boosting the level of additives. In that case, the oil companies might as well fire all their chemists and just find the cheapest additive suppliers out there to make the best oil.
Somehow, I doubt that life is that simple.
If a company changes their formula to save money they should pass some of that saveing on to the customer! Lying or deceptive practices should never be rewarded! I too have been wanting to try GC and I have not been able to find it any place in Michigan!! All I can find is the old dusty bottle of Domestic Castrol 0W30.
I will be trying M1R wichis also a 0W30 though this winter. The M1R was provided to me by a board memeber as this formula is also not stocked in Michigan!
Oils not to use:
Mobil Drive Clean
Exxon Super Flow
Walmart Brand
Value Check
National
Valvoline
Castrol Syntec
I still can not understand why someone wants to pay $4.99 a quart for Syntec when M1 is $3.88 a quart from several places.
I will be trying M1R wichis also a 0W30 though this winter. The M1R was provided to me by a board memeber as this formula is also not stocked in Michigan!
Oils not to use:
Mobil Drive Clean
Exxon Super Flow
Walmart Brand
Value Check
National
Valvoline
Castrol Syntec
I still can not understand why someone wants to pay $4.99 a quart for Syntec when M1 is $3.88 a quart from several places.
i dont care about the company or how they do business all i care about is its products witch they are always on the top of the list.just look at the uoa's and look at the numbers!!! i have not seen a bad report on castrol.
The only oil related engine failure I have had is with mobil 1 try synthetic, 9000 mi, and a fram filter. I will not use mobil any type or fram filters. Im back to dino oil and 5000 mi oil changes. It was a very costly lesson.
Sorry there are alot of sweeping generizations here that are just peoples opinions. Mobil drive clean is a fine motor oil, same with exxon superflow, walmart super tech is not bad either, german castrol syntec is worth more than the 4.75 a quart I pay for mine, I can't say much about that group III syntec though
Castrol is a Company they do many things be it right wrong or illegal. If you don't like it tough.As I read the UOA tells the story and it looks about as good as M1.I think people will find that oils take turns in improving there products to boost sales. So you find oils like Conoco making a synthetic blend for the price of Penzoil Chevron Supream and Valvoline.Will the others follow who knows. But I would have never thought to try Conoco or Phillips if I didn't read it on this board. So I guess my answer is whoever doesn't improve the product without raiseing prices.
You changed the oil, you changed the filter, the startup noises went away.
How do you know whether it was the oil or the filter?
Would the following information make you reconsider whether the oil was the cause of the noise?
1)Some Dodge filters are made by Fram
2)Fram filters typically have a lousy antidrainback valves
3)Anti-drainback valves can cause engine start up noise
4)Even if the filter wasn't a Fram, it isn't unheard of to get a bad filter
Vee
Dubb
Junkie:
BTW, did you get that 1.8T sludging letter from VAG?
Just got mine today and noticed that they drummed the VW502 spec to death but then left off some oils that have it (e.g. GC) but listed others that don't (e.g. Synpower 5w-30). I also noticed that my dealer jacked up the price of an oil change from 34.99, to $69.99. Looks like they are serious about this synthetic thing.
BTW, did you get that 1.8T sludging letter from VAG?
Just got mine today and noticed that they drummed the VW502 spec to death but then left off some oils that have it (e.g. GC) but listed others that don't (e.g. Synpower 5w-30). I also noticed that my dealer jacked up the price of an oil change from 34.99, to $69.99. Looks like they are serious about this synthetic thing.
I am amazed at the number of people who have NO CLUE as to what Castrol's corporate decision making process is and was, especially as it relates to the Synthetic issue, and who KNOW FOR A FACT that Castrol is guilty of all sorts of guile and evil intent (please see my second post in Johnny's thread on defending Castrol). NO ONE seems to point out that Castrol is selling an oil--SLX-- in the US for a fraction of what they can get for it in Europe...but I suppose there is something nefarious about that decision too (in fact, I can already predict what will be said about my comment).
[ August 14, 2004, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: pscholte ]
Dropitby, Unless someone has more money then brains why would they want to spend a $1.99 more per quart to equal M1 UOA results. It just does not make sense!
I have been wanting to try GC since the news of it's arival first broke! I still can not find it at any stores in Michigan! I have tried from Lansing,Flint, Bad Axe,Port Huron and Durand to no avail! I have stoped at every single automotive and retail store in each location. I have dug through countless botles of the old crappy yellow lable Domestic 0W30 looking for the GC to no avail! I have even had them check fresh cases!!!!
To date the only products Mobil makes that I can not find localy are Truck SUV and M1R. THe rest of Mobil's line up are all available or can be ordered localy from gastations to grocery stores I can find M1's lineup almost universaly! Even Redline,Royal Purple and Amsoil are available in retail outlets localy but no GC. I do not even consider GC a real player until it is widely available!
I have been wanting to try GC since the news of it's arival first broke! I still can not find it at any stores in Michigan! I have tried from Lansing,Flint, Bad Axe,Port Huron and Durand to no avail! I have stoped at every single automotive and retail store in each location. I have dug through countless botles of the old crappy yellow lable Domestic 0W30 looking for the GC to no avail! I have even had them check fresh cases!!!!
To date the only products Mobil makes that I can not find localy are Truck SUV and M1R. THe rest of Mobil's line up are all available or can be ordered localy from gastations to grocery stores I can find M1's lineup almost universaly! Even Redline,Royal Purple and Amsoil are available in retail outlets localy but no GC. I do not even consider GC a real player until it is widely available!
Wally Mart has 5 qt of 10/30 Syntec for $20.93. M 1 was more here in Hurricane land.
Might as well put Pennzoil on your list . The list I don't entirely agree with
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