Pennzoil Platinum HM 5W30 VOA
- Thread starter himemsys
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That looks pathetic. The TBN is low even for the D4739 method that Blackstone uses. The phosphorus is well below the minimum for API and well outside ICP margin of error. The KV100 is 8.92 cSt which makes it a 20 grade, not a 30 grade, so it's already out of grade in virgin form.
I would ask Blackstone to rerun the sample based on the results not aligning with the advertised SAE J300 grade and phosphorus well below API minimum.
I would ask Blackstone to rerun the sample based on the results not aligning with the advertised SAE J300 grade and phosphorus well below API minimum.
That's the plan. Boron is also nearily nil, which is almost unheard of. I've found one other VOA with such a low Boron and it's PP 0W20 from PQIA. Actually the whole add pack looks very similar to this one.
I wanna say there's another VOA of a PP that Project Farm did that looks like this too. Actually, found it:
Blackstone doesn't know how to measure viscosity. In the UOA forums, look for DuckRyder's posts, he gets the same oil analyzed by 3 companies. Blackstone
The report doesn't say but I assume this is API SP oil. Didn't API lower Zn and P limits in SP? EDIT: looked it up, nope. still 600 minimum. If BS is to be believed, this oil does not meet API specs for min Phosphorus content. Wow.
Still, I agree, this oil is pathetic.
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Aside from the usual Blackstone issues, this looks like a low-SAPS oil.
The bottle this was sampled from is dated January 2023, so a very recent batch of API SP.
I'd be careful with absolutes like "always." I can point you to several very specific examples that contradict your "always" statement pretty demonstrably, even a post from @bhvrdr who sent the same sample to 3 different labs. BS viscosity was in line with the other two. I have posted several VOAs here where BS viscosity is spot-on with the manufacturer PDS, and one of those PQIA also tested and *their* viscosity was way lower than BS's and further from the PDS than BS's was. I understand we're all mad at BS for not doing fuel dilution properly, but that doesn't make it okay to embellish their faults in other areas.
You're right, I got carried away. Should have used "often."
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That oil looks like it has a very weak pack. The gray bottle version had triple digit moly.
So here are these three oils side by side. Pay attention to the additive package. These are all Pennzoil Platinum-based. Not PUP or non-Platinum Full Synthetic. They do seem to share the same add pack, from Moly, to lack of Boron, to Ca/Mg/Ph/Zn.That's the plan. Boron is also nearily nil, which is almost unheard of. I've found one other VOA with such a low Boron and it's PP 0W20 from PQIA. Actually the whole add pack looks very similar to this one.
I wanna say there's another VOA of a PP that Project Farm did that looks like this too. Actually, found it:
Although this is on the low add pack side that has been the trend for a while now to burn cleaner & not harm the cats. That is one of the "Benefits" of high mileage... To not plug up an old high mileage cat. I think this oil will still do well in most apps calling for a 5w-30. It's a good comparison to the others & appreciate the added insight into this fine oil.
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I always thought high mileage oils from the past had a stronger add pack than their regular siblings, with higher anti wear additives. Has the trend gone the other way with lower anti wear additives?
It's been at that rate for several years now. Calcium used to be very high but with LSPI they lowered the calcium & added magnesium so it all looks different now.
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Interesting, because the old gray bottle PPHM was smooth and silent in my 300ZX. Yellow bottle PPHM was noisy in my Accord. M1 is smooth and silent in my Accord, hence why it's going also in my 300ZX.
I not only requested a retest from BS, I also emailed Pennzoil General Public Inquiries. Probably not the right email, but it's the only one I could find on their site. I would think they would want to be aware that their oil varies this significantly from their own PDS. 11.4 vs 8.9 cSt is pretty darn significant.
I think in the evolution of high mileage oil’s the focus has gone from protecting the high mileage engine to protecting the high mileage emissions equipment.
You really think it does?
You seem to be shocked by what appears to be the same add pack in different oils from the same manufacturer. As many of the industry members on here have noted, most add packs are made and tested by Infineum or Afton, and simply added to an oil so they can say it meets the spec.
What the VOA will not show are the differences in base oils, and that may be all that Pennzoil is changing w/r to their various tiers. Since we don’t have any Pennzoil insiders and they likely wouldn’t share this info anyways, all we can do is guess why they are so similar.
Honest question- would you still be as skeptical if HPL were to tell us that this was the same way they blend all their non-Euro PCEOs- same add pack for all (d1G3 add packs) and simply changing which quality base oil and VIIs they use? This is theoretical since I don’t know if that’s the case for HPL but the question still applies.
I'm curious what I said that made you believe I was shocked or skeptical. My whole point is that this VOA is probably accurate because there are two other VOAs showing the same add pack. Even the low viscosity is shared between the two 30 grades. That was why I pointed out these three VOAs are vanilla Platinum, not Ultra Platinum or non-Platinum.
