Pennzoil Platinum used to be my favorite

Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
8,356
Location
Michigan
I always considered PP a top of the line Syn oil but these oil analysis reports really disappoint me. The add pack appears to be far weaker then it was in the past and not up to par with some other name brand oils.

Do any of you feel the same? Thoughts?
 
Here are the specs from the PQIA for Pennzoil Platinum Ultra.

4F97B6ED-CCDD-468B-86AD-12B731EE7407.png
068BE84A-C1BD-4E2C-8C78-A07B12E1BF1D.png
AD24F127-E33C-4998-8F2B-94D6D3A77B2A.png
 
I always considered PP a top of the line Syn oil but these oil analysis reports really disappoint me. The add pack appears to be far weaker then it was in the past and not up to par with some other name brand oils.

Do any of you feel the same? Thoughts?
Oil analysis has never been able to show absolute performance or even relative performance against other oils. Nothing has changed other than eye candy on a $30 report that’s not the right tool to determine suitability.

That’s what specifications and certifications are for. Also, Pennzoil still offers 300k or 500k engine warranties if you begin using their oils early enough. It appears they know what they’re doing.
 
I always considered PP a top of the line Syn oil but these oil analysis reports really disappoint me. The add pack appears to be far weaker then it was in the past and not up to par with some other name brand oils.

Do any of you feel the same? Thoughts?
Last time I looked - QSFS was GTL with a few PPM more in the ad pack - but who knows on the VM’s and other things. I was stepping up from 0W20 to 5W30 Dexos 1.3 … so the QS seemed like a steal …
 
I always considered PP a top of the line Syn oil but these oil analysis reports really disappoint me. The add pack appears to be far weaker then it was in the past and not up to par with some other name brand oils.

Do any of you feel the same? Thoughts?
What UOAs and what specifically about them leads you to this conclusion?
 
the regular PP UOA's and VOA's. Low moly, boron, low detergents, low zddp.

Their reg PP used to run far higher add pack amounts.
 
The best modern engine oils go through extensive validation testing.

The latest version of Mobil 1 looks rather weak on paper but is capable of long drains. PP and PUP are likely still very good in their current forms.

If you look at the current version of M1 just on paper, you wouldn't think it would be capable of this type of performance:

 
Last edited:
the regular PP UOA's and VOA's. Low moly, boron, low detergents, low zddp.

Their reg PP used to run far higher add pack amounts.
But how do they do in Project Farm's testing? Just kidding...everyone calm down.... 🤣

But isn't it hard to correlate the oil analysis to actual additive package performance etc....can't just look at the raw numbers and infer "better/worse"?
 
It’s a good oil. I don’t know to which reports you’re referring, but the UOAs show it holding up well. I really don’t like the elemental VOAs that show “XX PPM of XX” because you really cannot tell anything from those.

The problem with that kind of analysis is that you only know the elements. It’s like knowing what letters are used in writing, but not knowing the words or the grammar. Additives are made from elements, but additive chemistry is complex. Additive performance, or effectiveness, isn’t a matter of element level, it’s the performance of complex chemical compounds.

Just as good writing is more than just how many of each letter is used, it’s a matter of how those letters are formed into words, and then how those words are structured and used together.

Saying, for example, that “Oil XX is good has lots of calcium” is like saying, “that’s a good news article because the writer used the letter “R” more than this other writer“… It’s superficial and specious.
 
Oil analysis has never been able to show absolute performance or even relative performance against other oils. Nothing has changed other than eye candy on a $30 report that’s not the right tool to determine suitability.

That’s what specifications and certifications are for. Also, Pennzoil still offers 300k or 500k engine warranties if you begin using their oils early enough. It appears they know what they’re doing.
Exactly.
 
the regular PP UOA's and VOA's. Low moly, boron, low detergents, low zddp.

Their reg PP used to run far higher add pack amounts.
There have been plenty of posts from industry formulators and insiders that repeatedly tell us more than half an oil’s “good stuff” will never, ever show on a VOA.

It’s entirely possible that SOPUS is simply transitioning to more of these additives thanks to emissions & performance requirements.
 
There have been plenty of posts from industry formulators and insiders that repeatedly tell us more than half an oil’s “good stuff” will never, ever show on a VOA.

It’s entirely possible that SOPUS is simply transitioning to more of these additives thanks to emissions & performance requirements.
What would these be and why not start testing for them to show them?
 
Over time
What would these be and why not start testing for them to show them?
Watch the video I posted. Look at the current VOA of Mobil 1. Look at the specifications it meets and the claims they make.

You can't see esters via a VOA, you can't see AO's through a VOA, among other things.
 
Back
Top