PQIA Issues Consumer Alerts on Auto Club oil & ATF

[Tom NJ]

PQIA has issued Consumer Alerts for two products from Auto Club. The 5W-30 motor oil is actually a 10W-20, and bears API certification marks that expired seven years ago. The AFT fails several specifications for Dexron III and Mercon.

Petroleum Quality Institute of America

Tom NJ

 

[eljefino]

Those advisories are terrifying to read. But the brand names that fail are positively 3rd world goofy.

 

[Nickdfresh]

I keep thinking, why are the owner operators of these "companies" not being indicted?

 

[cutter]

HAHAHA, look at that maxiGuard, they haven't bothered to do anything to make it at least look like unused engine oil. If a schmuck puts that into his/her car, they deserve to donate money to their mechanic of choice.

 

[eljefino]

This stuff is so terrible the mafia has to be involved somehow. What kind of bodega owner wants to hear complaints over and over again over a $3 item? The kind who has customers who know better...

 

[cutter]

Google search shows mg lubricants (of that maxi guard) on Morgan ave in Brooklyn. There's a shady quick lube spot where the address is.

 

[antiqueshell]

I agree that there is some kind of corruption occurring that is allowing this company to continue to product a fraudulent product. Seems like the State Attorney General needs to get involved.

 

[oilmaven]

Why do people buy this stuff?...to save a little money?...I had a neighbor who continued putting non-detergent oil from the dollar store into his mom's Park Ave. That car smoked like crazy and drank oil (not usually the case for a 3.8L engine). He said he used it because oil changes were "unnecessary" and it was "cheap". You can't fix stupid...

 

[GumbyJarvis]

Originally Posted By: oilmaven
Why do people buy this stuff?...to save a little money?...I had a neighbor who continued putting non-detergent oil from the dollar store into his mom's Park Ave. That car smoked like crazy and drank oil (not usually the case for a 3.8L engine). He said he used it because oil changes were "unnecessary" and it was "cheap". You can't fix stupid...


Stupid is as Stupid Does!

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: oilmaven
Why do people buy this stuff?...to save a little money?...


Yes that is one reason, but not a lot of money. Poor oils like MaxiGuard, Bullseye, City Star, etc. usually sell for $3-4/quart, but to people who believe oil-is-oil or don't have much money, any savings is good. And the sad part is these oils often tend to be found in low income neighborhoods where a little savings is very important. Even more sad is these poor folks are desperately trying to keep their old beaters alive, and are being taken advantage of by greedy hucksters selling junk in a bottle.

There are other reasons as well. Most people don't understand API certification marks and rely on the labels, which invariably carry superlatives like "premium", "super", and "superior." Sure BITOGers know the difference between an SA and an SN, but we are just 0.01% of the population. What seems obvious to us is obscure to others. These are just everyday, hard working innocent folks who are being scammed. I feel very sorry for the innocent consumers, and very angry at the companies taking advantage of them, which is why I volunteer my time to PQIA.

Note: I am an unpaid Adviser to PQIA; the opinions I express here are my own and do not necessarily represent the positions of PQIA.

Tom NJ

 

[Capa]

Very well stated, Tom, and we most definitely appreciate you sharing this information.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
Originally Posted By: oilmaven
Why do people buy this stuff?...to save a little money?...


Yes that is one reason, but not a lot of money. Poor oils like MaxiGuard, Bullseye, City Star, etc. usually sell for $3-4/quart, but to people who believe oil-is-oil or don't have much money, any savings is good. And the sad part is these oils often tend to be found in low income neighborhoods where a little savings is very important. Even more sad is these poor folks are desperately trying to keep their old beaters alive, and are being taken advantage of by greedy hucksters selling junk in a bottle.

Then why buy this junk when they most likely shop @ Walmart and can get SuperTech oil for $2.67 a qt. The ST oil carries the latest API rating and is a good value as UOA's here have have proven.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ

There are other reasons as well. Most people don't understand API certification marks...


I disagree, most of my cars have an API requirement on the dipstick or fill cap.

The only issue is some of my cars list obsolete specs... though nothing as far back as SF, which is the "best" ungraded stuff pretends to achieve.

I'd worry more about damage from junk ATF myself, or idiots topping off leaky brakes until they blow wide open.

 

[Sedin26]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
Originally Posted By: oilmaven
Why do people buy this stuff?...to save a little money?...


Then why buy this junk when they most likely shop @ Walmart and can get SuperTech oil for $2.67 a qt. The ST oil carries the latest API rating and is a good value as UOA's here have have proven.


Comments like this show that people here often don't understand the mindset of a typical consumer. If they need to buy oil they have absolutely no idea what to get. AP certification means nothing to them and they will not even see the donut. They likely don't even know which weight to buy and will often go by the colour of the bottle or something similar.

If you know what 10w30 indicates you are much more advanced than 99.999% of the oil buying population.

That doesn't make most consumers stupid - it just means they don't understand this particular area.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Most of the sub-par oils are sold at gas stations, with oil light blinking many drivers just buy 1-2 quarts to top off.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: oilmaven
Why do people buy this stuff?...to save a little money?...I had a neighbor who continued putting non-detergent oil from the dollar store into his mom's Park Ave. That car smoked like crazy and drank oil (not usually the case for a 3.8L engine). He said he used it because oil changes were "unnecessary" and it was "cheap". You can't fix stupid...


I doubt it's to save money. It just happened to be on the shelf in some [censored] convenience store when they needed a top-off quart...

 

[Stephen_G]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Most of the sub-par oils are sold at gas stations, with oil light blinking many drivers just buy 1-2 quarts to top off.


and these are the people who invariably end up cursing "Ford/GM/Chrysler" reliablity and go running to the competition claming that their american car broke down...it was not due to them ever forgeting maintence, or running it low on oil...but it was due to the company not making the car reliable.

I am anal about oil changes on the family vehicles, i push to get the van done and the lawnmower done as needed. I also try to convert people from using the fram cardboard series of filters, into something that is more along the lines of what their car really needs....

What is really sad though.

I live about 10 mi away from the place that Maxicrud is sold....

Also, when you can get Shoprite brand oil, which meets SM (or maybe SN, i forget) for 3 dollars a quart, or even citgo synth blend for 3.69...then why even stop into the gas station for it... Other than if your car is low on oil due to your lack of mantence, or poor planning.

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Tom NJ

There are other reasons as well. Most people don't understand API certification marks...


I disagree, most of my cars have an API requirement on the dipstick or fill cap.


I have never seen an API Service Category on a dipstick or fill cap, only occasionally the viscosity grade.

In any case, if you'd like to have some fun, ask your friends and relatives "what API Service Category oil does your car require?" I do this all the time. About 20% of the time I get...ahhhh, 5W-30? The other 80% of the time I get a blank stare. I have never received the right answer. These are bright people, they are just not into oil, as hard as that is to comprehend

Tom NJ

 

[WMSmotorhead]

Only thing my car says on it is 5w-20 on the oil cap. Which is at least helpful.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
I have never seen an API Service Category on a dipstick or fill cap, only occasionally the viscosity grade.


I have, on the dipstick at least, on occasion. My old F-150 lists the API Service Category on the dipstick, and I've seen other North American vehicles of that vintage do the same. I wouldn't say it's common; perhaps it should be, though.