PQIA tests obsolete and poorly labeled oils

[901Memphis]

http://www.pqiamerica.com/


Quote:

August 12, 2015

The Petroleum Quality Institute of America (PQIA) recently purchased samples of passenger car motor oils in Washington D.C. To our disappointment, a significant number of the motor oils we observed and purchased on shelves at convenience stores in D.C. meet only API SA and SB Service Classifications. API SA is not suitable for use in gasoline engines built after 1930 and API SB is not suitable for use in gasoline engines built after 1951. These are obsolete specifications and oils that may cause harm in modern engines.

So one has to ask,why are obsolete motor oils that can cause harm to nearly all cars currently on the road, sold in stores right under the nose of our lawmakers in Washington, D.C.?

 

[Bailey28]

I wish PQIA had a decent menu or site map. It is nearly impossible to find what you are looking for unless you wade through the news feed..

 

[freshcopedawg]

Originally Posted By: Bailey28
I wish PQIA had a decent menu or site map. It is nearly impossible to find what you are looking for unless you wade through the news feed..


Amen

 

[bbhero]

This is due to the fact of who lives there and that they would not know what the difference is and what that means for their car. I bet this phenomenon is common place in MANY cities across this country. Profit margin for the stores and many people who don't how negative effects this crude has on their cars. And these people don't need to be taken advantage of in this way. Plus they can least afford to have car and truck problems due to a very poor oil run in their vehicles. Very trifling.

 

[dlundblad]

They have such stout TBN's.

 

[JHZR2]

I dont have an issue with SA/SB oils being sold... Because they do have their place. Just not as motor oils.

 

[bbhero]

Good point. But I wonder why at convience stores in certain areas of cities? That is what is very fishy and under handed here in my opinion.

 

[Ram01]

That 7/11 oil is good stuff

 

[donnyj08]

Originally Posted By: Bailey28
I wish PQIA had a decent menu or site map. It is nearly impossible to find what you are looking for unless you wade through the news feed..



use the scroll down boxes to select the brand you would like to see.

 

[skyactiv]

That cheap Black Night oil is trademarked by Smittys, think "SuperS" which is now seen at Kmart, Menards... ?

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
Good point. But I wonder why at convience stores in certain areas of cities? That is what is very fishy and under handed here in my opinion.
It WILL keep the dust down on a dirt road.

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I dont have an issue with SA/SB oils being sold... Because they do have their place. Just not as motor oils.


I agree, but they are labeled as "Motor Oils" and positioned on the motor oil shelves. Very deceptive, and neither lawmakers or industry have lifted a finger to stop it for decades.

I define evil as the exploitation of innocence for self gain.

Tom NJ

 

[901Memphis]

If we could only educate the public to stop putting API SA oils in their new cars

 

[Nickdfresh]

What is disappointing and even sad is that a fairly sizable oil company, Amalie, is actually selling SA/SB 10W-40 under the Excel moniker. In what world does 10W-40 SA/SB belong in anything? Why would they be associated with what amounts to consumer fraud?

 

[AntDeek]

So the only real use for an SA or SB would be heating, or any car before like 1930?

 

[Shrubitup]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ

I agree, but they are labeled as "Motor Oils" and positioned on the motor oil shelves. Very deceptive, and neither lawmakers or industry have lifted a finger to stop it for decades.

I define evil as the exploitation of innocence for self gain.

Tom NJ


A underprivileged inner city family can go to the library for free and read BITOG to educate themselves on this topic. Why laud their cause when they can read? Or can they?

 

[bbhero]

I will say this.... There are MANY people in the suburbs that could EASILY buy and use this stuff from a convience store just like anyone else. These people aren't aware of the standards probably 90% of the time. But these products WOULD NOT be in their local stores. They aren't in any of my area of town where I live where there are a number of high end neighborhoods. Wonder why these unsatisfactory products are in inner cities??

 

[Shrubitup]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
I will say this.... There are MANY people in the suburbs that could EASILY buy and use this stuff from a convience store just like anyone else. These people aren't aware of the standards probably 90% of the time. But these products WOULD NOT be in their local stores. They aren't in any of my area of town where I live where there are a number of high end neighborhoods. Wonder why these unsatisfactory products are in inner cities??


Most in the inner city will not be interested in oil quality. The mentality of buying something at a convenience store, IMO, exists in the inner city where no big box retail has setup. It's nearby and required low investment to establish and run. Even fewer within the inner city will cache supply 100 quarts or M1 they got on sale for a $1 per quart either.

For the most part cars that are owned where owners are OCD about their care exists outside the inner city (defined as high rise apartment buildings one after the other). That said, the gentrified blocks of the inner city may contain a few folk who like to "maintain" their rides by taking them to the urban Benz dealer for a $150 oil change.

 

[bbhero]

I hate to break it to you but 70% of the people in the suburbs a. Don't work on their own cars so they have 0 clue about what goes in those cars. My local Walmart has a rather poor automotive and oil section in it because if the low percentage of people who even just change their own oil. Compare my Wally world to the one up in Mechanicsville is like night and day practically. Why? Because there is a much higher percentage if those people who actually do some work on their own cars and trucks. Unlike where I am at in Williamsburg. These people could easily be ripped off because they pay someone else to put a bulk oil in it. Would they know the difference?? I highly doubt it. So these suburb folks could easily be charged $150 for a synthetic oil change that in fact was a conventional one. And they would not know the difference at all. In fact maybe someone could talk them into "headlight juice" and they would go ..ahhh OK sounds good go ahead and do that too. I am sorry but I am surrounded by people that wouldn't know a drive belt if it hit them upside the head

in their Lexus, BMW, etc.

Now, I am in favor if people being knowing enough about their cars to make good decisions. And that should be their responsibility but it also seems quite under handed for businesses to put clearly out if spec oil on their shelves. It is just taking advantage of people in a fashion that is just wrong in every sense of the word. Ohh and the 711 near me has their brand of oil and it is an API SN approved oil. In the midst of several nearby large high end neighborhoods. I agree with you that these people aren't very likely at all to need to buy oil at our convience stores. But... If they happened to... It wouldn't be massively out of specification.

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: Shrubitup


A underprivileged inner city family can go to the library for free and read BITOG to educate themselves on this topic. Why laud their cause when they can read? Or can they?


Who goes to the library and reads up on every product they buy? People read labels and tend to trust the claims made by the manufacturer. Companies that claim or imply that an oil is suitable for your car when in fact it can cause damage are evil IMO.

The vast majority of consumers, regardless of income and education, know nothing about the API Service Categories. Companies often target these SA and SB oils at lower income people because poor people tend to buy based on price, and these cheap oils can be sold for a little less than national brands. Such companies are taking advantage of these people by exploiting their lack of knowledge on motor oils while appealing to their need to save money. They don't care at all that they are damaging the engines of the people who can least afford to repair them. Disgusting!

Tom NJ