Quaker State Commercials!

[Jelly]

Has anyone else seen these commericals lately on TV?

I've seen several of them: One with the Hendricks racing team, and a few other with some guy touting the oil, and then saying, "Don't make me show you the lab results"...or at least something like that.

Basically, all the commericals say that Quaker State now has a lower coeficient of friction, and act like this is the best oil around.

BUT, does an oil with low friction characteristics provide better protection?

I figure two things:

1. Thin viscosities: For a given thirty-weight oil, it's viscosity is probably barely a 30 weight, but just enough to claim the number.

2. Friction modifiers: Probably loaded with them.

I don't believe a thinner oil will actually protect your engine any more though...all I have to say is they better have a pretty good AW/EP package so when the engine pushes through the thin fluid film, and mixed-film and boundary lubrication conditions become present, your engine won't start wearing at a high rate.

Feel free to shoot some holes in my argument

!

...And don't even get me started on the stupid Castrol commericals!
...And what's with Pennzoil commericals for every single type of oil imaginable??? Just saw one that showed a new oil specifically for "trucks, suv, and minivans". What's going on here?

Arghhh...I need to go to bed!
Goodnight!

 

[rpn453]

I usually hit the mute button when these types of commercials come on.
My favorite terrible marketing gimmick oil is the Quaker State oil "for engines over 200hp". Huh? I guess it's been very specifically designed for a 2.0L Honda S2000 engine as well as the 454 in a 1982 motorhome.

[ September 16, 2003, 02:18 PM: Message edited by: rpn453 ]

 

[Bror Jace]

" ...And don't even get me started on the stupid Castrol commericals!"

The ones featuring the geek sweating in the white Chevy Cavalier while fantasizing about the babe he works with?

I take it the oil they pit Castrol Syntec against is Pennzoil conventional? It must be the German Syntec because the Group III pretender Syntec can't be that much better than the Group II+ "regular" Pennzoil.

Oh, and PLEASE show ME the lab results!

--- Bror Jace

 

[Mystic]

That is just it. Show me the lab results. In that Quaker State commercial, we are never shown the lab results except from an unreadable distance. If Quaker State motor oil was truly better than any other oil, or at least better than most oils, then they could show us the lab results. Who is going to sue them if the lab results are honest?

In that Castrol commercial, I can't remember them identifying the 'conventional' motor oil that the 'synthetic' Castrol Syntec is pitted against. Was there really such a test? Which 'conventional' motor oil did the Castrol Syntec beat so badly-their own conventional Castrol GTX? Or maybe they beat the worst conventional motor oil on the market.

Judging from what we have found out in UOAs, I bet there are a few conventional motor oils that can probably equal many synthetics using a 3000 mile oil change. Of course, a true synthetic of equal viscosity will beat the conventional oil in pour point. But there are some conventional motor oils that have a plenty adequate pour point unless you live somewhere where the wintertime temperatures are -40.

 

[Ray H]

C'mon guys, get your priorities straight! Commercials are God's way of saying, "Go to the crapper; russle up a quick snack, pop a brewski, and get back to the Lazy Boy(tm) in time for the next segment of whatever's on SpikeTV."

 

[edpoj]

If you goto Quakerstate.com they now have a Winter synthetic blend. They have testimonials from people in N.Dakota. I would believe its pretty cold there, but what about Alaska. Plus there is no product test sheet on the oil yet that I could find.

[ September 17, 2003, 05:04 AM: Message edited by: edpoj ]

 

[Pablo]

quote:

---

The ones featuring the geek sweating in the white Chevy Cavalier while fantasizing about the babe he works with?

---

Well the girl IS nice, and that is the truly important thing in commercials, certainly not facts!

Back in the day when I felt under attack for Amsoil's claims, my best defense was to tell people to look at other (big) motor oil company claims - once people think about how unscientific those commericials are they back off the pit bulls.

 

[pscholte]

My "favorite"

is still the Castrol radio commercial which talks about Syntec up against a conventional motor oil and how "Syntec kicked the other oil's butt and made it cry for its mama." PUH-LEESE I KNOW it wasn't GC because it would never allow itself to be represented in such a ridiculous manner!

Close, though, are the QS commercials with the obnoxious guy who is (or was) starring in some weekly primetime or the gal from King of Queens.

 

[Patman]

We don't have those Castrol or QS radio spots on our radio stations up here, but I was listening to Howard Stern out of the Buffalo station the other morning and heard the Castrol Syntec one. It was one where they said they had two cars going around a race course, and the one running conventional oil had it's engine turn into a smouldering heap while the engine on Syntec was still going strong.

 

[jason07-1zzfe]

It is Dennis Leary in the quaker state one and in fine print they say based on TUV5 testing of 10w40 viscosity grade. Not sure what that test is.
I sure would like to see the lab results. By saying 'don't make me show you the lab results' implies that they will if they have to, so anyone take them up on their offer?
I could probably tell you why they are claiming less friction now. Moly. They did not have it a year or two ago. Now they do. And saying the new formula has less friction. That's how/why. No big deal. I don't think they say it is better than any other oils, just has less friction than it used to.

The Castrol one says compared to the leading conventional oil. Which would be Pennzoil by a large margin. They sell more than the next 3 combined. I find it hard to believe faketec is that much better than Pennzoil, like Bror said.

 

[pscholte]

The TUV is a German automotive agency so they must have developed some test or battery of tests that QS used and is citing.

 

[Bror Jace]

Regarding the Castrol Syntec commercials:

"Well the girl IS nice, and that is the truly important thing in commercials, certainly not facts!"

It's the guy who disturbs me. There he is in a car sweating profusely while fantasizing about the girl. You can only see him from the neck up. Now, I'm sure we're supposed to believe the oil torture test is making it hot, therefore the perspiration. However, I have another theory as to what's been going on.

--- Bror Jace

 

[metroplex]

dennis leary is awesome.

 

[Pablo]

1) Whos is Dennis Leary?
2) I never noticed the sweaty guy.

 

[crashz]

quote:

---

Originally posted by metroplex:
dennis leary is awesome.

---

But its sad to see him stoop to doing commercials.

 

[Patman]

This is Dennis Leary

[ September 18, 2003, 09:45 AM: Message edited by: Patman ]