Question About Valvoline

[Red91]

For those of you who've talked with Valvoline techs, were there any indications that they may release a Napa branded Euro 0W-40? I was thinking if they did, and you could get it on sale for $2.99-$3.49/qt several times a year that it would be a stellar deal.

Hint hint....

 

[Garak]

Yes, it would be. Up here, when Napa has their synthetic on periodic sale, it's still pretty darned good, despite not being $2.99 to $3.49 a quart. A Euro option would be nice.

 

[Red91]

Garak I have some VSP 0W-40 I'm considering using in the Roadmaster next oil change. I was thinking that if I like it, a Napa branded Euro would be a cost effective alternative as opposed to waiting for Auto Zone to clearance it again. If I buy this Trax I'm looking at, same oil would be ideal for it as well, and I could use one oil for both cars.

 

[Garak]

It would be a great idea for the consumer. We don't get a lot of Valvoline synthetic rollbacks here, unfortunately. And, finding the Vavloline Euro stuff is a bit of a chore, to say the least.

 

[Red91]

Yes compared to the availability of Castrol and Mobil 1 Euro it is a little bit of a hard to find oil. I was surprised to find mine at Auto Zone. Seems like you'd want to market your top of the line oil more aggressively, but then again Valvoline seems to make their bread and butter on VWB and Maxlife.

I've heard that Walmart Canada has a Euro 5W-40, and Canadian tire has a Euro available as 0W-30, 0W-40, and 5W-40. I've also heard, but not seen, that Carquest has a Euro 5W-40 stateside. I wonder why house brand Euro oils aren't more of a thing?

 

[Garak]

I wouldn't mind seeing more, provided they were actually certified. Maybe that's where Canadian Tire ran into some problems. Wakefield Canada ensures that plenty of their Euro stuff is available on parts store shelves, including those of Canadian Tire and its sister store, Partsource. Perhaps they didn't want to get involved in making a Euro house blend for them, particularly with certifications, and perhaps Shell didn't want to do so, either.

NAPA, however, has had a different, long standing relationship with Valvoline, so, in an ideal world, it could be done fairly readily.

 

[Red91]

Maybe some Valvoline marketers are watching, lol.

I've been giving Euro oils some serious thought for awhile now, and it seems that these formulations could really be the next "universal" go to oils. Quality base oils, simple yet highly effective add packs, and probably the broadest range of cold and hot pump ability and thermal stability respectively... I mean it seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[fdcg27]

A lot of people already use various HDEO grades of various brands as their go-to oils.
There's also always M1 0W-40, available everywhere and cheap with a reliable MIR twice each year.
We have Synpower 5W-40 and 0W-40 here from a regional chain priced the same as any other grade of Synpower.
NAPA probably isn't going to bother and Valvoline may also demur because the DIY market for Euro spec oils is so small.

 

[Red91]

True. When I bought all my clearance 0W-40 at AZ, the counter guy said that hardly anyone ever buys it.

 

[fdcg27]

OTOH, any 0W-40 is a good all-climate and all-application grade.
Lots of folks have vehicles and driving habits in which this grade would work well.
It is a Euro grade so it does have HTHS>3.5, but any forty would as well.
Higher HTHS should do bad things to fuel economy, but in engines I've used higher HTHS oils in just for a lark I never saw any huge difference. There was a definite decrease, but only someone like me who hand calculates every tank would see it. A few tenths may be significant for the fleet of a manufacturer trying to game CAFE, but it means little or nothing to the average owner.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Red91
Maybe some Valvoline marketers are watching, lol.

The NAPA stuff is on a huge sale right now, and it would have been nice to see some Euro options. Of course, at the price they're asking, it's pretty fantastic no matter what.