Real World Testing of Oils

[buster]

I asked Mobil awhile back and out of the blue, ten years later, they responded to a question regarding benchmark tests that Redline and Amsoil use very frequently to advertise there oil. Mobil tends not to market there oil this way, maybe because it won't stack up or maybe what they really believe what they told me:

quote:

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Amsoils tests that they perform are not API approved tests so they do
not have any validity to them. They also do not perform any real world
testing such as Mobil

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I don't think this is true about Amsoil not doing any real world testing. The UOA's on this site are becomming a huge asset of real world testing. I thought they run there oils in cabs before releasing them or something to that effect? ?

[ June 16, 2003, 04:43 PM: Message edited by: buster ]

 

[Mystic]

Personally, I think the only real way to test motor oil is to put it in a fleet of different types of vehicles (cars, vans, trucks, SUVs) and run the oil in those vehicles for a period of time. And then sample the used oil. Of course, this is expensive, but oil companies with fleets of vehicles can do it-they can use their own vehicles.

Amsoil and Redline have been used enough by enough people so that this testing has been done, anyway.

But there are a lot of people, especially these people who sell oil supplements and engine treatments, who depend on 'four ball testing' and Falex ep equipment testing. There is stuff completely unrelated to motor oil that will look good tested in a Falex machine. I once saw a guy who was trying to sell an oil supplement testing various brands of motor oil. All of the conventional motor oil he tested outperformed a sample of Mobil 1! I would still take the Mobil 1 over the conventional oils. Of course, his oil supplement did just incredible when tested, which proves nothing.

 

[mf150]

Red Line oils are API approved.

 

[jason07-1zzfe]

As much as I like Red Line...they are NOT api approved. Not that it makes a lick of difference to me, nor do I care. It is in both the 01 GTP still under warranty and my 14 yr old BMW.
Red Line will tell you they are not api as well. Someone posted thier response and Molakule posted an excellent translation into laymans terms

A quick search should uncover it.

 

[pedaltothemetal]

Both these brands are not run of the mill.
They both developed their oils for their application.
Amsoil being extended drains.
Redline being racing.

I think both have acheived their goals in the real world.

Leo

 

[Spector]

real world to me would be two indentical cars (if that is feasible) driven by two idnetical people (even less feasible) the same way all the time and see how the oil, same OCi (engine actually) holds up for at least 100,000 miles, tear the engine down and measure the components against the original specs,

never happen takes too long and cost too much to perform. Like drug testing, all we ever get are samples on 50 humans (after 100 rats have survived) that statisticians manipulate to predict long term results. Plus, oil formulas change asn to engine designs by the time the test results could be made known.

Redline, caters to the racing enthusiasts but is a fine oil for street use;very high end pricing
Amsoil, great oil, for the day to day driver, extended drain oriented
Mobil 1 great oil, for mass consumption, average daily driver who doesn't care as long as it is synthetic and can be obtained OTC.

 

[pedaltothemetal]

Redline sure does cater to the racing enthusist. I often read posts wondering why Redline has 500ppm of moly, and comparing it to Mobil 1 that has less than 100ppm and thinking its an overkill since the majority of oils has so little. Trying to compare these two brands is like comparing a hammer to a sledge hammer.

Leo