Repco 7.5W-30 oil

[SR5]

I was at one of the local auto stores today, Repco, a big chain through most of Australia and New Zealand. They are everywhere.

They also have their own house brand oil, which I was looking at, Repco 5W-30 Full Synthetic, rated API SN/CF and ACEA C3.

Reading the fine print on the back it says “Where the manufacturer requires SAE 5W-20, SAE 5W-30 or SAE 7.5W-30 viscosity“

Now it is possible that they have recently update J300 to include a 7.5W-x winter cold starting grade, and I have just missed it. But googling around I can’t find it. Or maybe some tech who was writing the back label was taking the p1ss, knowing nobody else in the office or the printers actually knew anything about oil, and was seeing what they could get away with.

Well it’s now printed by the thousand and on the shelves at hundreds of stores across the county. Good work !

 

[RamFan]

That’s funny. Definitely no such thing as 7.5w rated oil, by true standards at least.

 

[kschachn]

It doesn't have an API license either (obviously), so if you're making up one thing why not make up the rest.

 

[aquariuscsm]

The only goof up I've ever seen on a label was on Castrol Syntec Blend. 10W30 on the front and 5W30 on the back.

 

[SR5]

I would have gone for gold and wrote “also suitable for vehicles requiring 7.5W-35 viscosity “

 

[SR5]

It doesn't have an API license either (obviously), so if you're making up one thing why not make up the rest.

How do you know ? Just asking, not arguing.

None of our oils of any brand carry API stars or donut, they just list the specs how they want on the bottle.
Here is a link to Castrol Edge, you can see the same thing.

Castrol EDGE Engine Oil - 5W-30, A3/B4, 5 Litre

Castrol EDGE Engine Oil - 5W-30, A3/B4, 5 Litre

www.supercheapauto.com.au

The exception may be Mobil 1 as I believe that’s fully imported as a complete bottled product, which is why it costs about $100 for 5L, and too expensive for me.

 

[SR5]

Just to extend the question about API and labelling in Australia, here is an image of Nulon 5W30 full synthetic, which is rated Dexos1-Gen2 and it’s listed as such on the GM web site as independent verification of the dexos license.

dexos®1 Gen 2 | GM

Yet no API donuts or stars on the Nulon containers (front or rear), it just doesn’t seem to be done here.
Same with Valvoline, same with Castrol Edge, same with my containers of Shell Helix Ultra (aka Pennzoil Platinum pureplus).

 

[Motu]

Yeah, no API thing here, never seen one, and if I did I would just gloss over it.

7.5...sounds like motorcycle fork oil.

 

[PimTac]

I didn’t think Australia required the starburst. You might see it on imported oils perhaps.

Does Australia go by ACEA?

 

[SR5]

Does Australia go by ACEA?

Most oils are both API and ACEA here. Even cheap 15W40 mineral would be rated API SN/CF & ACEA A3/B3.

Many exceptions, such as the Valvoline DuraBlend / EngineArmour 10W30 I saw the other day that SN-Plus / CF and GF-5 only. No ACEA.

Or Valvoline SynPower XL-III 5W30 which is ACEA C3, MB 229.51, BMW LL-04, Porsche C30, and VW 504.00/507.00 which has no API spec.

 

[KL31]

Strange, I have definitely seen that strange 7.5W claim before on an orange bottle of 5W30 or 10W30. Can't remember if it was Nulon or Valvoline engine armour (although those are both Semi Syntethic versions)! Google image search has failed to yield me any good results! As Repco rebrand oil, wouldn't surprise me if it was one of those.

 

[Petropolymers]

It was a Nissan thing. In the late 1980s and 1990s the Nissan Genuine Oil in Australia was a 7.5W-30 - see below from an R32 Skyline manual. At the time (up until 1992 I think) Nissan was still making vehicles in Australia so they would have had someone making oil for them. They probably decided the few cents per litre of saving in making a 7.5W-30 may have been beneficial as well as the (probably) slightly better HTHS as there should be less VM. However, it was probably mineral so loaded with VM and quite volatile. Australia only ever had Group I refineries so the oils were not great. At least now with import of Group II, III and higher grades the quality of locally made oils has significantly improved.

Correct that it was never an SAE viscosity grade but the Japanese have been known to make up grades, some of which have later become SAE grades. Thankfully, the 7.5W grade wasn't one of those.

 

[Motu]

So what did Holden recommend for the VL Commodore ?

 

[kschachn]

How do you know ? Just asking, not arguing.

None of our oils of any brand carry API stars or donut, they just list the specs how they want on the bottle.
Here is a link to Castrol Edge, you can see the same thing.

Castrol EDGE Engine Oil - 5W-30, A3/B4, 5 Litre

Castrol EDGE Engine Oil - 5W-30, A3/B4, 5 Litre

www.supercheapauto.com.au

The exception may be Mobil 1 as I believe that’s fully imported as a complete bottled product, which is why it costs about $100 for 5L, and too expensive for me.

No argument intended. The API publishes a list (EOLCS Licensee Directory) of all licensed oils and that one is not on the list. API isn't just a specification it is a license.

 

[SR5]

No argument intended. The API publishes a list (EOLCS Licensee Directory) of all licensed oils and that one is not on the list. API isn't just a specification it is a license.

Thank you, I didn’t know that.

I had a quick look at the licence directory, I could find Penrite but not Nulon, but that may be a company name thing. As it was just a quick look.

Not a Repco fanboy here, but I hear Repco doesn’t make its own oil, it was previously re-bagged Penrite oil. Not sure if this is still the case. But Repco may not be the actual licence name.

 

[bbhero]

It doesn't have an API license either (obviously), so if you're making up one thing why not make up the rest.

Well you make stuff up all the time....



Seriously though you are totally right about that. It should be called "creative" specification naming.

 

[53' Stude]

Just to extend the question about API and labelling in Australia, here is an image of Nulon 5W30 full synthetic, which is rated Dexos1-Gen2 and it’s listed as such on the GM web site as independent verification of the dexos license.

dexos®1 Gen 2 | GM

Yet no API donuts or stars on the Nulon containers (front or rear), it just doesn’t seem to be done here.
Same with Valvoline, same with Castrol Edge, same with my containers of Shell Helix Ultra (aka Pennzoil Platinum pureplus).

View attachment 31412

Thank You sir for the info. I like that Nulon is made in 🇦🇺 🍻☮️🍻

 

[Red Crow]

Do you guys remember the Quaker State Q racing oil that was marketed as a 7.5w35 back around 05-08?