Shell Helix Ultra 0w-20 in Australia

[virginoil]

Hi I found the Shell Helix Ultra 0w-20 at my local Repco store at $80 AUD for 5L today. http://www.shell.com/global/products-ser...ra-sn-0w20.html The container stated it was made in Hong Kong. Finally got here. I won't be using it as non of my vehicles call for that grade. Could the first sign for the thin is in crowd to come to life in OZ. Unlikely though we like 5w-30 or thicker. Post for FYI.

 

[Oil Changer]

Can't say I like the made in China thing, but I can say, WOW! The selection of oils is staggering. They make a specific oil for everything.

 

[fdcg27]

Gosh, that's only about 3.5X the US price for a synthetic 0W-20. From the limited data I could find on the Shell epc site, this oil appears to be very similar to US Pennzoil Ultra Platinum, which is in turn pretty similar to either Plat or QSUD in the 0W-20 grade.

 

[19jacobob93]

That's a crazy price! I wouldn't use it, but I know of someone who put Fuchs GT1 0w20 in his 100k AU Falcon and got a 10,000km UOA and it was flawless!

 

[Nick1994]

$80 Australian is $70 U.S. which is ridiculously priced but not the end of the world either.

 

[CATERHAM]

Yes that as what they charge for the ester based Zn free Fuchs GT1 XTL 0W-20 here in Canada; it's considered a super premium race oil. And if the Shell Ultra plus OW-20 is not much cheaper than Fuchs in OZ, Fuchs would be a much preferred choice IMO.

 

[fdcg27]

This is a rather expensive oil even here in the land of cheap motor oils. What advantage is there in an add pack without zinc?

 

[CATERHAM]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27

This is a rather expensive oil even here in the land of cheap motor oils. What advantage is there in an add pack without zinc?

That 0W-20 is Fuchs flagship product. They actually successfully ran it in the Porsche GT3 Cup racing series years ago. The lack of zinc amongst other things demonstrated how unique the formulation was. Obviously they relied on other AW additives.

 

[slidetaker]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994

$80 Australian is $70 U.S. which is ridiculously priced but not the end of the world either.

One of the major auto retailer here is selling M1 0W-40 with a retail price of $99. We pay 3 to 4 times more in Oz.....

 

[Shannow]

Makes me wonder how the zinc free Fuchs would go mixed with a traditional additive package...maybe not enough of any of the ingredients to do their job properly given that they are all halved ?

 

[undertow]

Even a plain old API SN 10w-30 is around $30 here, antifreeze is 30-40 for 4 litres, dexron III around the same price, etc. I get a little jealous reading of Americans paying $1/quart at wallmart! $70-80 is fairly average for quality full synthetics here. Good to see some thinner stuff finally making its way through though. On the plus side we have a good choice of ACEA A3/B4 oils for reasonable prices.

 

[toyota62]

I buy Mobil 1 from these guys, much cheaper than the retail shops. http://www.gllubricants.com/index.php?c=gnfenlei&a=list&gnfid=7&gnid=8

 

[virginoil]

Originally Posted By: toyota62

I buy Mobil 1 from these guys, much cheaper than the retail shops. http://www.gllubricants.com/index.php?c=gnfenlei&a=list&gnfid=7&gnid=8

Its not much cheaper to ship it to the west. If you can pick from the seller then OK

 

[CATERHAM]

Originally Posted By: Shannow

Makes me wonder how the zinc free Fuchs would go mixed with a traditional additive package...maybe not enough of any of the ingredients to do their job properly given that they are all halved ?

That's one oil I'd want to use staight to get the maximum benefit of it's unique chemistry. That said Fuchs makes a point of stating that Titan GT1 OW-20 is "miscible and compatible with conventional branded engine oils."

 

[Shannow]

I agree, I'd want to use it straight too. But as we all know, the compatibility standard (ASTM D6922) only means "miscible and compatible" so far as it doesn't split like salad dressing when heated and cooled...not that it's fully functional like the certified oils that are mixed.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted By: undertow

Even a plain old API SN 10w-30 is around $30 here, antifreeze is 30-40 for 4 litres, dexron III around the same price, etc. I get a little jealous reading of Americans paying $1/quart at wallmart! $70-80 is fairly average for quality full synthetics here. Good to see some thinner stuff finally making its way through though. On the plus side we have a good choice of ACEA A3/B4 oils for reasonable prices.

Prices are much lower here overall for lubricants, but it's been at least a decade since I paid $1 a qt. anywhere on sale. I did however score a gallon of obsolete SM-rated Mobil 1 10W-30 on clearance for just over $3, but that's a rare find for me... The average price at Wal-Mart for a synthetic oil like Mobil 1 on a "Rollback" sale is about $23 for a 5qt. jug...