Silogram sues Everclear over poor oil quality

[Tom NJ]

JobbersWorld Newsletter reports that Silogram Lubricants, a NY incorporated lubricants manufacturer, filed a $25 million lawsuit against Everclear of Ohio for breach of contract, alleging that Everclear sold Silogram defective motor oil for resale. The suit alleges that the 10w30 oil, which Silogram purchased from Everclear and resold to its customers from late 2010 to early 2012, caused damage to its customer's engines. According to the suit, Silogram was purchasing the Everclear oil at a rate of approximately one million gallons per year.

JobbersWorld

As many of you may recall, PQIA issued a Consumer Alert on Everclear's 5w30 motor oil back in March of 2010. The PQIA analysis at that time showed the oil was actually a 10W or 15W-20 oil and lacked the critical additives needed to protect engines, and noted that it could cause serious engine damage.

Petroleum Quality Institute of America

Tom NJ

 

[Sayjac]

OOPS, caught red handed by PQIA. Everclear, one the many fine substandard oils sold at the now infamous Wickliffe Shell in Austintown OH.

$25 mill should get Everclear's attention. The specs aren't even close in so many categories. Wonder what kind of engine damage they found?

Thanks Tom.

 

[A_Harman]

That's got to be the worst garbage the PQIA ever tested.
The gall of the people that perpetrated this oil on their customers is astounding.

Some of the more galling bottle notes:
"Suitable for moderate diesel engines." (Did they mean to say "modern"?)
"Made in the USA." (Just makes me proud to be an American!)

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
That's got to be the worst garbage the PQIA ever tested.


Actually PQIA found a few even worse, such as Bullseye, Liberty, Star Petroleum. and City Star, each with viscosities @ 100C of 3 cSt or less!

PQIA also tested the Everclear 10w30 oil in July of last year. It was a 10w30 but had a TBN of 0.2 and only 7 ppm of Calcium, 24 ppm of Zinc, 50 ppm of Iron, and 34 ppm of Copper! Incredible!

Everclear 10w30

Tom NJ

 

[dave1251]

Nice. Why would you do business with this company anyway?

 

[buster]

Quote:
It was a 10w30 but had a TBN of 0.2 and only 7 ppm of Calcium, 24 ppm of Zinc, 50 ppm of Iron, and 34 ppm of Copper! Incredible!

 

[SS1970chrysler]

Originally Posted By: buster
Quote:
It was a 10w30 but had a TBN of 0.2 and only 7 ppm of Calcium, 24 ppm of Zinc, 50 ppm of Iron, and 34 ppm of Copper! Incredible!

...and that's before using it.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
That's got to be the worst garbage the PQIA ever tested.


Actually PQIA found a few even worse, such as Bullseye, Liberty, Star Petroleum. and City Star, each with viscosities @ 100C of 3 cSt or less!

PQIA also tested the Everclear 10w30 oil in July of last year. It was a 10w30 but had a TBN of 0.2 and only 7 ppm of Calcium, 24 ppm of Zinc, 50 ppm of Iron, and 34 ppm of Copper! Incredible!

Everclear 10w30

Tom NJ


That everclear is an API SC oil though. Not fit for any reasonably modern engine anyway. At least it isnt claiming SL/SM/SN.

How does that come into play? Kind of like the no name SA oils they sell at wal mart and autozone.

 

[Tom NJ]

Personally I have no problem with companies selling obsolete category motor oils, provided they make clear on the label that the oil should not be used in engines built after a specific year - in the case of SC that is 1967. I do, however, have a problem with oils like Everclear that claim "Protects the vital parts of your engine", and "Combats rust and corrosion", when it apparently contains no detergents or ZDDP, and then tries to cover itself by saying in small print "Always consult your owner's manual for proper API service."

The recommended labeling practice for SC oils in SAE J183, Appendix A, states:

"It is both reasonable and prudent for any marketer who chooses to offer such a limited application oil to the consumer to warn the consumer of the products limited application. This caution should be displayed on each container and the corresponding overpack carton in legible and conspicuous type upon a contrasting background....The following statement is recommended for use...

CAUTION - THIS OIL IS RATED API SC AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR USE IN MOST GASOLINE POWERED AUTOMOTIVE ENGINES BUILT AFTER 1967. USE IN MORE MODERN ENGINES MAY CAUSE UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE OR HARM EQUIPMENT."

Similar caution statements are prescribed for the other obsolete categories as well.

There is a legitimate market for some obsolete oils, such as SA or SB in some pumps and compressors, and others for very old engines. Ethical companies will warn consumers to not use these oils in their car engines built after 19XX. PQIA's Code of Ethical Business Conduct requires that its supporters and Advisory Board members comply with the SAE J183 recommended labeling practice for obsolete oils, and PQIA advises consumers when it finds oils that do not adequately warn about an oil's limited use.

PQIA Code of Ethical Business Conduct

Personally it also bothers me that obsolete oils are positioned on retail shelves alongside modern oils as many consumers buy based on price and do not understand the codes and language on the labels. The shelf positioning, however, is usually the decision of the retailer who puts all oils together. Marketers know this and some take advantage with their labeling.

Tom NJ

Disclaimer: While I sit on the PQIA Advisory Board, I am not a PQIA employee, receive no compensation from PQIA, and my posts here are my personal opinion and do not necessarily reflect the positions of PQIA.

 

[Drew2000]

So...Silogram is buying 90,000 gallons of oil per month for 2 years and they never did any batch testing?? Not even a few $25 sample tests to Blackstone, Caterpiller et-al?? Thems some quality control right there!

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Drew2000
So...Silogram is buying 90,000 gallons of oil per month for 2 years and they never did any batch testing?? Not even a few $25 sample tests to Blackstone, Caterpiller et-al?? Thems some quality control right there!



Agreed. A major reason to do your homework in the first place.


Hopefully they nail City Star next...

 

[Funster226]

There's an indoor flea market in here in Richmond. One of the booths has CASES of "Bullsye" oil. Makes my stomach turn to think people are buying that garbage....

I have too much mechanical empathy I guess.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: Funster226
There's an indoor flea market in here in Richmond. One of the booths has CASES of "Bullsye" oil. Makes my stomach turn to think people are buying that garbage....

I have too much mechanical empathy I guess.


Wow...

 

[mongo161]

Tom, Just out of curiosity....is Silogram a distributor of motor oil? Who does Silogram, of Bayonne, NJ, distribute this motor oil to....quick lube places, Corporate Fleets or do they bottle the bulk oil under store brand names?

I just want to make sure that I avoid this oil....however and wherever it is sold.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mongo161]

Here is a listing of the motor oils that Silogram has on their website. The 10w30 could be conventional or synthetic....since the article does not specify which of the oils caused the alleged damage to customers vehicles.

http://www.silogramusa.com/Motor Oils/MotorOils.htm

We still don't know, according to the article, if the oil in question was all bulk oil, packaged oil, sold only in the USA or sent overseas.

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: mongo161
Tom, Just out of curiosity....is Silogram a distributor of motor oil? Who does Silogram, of Bayonne, NJ, distribute this motor oil to....quick lube places, Corporate Fleets or do they bottle the bulk oil under store brand names?

I just want to make sure that I avoid this oil....however and wherever it is sold.


When I called on them back in the 80s they blended their own motor oils. I don't know if they still blend or only distribute. To my knowledge they sell under their brand name primarily in the NY, NJ, CT area, and sell in bulk, drums, and pails. In those packages I would think it goes mostly to quick lubes, repair shops, and fleets. I recently saw several drums of Silogram branded oils at a local quick lube shop, and when I inquired about it I was told the shop dropped them because of law suits.

I would hope they would have recalled all of the bad oil by now - it would be irresponsible not to, but then again it is also irresponsible, in my opinion, to not quality check each incoming shipment before reselling it. From my point of view, they are every bit as responsible for this fiasco as Everclear.

Tom NJ

 

[steve20]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
Originally Posted By: mongo161
Tom, Just out of curiosity....is Silogram a distributor of motor oil? Who does Silogram, of Bayonne, NJ, distribute this motor oil to....quick lube places, Corporate Fleets or do they bottle the bulk oil under store brand names?

I just want to make sure that I avoid this oil....however and wherever it is sold.


When I called on them back in the 80s they blended their own motor oils. I don't know if they still blend or only distribute. To my knowledge they sell under their brand name primarily in the NY, NJ, CT area, and sell in bulk, drums, and pails. In those packages I would think it goes mostly to quick lubes, repair shops, and fleets. I recently saw several drums of Silogram branded oils at a local quick lube shop, and when I inquired about it I was told the shop dropped them because of law suits.

I would hope they would have recalled all of the bad oil by now - it would be irresponsible not to, but then again it is also irresponsible, in my opinion, to not quality check each incoming shipment before reselling it. From my point of view, they are every bit as responsible for this fiasco as Everclear.

Tom NJ


I think that says it all Tom !!

 

[mongo161]

It looks like there were some unhappy customers of Silogram, in the past, for their heating oil. There are a couple of reviews of customers receiving contaminated oil that damaged their oil systems.

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/6580007/bayonne_nj/silogram_lubricants_corp.html

Tom, to you knowledge, is this issue with Everclear/Silogram just with their 10w30 conventional oil or does it spill over to their Full Synthetic Line of motor oils and HD engine oils?

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: mongo161

Tom, to you knowledge, is this issue with Everclear/Silogram just with their 10w30 conventional oil or does it spill over to their Full Synthetic Line of motor oils and HD engine oils?


The JobbersWorld article only mentioned 10w30 - I don't know if other grades or types were involved.

Tom

 

[cutter]

How are these terrible oils being made today? Are there really piles of old oil from 1967 lying around in untapped barrels, or are they used oil that's filtered? Has anyone bought one of these lube failures and see if they even look like modern api grade oil?