Valvoline NextGen recycled oil

[mechanicx]

I saw this half page add in the local newspaper saying that Valvoline is launching this oil at all their oil change service centers in my city. It also states, ""Valvoline Nextgen is the first national branded premium recycled engine oil...used oil that is re-refined that is as pure as if made from virgin crude oil..contains 50% recycled motor oil.". It goes on to explain the merits of recycled oil. There is also a $6 off coupon on a Nextgen oil change service. If I had a scanner handy I'd scan and post it.

I don't use Valvoline but if they could sell this oil below the price of Quaker State or Supertech at Walmart, I'd probably use it.

 

[webfors]

Nothing wrong with recycled oil. I'm sure before it's refined it's still in better shape than crude!

 

[mechanicx]

Yeah the re-refined oil isn't just drawn through a machine and put back in the car or anything. It is processed in a special facility. I don't doubt it is as good as conventional from virgin crude. It sounds like a good way to conserve oil and with the price of oil where it's going it might become more popular if the price is good.

 

[sicko]

Other companies already do this and their oils show good used oil analysis. Some people might be hesitant, but Valvoline wouldn't put their name on it without having done extensive testing first. I obviously don't have much info on it, but I'm glad a major oil company is stepping out and trying something like this.

 

[dparm]

Just trying to capitalize on the "green" movement. I see no harm.

 

[Errtt]

When I worked on large diesels, a trend (cost savings) was building on use of re-refined oils. I think we last used Safety-Kleen lubricants.
Before we could use a oil, the oil manufacturer/maker had to have a oil recommended for the application/engine, and the engine manufacturer also had to approve it's use. If we didn't have both, then we couldn't use it.

 

[chubbs1]

I would try it out w/o any hesitation...at the right price. I think this could be a very big and well calculated move by Valvoline in the "major's" oil industry. I think it could be a trendsetter.

 

[ChuckBerry]

Does this mean that the re-refined oil will be available for purchase or must you have Valvoline service install it? If it's around $3 a quart I would surely try it.

 

[Herz]

No harm, i'd not hesitate to use it, if it meets specs it should last as long as a bulk virgin oil.

 

[hardcore302]

Knowledgable people like ourselves can understand the above, but the regular person would probably imagine that jet black sludgey waste getting thrown through a strainer and put back in without all the "dirt trapping particles" that were removed by eating away at sludge like an enzymy protozoa.

you know what i mean.

 

[ledslinger]

This implies that current oil has no recycled content. I wouldn't have been shocked if it did. This should raise demand for used oil, and lower demand on crude. Valvo has to be careful not damaging their brand.

 

[electrolover]

i bet it will be a blend

 

[Capa]

Valvoline better offer this oil at a very special price or it will fail because I can see the general public having issues with recycled oil. Heck, I consider myself green but probably wouldn't touch the stuff until it has been on the mainstream market for 2-3 years.

 

[infecto]

Originally Posted By: Capa
Valvoline better offer this oil at a very special price or it will fail because I can see the general public having issues with recycled oil. Heck, I consider myself green but probably wouldn't touch the stuff until it has been on the mainstream market for 2-3 years.


I can see the general public (like most people should) not caring. Considering the majority of lube shop changes are done using bulk I highly doubt it even matters to people. Whats more important is getting the oil changed, not so much the specific brand of oil.

 

[shrooms]

This recycled oil better cost HALF than 'new'. If not, no way.

 

[addyguy]

Suprised Valvoline is doing this - re-refined oil doesn't have much of a market in the US.

 

[Mark72]

will the regular Valvoline still be available for us non-tree huggers? Please tell me that this is all they will have...???

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
Suprised Valvoline is doing this - re-refined oil doesn't have much of a market in the US.



Sure it does, especially since people are trying to be more green.

 

[A_Harman]

I saw a segment on re-refined oil on Modern Marvels a few years ago. It takes a very substantial refinery operation to do the job, so it's not like the stuff should be half the cost of virgin oil. Once people realize that their WMO has value, the cost will go up. I run the WMO out of my gasoline engines to stretch the fuel in my Dodge/Cummins, so I would have to get more than the cost of diesel from a waste oil facility to make it worth my while.

Thinking about the economics of re-refining, I wonder how the business can work. The current price of crude oil is ~$90/barrel. This makes the cost of raw material for an oil refiner $90/42 gallons to the barrel = $2.14/gallon. Can a refiner save enough on the processing of crude to be willing to pay me $3.35/gallon for waste oil which I would otherwise burn in my diesel truck?

One interesting question about the oil itself occurs to me: Will re-refined oil have better resistance to shear, given that it has already been run in an engine? For example, will a formerly 40-weight that has sheared to 30 be re-refined as a 30, and therefore be shear-stable?

 

[Mark72]

will the regular Valvoline still be available for us non-tree huggers? Please tell me that this is all they will have...???