Valvoline R&P Oil Burner Test Results

[Patman]

I used to trust OLM on my Odyssey, always changing by OLM for 18 years. Engine got super varnished. It needed shorter OCIs.

Or a better oil

 

[Hohn]

Here my position.

I drive way more than the average driver ( this car alone does around 40,000 miles per year, and we have two other cars ) , hate doing oil changes ( up until two years ago, we lived in a condo and people were not allowed to work on their cars ) , don’t feel like doing early oil changes every month and don’t like wasting my money.

Even if doing early oil changes has prevented my oil consumption issues, I prefer that I followed the OLM because I saved time, saved going to get an oil change every month and saved money.

Even though it burns a quart ( and it’s stable, hasn’t got worse ) every 2500 miles, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Cars engine runs nice and smooth.

1 quart every 2500 miles to avoid that is well worth it to me as long as the engine runs fine.

Given your circumstances, I would do exactly the same and agree entirely. 40k a year is a LOT of driving.

You might be a good candidate for extended OCIs in a one of the higher tier HPL oils. Might be able to double the OLM reliably.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

Given your circumstances, I would do exactly the same and agree entirely. 40k a year is a LOT of driving.

You might be a good candidate for extended OCIs in a one of the higher tier HPL oils. Might be able to double the OLM reliably.

Actually, if VRP doesn’t fix the oil consumption, I am only going to change the oil once per year ( change filter when OLM says ).

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

LSJ has a video on the OLM, and it seems pretty accurate.

I guess it's all a tradeoff. If you're spending that much time in the driver's seat, what's 30 min on an oil change twice as often? Given your oil, it seems that's the only other variable you could manipulate.

Have you ever sent a UOA?

I saw that video.

I am going to do a UOA when I switch back to Amsoil SS or HPL PP.

I will sample when I change the oil.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

Given your circumstances, I would do exactly the same and agree entirely. 40k a year is a LOT of driving.

You might be a good candidate for extended OCIs in a one of the higher tier HPL oils. Might be able to double the OLM reliably.

The car had only Amsoil SS or HPL PP except the factory fill.

Thats why I went full 0% on the OLM plus highway driving.

 

[Brian123]

Detecting a *difference* in life isn't the same thing as accurately assessing the life. In metrology terms, it's the difference between resolution and accuracy.

I used to trust OLM on my Odyssey, always changing by OLM for 18 years. Engine got super varnished. It needed shorter OCIs.

When you went by the OLM what kind of mileage were you usually changing your oil? What oils have you used in this Honda Odyssey?

 

[Hohn]

When you went by the OLM what kind of mileage were you usually changing your oil? What oils have you used in this Honda Odyssey?

It varied at first but I eventually settled on PP for about a decade, with M1 prior to that. The resulting OLM mileage would typically come in around 7000 because of the duty cycle.

 

[buster]

The car had only Amsoil SS or HPL PP except the factory fill.

Thats why I went full 0% on the OLM plus highway driving.

My guess is VRP won't fix it being you only used those two oils, but I could be wrong.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

My guess is VRP won't fix it being you only used those two oils, but I could be wrong.

If VRP solves that problem, it’s going to cause me another problem - too much oil in my stash as I wasn’t expecting VRP to come along and possibly solve the oil consumption problem

Yeah, I doubt It will fix or slow it down but no harm in giving it a try.

Hey, if it doesn’t work, nobody can accuse me of lying

 

[buster]

If VRP solves that problem, it’s going to cause me another problem - too much oil in my stash as I wasn’t expecting VRP to come along and possibly solve the oil consumption problem

Yeah, I doubt It will fix or slow it down but no harm in giving it a try.

Hey, if it doesn’t work, nobody can accuse me of lying

I'm glad you're doing it. Makes sense to give it a try.

 

[ltslimjim]

My guess is VRP won't fix it being you only used those two oils, but I could be wrong.

The results for his particular situation using VRP now; having only used boutique oils before, is a great litmus test of sorts for the whole “boutique oil vs engine design + service conditions”…I have to say I don’t know what to expect at this point. The OP only ran 5k mile OCIs; granted most was not on boutique.

 

[tired]

I saw that video.

I am going to do a UOA when I switch back to Amsoil SS or HPL PP.

I will sample when I change the oil.

Thank you. Very interesting to see. This is your 4th run of VRP? What's in the oil pan now and what you will send?

 

[Dutchy491]

The results for his particular situation using VRP now; having only used boutique oils before, is a great litmus test of sorts for the whole “boutique oil vs engine design + service conditions”…I have to say I don’t know what to expect at this point. The OP only ran 5k mile OCIs; granted most was not on boutique.

having only used boutique oils before
or
granted most was not on boutique

Which is it?

 

[ltslimjim]

having only used boutique oils before
or
granted most was not on boutique

Which is it?

Two separate posters with two different vehicles. It’s covered in this thread.

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

Thank you. Very interesting to see. This is your 4th run of VRP? What's in the oil pan now and what you will send?

I am on my 2nd VRP oil change. Because I drive so much, the 4th VRP should be complete by July.

 

[Hohn]

Or a better oil

Yes, regular PP was not up to snuff. Too much volatility for that OCI, IMO.

 

[Tom NJ]

There are an enormous number of ester varieties. They are generally more polar than AN. The types used in motor oils have strong strengths and strong weaknesses, so must be chosen wisely and used in the right amounts. Some negatives are competition with antiwear additives, tend to swell seals, can undergo hydrolysis in high temperatures and in the presence of water, and they are expensive. Positives are that they can help solubize deposit precursors and deposits themselves, can help solubize additives, some of them perform well or extremely well in certain high temperature situations, and they have very low volatility for their viscosity. They can also decrease friction coefficient, but that is very dependent on the specific ester, the rest of the motor oil, temperature, load, speed, surface roughness, parts geometry, etc. It’s also true that it could increase friction in some cases. Tom NJ is our resident ester expert, so maybe he will chime in.

You pretty much nailed it JAG. For more details on esters as a family see my paper here:

Esters in Synthetic Lubricants

 

[Tom NJ]

ESP 0W-30 doesn't contain Adipate ester, which is what you want for cleaning, seal swell, solubility, etc. ESP 0W-30 contains TMP ester.

Actually the most common TMP ester (TMP C8C10) has higher polarity than the most common Adipate diester (DTDA). The TMP ester also has lower volatility, higher flash point, higher VI, and better lubricity.

 

[Glenda W.]

Update #1

Second phase of my test has begun.

Oil changed and Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 is in. I will monitor oil usage and update as I go.

 

[ndarkside93]

Update #1

Second phase of my test has begun.

Oil changed and Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 is in. I will monitor oil usage and update as I go.

View attachment 270288

I can’t wait to see the results over the next several months. This is what I had chose to run after my VRP. Curious if our experiences will be similar going forward even though we have very different engines as they largely were when running VRP.