I’ll start a new thread probably around year end for the clean up test. That car I maintain for a friend only gets a couple oil changes per year. I’ve been taking pictures of the progress since last winter.
Valvoline R&P Oil Burner Test Results
- Thread starter Glenda W.
- Start date
There are required federal minimums wrt detergents.
I'm 3000kms into my first OCI of VRP and it's wild when you start the two ATS's side by side. The 2017 with M1 0w40 is so much quieter on start. The 2014 sounds like a bag of ball bearings when starting it in comparison!
I'm going to perform an oil change and cut the filter open in the next 1000kms. Considering this car is 11 years old, and burns no oil that I could tell, I'm not expecting anything other than a feel good "why not clean her up" experience. It'll be interesting to see if the filter has anything in it.
I'll run 2 more OCI of 4-5,000 kms and then switch her over to 0w40 also.
I'm going to perform an oil change and cut the filter open in the next 1000kms. Considering this car is 11 years old, and burns no oil that I could tell, I'm not expecting anything other than a feel good "why not clean her up" experience. It'll be interesting to see if the filter has anything in it.
I'll run 2 more OCI of 4-5,000 kms and then switch her over to 0w40 also.
Which engine in those two? I’ve got an LY7 3.6 in my 08 CTS.
2.0 Turbo (LTG). Same engine in both, with slight piston design changes in the 2017 to address LSPI risk.
Remember , Valvoline claims VRP is their best oil period .
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- Jul 10, 2025
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Low-octane fuel contains very little to no detergents is an interesting statement. Where did you get that fact from?
Interested to know this as well. I was under the impression that Top Tier, any octane level, has a good amount of detergents.
I too use fuel system cleaner, usually Techron about 500 miles before an oil change and top tier
️. Chevron or Costco
I too use fuel system cleaner, usually Techron about 500 miles before an oil change and top tier
️. Chevron or Costco
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I’m not sure where he got that info. I called BS. He’s no longer with us…
The problem is that he's half-correct. Yes, low grade fuels are a contributor to piston ring issues. But it's not because there's "little to no detergents" in cheap gasoline. It's because even with the federal minimum detergency, it's still often inadequate. Of course, this is quite dependent on engine and duty cycle. There are duty cycles and engines for which no amount of detergency will suffice.
And conversely there are engines that, when used a certain way, can burn the sketchiest swill at a public pump and be OK.
And conversely there are engines that, when used a certain way, can burn the sketchiest swill at a public pump and be OK.
Some premium brands, such as Shell V Power, claim to have their most potent additive amounts in the higher octane. Iirc?
Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
All of their fuels may be Top Tier, but their V Power supposedly has more of the goods.
Now, is it necessary to purchase 93 over 87 octane from Shell if the other grades are top tier?
I wonder if Costco does the same? I fill up there primarily. They tend to only offer 2 grades; no mixing of the two for a mid grade. 93 or 87.
It was my understanding Kirkland Signature claims all their grades are “5x the minimum required” so not necessarily a special sauce in the 93 like at Shell or a Chevron.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
All of their fuels may be Top Tier, but their V Power supposedly has more of the goods.
Now, is it necessary to purchase 93 over 87 octane from Shell if the other grades are top tier?
I wonder if Costco does the same? I fill up there primarily. They tend to only offer 2 grades; no mixing of the two for a mid grade. 93 or 87.
It was my understanding Kirkland Signature claims all their grades are “5x the minimum required” so not necessarily a special sauce in the 93 like at Shell or a Chevron.
I believe his information lacked nuance and context, hence overly opinionated and lacking clarity. It’s not a true statement in all situations, even if it could be true in some contexts. Do premium octanes have more detergents than 86/87 unleaded? Maybe. Depends. That’s the harm with making blanket statements. Usually, it’s to cover insecurity without doing the work to dive into the facts. That said, I do believe in using a PEA containing fuel system cleaner once prior to each oil change. Can’t hurt.
I was lucky enough to have a top tier Mobil station near my house(also use Techron a couple times per year). I was unlucky enough to have turned wrenches at a time of cylinder wash and ridge reamers up through stuck injectors and poppet valves. GM was going through Techron by the barrel.
My ring deposits were not fuel related.
My ring deposits were not fuel related.
it seems VRP clean piston rings well. It's very helpful for low tension piston rings engine in Toyota and Honda that often burn oil after 100k miles.
It won't help if the cylinder wall already scuffed like many 2.5 and 1.8 L hybrid Toyota engines.
It won't help if the cylinder wall already scuffed like many 2.5 and 1.8 L hybrid Toyota engines.
Varnish too.
Why not keep running R&P since it's doing so well? It may still improve. Also you were running excellent oils and the rings still got carboned up as has happened with a number of people on here.
Oh yeah...., Varnish is hard to remove. It takes time and even engine flush product won't remove it in a short time. Varnish is caused by oxidation from high temperature, Varnished surface is stickier than bare metal surface and can robe efficiency. It is very common to find varnish in engines that use mineral oil in their past.
I’m using this vehicle as an experiment for all here. Currently testing ESP 0W-30 to see if it will keep the rings clean. R&P is a game changer and probably covers 99% of drivers IMO.
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