Valvoline Synthetic 10w30 MaxLife - Impressive

FlyPenFly · Apr 28, 2017

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Valvoline-MaxLife-Synthetic-Motor-Oil-10W30-5-qt/23636910

Never really considered Valvoline before, really inexpsive too at Walmart for $23 for 5 quarts.

I've been pondering what oil I was going to use on my 144k mile 2008 2.8L V6 turbo Saab 9-3 Aero. I have a mild but consistent oil seep by the belts and so was considering switching from the Mobil 1 0w40 to something else. Since the reformulation, not impressed by the tendency of Mobil 1 0w40 to shear down quickly. Especially in high heat engines. So I was looking at Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5w40 or Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w40 but the specs aren't super impressive besides detergents.

Anyway, the NOACK on the 10w30 is 6.3% which you don't really find until you get to boutique oils like Redline. This seems to indicate its got a great base oil to start out from. HTHS seems to be 3.6 which is impressive a 10w30 (info is from 2005 though). Seems like a really solid oil for a really good price.

http://content.valvoline.com/pdf/valvoline_full_synthetic_with_maxlife_technology.pdf

beanoil · Apr 28, 2017

Another Valvoline convert?
While boring in many VOA, Valvoline consistently does a very good job of protecting and giving fine used oil analysis. I've run a lot of VPB in my Powerstroke as well as other Valvoline products in vehicles, and never been disappointed. Especially for the price. I like the 75w140 SynPower gear lube, and it's often half of what Mobil 1 is.
Even the MaxLife synblend is really good, and has stopped a persistent drip from an oil pan gasket on a car I care for.
American owned and operated. I say if it meets your specs, run it.

BrocLuno · Apr 28, 2017

So, due to Cali laws about "current" oil specifications and such, VR-1 is no longer for sale here. The Hot Rod community (other than the M1 and AmsOil crowd...) has switched pretty much to Maxlife for the reasons you stated. Most are very happy with the results. It's a good solid oil in it's own right, and the add-pak is icing on the cake

Valvoline has been making good stuff for a l-o-n-g time

yvon_la · Apr 28, 2017

Just changed oil today in my car.total classic 5w30 no more metallic squirel sound.wow now i know why outside American Nissan put total.

FCD · Apr 28, 2017

Valvoline was my dad's favorite brand in the 70s, i plan on switching to VR1 20W-50 soon when i notice the oil level gets a bit low as i currently have nothing to top off with.

MolaKule · Apr 28, 2017

Their 5W30 did very well in the daughter's Nissan:

MaxLife 5W30 in Nissan PathFinder

PimTac · Apr 28, 2017

Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
So, due to Cali laws about "current" oil specifications and such, VR-1 is no longer for sale here. The Hot Rod community (other than the M1 and AmsOil crowd...) has switched pretty much to Maxlife for the reasons you stated. Most are very happy with the results. It's a good solid oil in it's own right, and the add-pak is icing on the cake

Valvoline has been making good stuff for a l-o-n-g time

Sounds like it's time to get a caravan together and head across the border and buy a bunch. You'll have to be clever. The guards at the California Inpection stations are most likely on the alert for oil smugglers.

Dino01 · Apr 28, 2017

I'm a very happy convert to the red bottle ML blend in my Accord. It was drinking a quart of Mobil 1 5w20 every 2k, now I have yet to top up since using the 5w30 red bottle ML, zero fuel economy hit too. It may start using again, but for now it's not and I'm good with it.

Ethan1 · Apr 28, 2017

This stuff used to go on rollback for $18.18 regularly

KL31 · Apr 28, 2017

HTHS of 3.6? That's the same as many 5w40 and 0w40. Are you sure of this because it also claims resource conserving which is not possible to have such high HTHS and be resource conserving as far as I know.

Seems like a solid oil nevertheless.

beanoil · Apr 28, 2017

Originally Posted By: PimTac
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
So, due to Cali laws about "current" oil specifications and such, VR-1 is no longer for sale here. The Hot Rod community (other than the M1 and AmsOil crowd...) has switched pretty much to Maxlife for the reasons you stated. Most are very happy with the results. It's a good solid oil in it's own right, and the add-pak is icing on the cake

Valvoline has been making good stuff for a l-o-n-g time

Sounds like it's time to get a caravan together and head across the border and buy a bunch. You'll have to be clever. The guards at the California Inpection stations are most likely on the alert for oil smugglers.

Well shoot, if there is money to be made, I'll fill the RV tanks full of the stuff and drive it over the state line. They won't think to look there! I could bring 160 gallons total, pump it right out of the outdoor tap.

FlyPenFly · Apr 28, 2017

Originally Posted By: KL31
HTHS of 3.6? That's the same as many 5w40 and 0w40. Are you sure of this because it also claims resource conserving which is not possible to have such high HTHS and be resource conserving as far as I know.

Seems like a solid oil nevertheless.

Unfortunately this post from 2005 is the only online data I found on it.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=162155

At the time, it seems to have even beaten their 10w40 in HTHS...

fdcg27 · Apr 28, 2017

While I'm not a fan boy, I've always had good results with Maxlife as well as other Valvoline products.
For many applications, Maxlife ATF is my go-to.
Good products, although the online hype isn't as sophisticated as what one find with XOM.

oil_film_movies · Apr 28, 2017

Originally Posted By: KL31
HTHS of 3.6? That's the same as many 5w40 and 0w40. Are you sure of this because it also claims resource conserving which is not possible to have such high HTHS and be resource conserving as far as I know. Seems like a solid oil nevertheless.

I believe it has 3.6.
After all, Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 is 3.5, and Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w40 is 3.9, two similar products.

PimTac · Apr 28, 2017

The PDS sheet for Valvoline lists the HTHS numbers for their MST Synpower but not for the regular version of it. The confusion may lie there.

http://content.valvoline.com/pdf/synpower.pdf

SR5 · Apr 29, 2017

Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
Originally Posted By: KL31
HTHS of 3.6? That's the same as many 5w40 and 0w40. Are you sure of this because it also claims resource conserving which is not possible to have such high HTHS and be resource conserving as far as I know. Seems like a solid oil nevertheless.

I believe it has 3.6.
After all, Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 is 3.5, and Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w40 is 3.9, two similar products.

Yeah but those two Mobil 1 High Mileage products are rated Euro A3/B3 and not ILSAC GF-5.

For a GF-5 oil with that KV100 I would expect a HTHS of about 3.1 +/- 0.1 cP.

I know Kendall GT-1 10W30 Synthetic has a KV100 = 10.4 cSt and a HTHS = 3.1 cP which is fairly typical for a SN and GF-5 oil of this grade. For comparison the Mobil 1 10W30 HM has a KV100 = 12.1 cSt and a HTHS = 3.5 cP. Most Euro grade 30 weights have a KV100 of about 12 cSt.

But that Valvoline Synthetic 10W30 with a Noack of 6.3% and a KV100 of 10.5 cSt looks like a great oil. I'm using SynPower 0W40 myself right now.

SR5 · Apr 30, 2017

You know I've been coming back to the spec sheet for this Valvoline Full Synthetic Valvoline MaxLife 10w30 all day. For a ILSAC oil, it's very impressive and must be right at the top end of what they can get away with and still call it GF-5.

MaxLife 10W30 FS
KV40 = 70.5
KV100 = 10.9 cSt
Density = 0.861
TBN = 8.8
Flash Point = 231 C
Noack = 6.3 %
SA = 1.0 %
Zinc = 830 ppm
Ca = 2100 ppm
Na = 480 ppm

Compare this to regular Mobil 1 10W30
KV100 = 10.1
Density = 0.859
SA = 0.8

Kendall GT-1 Full Synthetic 10W30
KV100 = 10.4
Density = 0.852
SA = 0.96
TBN = 8.0

It no one thing being super great, but every other GF-5 oil I have so far compared it to, the synthetic MaxLife is always just a little bit thicker, a little bit denser, and a little bit higher SAPS. To me this adds up to make it a lot more impressive.

This oil must be right on the edge of what is allowed for a SN and GF-5 oil.

I Like it.

FlyPenFly · Apr 30, 2017

Yeah I think I might do a very early change out of my Mobil 1 0w40 and try the Max Life 10w30 oil before I use ATP AT-205 on this motor.

FlyPenFly · May 1, 2017

Interesting side note. I've also been considering the Mobil 1 10w40 HM but I can't seem to find NOACK numbers on it. One advantage of the Mobil 1 10w40 though is that it uses half the calcium at around 1,000 and uses Mg. I see that as an advantage for more modern cars such as ones with DI and small displacement turbos but perhaps some of LSPI might also affect DI and larger turbo'd cars as well. Need to do a bit more research on if LSPI affects non DI'd cars with turbos.

Interestingly, earlier formulations of Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w40 had as much as 3,000 Ca but it was drastically cut down.

Valvoline Synthetic 10w30 MaxLife - Impressive

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