Watch out when buying GC

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Nov 28, 2002
Messages
666
Location
Triad, NC
During my scavenger hunt in St. louis for GC I noted that:
a.) there are still quite a few bottles of the old yellow stuff out there (I even found some of the old, old original PAO 5W-50 bottles in one of the stores).
b.) Castrol is bottleing the US made lower quality stuff with the red label !! Watch out!! I almost took some for GC and just noticed on the way to the register. The bottle labels are similar with GC (Red viscosity label and new label design), but contrary to GC the do carry a starburst symbol in the front (GC does not have the API starburst symbol). Of course this US made 0W-30 has the lower ACEA A1 rating and also carry the Made in USA label in the back.

Tricky 'cause on first glance they look like GC.

[ November 29, 2003, 01:33 AM: Message edited by: Alex D ]
 
The last time I bought German Castrol I was very concerned also. After I got the oil home I noticed that the caps on all five bottles were loose. I was surprised that I had not noticed it in the store. The oil in the bottles was green like the German Castrol, but I decided that I would find another use for it. I would rather use Chevron Supreme Synthetic then suspect German Castrol.
 
Mystic,
Yeah ... they're all like that .... just go and take a Castrol Syntec bottle out of the shelf and tighten the cap. They are so lose from the factory, no wonder there are so many leakers. I always tighten them up before I buy them.
BTW the same is true for M1 and Mobil DC Plus .... the M1 / MDC+ shelves in WalMart here are always wet with oil from all those leakers and the caps on these bottles are just as lose as the ones on Castrol Syntec.

Did you say that the oil in the US made 0W-30 bottles was also green like GC ????
 
It was definitely the German Castrol bottles. I checked carefully, but I sure did not notice the loose caps. Just makes me nervous finding loose caps, regardless if it is motor oil or a jar of peanut butter.
 
I hear you !!! I always make sure the plastic seal ring on the bottom of the cap is undamaged. If it is not, the cap had been removed. If it is undamaged, the cap is just lose or was losened.

quote:

Originally posted by Mystic:
It was definitely the German Castrol bottles. I checked carefully, but I sure did not notice the loose caps. Just makes me nervous finding loose caps, regardless if it is motor oil or a jar of peanut butter.

 
So the drippy stuff on my GC bottles was actually itself.. Good to know.

I just pegged it as being a box-cutter accident by the lacky in back, or the Drive Clean on the rack above having a bad day. I tried to see the colour in the lid divit, but green on black doesn't show too well.

ferb!
 
From the Chevron Library ;

Oxidation Inhibitor Substance added in small quantities to a petroleum product to increase its oxidation resistance, thereby lengthening its service or storage life; also called antioxidant.

Even though the GC should have this additive caution might be advised when stocking for long term storage up since oxygen oxidises oil after opening .

Mobil says their Supersyn in a controlled indoor storage can be kept for 10 years but after opening and resealing tightly it should be used within 1 year . Just a FWIW because the oil should start to degrade however slight or worse if not sealed properly .

I've seen the bulged bottles of various old stock at Autozones and other places . Looks like they have more than a quart in them !

I don't like those type caps either . I do like the ols with the foil sealed tops but they are few and far between it seems .
 
Excellent thoughts motorbike ..... I guess that is why Redline has a seal under the screw cap on their oil bottles. Great feature. Dunno if there is any other oil that has such an airtight seal on their bottles.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Alex D:
Excellent thoughts motorbike ..... I guess that is why Redline has a seal under the screw cap on their oil bottles. Great feature. Dunno if there is any other oil that has such an airtight seal on their bottles.

Royal Purple does, but I found it to be a big PITA! Every bottle you open takes you a little bit longer to take the thing off, and if you punch it with something sharp I always worry that some of the metal residue from the foil will get into your engine. Yes, I'm that anal about my oil that I worry about things like that.
smile.gif
 
Yeah, those seals are a little PITA .... you never get them quite completely off the bottle and it takes a little longer to open each. The Redline bottle is not very convenient for pouring anyway.

Those tamper-proof rings on all the other bottles are not 100% safe either .... I have opened bottles of M1 without damaging the ring. Instead of breaking off, it just slipped over the opening and stayed attached to the cap. If you work those bottles right, you can open everyone of them without breaking that ring,
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top