What are the chances these practices go on within the oil industry?

[buster]

I don't want to name names, but one of the boutique brands on their blog made this statement, which is a bold accusation. What are your thoughts on it?

"When a competitor’s oil easily passes an industry-standard test, they often reformulate to reduce cost and performance to where it barely passes the test. When we pass a test (or a double-length test), we continue to search for ways to increase protection even more because, for our customers, “good enough” doesn’t cut it. "

 

[Boomer]

Would not surprise me as someone who worked for a Fortune 500 company for several decades. The test is there to pass. That is all you are required to do. The standards committee sets the hurdles. If that is not good enough, go back to the standards committee.

 

[SZR48207]

Yes it happens in every industry because there's accountants and bottom lines. Meeting a spec is meeting a spec and going beyond it without charging for it is giving something away for free.

 

[javacontour]

If it passes, it passes. One doesn't know by what margin any oil passes, so it seems like something one cannot really count on to make a choice.

As was mentioned above, passing meets the standard, so it's not a bad practice. Frankly, I expect things to just make the standard as profit is the driver here.

 

[SZR48207]

This reminds me of the thread where we were talking about that million mile Tundra truck. Toyota gave a new truck to the guy in exchange for his old one so they could see what wore out. A lot of people here suspected that Toyota would use the information to figure out where they could save money on less durable construction, and they're probably right.

 

[Trav]

I don't want to name names, but one of the boutique brands on their blog made this statement, which is a bold accusation. What are your thoughts on it?

"When a competitor’s oil easily passes an industry-standard test, they often reformulate to reduce cost and performance to where it barely passes the test. When we pass a test (or a double-length test), we continue to search for ways to increase protection even more because, for our customers, “good enough” doesn’t cut it. "

I don't know, if you take a high spec oil like some of the Euro specs does it really matter by how much of a margin it meets or exceeds it by?
Personally this is something I wouldn't worry about or entertain the thought about for too long. Its not like grease for example that has to stay in there possibly the life of the part or vehicle itself, the oil is getting changed often.
lets say for the sake of argument they do this and they possible may, if the oil can meet the spec and achieve the specified OCI, where is the issue?

 

[dogememe]

Honestly does anyone really believe those bar graph things on the back of the oil containers where it has a little bar for industry standard and a big bar for whatever oil you're buying?

 

[RazorsEdge]

Honestly does anyone really believe those bar graph things on the back of the oil containers where it has a little bar for industry standard and a big bar for whatever oil you're buying?

Nope, all marketing.

 

[rob1715]

100% marketing BS. However, millions of people have driven millions of miles, taken the valve cover off and discovered the engine looks brand new after 150k miles and tens of thousands of positive Blackstone Lab tests. The oil must be doing something good.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Yup. There are no extra brownie points for exceeding the spec, so most businesses will do just bare minimum required to pass the test in order to reduce cost and maximize profit. This happens in all industries. Nothing really unusual about it, IMO.

 

[supton]

This reminds me of the thread where we were talking about that million mile Tundra truck. Toyota gave a new truck to the guy in exchange for his old one so they could see what wore out. A lot of people here suspected that Toyota would use the information to figure out where they could save money on less durable construction, and they're probably right.

Didn't Henry Ford do that too?

I can see it happening. A vehicle is no small feat of engineering--lots of teams. Lots of decisions. Lots of egos... I could easily see some post decision analysis going on. "You said this part wouldn't go the distance" and "You said this part would never fail". Well... did it? This wouldn't have to be just about vindication but also about future direction. This part doesn't have to be over-engineering, while this part caused nothing but grief on support.

 

[blingo]

Boutiques could have better than standard public relations, but when they don't have to, they instead are directing the money into these better materials, I believe. Often less so in research though, I guess. Neither for the better nor for the worse.

 

[maximus]

Yes, they cheapen the product after they pass the test so they have more to spend on advertising.


jk

 

[Davejam]

Sure there are some companies that will do what they're describing, but who cares.
If they pass the test its good enough for your engine at the required interval.

As far as passing a test, most tests report a test value, so you will know by how much you've exceeded the requirement.

 

[benjy]

by law changes in formulation is legal as long as the spec is met, i think i read in the past. Amsoil of the past when they only blended PAO + touted as such noted their oil was so good they surpassed requirements + just relabeled!!! today they say LITTLE about anything!!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Amsoil of the past when they only blended PAO + touted as such noted their oil was so good they surpassed requirements + just relabeled!!! today they say LITTLE about anything!!

FYI, it was an Amsoil employee who made the statement in OP.

 

[Quattro Pete]

As far as passing a test, most tests report a test value, so you will know by how much you've exceeded the requirement.

Yes, but those actual test values are never revealed to the public. The public is only told whether a product meets a particular spec(meaning, that it passed the test), and not by how far it exceeds it. Passing the test is considered good enough. And maybe it is. Going beyond that could be considered splitting hairs, which is BITOG specialty. And I'm sure some companies will happily apply this hair splitting in order to develop appropriate marketing materials in an attempt at differentiation. Nothing wrong with that either.

 

[buster]

My opinion is that with most companies offering a tiered system, their top tier products likely far exceed the specifications while the mid and lower grades are likely to just "meet" the spec. Of course we have no way of actually knowing.

 

[zfasts03]

Amsoil's SS line did not need a reformulation when it went from SN+ to SI. (GF5 to GF6a)
Just needed new labels from what I read in their quarterly publication.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

welcome to capitalism where shareholders and profits influence decisions more than unnecessarily exceeding the specifications. Meeting the specifications is a requirement, exceeding is just a waste of money...