What's the point of eliminating straight dino and replacing it with a blend?

I can see some people with older cars don't want to pay for syn blend or full syn because their car doesn't need it, and/or their car burns oil, or whatever. But as others said, most vehicles on the road today require an oil that meets a certain spec (SM at least?) and true conventional oil often cannot meet those specifications. Also most "conventional" oils on the shelf today have some synthetic content, usually a synthetic component to the add pack or maybe part of the base oil? But I'd guess that it would be called a blend if part of the base oil was synthetic.
I have yet to see any brand (including store brands) of straight conventional or a blend that doesn't meet the the most current spec, which is why I always say brand doesn't matter. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned the SA spec, which I haven't seen sold in literally decades...
 
I have no idea what that means, but I assume that’s a good thing? Isn’t SP the current highest spec?
It's a hydrocracked base oil (same process as used to create Group III, which we classify as synthetic) that officially falls under the Group II (Conventional) category because its VI isn't high enough for it to be Group III. Mobil calls it "Group II+", but that designation doesn't officially exist.

Note that VI is what creates the distinctions between the groups here and not how the base is produced. You can create a Group II base using the solvent refining method, like what is used with Group I. As it would seem to suggest, yes, that means the range for base oil purity/quality is pretty broad within the Group II designation.

Mobil's EHC bases are quite popular because they are cheaper to procure than Group III and allow the blending of "Conventional" oils that meet modern specifications/approvals without it. I provided a few examples earlier in the thread.
 
Maybe this is me reading wrong here, but my understanding of why there's more synthetic oil lately is that there's much more GTL (gas to liquid) manufactured oil now compared to the past due to more fracking compared to say, the 1990s. Since you have all that natural gas you can use to make oil, it can end up cheaper to make GTL oil than refine oil coming out of the ground.

Of course I may very well be totally wrong.
 
Many here would be surprised how many people I hear that won't use a "Full/100% Synthetic". They are now settling for blends because that's all that still has a significant amount of Conventional. I don't say a word. If it's working for them, who am i..I...

(Not a reflection of the OP's reasoning)
 
Many here would be surprised how many people I hear that won't use a "Full/100% Synthetic". They are now settling for blends because that's all that still has a significant amount of Conventional. I don't say a word. If it's working for them, who am i..I...

(Not a reflection of the OP's reasoning)

They probably think it is going to leak out lol.

I tell people, the only way to tell is to try it and it probably won't.. (leak from places it hasn't before, OR "cause" a leak by "cleaning." That is another can of worms topic/point.)
 
Many here would be surprised how many people I hear that won't use a "Full/100% Synthetic". They are now settling for blends because that's all that still has a significant amount of Conventional. I don't say a word. If it's working for them, who am i..I...

(Not a reflection of the OP's reasoning)
The ONLY reason I was buying straight conventional was because of the price difference. Now there may not be a cost benefit to buying a blend. I use nothing but full syn in my wife's vehicle, mainly because it's a turbo...
 
I'm convinced this is nothing but an excuse to raise prices. I've been buying my oil at Walmart for years, their Super Tech dino to be exact. Over the last year, I've watched the price of their dino go from $2.37 a qt, to today's price of $5.35 a qt, which is more than double of what it used to be. They no longer offer any conventional oil, it's now either a blend, or a full syn. I have no way of knowing how much of this price increase is due to the switch over, or how much is just inflation, but whatever it is, I refuse to pay that much for a non-full syn store brand oil. I went over the Rural King and found that they still sell a straight conventional oil for just $2.99 a qt, so I bought that.
5qt 5w30 container at Napa is $16.99 (3.39/qt). For a synthetic blend, that is pretty competitive with your straight conventional at $2.99 and meets API SN/SP.
 
It used to be price, but now these blends are almost as much as full syn. It's almost cheaper to double the OCI and run full syn...
You cannot double your OCI with by just going to a "syn". The API-SP is already long drain or OLM capable oil.

Now I will say that I was surprised that I also see ST at over $5 a quart in singles locally, but we must realize that trucking costs with diesel fuel at over 6 bucks a gallon is now costing over a dollar-a -mile just for fuel on an 18 Wheeler ! So we just added maybe $1000 bucks extra onto the price of say 6 or 8 pallets of Supertech trucked to the local WM distribution center.

I Just retired a coupe years ago, I have not collected Social Security yet as I have some cash in the bank.
My driving went from about 17K miles a year to about 5800. So I'm planning on doing a late Winter/ Early Spring OCI.

I adore the new Quaker State 10W30 Full Synthetic. The oil worked great in the winter in the car and the snow blower - which I pull cord start/ A pretty much universal application oil. I am using it in 20 grade FORD application with improved results all around. It is Resource Conserving and Pour point is -54C !

At my local Walmart, a 5qt Jug of 5W30 is only $3.29 a quart.
But I'll spend a couple bucks more for a GREAT oil. Oil change expenses are not even on my cost of living worksheet - they are completely insignificant.

- Uncle Ken
 
And look closely at that "straight conventional oil" from Rural King. It might meet only SA or SB, which effectively means it doesn't meet any specs. We've had discussions here before on non-detergent straight-30 still being sold as motor oil, which hurts those who don't know the difference when they use it in anything built after 1950.
The Providence oil that I've seen at RK for $2.99 a quart is SP rated.
 
Conventional oils meet performance requirements for many 2022 models and these will be on the road for 10 years. What are you talking about?
Are you interested to learn or just eager to argue? If the latter, I'm not going to waste my time, if the former, I suggest reading my other posts in this thread to establish a baseline of understanding on the matter.
 
The Providence oil that I've seen at RK for $2.99 a quart is SP rated.
That's good. For a lot of consumers that could be a good buy. Some rural convenience stores out my way still have no-name non-detergent SA/SB straight–30 on the shelf with other motor oils, often for the same price as the legit oils.
 
Are you interested to learn or just eager to argue? If the latter, I'm not going to waste my time, if the former, I suggest reading my other posts in this thread to establish a baseline of understanding on the matter.
Many new cars are still fine with conventional and you don’t like that, not my problem. I’m here to argue, not sure how you can teach something else than being arrogant.
 
Many new cars are still fine with conventional and you don’t like that, not my problem. I’m here to argue, not sure how you can teach something else than being arrogant.
I think semantics have led you to this place.

Conventional < > Synthetic on the Oil Container becomes a bit more complex when one delves into the constituents making the product. These have definitions more rigorous and grounded than 'marketing ad copy' allowances

Alain2 may be reflecting market placement or tier

where OK is referring to the oil component definition, though there is some carry across.
_________________________________________
I just walked in to get my FAGE 5% yogurt out of the fridge. I'm heading back to my office.
Carry on
 
I think semantics have led you to this place.

Conventional < > Synthetic on the Oil Container becomes a bit more complex when one delves into the constituents making the product. These have definitions more rigorous and grounded than 'marketing ad copy' allowances

Alain2 may be reflecting market placement or tier

where OK is referring to the oil component definition, though there is some carry across.
_________________________________________
I just walked in to get my FAGE 5% yogurt out of the fridge. I'm heading back to my office.
Carry on
I’m referring to the bottles of oil written « conventional » on it at the store you buy oil. That is the subject of this discussion. These bottles of oil would meet performance requirements of the majority of the cars on the roads if someone decide to use them. Claiming they are being discontinued because they don’t meet performance requirements is toilet.
 
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