Why not Valvoline Restore and Protect for average Joe OCIs?

[BISCUT]

If I had a known issue, I wouldn't hesitate to give Valvoline Restore and Protect a a few runs in any of my vehicles. My Wally usually has it in stock. For now, I'm fine with $24 5liter of Mobil 1 Euro 0w40 and $26 5Liter Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5w30 for my vehicles. These oils with some great buys on Pennzoil Ultra have done well for the 4 vehicles I regulary service.

 

[Nessism1]

Want to hedge your bet against possible ring carbon buildup? If so, VS&P is cheap insurance. Convinced your rings are already clean? Use whatever oil you are currently using. The end.

 

[mojoe]

For my father inlaws 15 year old car with 100k miles and the engine is still clean as a watch on the inside, probably keep using motorcraft or whatever is cheap.
Valvoline Restore and Protect seems like it's more for people who fell victim to oem 7 to 10k oci and are now paying for it also those who have bought used but neglected vehicles.

Valvoline Restore and Protect definitely has highly effective and unique cleaning abilities which set it apart from the rest, and Valvoline has understandably marketed it as such. That marketing approach, I believe, is partly to blame for the misconception of Valvoline Restore and Protect as a niche "one trick pony", which Valvoline is battling to some degree now.

 

[Capt W]

I'm running Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W-30 in an 80K-mile 2007 Caravan I bought from the original owner a few months ago. While it hasn't used a drop of oil since I bought it - to include during the almost 2K-mile drive home from CA - I noticed a lot of varnish across the top end of the engine when changing the valve cover gasket and a rather stained and discolored oil dipstick. I'm sure the guy I bought it from wasn't too keen on routine maintenance.

Over the past three months and roughly 1500 miles with Valvoline Restore and Protect in the crankcase, I have noticed the dipstick is indeed much cleaner. I'll probably use the stuff for a few more oil changes (which will take a year or so) and re-assess at that point.

 

[ATex7239]

Valvoline Restore and Protect definitely has highly effective and unique cleaning abilities which set it apart from the rest, and Valvoline has understandably marketed it as such. That marketing approach, I believe, is partly to blame for the misconception of Valvoline Restore and Protect as a niche "one trick pony", which Valvoline is battling to some degree now.

Disagree. People who overthink oil or who are hardcore set in their ways might see it as a one trick pony, but I don’t believe the average DIYer sees it that way. The only people I’ve heard recommend shortening intervals/saying it isn’t good enough for normal use are BITOGERS.

 

[kschachn]

Disagree. People who overthink oil or who are hardcore set in their ways might see it as a one trick pony, but I don’t believe the average DIYer sees it that way. The only people I’ve heard recommend shortening intervals/saying it isn’t good enough for normal use are BITOGERS.

That would be someone who can't understand that the oil at the core is an API SP licensed oil and can be used as such.

 

[wlk]

forgot to add precision. let's just say McGill university hospital floor.

Never think that, I worked for a top university hospital and they are just as bad as all the others

 

[mojoe]

Disagree. People who overthink oil or who are hardcore set in their ways might see it as a one trick pony, but I don’t believe the average DIYer sees it that way. The only people I’ve heard recommend shortening intervals/saying it isn’t good enough for normal use are BITOGERS.

You're probably right, on BITOG is the only place I see it, but the person I was rersponding too definitely falls into that category (thus my response):

For my father inlaws 15 year old car with 100k miles and the engine is still clean as a watch on the inside, probably keep using motorcraft or whatever is cheap.
Valvoline Restore and Protect seems like it's more for people who fell victim to oem 7 to 10k oci and are now paying for it also those who have bought used but neglected vehicles.

 

[loneryder]

i am not discrediting this oil, i have zero use for it. my 2024 Mazda CX-5 Signature has been fueled with nothing but Shell V power since i took possession at the Dealer. i do 6500 Km OCI with Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5W-30, or Mobil 1 0W-30. i drive on average between 3000 to 5000 kilometers a month. it is inspected every 2 Months. maintained religiously at the same shop i have been doing business for 29 years. when they changed the plugs at 62 000 kilometers like the owner manual ask, they were so clean, the mechanic was almost troubled. he measured the gaps. they looked brand new. why would i use Valvoline Restore and Protect? what benefit there is in my situation?

You cannot know what your piston rings and grooves look like! The rest of your engine can be spotless.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

Why not? Price. It's 2x as much as other oils. In a vehicle that uses no oil between changes, I'm not using it.

 

[mojoe]

Why not? Price. It's 2x as much as other oils. In a vehicle that uses no oil between changes, I'm not using it.

Absolutely - not everybody wants or needs what Valvoline Restore and Protect offers.

 

[CleanSump]

My sister just gave her 3 YO Hyundai to my GN. Her dealer free oil change service just ended. She asked me to start doing the changes for my GN. So, even though it only has about 40k miles on it, it's getting Valvoline Restore and Protect. It doesn't burn oil at a measly 40k miles, but it's a Hyundai and with Valvoline Restore and Protect it's not likely to start burning oil for a long time. It's only $2 more per OCI than the other big names and I think a prudent choice knowing about Hyundai's history with oil rings.
Or, we could go with a less expensive oil like basic Castrol, Valvoline, ST, etc., but to save $10 a year? To each his own. My sister would have traded it in, my GN just started college and will probably drive it for at least 8 more years (4 years college + either grad school or first real job). Yeah, I know I just posted a useless opinion in one of those "nothing new to see here" threads.

Edited because my fingers get confused.

 

[garageman402]

I'm running Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W-30 in an 80K-mile 2007 Caravan I bought from the original owner a few months ago. While it hasn't used a drop of oil since I bought it - to include during the almost 2K-mile drive home from CA - I noticed a lot of varnish across the top end of the engine when changing the valve cover gasket and a rather stained and discolored oil dipstick. I'm sure the guy I bought it from wasn't too keen on routine maintenance.

Over the past three months and roughly 1500 miles with Valvoline Restore and Protect in the crankcase, I have noticed the dipstick is indeed much cleaner. I'll probably use the stuff for a few more oil changes (which will take a year or so) and re-assess at that point.

That 2k mile trip probably cleaned the cat! I'd change that Valvoline Restore and Protect now at 1500, it has obviously cleaned something & is loaded up, not to mention the filter being loaded too.

 

[GW.]

Best part about Valvoline Restore and Protect is it’s there if you need it. Many will eventually come around if they keep their vehicles long enough. Especially ones running mediocre oils.

 

[Nessism1]

Why not? Price. It's 2x as much as other oils. In a vehicle that uses no oil between changes, I'm not using it.

It's $30/5 quarts at my Walmart. Not 2x as much as other oils, other than maybe Kirkland oil that's on sale.

If you don't want to use it, don't.

 

[Samurai1225]

I run it in my beater 06 Civic with an unknown maintenance history. I had to order 5w-30 grade online because it was sold out of all the stores in my area.

 

[garageman402]

My sister just gave her 3 YO Hyundai to my GN. Her dealer free oil change service just ended. She asked me to start doing the changes for my GN. So, even though it only has about 40k miles on it, it's getting Valvoline Restore and Protect. It doesn't burn oil at a measly 40k miles, but it's a Hyundai and with Valvoline Restore and Protect it's not likely to start burning oil for a long time. It's only $2 more per OCI than the other big names and I think a prudent choice knowing about Hyundai's history with oil rings.
Or, we could go with a less expensive oil like basic Castrol, Valvoline, ST, etc., but to save $10 a year? To each his own. My sister would have traded it in, my GN just started college and will probably drive it for at least 8 more years (4 years college + either grad school or first real job). Yeah, I know I just posted a useless opinion in one of those "nothing new to see here" threads.

Edited because my fingers get confused.

How often was the dealer free oil change? I'm thinking 10K or every 6 months? I'd run a short OCI for the first fill, it's going to clean, so you want to get the crud out.

 

[buster]

Despite Valvoline Restore and Protect only being an SQ/GF-7 oil (greatly exceeds those baselines), it often is cleaning up what more expensive oils left behind.

 

[CleanSump]

How often was the dealer free oil change? I'm thinking 10K or every 6 months? I'd run a short OCI for the first fill, it's going to clean, so you want to get the crud out.

There's no need for a short OCI. You don't understand how Valvoline Restore and Protect dissolves and suspends.

 

[garageman402]

Right, the crud is suspended in the oil that is being recirculated, loading the filter & lubricating with dirty oil. Dissolves? Into how small particles? The filter will not catch everything, especially sub 20 micron particles, & as it loads will slough off some already captured smaller particles. That carbon buildup is not just disappearing it is suspended so it can be removed by changing the oil. Valvoline had a more aggressive cleaning oil that cleaned amazingly, but people were leaving it in too long & plugging the filter up. This formulation is less aggressive to avoid that, but I would still want to get the crud that it did remove out ASAP