Why Valvoline is so famous?

[wolf_06]

I just got a jug of Valvoline dino 5w20 on sale.
Lot of people on this forum recommend this oil and are big fans of it.


What is special about it? performance? how the engine is running? Oil analysis?
or maybe the price I paid for it ......

 

[Quattro Pete]

Let's face it. For the most part we don't have any hard core evidence to judge the actual performance of any oil. A $20 oil analysis is not the tool for that either.

Most of the fame of any oil discussed here comes from personal preference, manufacturer's marketing claims, price, or combination of the above.

 

[buster]

Valvoline has a long history of making oils.

When I joined the site back in 2000, the only synthetic on the shelf worth buying was Mobil 1. As the demand for synthetics increased, so has the competition from SOPUS and Ashland. Synpower has become a more competitive product over the years.

Valvoline has a state of the art lab in Kentucky and is capable of running all the API Sequence Engine testing for API approval. Their oils are all very good, and even their specialty oils like MaxLife are a great vaule.

Are they better than the competition? No, not necessariliy. Most of these products perform about the same, with each having a slight advantage in specific areas.

Quote:
While Valvoline’s formulations are a trade secret Valvoline has at its disposal, Group III, Group III+, Group IV (PAO) and various Group V base oils and we use these as appropriate to meet our high standards. Valvoline is free to choose whatever base oils and additives we desire to meet our performance goals. Many of our competitors, due to corporate affiliations may not have this freedom.

 

[Audioquest]

Because Valvoline is the "top choice of mechanics", silly rabbit...

 

[buster]

Maybe I took the question a bit too far.

 

[BearZDefect]

Originally Posted By: Audioquest
Because Valvoline is the "top choice of mechanics", silly rabbit...

Haha, exactly!

And this is why Valvoline has always been low on my list. Marketing drivel turns me away.

I don't knock their products, I think they are as good as most others in the mainstream.

But are they so famous? More famous than other brands with big advertising budgets?

 

[volk06]

When comparing UOA, there seems to be a consensus of Valvoline having some of the lowest wear numbers, although, it is not a long or extended drain oil. It also seems to hold up to DI and fuel dilution very well.

 

[A_Harman]

Valvoline is good at identifying niche markets for motor oils, going back to at least the mid-80's when they came out with Turbo-V, formulated specifically for turbocharged engines. They were the first out with high-mileage oils with Max-Life, and have recently made a big marketing splash with NextGen, making the first (partially) recycled oil that has national distribution. They have the "Go-To" high-zddp oil with VR1.

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: Audioquest
Because Valvoline is the "top choice of mechanics", silly rabbit...

Correction! It's spelled Wabbit!

 

[2KBMW]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06
I just got a jug of Valvoline dino 5w20 on sale.
Lot of people on this forum recommend this oil and are big fans of it.


What is special about it? performance? how the engine is running? Oil analysis?
or maybe the price I paid for it ......


I've been a big fan of Valvoline for forty years. I just
bought their Synpower for $19.88 4.7L (5 qt)jug. You can't
beat that price in Canada. Another reason I like Synpower is
that it is a mix of grp III & IV base oil's. Many of the other
synthetics are only grp III. I also like their Maxlife which
I'm using in my BMW. IMO it's the best High Mileage oil out there.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06
I just got a jug of Valvoline dino 5w20 on sale.
Lot of people on this forum recommend this oil and are big fans of it.


What is special about it? performance? how the engine is running? Oil analysis?
or maybe the price I paid for it ......




You going to use it in your Accent? I see you`v got GTX 5W-30 in there now. J/K

 

[SEMI_287]

My family has been using Valvoline since the 40s. My great grandfather, my grandfather and my father have/or use Valvoline. I've been raised on it if you will. No mechanical failures and our engines have been clean.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: SEMI_287
My family has been using Valvoline since the 40s. My great grandfather, my grandfather and my father have/or use Valvoline. I've been raised on it if you will. No mechanical failures and our engines have been clean.



EEEEHHHHH, so whats with the Formula Shell then?

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: SEMI_287
My family has been using Valvoline since the 40s. My great grandfather, my grandfather and my father have/or use Valvoline. I've been raised on it if you will. No mechanical failures and our engines have been clean.



EEEEHHHHH, so whats with the Formula Shell then?


He never said he was using it, just that he was brought up with it and never saw an engine failure or dirty engine.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: volk06
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: SEMI_287
My family has been using Valvoline since the 40s. My great grandfather, my grandfather and my father have/or use Valvoline. I've been raised on it if you will. No mechanical failures and our engines have been clean.



EEEEHHHHH, so whats with the Formula Shell then?


He never said he was using it, just that he was brought up with it and never saw an engine failure or dirty engine.



Yeah I know that, hence my question?

 

[TheBig2003]

I have never had an issue with Valvoline products. I run Valvoline Dexron VI, brake fluid, coolant in my Grand Prix and Synpower in my Magnum. I find Valvoline SynPower stands up best to extreme temperatures in the Magnum with the least amount of burning and topping off compared to BP's Castrol EDGE, Pennzoil Ultra or Platinum, Mobil 1 or even Royal Purple. And these other brands (on average) are much more expensive than the SynPower.

Ultimately, a good product for a fair price.

 

[zerosoma]

I never had a bias coming into the mechanics world. I never grew up around oil brands or recommendations. I came into it as blind as could be and bought my first 5 quarts of oil based on bottle color, price, and marketing (commercials!). It was Castrol GTX High Mileage.

Over the past couple of years I have grown to enjoy Valvoline the most. I was not a victim of marketing; I simply tried it and really like it.

That's all.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

I wanted to keep using a synthetic in my Impreza after years of Mobil 1 just to try something new. After Castrol, Pennzoil and Royal Purple were tried, Valvoline ended up making my engine the quietest. Not scientific but a good enough reason for me to keep using it.

I also like their MaxLife ATF due to how much it improved the transmission in my wife's Corolla.

As said above, "I simply tried it and really like it".

 

[Nodak]

I also have used Valvoline for quite sometime along with Havoline. Father used it so I followed suit. I gave Quaker State a shot and that also seemed like decent stuff, but went back to Havoline as my Buick seemed to burn the QSGB a bit. Use Havoline now because of good track record and price. No worries-it's all good. Whatever feels right-Valvoline is good stuff.

_________________________
97 Prk.Ave.-5-30-Havoline and Wix filter
03 Corolla-5-30 QSUD and Wix filter
04 Rav4-5-30 M1 HM and Wix filter

 

[fdcg27]

Different brands excel in different ways.
Valvoline Maxlife is probably the best high mileage motor oil you can buy, in that it really does reduce leaks and consumption, as well as meet current API specs.
Valvoline Synpower is very smooth in our Forester, and I have a UOA coming.
Maxlife 10W-40 does very well in my BMW and I have the UOA to prove it.
Maxlife has also slowed the leaks and consumption in our Impreza.
Valvoline oils provide for very low wear as measured in UOAs on moderate drains.
They don't seem to have the TBN retention for long drain intervals, but for those of us who consider 5-6K long enough, these are very good oils.
Not the only good oils, of course, but among the choices one could consider.