So the other day I was working on a 2001 Audi A6 (2.8 v6)- doing a timing belt, tune up and a transmission service. The boss tells me that we're going to change the oil too. I warned him straight up that he'd need to call in the oil because what we stock didn't meet the appropriate specs... So he says lets look at the manual. Out it comes. In it says SAE 5w 30 and ACEA A2 or A3. He says "We've got 5w30, whats wrong with it?" I told him that it's not your run of the mill 5w-30. I proceeded to rattle of the differences, show him the ACEA web site saying that viscosity wasn't spec'ed, just the HT/HS. He said "Well I'll call my oil supplier and see what they say"... Calls one of the owners who tells him that he's never heard of the ACEA??? I'm thinking that's not the guy I wanna trust. Guy says he'd do some looking and would call back. Little later he calls back happy to report that our Kendall synthetic blend meets or exceeds those requirements. Uhh huh... I told the boss that guy is wrong, owner or not... Boss kept insisting that the book only said SAE 5w-30. I told him that it was only half of the equation. I said you cannot ignore the ACEA A3 spec. Told him M1 0w-40 is a great product that meets A3. Finally he called an Audi dealer who told him that they only use "the expensive oil". Boss was also worried about the customer getting mad about the price. I said that he was always proud to install only (the correct) top quality parts, so why would you take a short cut on oil?
Anyway, prior to this, he was trying to get me to dump in Penray Motor Pep, which is mainly kerosene and napathene. Yeah, the oil companies spend billions of dollars collectively to be outsmarted by some idiot dumping kerosene in the crankcase! Evidently this car came in leaking some oil a couple months ago and he dumped this [censored] in and it stopped - except for that where he claimed it to be leaking, it wasn't. There was simply no sign of oil leakage. After winning the battle of specs, I thought that I could subtlety not put that moose [censored] in. I come back the next day and find the bottle emptied. Great... That dingbat just dumped kerosene in with one of Mobil's finest products. Yeah, what a wonderful addition.
I'm not sure why this bothers so much? Maybe because of his refusal to listen and look at the facts and make a sound decision based on fact. He sincerely believes that if there would have been a problem where the oil damaged the engine (doubtful), that his supplier would have backed him and paid to repair the engine. Yeah, right... Like a simple phone call has any weight... Nothing on paper. Jeeze, all the info is there right in front of you and still you refuse to heed it? GIVE ME A BREAK!