Valvoline vs Napa Oil

[MSTUEBER]

Went by Napa today. Valvoline 0w-20 is MS-6395 Chrysler approved oil. But Napa 0w-20 is not!
So is there has to be a difference in the two oils or Napa has not done the two year trail or paid
Chrysler?
Mark

 

[slacktide_bitog]

it should be fine since even dino can meet MS-6395

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

Originally Posted By: MSTUEBER
Went by Napa today.
Mark


Our NAPA is closed on Sundays, but its a smaller town so I suppose that's to be expected.

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: MSTUEBER
Went by Napa today. Valvoline 0w-20 is MS-6395 Chrysler approved oil. But Napa 0w-20 is not!
So is there has to be a difference in the two oils or Napa has not done the two year trail or paid
Chrysler?
Mark


There is more than just the difference between the two oils besides the Chrysler approval, according to the Valvoline/Ashland Rep that I spoke with. Any oil that Valvoline blends for another company or puts under another name, is not the exact same Valvoline product be it conventional, blend or syn. It's usually blended to a price and within the API spec.

 

[CharBaby]

In addition, this is not to say that the oils that Valvoline makes for other(private label oils) are bad oil...Not in the least is it bad oil. They're all made to API specifications. NOW, should a company want their oils to meet, e.g., dexos or other MFG spec, then Valvoline with do this as well. If NAPA had requested from Valvoline that their NAPA oils meet MS-6395 then it would state so.

 

[Fastcompany]

Shop around. Between Napa,AutoZone and advance someone always has a sale on Castrol Mobil or Valvoline. Get the stuff with the right cert. On it for the right price. I have no store loyalty when it comes to oil.

 

[Nick1994]

They're 99% the same oil. House brands usually don't get the approvals with the expensive testing it requires. Doesn't mean the oil doesn't meet the spec though, just hasn't been tested for the approval.

 

[yvon_la]

Lower then -25c synth , higher? Dino

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted By: Char Baby

Any oil that Valvoline blends for another company or puts under another name, is not the exact same Valvoline product be it conventional, blend or syn. It's usually blended to a price and within the API spec.
Maybe, maybe not. Valvoline has much more incentive to produce their own branded oil + private-labeled oils in higher volume vs producing their own batch, then a different batch, then a different batch, and so on. Some people will still buy the 'brand' oil even though they make it for others - there's always that "maybe it's not exactly the same" thinking.

 

[steve20]

it's close but not the same as Valvoline--look at the cold cranking pressure--super low for V brand, and fairly high for the NAPA product. Speculation has been the V brand contains some PAO to lower the effort for cold cranking.
Disclaimer: I still use NAPA syn, but NOT in the winter months
Steve

 

[CharBaby]

Originally Posted By: hallstevenson
Originally Posted By: Char Baby

Any oil that Valvoline blends for another company or puts under another name, is not the exact same Valvoline product be it conventional, blend or syn. It's usually blended to a price and within the API spec.
Maybe, maybe not. Valvoline has much more incentive to produce their own branded oil + private-labeled oils in higher volume vs producing their own batch, then a different batch, then a different batch, and so on. Some people will still buy the 'brand' oil even though they make it for others - there's always that "maybe it's not exactly the same" thinking.


You are correct however, will we ever know?

Also, I was only stating what a Valvoline Rep told me over the phone be it wrong or right! If you ask 5 different REP's, you'll get 5 (slightly) different answers.

I use lots of store brand oils as they(according to the PQIA) seem to be just fine for everyday use, as they should be. However price being the same, I'll always use the name brand for sure...why not?

 

[PimTac]

It makes no business sense for Valvoline to rebrand their flagship synthetic oil as a chain store brand. As others have already said, it doesn't make NAPA a bad oil but instead Valvoline is a better one.

This question has been posted many times in the past.