Valvoline Q&A

by | May 1, 2012 | Default

Valvoline question and answers.

Find below a comprehensive Q&A about all things Valvoline

Is the Nextgen maxlife better than regular Maxlife? (BrownBox88)

 

Valvoline formulates both MaxLife and NextGen MaxLife to meet the demands of higher mileage engines. Both products have the same level of chemistries, including seal conditioners, detergents and dispersants, antiwear additives and so on, thus offering the same performance.

I’ve had a question since I first learned about your Nextgen products – Do you set the quality target of Nextgen products exactly same as that of premium conventional/red bottle maxlife? or do you target either higher or lower? (08sienna)

 

Valvoline formulates both NextGen and non-NextGen products with the same additive systems, so they offer the same performance when used in engines.

Will there be any plans for Nextgen oils for outdoor power equipment I.E. straight 30 weights. Any nextgen diesel oil, Motorcycle oils planned?

 

At this time, NextGen diesel engine oils (Premium Blue and All-Fleet Plus) are in production. Valvoline continues to evaluate the market demand of the other segments.

Does it cost more to reclaim the old oils and restore them to be usable again than just using virgin base stocks…and if so, how is this product expected to ever succeed selling for less-than premium prices? At what point will Valvoline/Ashland pull the plug? (NHGuy)

 

As an oil marketer, it is Valvoline’s goal to provide its customers with the highest quality oil at reasonable prices. NextGen products accomplish that goal, while also promote a sustainable future of the industry due to lower emissions associated re-refining (as compared to crude exploration, drilling and refining), less resource depletion, and a reduction in environmental footprint.

Many of us at BITOG are very passionate about using synthetic oils to extend our oil change intervals beyond 3000 miles. Is it possible/are there plans to have a synthetic variant of NextGen? (tomcat27)

 

Valvoline chemists have the capability of developing such a product. We are still evaluating the market demand for it.

Are the contents of the recycled oil made up of strictly Valvoline products or are they a mix of everyone’s? Also, since 50% of the oil is recycled is there a chance that some of the recycled oil is actually a Group 3 or higher Synthetic? (JasonC)

 

The re-refined base oils that are used in Valvoline NextGen products are sourced from our strategic suppliers, who acquire their used oils from varieties of sources. With the product upgrade in the marketplace (such as moving from ILSAC GF-4/API SM to ILSAC GF-5/API SN in the past a couple of years) and the improvement of general quality of motor oils, it is possible that some Group III or higher oils are present in the used oils.

It seems that most of members here in BITOG believe that molybdenum metal element is such a superior agent for engine protection, at the same time people hate to see lots of sodium in their oil (for some unclear reasons). Are you aware of that? Are you willing to provide any explanation about your additive formulation to convince us? (08Sienna)

 

As most of the BITOG members know, motor oil formulation is indeed a delicate balance of all the components in the fluid. At Valvoline, our scientists and engineers formulate our products to meet the targeted specifications and performance levels with the use of the best combination of base oils and additive packages, which may or may not include the use of organo-molybdenum and bi-metallic detergent systems. All of our formulations are bench studied, engine approved, field tested and race-track proven.

Is NextGen re-refined (or whatever the process is called) at one central location (refinery), or at several different locations (refineries) throughout the U.S., and then processed into the finished product at Valvoline? (Loobed)
The re-refined base oils that are used in Valvoline NextGen products are sourced from our strategic suppliers, which are processed at various locations in the U.S. These high quality re-refined base oils are blended into finished Valvoline motor oils at Valvoline owned facilities.

Where do you get the used oil to re-refine; Only from Valvoline lube shops, or as a commodity from any oil recovery service. (Loobed)

 

The re-refined base oils that are used in Valvoline NextGen products are sourced from our strategic suppliers, who acquire their used oils from varieties of sources.

Since NextGen is made from recycled oil, and since some people use synthetic oil in their vehicles which will get recycled with conventional oil, does NextGen contain a small percentage of synthetic base stock, or does the re-refining process remove the small amount of synthetic base stock in the recycled oil? (Loobed)

 

The re-refined base oils that are used in Valvoline NextGen products are sourced from our strategic suppliers, who acquire their used oils from varieties of sources. With the product upgrade in the marketplace (such as moving from ILSAC GF-4/API SM to ILSAC GF-5/API SN in the past a couple of years) and the improvement of general quality of motor oils, it is possible that some Group III or higher oils are present in the used oils.

Will you be coming out with a NextGen Diesel oil, or NextGen automatic transmission fluid (ATF) in the future? Many people use diesel oil in motorcycles. (Loobed)

 

(REPEAT) At this time, NextGen diesel engine oils (Premium Blue and All-Fleet Plus) are in production. Valvoline continues to evaluate the market demand of the other segments.

Older Maxlife was a synthetic blend. Is NextGen Maxlife also a synthetic blend? (note: I don’t think 75,000 miles is high mileage) (Loobed)

 

Yes.

Most of us here at BITOG understand and commend the recycling process that reformats the used motor oil into the 50% aspect of NextGen. What is the initial market outlook for the average consumer? Has it been accepted as a dutiful complement to Valvoline conventional that has a loyal customer base? (cancov)

 

The market outlook looks very promising and we realize that we are still in the “early adopter” phase of this product in regards to awareness and trial. NextGen Conventional offers the exact same performances as Valvoline Conventional. In a broader sense, using NextGen products promotes a sustainable future of the industry due to lower emissions associated re-refining (as compared to crude exploration, drilling and refining), less resource depletion, and a reduction in environmental footprint.

Can you tell us what process is used to re-refine the used oil? Do they use the same equipment that is used to refine crude oil, or is there a separate facility that only processes used oil and not crude oil? I would like to know if the rebate also includes MaxLife NextGen? I don’t mind paying the difference between the Maxlife and the regular NextGen. (Loobed)

 

The technology used to re-refine used oil is proprietary to the refiners, and could be unique to each individual refinery. However, in general, the processes are very similar to the modern crude oil hydro-process refining, and re-refining is done in separate refineries from crude sourced ones. In regards to the rebate offer, it’s for Conventional and MaxLife NextGen.

When will it become available (or more widely available) in Canada? (Garak)

 

We are currently selling NextGen in the Canada market.

The oil that is recycled is it just any old brand of oil or do you only use Valvoline oil that has been used? (LoganC)

 

The re-refined base oils that are used in Valvoline NextGen products are sourced from our strategic suppliers, who acquire their used oils from varieties of sources.

Recycle oil bin at auto parts stores and quick lubes may contain other fluids such as ATF, gear fluid, brake fluid, coolant … How do I know that NextGen has only oil based fluid and not other fluids ? This is the main reason I didn’t buy any NexGen oil yet, even when there were good rebates so that the cost per quart was less than $1. (HTSS TR)

 

The processes during re-refining eliminate almost all of the used and unused additives and contaminants that are present in the used oil, leaving only the good lubricating oil molecules as the output. At Valvoline, very strict quality standards are established to ensure the re-refined oils we use are of or above the desired quality.

It has been mentioned that recycled engine oil is more pure due being refined again. Is there any truth to that? (volk06)

 

While the term “pure” in this case is subjective, the processes during re-refining eliminate almost all of the used and unused additives and contaminants that are present in the used oil, leaving only the good lubricating oil molecules as the output. The quality of re-refined base oils Valvoline uses are at least equivalent to that of the oils from virgin crude.

Do you know what type,weight, brand of oil when you receive it? Since there can be numerous base oils in the used oil, how can you separate them out? How can you be certain nextgen is 100% conventional oil and not part synthetic? (volk06)

 

The distillation process used in re-refining is the same as that in crude refining, which separates oil molecules based on the molecular weights. The classification of the base oil, either conventional or synthetic, is based solely on its properties (such as viscosity index, saturates, and sulfur content), not the sources.

What is the percentage of group 3 in the nextgen maxlife? (Billbert)

 

Unfortunately, formulation information is proprietary and cannot be provided in public domain.

Can you explain the overall total energy saved if any in making NextGen vs conventional oil? (tenderloin)

 

Such information, which is based on several life-cycle analyses performed recently, can be found on Valvoline website (www.valvoline.com).

Is the additive pack very similar to your white bottle oil, or does the recycled base oil need to be hopped up with more additives? (tenderloin)

 

The additive packages used are exactly the same as the non-NextGen products.

Valvoline NextGen Conventional and MaxLife claims containing 50% recycled oil. Is 50% a maximal, minimal, or average amount of recycled oil in NextGen? (sunfire)

 

50% is the minimum amount of re-refined oil we put into each formulation.

besides being recycled, are there any other benefits to using Nextgen Maxlife compared to the normal old formula Maxlife? I use Maxlife exclusively in the Xterra, and have had trouble pulling the trigger on the Nextgen, just because I have seen no problems using the regular Maxlife. (hooligan24)

 

NextGen MaxLife offers the exact same performances as the regular MaxLife. In a broader sense, using NextGen products promotes a sustainable future of the industry due to lower emissions associated re-refining (as compared to crude exploration, drilling and refining), less resource depletion, and a reduction in environmental footprint.

I expect it has been difficult overcoming the stigma of a recycled oil. Have the sales of NextGen met the expectations of the company? (Saleen0679)

The sales outlook looks very good and we realize that we are still in the “early adopter” phase of this product launch in regards to awareness and trial. So far in year 1, we have “1 million users” of NextGen, which is a huge feat! It’s only going to continue to grow from there.

Will we be seeing other grades being released in the near future and if so what can we expect next? (Saleen0679)

 

Valvoline will continue to evaluate market conditions and fill the needs of our customers in terms of grades and product extensions.

What has Valvoline’s marketing department had to overcome to convince the consumer that it’s not just “used oil”? I’ve seen a lot of advertising that promotes it as a “green” alternative to traditional motor oil, but not much to indicate whether it is superior to conventional motor oil. Do you anticipate that there could be a possible 100% recycled version in the near future? (zeezee)

 

We are continuing to educate the market that it’s not the “dirty stuff” in the bottle In fact, for refineries, used motor oil is a better starting point than crude oil. It has less oil contaminants and more oil molecules, so it’s abetter material to build with. Only 15% of crude oil is usable for motor oil vs. 75% of used oil is usable. NextGen Conventional offers the exact same performances as Valvoline Conventional. In a broader sense, using NextGen products promotes a sustainable future of the industry due to lower emissions associated re-refining (as compared to crude exploration, drilling and refining), less resource depletion, and a reduction in environmental footprint. Technological advances have allowed for higher-quality base oils used as feedstocks. From our viewpoint, we support increased availability of base oils and re-refining capacity so that we can have a more secure supply.

When can I expect a version suitable for use in my diesel engine? I do have a gasoline powered vehicle as well to try the product in via the mail in rebate (ib516)

 

(REPEAT) At this time, NextGen diesel engine oils (Premium Blue and All-Fleet Plus) are in production.

My question is this; Is the Next Gen selling well enough to keep it in production? I have no doubt it is a very fine product. As I`m sure you would not put your name on the bottle if it was not. (lexus114)

 

(REPEAT) The sales outlook looks very good and we realize that we are still in the “early adopter” phase of this product launch in regards to awareness and trial. So far in year 1, we have “1 million users” of NextGen, which is a huge feat! It’s only going to continue to grow from there.

Is NextGen being used by any government agencies, similar to Safetyklean (Ursae Majoris)

 

NextGen is currently being used by various municipalities and interest is still growing.

Do you plan to make a synthetic version of NexGen? Will it meet Honda’s HTO-06 specification? I realize that some oils would pass the HTO-06 test, but manufacturers choose not to certify their oils. (Ursae Majoris)

 

(REPEAT) Valvoline chemists have the capability of developing such a product. We are still evaluating the market demand for it.

I have no doubt that NextGen oils are worthy of their API certifications, but wonder why their cost is the same as the PCMO and MaxLife oils. If NextGen takes less energy to produce, why not pass the savings on to consumers? (A Harman)

 

Although it takes less energy to re-refine used oils as compared to the crude oil refining, the pricing the finished re-refined base oils, which Valvoline procures from our strategic suppliers, is almost solely decided by the supply-demand relationship of the global base oil market. To Valvoline, the cost of producing a NextGen motor oil is equivalent to that of producing a non-NextGen product.

Also, does Valvoline receive any government subsidies or other incentives to manufacture NextGen? (A Harman)

 

At this time, Valvoline receives no government subsidies for producing or selling NextGen.

Are there any plans to release fully synthetic oils to the ‘NextGen’ lineup, such as SynPower NextGen or Max Life Synthetic NextGen? Is it even possible to create a ‘full syn’ through re-refining at this time? Posted by… itslimjim

 

(REPEAT) Valvoline chemists have the capability of developing such a product. We are still evaluating the market demand for it. Technically speaking, at the current time it is not financially viable for the re-refiners to produce full synthetic re-refined base oils.

Does Valvoline operate these oil refineries? So Valvoline has control over the characteristics of the base oil such as volatility, VI, solubility for additives, etc. The auto parts stores will mix ATF as well as other non motor oils into their oil drum for recycling. ATF doesn’t contain much if any paraffinic base oil used to make motor oil. Does Valvoline selectively choose where the spent oil comes from? So the refineries can produce high yield quality base oils. Is Valvoline getting into the base oil business through recycling oil? Posted by… sunfire

 

Valvoline does not own or operate any refineries or re-refineries. The processes during re-refining eliminate almost all of the used and unused additives and contaminants that are present in the used oil, leaving only the good lubricating oil molecules as the output. At Valvoline, very strict quality standards are established to ensure the re-refined oils we use are of or above the desired quality. Currently Valvoline has no intention of manufacturing or marketing re-refined base oils.

I am “green” as they say it and have used and have Nexgen in my oil stock. I am just curious as to what percentage of your oil sales are due to Nexgen. So far I am pleased with it and will continue to use it. I hope it helps other companies move in the green recycled oil direction. Hats off to Valvoline. Posted by… toneydoc

 

We really appreciate your support of this product! However, we cannot provide proprietary sales information on public domain.

I noticed that NextGen jugs state that it lowers emissions. Does that refer to emissions produced by the vehicle it is used in, or a reduction in the refining process? Posted by… Spartanfool

 

It refers to both. It is easy to understand that the process of re-refining produces less emission to the environment. When formulating NextGen products, Valvoline uses the same award-winning low-impact anti-wear system that are used in our conventional products, so our products (NextGen and non-NextGen) will provide better protection to vehicle’s emission control system.

To conserve resources, many products (oil, plastic, etc) are either being marketed as recycled or bio-based. Could a NextGen bio based oil ever offered, or perhaps a bio/recycled blend? Posted by… JZiggy

 

Great questions. Valvoline chemists and engineers in our R&D Lab are currently evaluating all possible raw materials, including bio-derived materials..

Has at least some reclaimed base stock been used before in other oils by any blender without attribution? Does Ashland produce its own base stock, or is it purchased from third parties? Posted by… fdcg27

 

Valvoline is the first major branded lubricant manufacturer to market an oil containing at least 50% re-refined base oils. We are unaware of any other major marketers using a re-refined oil without marketing their products in such a fashion. Ashland/Valvoline does not produce its own basestocks.

I recently joined BITOG because i’m very interested in knowing more about oil filters; how they’re constructed and how they perform. So i wonder if a nextgen type oil filter (made with recycled material) would complement your partially recycled oil product? Have you thought about this? I would certainly purchase such a filter provided it was quality constructed like those filters in the 7-12$ range. Thanks much.

 

Great idea! This is something we can definitely look into for our installer channel of the business to compliment our current line of Valvoline automotive filters.

Question 1: What is the shelf life of Valvoline’s NextGen motor oils if stored in sealed bottles? What if the oil is stored in a garage that’s exposed to daily temperature variations?
Question 2: If I use NextGen or Maxlife NextGen oil in a car that’s driven only 4500 miles per year, how frequently should the oil be changed? Is it ok to wait until the oil was used for at least 3000 miles, or is there some kind of time expiration limit once the oil once its put into an engine? Posted by… Zako2

 

Although motor oils can be stored in seal bottles for a very long time, Valvoline establishes the shelf-life as 5 years due to the service category upgrade. With regard to storage in an area with temperature variations, it will not affect the life or performance of nay Valvoline products, including NextGen. Valvoline recommends that oil in the engine should be changed based on what is described in the owner’s manual. (For vehicles driven very low miles, it can be considered part of good maintenance to drive the vehicle for at least 30 minutes per week at highway speeds.)

1) The Valvoline advertising states 50% recycled oil. What is the remaining 50% comprised of? Refined Dino Group II, or Group III, or Synthetic based, or a blend? 2) Since the 50% Recycled basestock is made up of an unpredictable mixture of various motor oils (synthetic, dino, etc), ATF, and otehr petrochemicals, how is the consistency of Nextgen from batch to batch maintained? Posted by… tstep

 

The rest of the 50% is comprised of other base oils and the additive chemistries. 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. The processes during re-refining eliminate almost all of the used and unused additives and contaminants that are present in the used oil, leaving only the good lubricating oil molecules as the output. At Valvoline, very strict quality standards are established to ensure the re-srefined oils we use are of or above the desired quality.

I have read that Valvoline makes or bottles AutoPride motor oils. Will Valvoline bottle NextGen in a generic bottle or under a label like AutoPride. I have an old International engine that smokes on startup from bad valve seals, and I don’t feel like fixing it. Does NextGen offer any benefits over regular Valovline to reduce smoke or deposits in the combustion chamber? Posted by… Yellow IHC

 

For an older light-duty engine with seal issues, Valvoline would recommend the use of our MaxLife or NextGen MaxLife products.

Other than simply being “green”, what benefits does NextGen have over other Valvoline products? Posted by… JGW

 

NextGen products perform at the same level as traditional Valvoline motor oils that you have trusted for years. No compromises have been made with this product.

Does Valvoline also use recycled materials in the NextGen Bottles? Posted by… Tortuga

 

Yes.

I would like to know the benefit of NextGen Conventional vs Valvoline Conventional and NextGen Maxlife vs Maxlife. Posted by… HTSS TR

 

NextGen motor oil performs at the same level as traditional Valvoline Conventional and MaxLife formulations.

What percentage of used oil/atf/etc winds up being re-refined into a usable product? IE: for every gallon of used oil collected and re-refined, how many quarts are turned into nextgen, or other usable products, and just plain unusable waste? Posted by… tstep

 

The yield of re-refined base oils from used oil is approximately 80%.

As a user of Valvoline DuraBlend are there any plans to sell a NextGen DuraBlend? Posted by… number 41

 

NextGen DuraBlend is currently available.

I am now using the VR1 in my older flat tappet engine, Will there be a NextGen VR1 in 10w30 and 20w50? Posted by… porkchop01

 

Valvoline chemists have the capability of developing such a product. We are still evaluating the market demand for it.

Glad to see Valvoline as a sponsor. Was at one point a VIOC employee and have always used Valvoline products. But after finding Bitog have experimented with allot of different brands. I maintain a fleet of 5 personal vehicles so it is easy to compare. Currently, for my own personal reasons favor Valvoline and Mobil products. One of these reasons is my perceived gas mileage, multiple vehicles get approx 40k a year and even very small mileage gains add up over time. I also tend to favor high mileage oils, as most of the vehicles are close to or over the 200k mark. These oils tend to help with minor leaks in my experience. So my question becomes is there any mileage advantage to using NextGen products compared to the standard Maxlife products? Posted by… andersd

 

We appreciate your support of Valvoline products! NextGen MaxLife motor oil performs at the same level as the traditional Valvoline MaxLife formulation.

I would also like to know the performance differences between NextGen, Maxlife and the conventional white bottle Valvoline. Using 50% recycled oil is there less refining needed compared to crude and less asphalt, sulfur, and easily oxidized components in the finished oil? Posted by… blakegeo

 

NextGen products perform at the same level as those non-NextGen counterparts. For the finished lubricants, the 50% re-refined base oils are of similar or equivalent properties of the base oils used in the non-NextGen counterparts, hence the products are of very similar or same performance.

My question is – will there be any versions of NextGen that will meet any of the Euro specs like VW 502.00 or even ACEA A3/B4? Posted by… threeputtpar

 

Valvoline chemists have the capability of developing products meeting such claims. We are evaluating the market demand for them.

Here’s my question: Now that it’s been a year or so, are there any announcements forthcoming about changes to the lineup that you can share at this time, such as adding/ending certain grades of NextGen, or adding NextGen Synpower to the lineup? Posted by… Ken W

 

(Repeat)Valvoline chemists have the capability of developing such a product. We are still evaluating the market demand for it.

Do you have to pay for used oil or are your suppliers glad to have it taken away? Back in the day working in a garage, we were instructed to tell walk-ins with used oil that “our storage tanks are full so we can’t take anymore oil.” I used to work at a ‘Lube in a Jiffy’ place. The waste oil heater ran 24 / 7 so that they wouldn’t have to pay to have the waste oil disposed. Apparently it was costly to dispose used oil back then. Is waste oil now a valuable commodity, rather than a liability? Posted by… Nayov

 

Valvoline, nor Ashland, is involved in used oil collection or re-refining business. Most used oils would be considered as a valuable commodity since crude oil is a non-renewable resource.

My questions are like the other questions like what is the other 50 percent (synthetic or not) that is not re-refined? Shelf Life? The maxlife version of nextgen, what extra is in it besides (I assume) gasket rejuvinator? Posted by… ballpark Frank

 

(REPEAT) The rest of the 50% is comprised of other base oils and the additive chemistries. 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.
(REPEAT) Although motor oils can be stored in seal bottles for a very long time, Valvoline establishes the shelf-life as 5 years due to the service category upgrade.
Compared with NextGen Conventional, NextGen MaxLife has better dispersancy and detergency, seal conditioner (as mentioned), more synthetic base oils (as NextGen MaxLife is synthetic blend), more antioxidant, and better anti-wear chemistries.