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Non name brand oil is made by a name brand oil company... You seriously do not think that each and every non name brand oil has it's own company to make it... I have had 37 vehicles since I started driving...I have NEVER used Synthetic oil and have used name brand and non name brand when I needed to change oil or top off....
All of my vehicles went over 100,000 miles, more over 150,000, some over 200,000 and even some over 250,000.. I have NEVER had any engine problems except from 5 of these which were manufacturers defects...
One thing I have ALWAYS done is change the oil on a regular basis... If you do NOTHING else change your oil and filter like you are supposed to....
Just like people think that you only get name brand gas at a name brand gas station.. They are wrong.. Gas companies buy gasoline from whoever has it if their refinery runs out... So you are NOT getting pure whatever name brand gas you think you are 100% of the time....
Also look at Batteries..Only 2 or 3 companies make all the batteries for sale... So no matter what name is on the battery it is made by 1 of 3 companies....
So if Valvoline makes so and so non branded oil that is what you are getting no matter what the name on the container says...
The most important thing is consistency and grade. Brands don't matter that much. Having clean oil and new filter is much more important. I've read many car mechanics blogs calling out people that over stretch the oil because they've sent in their used oil for analysis and found they can keep using it for 7-10k mi. It's not worth the risk when oil changes cost less than $30 DIY.
A car the gets driven daily can actually go pass the recommended interval than a car that sits more, but it's simpler just to change your oil within the guidelines or change it with easy season change.
Just buy your oil from Walmart and forget about it. $22-25 for name brand full synthetic in 5 QT jugs. Nothing else to consider. And Walmarts are everywhere. Get OEM filters online and save you that extra trip. Stock up.
Just buy your oil from Walmart and forget about it. $22-25 for name brand full synthetic in 5 QT jugs. Nothing else to consider. And Walmarts are everywhere. Get OEM filters online and save you that extra trip. Stock up.
Bingo. Why people buy overpriced oil at auto parts stores is beyond me.
In my younger days I was very particular about my engine oil and my choice was Castrol GTX. I never gave using generic oil a moment's thought. The other day I was at Auto zone and noticed that name brand 5-qt jugs are going for over$25, and that is for non-synthetic. Needless to say I grabbed the store brand. As much as people are picky about their engine oil, I have never seen a study that using Pennzoil prolonged engine life over other brands. BTW, I can get an oil and filter change for $19.99 all day long. The economics of DIY oil change has changed a lot.
So at my local Walmart, a 5 Qt of Mobile 1 or Penzoil is about $23, while Supertech (cheapest one) is $12., so price/ quart:
Mobile 1: $4.6
Supertech: $2.4
My car takes 4 quarts, so $18.40 for Mobile 1 and $9.60 for Supertech, but my car needs about 10,000 miles between oil changes. So even of I drive 20,000 miles (which I actually drive more), it's only $17.60 more per year to use the brand name. IMO, it's a no brainer. I'm happy to pay the extra money. Now, if it was in the hundreds, I'd seriously look into the Supertech.
If there's any positives to having a Walmart close to you, is the lower prices on their oil. It's incredible seeing how expensive a quart of Mobil 1 at an Autozone or an O'Reilly is compared to Walmart. You can literally save like $25 on a 5 quart jug.
I guess the convenience factor of being able to walk in and out an auto parts store within 5 or 10 minutes beats the long lines at Walmart for most people. So this can be the reason why people are willing to pay extra, who knows.
As far as store brand and name brand oils go, the best store brand oil that I would recommend not only on price but quality is Napa brand oil which is made by Valvoline. I've asked the counter guys there if there's any real differences in the quality from the name brand vs there store brand, and he said from what the company tells him, there's absolutely no difference, just the name on the bottle!
So all the additive packages, and detergents are the same since they are bottled at the same plant.
Oil is oil, but I believe some companies and depending on the weight of the oil have higher anti-wear additives, detergents and use better base oils that make that particular oil good enough to last a longer time between oil changes.
The problem with store brand oils is that you can't find out this information, and the majority of the time, the oil is probably not as good specs wise vs the name brands.
Oil analysis data can really prove what brand of what oil is doing a good job at protecting and cleaning the engine while not allowing metal to metal contact.
I don't mind using store brand oil here and there, but I want the very best for my cars and feel comfortable and confident using a brand like Castrol or Mobil 1.
Don't forget about Lucas oil, especially for older classic cars. They have this oil called "Classic car/Hot Rod oil, and it has like 2600ppm of Zinc to protect flat tappet cams. So depending on the age of your vehicle and the condition of it, you could benefit from using an oil like this.
You'd be surprised how little anti-wear additives many of today's high milage oils have in them. So researching online for what brand using the most Zinc or other ingredients to help cut down on oil burning, and emissions, can really help you decide what's best for your vehicle. Usually the specs paperwork can be found online, Mobil 1 shares this, and it tells you what weight of oil has the amount of Zinc and Phosphorus in it.
If there's any positives to having a Walmart close to you, is the lower prices on their oil. It's incredible seeing how expensive a quart of Mobil 1 at an Autozone or an O'Reilly is compared to Walmart. You can literally save like $25 on a 5 quart jug.
I guess the convenience factor of being able to walk in and out an auto parts store within 5 or 10 minutes beats the long lines at Walmart for most people. So this can be the reason why people are willing to pay extra, who knows.
Exactly, I can get a 5 quart jug of Pennzoil Platinum at Walmart cheaper than the yellow bottle at Advance Auto Parts. Unfortunately my local Walmart has stopped selling Purolator filters, which is what I like to use. As far as the speed, if all I'm buying is oil I can zip through the self checkout and be out of there in a few minutes.
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