Don't have Amazon Prime? Students can get a
free 6-Month Amazon Prime trial with free 2-day shipping, unlimited video streaming & more.
If you're not a student, there's also a
free 1-Month Amazon Prime trial available.
You can also earn cash back rewards on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases with the
Amazon Prime Visa credit card. Read our review to see if it’s the right card for you.
55 Comments
Your comment cannot be blank.
Featured Comments
Here is the formulation difference between a
Premium synthetic (Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum, Castrol EDGE, those types)
Base oil: Group III and/or IV or V mix
Additive package: Premium at around 13-16% treat rate plus whatever marketing claims boosters (sludge, wear, longer drains etc.)
Viscosity modifier: Expensive star polymer which burns cleaner and lasts longer (more shear stable).
Entry level synthetic (Kirkland, Supertech, Amazon basics, etc.)
Base oil: Group III and now maybe even Group II+
Additive package: Market general from one of the big 4 so 8-9% treat rates.
Viscosity modifier: Olefin copolymer type which burn a bit dirtier and tend to be less shear stable but they are cheaper.
So the first one is formulated to meet some marketing performance claim and was always meant to be a more expensive top tier fluid.
The second one is a cheap meant to meet a bid from Costco or Amazon so literally a tenth of a cent will be cut from those products to get the bid. Hence you get the absolute minimum amount of additives to meet API and dexos1.
As for those specs, there is a window sort of like a test. Getting say an 8.0 is passing and the second group of products target 8.0, and if I got a higher result I'd take some additive out and try again until I just hit the 8.0. If I could make a 7.5% treat additive pack I'd get more business and that's the goal. The first, premium group of products, marketing will ask for a higher target and allow us to put more in to help them sell the product with performance claims. They are more premium products so spending a bit more on additives is acceptable.
Now if you want to go to project farm and cook your oil in a coffee pot to say they are equal... you can but instead I used to run fired engine tests at SWRI and Intertek and get actual deposit, sludge, wear test results and I saw that on my skinny cheap packs vs. my premium packs.
So long answer but no full synthetic isn't full synthetic. Also don't fall for "synthetic technology" that's like "cheese food" has no cheese.
One last note: Turbos hate deposits, it kills their bearings so those cheap, dirty OCP polymers could shorten the life of the turbo.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
you can also buy your own oil and take it to where you get it changed. that's what i've been doing...they charge $25 labor so i'm under $50 instead of $80 if i didn't bring the oil.
Yeah... and they keep the oil you brought for themselves and pump into your vehicle what everybody else gets from their 50 gallon bulk oil...
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
LOL . They are absolutely correct. Some (many?) manufacturers recommend oils that meet their specific requirements. Porsche C30? MB 229.1? GM Dexos 1? GM Dexos 2? Chrysler MS-6395? Ever heard of those? They meet different requirements, and pass (or fail) certain tests/thresholds set by car (and by extension engine) manufacturers.
There are some oils that are objectively better than others. Some manufacturer specifications are much more stringent than others. So yes. Porsche will specify Porsche C30 oil (not Porsche C20, not Porsche A40), for very good reasons. An oil that meets Porsche C30 is generally objectively superior than an oil that "just" meets API SN alone, for example.
Here is the formulation difference between a
Premium synthetic (Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum, Castrol EDGE, those types)
Base oil: Group III and/or IV or V mix
Additive package: Premium at around 13-16% treat rate plus whatever marketing claims boosters (sludge, wear, longer drains etc.)
Viscosity modifier: Expensive star polymer which burns cleaner and lasts longer (more shear stable).
Entry level synthetic (Kirkland, Supertech, Amazon basics, etc.)
Base oil: Group III and now maybe even Group II+
Additive package: Market general from one of the big 4 so 8-9% treat rates.
Viscosity modifier: Olefin copolymer type which burn a bit dirtier and tend to be less shear stable but they are cheaper.
So the first one is formulated to meet some marketing performance claim and was always meant to be a more expensive top tier fluid.
The second one is a cheap meant to meet a bid from Costco or Amazon so literally a tenth of a cent will be cut from those products to get the bid. Hence you get the absolute minimum amount of additives to meet API and dexos1.
As for those specs, there is a window sort of like a test. Getting say an 8.0 is passing and the second group of products target 8.0, and if I got a higher result I'd take some additive out and try again until I just hit the 8.0. If I could make a 7.5% treat additive pack I'd get more business and that's the goal. The first, premium group of products, marketing will ask for a higher target and allow us to put more in to help them sell the product with performance claims. They are more premium products so spending a bit more on additives is acceptable.
Now if you want to go to project farm and cook your oil in a coffee pot to say they are equal... you can but instead I used to run fired engine tests at SWRI and Intertek and get actual deposit, sludge, wear test results and I saw that on my skinny cheap packs vs. my premium packs.
So long answer but no full synthetic isn't full synthetic. Also don't fall for "synthetic technology" that's like "cheese food" has no cheese.
One last note: Turbos hate deposits, it kills their bearings so those cheap, dirty OCP polymers could shorten the life of the turbo.
"Oooooh, that's a BINGO!". Well said.
you can also buy your own oil and take it to where you get it changed. that's what i've been doing...they charge $25 labor so i'm under $50 instead of $80 if i didn't bring the oil.
Time. Convenience. Doing it in your own garage or on your own driweway. Using the filter and oil of your choosing (almost always better than what's on offer, especially at Walmart I would imagine). Knowing the job was done correctly and with care (e.g. oil drain bolt not cranked down too hard, filter not double-gasketed, correct amount and type of oil added). I changed my water pump a few weeks ago. In the comfort of my own garage. Bought OEM Lexus water pump + thermostat + idler pulley. Still saved minimum $500. Didn't have to drive to dealer and wait. And I know it was done 100% correctly (following the Lexus service manual). All four brakes and rotors coming up next, plus sunroof gasket. It's not always strictly about the $$. Time/convenience also a factor, plus knowing job was done right (which is not guaranteed, unfortunately, even at the f*cking dealer in my experience).