Is there any real difference quality between "store brand" and name brand oils or coolants. I know for instance in the grocery industry, most times the store brands match up fairly well.

 

what i see here is that most store brand oil is recycled.

 

Napa oil used to be Ashland, which I believe also makes Valvoline. The store brands may have different additive packages.

Sent from my C771 using IB AutoGroup

 

Jared, i think he is talking more on the lines of grocery store/quickie mart/7-11 oil than auto parts store oil.
and Valvoline has been repackaging their oil for NAPA for over 15 years now.

 

Not really the gas station and grocery store oil, but parts store or Walmart brands

 

not sure on wallyworld, but i think it is made by valvoline and repackaged with their name like NAPA is.

 

Ok, did some research, which I should done first I recon lol. Anyway, these guys https://www.pqiamerica.com

Did a comparison of store brands and found most on the up and up. Super tech is blended from pennzoil base product by Warren Performance products.

 

Howdy,


In general, motor oils today are "put together" from "base stocks" and additive packages.

Few (if any) of the additive packages are manufactured at the refinery level. They come from companies like Shell Chemical, Chevron, Lubrizol, etc. (although those companies may have their chemical additive refining at or near their refineries too)

Base stock oil is traded like other commodities, then the additive packages are added to meet ASTM and SAE standards.

2 different brand oils might contain base stocks from the same oil manufacturer AND the same additive maker (like Lubrizol) but have different names on the bottle.......

The oil companies depend mostly on consumers feeling "good" about the oils they buy (like just about all other "brand-loyalty" products)

They have psychologists laying awake at night dreaming up ways to get people to buy their brand!

Consumer Reports did a "study" back in the 90's and found that most oils matched what the bottle said on the outside but some were mis-labled (10W-40 was really SAE 30 etc)

In general, you're just fine buying Napa, Walmart, Quicksilver, Volvo Penta, etc etc etc branded oils. Just understand that they don't have their own refinery and chemical additive companies BUT ASTM, SAE and the NMMA have all specified standards the oils MUST meet to be licensed.

So regardless of "Brand" you're probably getting Chevron, Shell, Mohawk, Arco, Castrol, Esso, etc etc etc base stock oil, AND Lubrizol, Castrol, Chevron, Shell Chemical etc etc etc (in any order) additives.

But since they're all licensed there's a good chance that you're getting "OK" oil.

Oil brand (but using correct Oil Spec) doesn't usually damage engines. NOT changing it regularly DOES.

ymmv..........


Rick