http://www.pqiamerica.com/June%20201...leage2014.html VOA = Virgin Oil Analysis on the first batch of High Mileage motor oils. The SOPUS Pennzoil HM & Quaker State Defy seem to be the same recipe as expected. The Valvolene MaxLife is semi-synthetic & Dexos-1 qualified, with the lowest NOACK % evaporation. The other 3 seem to be using a formula sorta like the Maxlife, but with a lower quality base oil, as their NOACK % evaporation is higher. More brands recipe to be tested soon.

I'm currently running the semi-syn 5W-30 MaxLife in two family vehicles for the first time, to see if its lower 10.9% NOACK % evaporation will address a sudden oil consumption that arose in those two vehicles that had never used oil between changes, after I began using the first batch of Havoline SN GF-5 a couple of years ago & the consumption continued for 3 oci's with the Havoline 5w-30 SN/GF-5. The consumption wouldn't begin to show up until about 6-8 weeks into the oci, then get progressively worse as the weeks went on.

So far the 94 Taurus push rod 3.8L hasn't consumed any of the MaxLife & the 2000 Neon 2.0L OHC is 12 weeks & 3000 miles into its oci & I had to add 1/2 pint yesterday to bring the level back up to the full mark. The Neon is driven daily in short trips, usually not more than 5 miles, so it qualifies for Chryslers severe service designation. It appears that the lower NOACK figure of the 5W-30 MaxLife has lowered the Neons consumption & the Taurus has yet to use any, but we have 3 months to go on their oci, so we'll see how it goes on both vehicles by years end.

Anyway, any of you thinking of using a High Mileage recipe engine oil, will soon be able to view the VOA recipe of a wider selection & be able to choose one that'll likely fit your needs based on test data, without having to guess on what your getting like I had to.

 

PQIA submits second round VOA of High Mileage motor oils. Petroleum Quality Intitute of America

EDIT: Must be an old dusty bottle of Valvolene MaxLife they got from Napa, as it doesn't show that its licensed to meet Dexos-1, which the new bottles display & whats with the Quaker State Defy, showing that it only meets API SL, I suppose its because of the high zinc/phosphor content, but it may also have a lower quality base oil too!!!! NOACK % evaporation range for the oils is all over the place & that's kinda surprising for high mileage lubes that'll be used in engines that typically use some oil. Choose carefully!!!!

As noted in the above post, for the first time I'm trying a Valvolene product, semi-synthetic MaxLife High Mileage 5W-30 in our 2000 Dodge Neon 2.0L ohc & 95 Taurus 3.8L pushrod engine, trying to address a sudden oil consumption problem that arose when the first doses of API SN/GF-5 Havoline went in & Havoline was used for 3 oci's in both vehicles, both which had Never previously used any oil between changes, began showing consumption after 6-7 weeks & consumed 1/2-1 qt over their 3 oci's with the regular Havoline 5W-30 API SN/GF-5. I suspected the Havoline SN/GF-5 recipe NOACK % evaporation had gone up & sure enough PQIA VOA tests confirmed it had, up to 15.5%, retesting at 15.1%, not good for possible consumption in hot running engines!!!!

I then tried the low NOACK Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 & like the Havoline, it was ok for about 6-7 weeks, then began to consume, but the Platinum consumption got Worse as time went on, such that I was having to top The Neon up weekly, so I dumped the Neon Platinum early in Oct last fall, for Synthetic Havoline 5W-30. The Synthetic Havoline did better but consumption began toward the end of the oci in late March 2014, so in went the semi-synthetic Maxlife 5W-30 on June-6-2014. It has a 10.9% NOACK. I had to add 1/2 pint last week, (it had 3k miles & about 4 months on its oci at that time), to bring it back up to the top of the dipstick full mark. So far the Maxlife consumption in the Neon is Way less than the Pennzoil Platinum, or regular Havoline 5W-30, its more like, but a little better so far than the synthetic Havoline, so we'll see how it goes when it gets changed again in early Dec. I chose the Maxlife because its NOACK % evaporation was the lowest of the high mileage recipes, it also meets Dexos-1, its viscosity was the same as Havoline & price was the lowest I could find with all of those attributes. I've used Havoline for well over 50 years & never had any of my engines use any between changes, so this sudden consumption with the new SN/GF5 recipe, is new to me!!!!

The Taurus got its current dose of Maxlife 5W-30 on 1-9-14 & to date hasn't used any, but it hasn't been driven as much as the Neon, which is a severe service, short trip daily driver & its an ohc engine.

Again, if your of a mind to try a High Mileage recipe motor oil, choose carefully, there seems to be a wide range in quality. Right now, if I had to pick two, it would be Maxlife & Pennzoil High Mileage, in that order, based on NOACK % evaporation, specifications met & published ad pack.

If we check the VOA tests that PQIA has done, most SN/GF-5 recipe oils, both high mileage & regular, NOACK % evaporation has gone Up, so keep a check on your engines life blood if your running SN/GF-5 lubes, especially if your using 5W-20, as nearly all of them have a NOACK right at or over 15%!!!!!
More thoughts for pondering.