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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Why buy expensive oil brands?


Thomas.B

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I dont really understand why so many opt for the expensive oil brands over the less expensive ones?

 

Noname brand i use (10w40)

Have the following specs: API SN/CF, ACEA A3/B3/B4

10 litres for 50£

 

FUCHS silikone 5w40: API SJ, SL, CF, ACEA A3, B3

5 litres for 54£

 

I also use the same noname brand (10w40: JASO MA2, (JASO T903:2006), API: SM) for my tuned Yamaha R1 that revs 15 000 without any issues on track etc (been using for 5 years)

 

 

What do you look at when buying oil?

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I have never used expensive oil brands, used Shell Helix semi synth in all my cars, meets all the current spec and some of them where pushing nearly twice the std power levels, but that was not on blind trust, I had it analysed after 4K mls and the results where very good.

 

Edit: should have added that the original oil that Toyota would have specified for the engine would have been a fair bit inferior to todays oils.

Edited by Tricky-Ricky (see edit history)
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I always use named oil. I use Mobil stuff as recommended by Opie. For something so important I'd rather not risk damaging anything for the sake of a few quid.

 

But why are you risking it? The one I use has higher spec than many other "named" brands. Remember that you are paying for commercials and ads, not in all cases a better product.

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Ester Based Oils go beyond the "specs" or minimum requirements...meeting a spec and blowing away a spec are two different things except to the test. The test only cares you passed with the sample provided. It doesn't care if you passed by an inch or a mile, passing is passing.

 

So I use Ester based as from my understanding it exceeds in areas like protection and breakdown resistance better than other types. I use Fuchs Titan Pro-R/S (I forget which the last letter is) for those reasons.

 

It's a choice, no one is more right. Do what you want. Most Oil's are pretty good nowadays.

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I use triple QX fully synthetic from euro car parts// car parts for less, cost me £15 for 5ltrs and it's spec exceeds toyotas for the supra plus all the benefits of synthetic oil.

also being that cheap i change it more often.

 

oil specs

  • API SN/CF, ACEA A3, B3, B4
  • VW502.00, 505.00, MB229.3, BMW LL-01, Renault RN700/710

 

regards chris

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Who's saying you should choose a low quality oil? I am talking about spec's that the oils meet not to buy shitty oil from youre local supermarket.

The oil I buy is produced by one of the largest producers of oil (makes some of the expensive brands) but in a simple bottle at half the price.

 

This is not a "being cheap" thread.

 

"Top" brands pay for advertisement, packaging, shelf placement and also need to have a good kick-back to the retailers, who do you think pays for this?

I work in the area (not oils) so I do have some knowing what I'm talking about.

 

Why using high quality oïl ? And change it at the right time ? ..............

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]195925[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]195926[/ATTACH]

 

That what I saw on a '93 TT6 that has been veeery badly treated...

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Who's saying you should choose a low quality oil? I am talking about spec's that the oils meet not to buy shitty oil from youre local supermarket.

The oil I buy is produced by one of the largest producers of oil (makes some of the expensive brands) but in a simple bottle at half the price.

 

This is not a "being cheap" thread.

 

"Top" brands pay for advertisement, packaging, shelf placement and also need to have a good kick-back to the retailers, who do you think pays for this?

I work in the area (not oils) so I do have some knowing what I'm talking about.

 

The point being made earlier was regarding the specifications. There is meeting a specification, which most oils do, and there is blowing the specification out of the water.

 

It's like passing a test, you can pass and score 75%, you can also pass and score 100%. Clearly scoring 100% is better than 75% even though the test has been passed.

 

If you are using an expensive oil that's been re-branded and de-labeled to save money, then great. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of options for that, that I know of.

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Also it really depends what you are using the car for, extended high temperature use like racing or trackday or drifting gives the oil a hard time so i don`t mind spending abit more to protect the engine and turbo.

 

Agree - this is where I am assuming where the difference is

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But if one oil blows the lower of the 2 specs out of the water but does not meet the higher one, is this still to you a better oil?

Do you have the testsheet for one of youre oils? Would be nice to see what factors they took into account when performing the tests.

 

Bignum: As said, I have a R1 that I use for track days, having opened the engine and tuned it (15500rpm). Having used the same "Noname-highspec" oil for 5-6 years in the engine and having NO damages.

 

Ian C: Well, for a brand that only does R&D and one that does all of the quoted, what one would be more expensive? Would it be the better brand because of the other pricey things?

 

 

The point being made earlier was regarding the specifications. There is meeting a specification, which most oils do, and there is blowing the specification out of the water.

 

It's like passing a test, you can pass and score 75%, you can also pass and score 100%. Clearly scoring 100% is better than 75% even though the test has been passed.

 

If you are using an expensive oil that's been re-branded and de-labeled to save money, then great. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of options for that, that I know of.

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What is your point exactly? I mean just use what you want. Some prefer long lived brands supplying their own unique oils, other like generic brands which lets face it are made by one of the big brands...it's OBVIOUS that Halfords or any other motoring shop don't make the oil themselves, they contract the job out to the lowest bidder who in turn puts in the suitable grade of oil for the price point required.

 

So what is your point, exactly? Yes the oils pass tests, correct, so carry on and use them if that's what you want. But don't knock anyone that decides to use a big brand name for even the placebo effect.

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But if one oil blows the lower of the 2 specs out of the water but does not meet the higher one, is this still to you a better oil?

Do you have the testsheet for one of youre oils? Would be nice to see what factors they took into account when performing the tests.

 

Bignum: As said, I have a R1 that I use for track days, having opened the engine and tuned it (15500rpm). Having used the same "Noname-highspec" oil for 5-6 years in the engine and having NO damages.

 

I can't recall the name for what you have wrote, but it's something like false reasoning.

 

Because you haven't had a failing doesn't mean that your engine isn't wearing at an accelerated rate compared to if you had used a-n-other brand. How many failings have you heard of due to poor quality oil (Note, I mean poor quality oil... not the owner is an idiot and used the wrong stuff).

 

It's like saying I must be using the best toothpaste because my teeth haven't fallen out. Could I be using a better one that does more? Probably, but the one I have just now does the job just fine. I won't knock anyone that uses a-n-other brand just becuase the one I'm using suits my needs.

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I can't recall the name for what you have wrote, but it's something like false reasoning.

 

Because you haven't had a failing doesn't mean that your engine isn't wearing at an accelerated rate compared to if you had used a-n-other brand. How many failings have you heard of due to poor quality oil (Note, I mean poor quality oil... not the owner is an idiot and used the wrong stuff).

 

It's like saying I must be using the best toothpaste because my teeth haven't fallen out. Could I be using a better one that does more? Probably, but the one I have just now does the job just fine. I won't knock anyone that uses a-n-other brand just becuase the one I'm using suits my needs.

Scott, i love the way you think and actually put it into words, spot on buddy:D

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