Originally Posted By: Solarent
When it comes to "testing" by the oil companies the marketing department often puts a spin on it to make it seem better. Even if we were given access to the sequence test results there is always a way to make it seem like Oil A is better than Oil B.
For example:
"mine is more clean"
"mine has stronger film strength"
"mine has special additive technology"
"mine uses only the best synthetic base"
etc. etc.
This is how I chose oil:
-1- Start with OEM recommendations
-2- Pick my desired maintenance program (OCI length, DIY/DIFM etc)
-3- Do a couple of UOA's to determine a baseline trend
-4- Pick my candidate oils based on price, availability and packaging (like I said - I'm shallow like that)
-5- Monitor my UOA trend to make sure I can achieve my maintenance goals with my selection (lucky for me I have access to really good cheap analysis)
-6- Adjust accordingly (this could mean trying a different oil based on viscosity performance or UOA results,or adjusting the OCI, it could also mean experimenting with blends or filters or additives etc.)
Everyone's engine will respond differently based on a wide range of conditions - what works well for someone in Canada might not make sense for someone in Australia. This is true even when you have the exact same engine and use the exact same oil. That's why having a choice of oils is good, because you can find the one that meets your needs for your engine in your conditions and driving habits.
I totally agree.
That pretty much sums it all up, and mirrors exactly my personal approach to the matter.
Except I don't care what the packaging is.
I'm a bit of a sceptic, and if the oil is packaged to fancy or it has a pretty colour, let alone a special scent added, then I tend to steer away and observe from a distance.
If one follows your process, it's hard to go wrong on the journey to reach a state of contentment regarding their choice in oils.
Unfortunately not everyone can pull it all together in a logical manner like that.
They can be easily misled by the marketing.
I know.
I used to be like that when I was much younger.