Valvoline Responds ACEA Specs Are '08 (Top That)

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ACEA Specs are very good specs compared to American driven fuel economy and 500,000 mile cat protection. With that being said note that ACEA ("Euro")specs but are very year dependent.

Here is the email response I got from Valvoline on Synpower.

"Thank you for your questions and we would be happy to help. When we state ACEA claims on our products, it is for the latest version that has been released. For example: In the case of the Synpower products, the A1 & A5 covers all specs through A1-08 & A5-08."


Even though Valvoline Synpower is a group III as most American synthetics I highly suspect they use far more group IV stock or components thereof.

Think on the back of the Penz Platinum Bottle I read they were only like ACEA -02 specs I believe and Ultra does not bother with listing any ACEA specs whats up with that? ? ?

Remember anytime reading ACEA spec they are very year dependent as significant changes where made over the years and if they year is not mentioned you must question.

Any other American Oils up to the ACEA A1-08 and A5-08 specs?

Regards
 
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There's no doubt they make excellent oils! I have a stash of VWB in the basement. I've always eyeballed Synpower, but never see it on sale.
 
Originally Posted By: webfors
There's no doubt they make excellent oils! I have a stash of VWB in the basement. I've always eyeballed Synpower, but never see it on sale.


Currently $19.99 for a gallon at Oreillys. Combine that with the buy one get one free offer by MIR (see the "sales and promotions" section on this site), which I think is still going on, and that is $2.50 per quart. You can get up to two free gallons in total. So 16 quarts for $40.
 
You lucky Americans with your sales!!

I drive over the border to upstate NY way more often than I should for stuff. A perfect example is brake parts for my subaru. Total front end job cost me less than $100 in parts.

If I see synpower here at that price you can bet there will be a new member of my "stash club".
 
Originally Posted By: Fallguy
ACEA Specs are very good specs compared to American driven fuel economy and 500,000 mile cat protection. With that being said note that ACEA ("Euro")specs but are very year dependent.

Here is the email response I got from Valvoline on Synpower.

"Thank you for your questions and we would be happy to help. When we state ACEA claims on our products, it is for the latest version that has been released. For example: In the case of the Synpower products, the A1 & A5 covers all specs through A1-08 & A5-08."


I was about to email Valvoline asking the same question. If they would clearly marked their PDS there would be fewer people asking.
 
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Originally Posted By: sunfire


I was about to email Valvoline asking the same question. If they would clearly marked their PDS there would be fewer people asking.


Exactly but they probably know very very few people (mechanics included) can tell what the specs mean for the most part. Its supposed to be implied that if the year is not given it is the most up to date but I would always like to see the date and leave no room for question or wiggle room for marketing manipulation of the specs.
 
Hi,
Fallguy - ACEA is the "product" of the Euro Vehicle Manufacturers and not the Oil Industry. It views the Oil Industry as a Supplier - as it should be! Suppliers of course need to evolve their products to meet new Technologies and etc

Contrary to your comments many of the ACEA standards (say A3/B3) have remained much the same for many many years. ACEA ia about refinement and evolving durable Quality Standards and this is where some changes have occured.
New test sequences have assisted that process.

When I first joined BITOG I was roundly criticised (mainly from the AMSOIL "camp"), many people here at that time had never heard of ACEA. I had been part of the process with the Euro Manufacturers and certain Oil Companies from the time their Standards were introduced in 1996

The API has been a slow starter and it was only due to the pressures applied by the major US diesel engine manufacturers during the 1970s-1980s that awoke the Oil Industry to reality. They are suppliers to evolving Technical standards! Cummins gave them a fright when they introduced their own Standards along with Mack. CAT were already a very long way down that path!

ACEA has forced the API to look at a parallel path in many respects

The folllowing Link adds a new dimension to this too

http://www.imakenews.com/lng/e_article001916131.cfm?x=bhCVvqf,bcNDBm4v
 
Originally Posted By: webfors
You lucky Americans with your sales!!

I drive over the border to upstate NY way more often than I should for stuff. .


Oh, didn't noticeeee you were a Canadian, eh. Well den, I guess that is a good excuse for ya.

Note: I'm from WI. Down here in KY a lot of people think that is basically Canadian.
 
Originally Posted By: webfors
You lucky Americans with your sales!!
+1

Yep I hear you webfors! We also pay a lot more for oil in Australia. 5L of synpower here goes for about $60.00. I once saw it on sale for $56 but that's about as good as it gets.
frown.gif


BTW. I'm not singling out Synpower here. Castrol Edge is about the same price and Mobil 1 is about $10 more.
 
I used the Valvoline oil recommendation on their web page. It stated that my car needed a synthetic and recommended SynPower. When you click the recommendation it shows plain old SynPower 5W-30. This is certainly not the correct oil for my vehicle.

Several e-mails back and forth showed me that the scam artists at Valvoline will say anything to sell their product. Mobil and Castrol both explicitly state that my VW requires a certain specification that is met with only one of their products. Valvoline chooses to simply state that one of their entire product lines (SynPower) is all I need to meet the spec. When I called their hand on this issue they back pedal and state that it's up to the customer to verify that the oil they use is approved by their engine builder and not the oil company. When questioned why they recommend a unapproved fluid they simply stated it's not their responsibility.

I will NEVER use another drop of their garbage. It's 'average' at best and the company exhibits no moral character. That's a failure notice for me.
 
Originally Posted By: Doug Hillary
The folllowing Link adds a new dimension to this too

http://www.imakenews.com/lng/e_article001916131.cfm?x=bhCVvqf,bcNDBm4v

Very telling indeed. Thank you for sharing - educational..
 
Originally Posted By: webfors
There's no doubt they make excellent oils! I have a stash of VWB in the basement. I've always eyeballed Synpower, but never see it on sale.

Its been $21 a 5qt for a while at my local walmart.
 
Originally Posted By: FowVay
I used the Valvoline oil recommendation on their web page. It stated that my car needed a synthetic and recommended SynPower. When you click the recommendation it shows plain old SynPower 5W-30. This is certainly not the correct oil for my vehicle.

Several e-mails back and forth showed me that the scam artists at Valvoline will say anything to sell their product. Mobil and Castrol both explicitly state that my VW requires a certain specification that is met with only one of their products. Valvoline chooses to simply state that one of their entire product lines (SynPower) is all I need to meet the spec. When I called their hand on this issue they back pedal and state that it's up to the customer to verify that the oil they use is approved by their engine builder and not the oil company. When questioned why they recommend a unapproved fluid they simply stated it's not their responsibility.

I will NEVER use another drop of their garbage. It's 'average' at best and the company exhibits no moral character. That's a failure notice for me.




Sometimes there is confusion with euro cars and their oil specs with some US oil tech guys.

Valvoline SynPower 5W-30 carries VW and other Euro specs...SynPower 5W-30 HST..... As well as SynPower 5w-40

http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/SynPower.pdf
 
Valvoline now makes a good synthetic oil. The only weakness I've seen is tbn retention.
 
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