Valvoline Durablend question answered.

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My question-
"Good afternoon,
I have seriously been considering using your Durablend product however I have a question concerning the percentage of synthetic used in it. How much synthetic is in Durablend? Is the synthetic used Group III, IV, or V? Any insight would be greatly appreciated."

Valvoline's response-
"Thank you for your question. The Valvoline DuraBlend Synthetic Blended Engine Oils contain 30% synthetic base oil in the blending of the product. Valvoline actually uses a unique mixture of Group III, IV and V base oil stocks for synthetic base oils. Hopefully this information is helpful."

I'm strongly thinking about giving this oil a go. Always on sale, and a good compromise between synthetic and conventional. I can't reason with myself why I should continue using synthetic in a car that burns a quart every 1,000 miles or so and topping off with conventional. By the end of a 6,000 mile OCI it'll be mostly conventional and still fresh to a certain extent. The Durablend gives me similar cold flow properties of the synthetic for a fraction of the cost. The SN version is actually thinner at 40C, 5w30 flavor. I think I have found my oil.
 
I have used blends in the past and got almost identical UOAs as when using a full synthetic.
 
Hey RamFan:
I have been using Durablend for years in my dodge, love it, it does not break down easy and flows good in cold weather. Just use a good filter, (wix,purelator,napa) ect. and you should nave no problems going 5-7K.
Good luck,
Rick
 
if you have consumption problems why not run a high mileage oil?
i strongly suggest Maxlife or Mobil1 High Mileage. if a HM oil doesnt help you should step up to heavier oil.

kreen is a good product for cleaning ring packs too if you would like to go that route

if all else fails just run a cheap dino for 10k or one year. if you have to add a qt every 1000 miles it will stay fresh. maybe change the filter at 5k. Mobil Super HM is on sale right now at oriely's for 2.50, that would be perfect for this. i would get a couple cases to get you threw the year
 
I used Durablend for years, then discovered Maxlife and have been using mostly that ever since. I recently converted to Meijer High Mileage oil for the Aerostar because 1) I got it cheap (three cases at $17 a case of 12 qts), and 2) the Aerostar consumes a quart every 1300 miles. I am saving my Maxlife stash for the motorhome and my Maxlife Syn stash for the F150.
 
Originally Posted By: electrolover
if you have consumption problems why not run a high mileage oil?
i strongly suggest Maxlife or Mobil1 High Mileage. if a HM oil doesnt help you should step up to heavier oil.




If the vehicle wasn't under warranty that is the exact approach I would be taking. Since it is under warranty, HM oils do not meet the specs I need so I wont use it.
 
burning a quart of oil every 1k miles and still under warranty, i would be taking it to the dealer. to me that is excessive oil consumption and they should repair it...IMO.
 
Originally Posted By: lilred67
burning a quart of oil every 1k miles and still under warranty, i would be taking it to the dealer. to me that is excessive oil consumption and they should repair it...IMO.



I Agree. I know the other person has a Charger (Dodge), but General Motors claims that 1 quart every 1000 miles is acceptable for their v-8 engines. It wouldn't be acceptable to me in a new car.
 
Wasnt the olden-days cure for high consumption in a new engine to put it in park, hold the throttle to a decent rpm level and pour some Bon Ami abrasive soap powder down the carb? hee, hee, sure scuffed up the cylinder walls and rings, then you apparently had to wash it all out and re-do breakin. A lot of difference of opinion on breakin too. Some say that if you don't drive it like you stole it in the first 10-20 miles forget about ever getting it broke in properly. At any rate, don't follow any of the advice in this post, or do at your own risk.
crazy.gif
 
Originally Posted By: RamFan
Originally Posted By: electrolover
if you have consumption problems why not run a high mileage oil?
i strongly suggest Maxlife or Mobil1 High Mileage. if a HM oil doesnt help you should step up to heavier oil.


If the vehicle wasn't under warranty that is the exact approach I would be taking. Since it is under warranty, HM oils do not meet the specs I need so I wont use it.



What's the oil requirement in your vehicle's oil manual? Most HM oils are SL, SM, or SN oils, though they usually just don't have the "Energy Conserving" seal.

The reason I'm asking is b/c some manuals will say something like must use oil marked SM or GF-4, or newer. So you can use an SM oil even though it's not "Energy Conserving" without voiding your warranty.

If you can do it without voiding your warranty, I'd try MaxLife, it's a high mileage oil that might help reduce your consumption. It's also a semi-synthetic from Valvoline, and it's shown to put up some really good UOA numbers. Assuming you can use it without affecting your warranty, it might be worth trying for a few OCIs to see if it helps slow the consumption.
 
I just double checked the manual and you are right. It only specifies API certification and Chrysler spec being recommended. While Maxlife doesn't meet MS-6395, it is not a requirement so I'm going to go ahead and give it a shot.
 
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