Havoline SL 10w-40 - what good will it do me?

[Pajamarama]

Deep in the darkest recesses of my garage, I found 2 qts of Havoline 10w-40. They are approximately 10 years old, API SL designation. I think my wife bought these and kept them in her old Escape for emergency purposes before she met me.

Bottle looks more or less like this (just 10w-40 instead)

My cars (listed in my sig) don't run this. Any ideas what I can/should do with it?

- top off oil? (thinking no/maybe)
- use in lawnmower?
- just recycle it?

Thoughts/suggestions welcome.

 

[Rand]

lawnmower.

 

[dlundblad]

Use it in the Taurus your next OCI. If you're skeptical, use 1 qt per OCI.

 

[67lemans]

I'd keep it and use it for either a top off oil, lawnmower, or put it in an oil can as a general purpose oil.

 

[bvance554]

First of all... Your wife must have bought them and kept them in her car before you were married?? Sounds like you found your soulmate. If I met a woman who so much as checked her oil I'd be impressed.

Looks like great lawnmower oil, but if I had a burner or leaker I wouldn't hesitate to use it as a top off oil.

 

[addyguy]

SL-spec Havoline was GREAT stuff - I wouldn't waste it on a lawnmower...use it as car top-off or part of an OCI.

 

[bigt61]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Use it in the Taurus your next OCI. If you're skeptical, use 1 qt per OCI.

+1 - or as top off oil.

 

[Oil Changer]

I'd give it away.

 

[Chris142]

I'd use it in my jeep

 

[toneydoc]

Check ebay and see if there is a market for the oil. Sell it if you can get some decent cash for it. They you can go buy more oil with the cash. Just kidding.

Use it as part of your next 2 oil changes.

 

[abycat]

Nice oil. I would either use it in the ope or top off.

 

[pbm]

I believe that was when Havoline was made by Equilon and was loaded with moly...I'd use it in either car as make up oil or for odd amounts during an OCI...ie: say your car takes 4.3 qts...you could use this oil for the .3....

 

[artificialist]

I would use it in lawn equipment because it isn't as sensitive to using a different viscosity than the manual says to use.

 

[Merkava_4]

That's excellent small engine oil. I prefer 10W-40 for small engines.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
That's excellent small engine oil. I prefer 10W-40 for small engines.



Too much shear. A 15w-40 is better in comparison. Less viscosity index improvers to destroy and create ring land deposits/sludge.
Not that I wouldn't use it,just that I wouldn't buy it for that particular purpose.

 

[Clevy]

So if this is an SL spec oil it should be loaded with zddp. Especially being a 40 grade too. It was the SM spec that began the reduction in the use of phos due to it reducing cat effectiveness.
And wasn't SL the common spec in the 90s?
OP
I'd use this oil in everything,and depending on ambient temp in the colder months quite possibly year round too.
The reduction in the use of zddp was due to reduced cat effectiveness. The real culprit is low tension rings. Once low tension ri vs became the norm so did the absurd notion that a quart per thousand miles oil consumption was acceptable.
So new engines would consume vast amounts of oil and therefore phos and kill the cats prior to warranty expiration so the oem was on the hook for a new cat.
So instead of addressing the oil control problem there was the band-aid fix hence a phos reduction.
So do any of your engines consume oil? If not then no biggie. And even if you did have an oil burner exactly how much of this oil do you have. Lifetime supply or.......
If it's only an interval or 3 I seriously doubt any harm will come from using it.
So use it up in whatever you got. From mowing your lawn to driving you car it'll be fine regardless.

 

[fdcg27]

I wouldn't hesitate to use this oil for top-ups.
It would also be fine to use the two quarts as part of the Taurus's spring fill.
You could also use it in your OPEs.
I wouldn't waste it by recycling it.
If you intend to do that, you should just give it to someone who'll use it.