Bulk oil off spec in NJ

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News12 NJ, in cooperation with PQIA, conducted an investigation of bulk oil quality in NJ. The news team went undercover to seven oil change locations to have the oil changed in a car that required a 5W-30 per the owners manual and oil fill cap. Six of the seven locations failed to put in a 5W-30, and two added oil that is potentially damaging, including a national chain.

News12 NJ Report

PQIA Report & Test Data

Tom NJ
 
Most of them look like passable 10w30 but that one with weak ZDDP is scary.

Tom, why didn't PQIA test the oils to see what grade they actually are so you can determine if it passes 10w30 requirements or even worse?
 
passable or not, that is not what the customer paid for. This stuff irks the heck out me. It gives all the good quick change shops a bad name.
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Most of them look like passable 10w30 but that one with weak ZDDP is scary.

Tom, why didn't PQIA test the oils to see what grade they actually are so you can determine if it passes 10w30 requirements or even worse?


Generally speaking, a CCS result between 6,600 and about 13,000 cP @ -30°C will likely be a 10W, so the four oils with a CCS between 8,000 and 10,000 are likely 10Ws. The two oils with a CCS in the 19,000s are likely 15Ws, although they could be 20Ws. To determine the actual W grades would have required 6 to 12 more CCS tests and 6 to 12 MRV tests. There was no need to pin down the exact grade - the point was they are not the 5W-30 grade specified for this vehicle.

Tom NJ
 
Bulk oil = you never know what you are going to get

Blame? Lowest cost blender or shop cheating? Trace the oil to the blender or supplier.

Scary!

Makes you wonder how good bulk ATF, coolant, .....is or isn't.

Test any reputable car dealers quicklube lanes?
 
There is a benefit of going to a place like Valvoline or Havoline Xpress Lube. At least you are getting a quality brand oil. I was happy to see my local mechanic in my town have shelves lined up in his garage with conventional and synthetic quart bottles of Kendall and/or Havoline in all weights.
 
Originally Posted By: GMFan
There is a benefit of going to a place like Valvoline or Havoline Xpress Lube. At least you are getting a quality brand oil. I was happy to see my local mechanic in my town have shelves lined up in his garage with conventional and synthetic quart bottles of Kendall and/or Havoline in all weights.


Typically this is correct, however, if the chain is a franchise and not corporate owned they don't always use the oil that's on the sign out front. 99% of the time they do, but I have seen with my own eyes (and fought it) that this doesn't always take place.

Great job as usual, Tom!
 
Originally Posted By: RamFan
Great job as usual, Tom!


The credit goes to Tom Glenn, President and founder of PQIA. I am just an advisor to PQIA and FOE (Friend of Owner).

Tom NJ
 
Nice job! I think you guys should get this on some of the NYC channels to get the news out to more people. No more News12 for me since I switched to FIOS.

-Dennis
 
Is it really that much cheaper in the U.S. for a shop to go to some fly by night corporation as opposed to XOM or SOPUS or Ashland or Chevron or Safety-Kleen or any other company that provides certified lubes? Here, it wouldn't fly. But then again, I'm the paranoid guy that buys his oil direct from places like Imperial Oil or Shell.
 
Many of the fast lube and repair shops have no way of knowing what quality oil is delivered in bulk by their distributor, although a substantially lower cost should be a clue. A couple of dollars less per gallon can add up to significant money over time and may cause the shop owner to ask less questions. Especially if they are told the oil they are buying is as good as the expensive majors. They are business owners, not oil experts.

Spot checking bulk deliveries with a $35 oil analysis is a good way to keep suppliers honest. Likewise, researching your supplier's reputation online may be helpful.

Tom NJ
 
I went to a Ford Quick Lane store for an oil change special - I watched them pour Motorcraft oil from individual quart bottles. Bulk oil can be a [censored] shoot.
 
It doesn't have to be that much cheaper to make a useful difference.
If I own a location and do three hundred changes a week, I can save $2.00 per car on average by using an oil forty cents a quart cheaper. This would bring another $600.00 each week into my pocket.
Volume alone can make a seemingly small savings worth looking for.
 
"However, changing your own oil is not risk-free. A 2013 Kane In Your Corner investigation found some bottled oil for sale in New Jersey was unsafe for most cars; some appeared to be used oil that was simply being resold. Based on those reports, the state conducted its own tests and banned 19 brands of motor oil last year."

This is the most scary thing than oil change places put in wrong oil.
 
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