Why do car companies recommend "Brand X" oil?

[Ed_Flecko]

On my Volvo oil cap, it says "Volvo recommends Castrol".

I'd *like* to think that Volvo engineers, like other auto manufacturers, recommend a certain brand of oil because they're oil experts and they've tested different brands and determined that Brand X is the best for their motor, based on how it's been designed and built, blah, blah, blah.

Sadly, I'm more cynical than that.

*I* think there's some $$$ "palm greasing" going on and that's why they recommend the brands they recommend.

Am I right, or do they really do their homework and make oil recommendations based on testing, research, etc.?

Ed

 

[badtlc]

they get cheaper factory fills for putting it on there.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Ed_Flecko
Am I right, or do they really do their homework and make oil recommendations based on testing, research, etc.?


They make oil *grade* and *type* recommendations (like 5W-30 API SM, etc) based on testing, research, etc. They make oil *brand* recommendations (like Castrol, Mobil, etc) based on marketing contracts.

 

[Corvette Owner]

I think it's completely marketing.

Selecting the same oil specification should be all that is necessary. In fact, U.S. Law makes speciflying a specific manufacturers product illegal to maintain a warrenty.

BTW, my Corvette recommends Mobil 1 oil.

 

[HerrStig]

Volvo owner manuals back to the 70s had pictures of the "oil adding procedure" ( for those who didn't know) which showed a can of Castrol being poured in. It may be Volvo is satisfied that Castrol, available world wide, meets their specs in a dependable way. We know others do as well, but I don't know what the market penitration of Mobil One is world wide. It is interesting that the Japanese have made very little effort to sell US owners on Japanese oil, the usual house brand Japanese oil being something made for them here.

 

[Corvette Owner]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: Ed_Flecko
Am I right, or do they really do their homework and make oil recommendations based on testing, research, etc.?


They make oil *grade* and *type* recommendations (like 5W-30 API SM, etc) based on testing, research, etc. They make oil *brand* recommendations (like Castrol, Mobil, etc) based on marketing contracts.


+1, I agree, well said!

 

[bruno]

Sometimes car and oil companies collaborate to develop oil specs ...e.g. VW and Castrol developing the VW spec 500 oils . Castrol has the test facilities and VW puts their name on the oil cap . Nothing mandatory .
It is funny how the boutique oil companies tap dance around the specs ... instead of Approved for ... they say meets or exceeds .
And it makes the conspiracy nuts happy !!

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: bruno
Sometimes car and oil companies collaborate to develop oil specs ...e.g. VW and Castrol developing the VW spec 500 oils . Castrol has the test facilities and VW puts their name on the oil cap . Nothing mandatory .
It is funny how the boutique oil companies tap dance around the specs ... instead of Approved for ... they say meets or exceeds .
And it makes the conspiracy nuts happy !!
+1 The "reeducation" of the American consumer by the leftists to hate anything 'big' ( except government) is almost complete.

 

[mrsilv04]

Because some people are dumb enough to fall for it.

 

[NHGUY]

Studebakers in the 1960s had a decal on the breather cap "Use STP Oil Treatment".......Studebaker at the time owned STP (Chemical Compounds Co.).

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Studebakers in the 1960s had a decal on the breather cap "Use STP Oil Treatment".......Studebaker at the time owned STP (Chemical Compounds Co.).
Poor Andy Granitelle , he didn't put any STP on that "2 dollar bearing" that cost him the Indy 500.

 

[javacontour]

I was doing some research on Studebaker last night and came across that factoid.

Small world.

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
Studebakers in the 1960s had a decal on the breather cap "Use STP Oil Treatment".......Studebaker at the time owned STP (Chemical Compounds Co.).

 

[javacontour]

http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2014/11/01/hmn_tips2.html

 

[Nate1979]

Money!

 

[Garak]

Doug Hillary has posted on this matter in the past. Marketing is important, but there's also more than marketing. This is particularly true when an automaker comes up with oil specifications beyond ACEA, API, or ILSAC ones. They're obviously working with some oil company to do so. Things like Dexron VI didn't just come down from on high in GM with no oil company involvement, either.

 

[fdcg27]

There was a time before European manufacturers had standard certs when they would recommend specific brands, types and grades of oil as being suitable to their engines.
I've had old Mercedes cars with these recommendations in the OM.
Today, there are certs from almost every car maker and any oil meeting those certs is fine to use.
Companies will commonly recommend a brand of oil that they use as FF, since this recommendation earns them a reduced cost for the oil used for those many thousands of first fills.