Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Whenever this topic comes up, I'm always amazed by how easily people assume the OE oil and the off-the-shelf product are the same in the first place.
If there were a statement from the company that the two oils were the same, or if a LOT of very expensive VOAs came out demonstrating identical characteristics and properties between the two, then I'd feel like there was something to it.
Just sharing a manufacturer, a grade, and an approval is... interesting maybe, but far from enough evidence to assume they're the same. If that's all we've got to go on, I'd just assume they were different oils until there was a reason to think otherwise.
Of course, if they both have the approval you need, any difference probably doesn't matter for your application. So there's that.
I don't think it would be farfetched to think BMW/Shell oil could reach our store shelves as Pennzoil.
Currently, you see Viper Pennzoil, Ferrari Pennzoil, GM Dexos Pennzoil, etc., etc.
It's not intuitive to have a major car manufacturer specify a 5W-30 LL-01 oil fleet wide and have absolutely no 5W-30 LL-01 Pennzoil, or for that matter, Castrol, on the shelf in US stores.
With its keen interest in the do-it-yourself market, Pennzoil should jump at the opportunity.
In the meantime, everyone will be using Castrol 0W-30, 0W-40, or the Pennzoil 5W-40 that is LL-01. Close, but no cigar for sticklers that want the 5W-30 that is the first recommendation in the owner's manual.
Whenever this topic comes up, I'm always amazed by how easily people assume the OE oil and the off-the-shelf product are the same in the first place.
If there were a statement from the company that the two oils were the same, or if a LOT of very expensive VOAs came out demonstrating identical characteristics and properties between the two, then I'd feel like there was something to it.
Just sharing a manufacturer, a grade, and an approval is... interesting maybe, but far from enough evidence to assume they're the same. If that's all we've got to go on, I'd just assume they were different oils until there was a reason to think otherwise.
Of course, if they both have the approval you need, any difference probably doesn't matter for your application. So there's that.
I don't think it would be farfetched to think BMW/Shell oil could reach our store shelves as Pennzoil.
Currently, you see Viper Pennzoil, Ferrari Pennzoil, GM Dexos Pennzoil, etc., etc.
It's not intuitive to have a major car manufacturer specify a 5W-30 LL-01 oil fleet wide and have absolutely no 5W-30 LL-01 Pennzoil, or for that matter, Castrol, on the shelf in US stores.
With its keen interest in the do-it-yourself market, Pennzoil should jump at the opportunity.
In the meantime, everyone will be using Castrol 0W-30, 0W-40, or the Pennzoil 5W-40 that is LL-01. Close, but no cigar for sticklers that want the 5W-30 that is the first recommendation in the owner's manual.
