SF-rated oil at Dollar General

[faramir9]

Just saw this today. Checked out the oil aisle on a trip to Dollar General. Could not believe their store-brand oil is API-rated SF. Was about to post in disbelief to this forum when a search revealed: http://abcnews.go.com/US/gma-investigate...ory?id=36876976

Hard to believe. ???

 

[Prune_Juice]

Be careful, they have API SA sometimes API SB rated oil there too. Is a quarter cheaper than other API SN oils they also have.

 

[horse123]

Dollar general is just massively stupid for massively stupid people. Prices there are $1 on things that are less than $1 everywhere else, and higher than $1 on everything that's only $1 everywhere else.

If you're buying motor oil from a dollar store you need to consider using public transportation instead.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Run,run fast. Scary what they sell to people.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: horse123
Dollar general is just massively stupid for massively stupid people. Prices there are $1 on things that are less than $1 everywhere else, and higher than $1 on everything that's only $1 everywhere else.

If you're buying motor oil from a dollar store you need to consider using public transportation instead.


Like every where else, you've got to know what you are buying. About twice a year, they have Peak oil on BOGO. (Buy one, get one free) After everything is figured in, it's about $1.80/quart, less if you buy it on a Saturday. That's not bad for an SN oil. Since the price also includes their Mercon/Dexron oil, it's a pretty good price. (Yea, yea, I know the Mercon/Dexron standard is outdated)
I guess if a person is not smart enough to know what type of oil they are buying, they shouldn't go into the store.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: faramir9
Just saw this today. Checked out the oil aisle on a trip to Dollar General. Could not believe their store-brand oil is API-rated SF. Was about to post in disbelief to this forum when a search revealed: http://abcnews.go.com/US/gma-investigate...ory?id=36876976

Hard to believe. ???


The plaintifs don't seem to have a case, unless the court accepts "I didn't think I had to read the label" as reasonable.

Even if they did accept that, I'd have thought proving damage/failure was due to mis-specified oil is going to be difficult.

 

[bvance554]

^^ yea, it was right there on the label. We're surrounded by warning labels brought about by lawsuits. Now we're suing because the warning labels were ignored? It a new level...

 

[Ducked]

Just out of morbid curiosity, what is it about an SF oil that's (allegedly) likely to kill a post-88 car (mine's 86, so I'd presumably be OK) (or vice versa?) and what failure mode would be expected?

The additional stressor in newer vehicles that I can think of would be EGR, so maybe the old spec oil can't handle all the coke that comes from that?

There are/were probably more turbo's post-88, but they existed pre-88, so it probably isn't that.

 

[circuitsmith]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
Just out of morbid curiosity, what is it about an SF oil that's (allegedly) likely to kill a post-88 car ... and what failure mode would be expected?


Newer designs have hotter hot spots the oil encounters as it circulates through the engine.
Narrower rod & main bearings, tighter ring packs nearer the top of the piston (reduces the crevice between the piston and cylinder, which reduces HC emissions), also there's more HP per displacement, which makes more heat and stress.
Toyota has gotten in trouble more than once with piston designs that fry the oil.
There's also more complex valvetrains to protect.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: circuitsmith

Just out of morbid curiosity, what is it about an SF oil that's (allegedly) likely to kill a post-88 car ... and what failure mode would be expected?


Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
Newer designs have hotter hot spots the oil encounters as it circulates through the engine.


OK, that makes sense. Thanks for the reply.
Originally Posted By: circuitsmith

Narrower rod & main bearings,


Can't see that. If bearings are getting hot enough to break down ANY oil then they're broken.

Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
tighter ring packs nearer the top of the piston (reduces the crevice between the piston and cylinder, which reduces HC emissions),


OK, that makes sense.

Originally Posted By: circuitsmith

also there's more HP per displacement, which makes more heat and stress.


Not sure I see that either. It describes a generalised input of heat into the system, rather than a hot spot. Provided the cooling system is adequate, generalised heat input shouldn't lead to higher general temperatures, so shouldn't break down oil. If it makes the hot-spots hotter, that'd do it.

Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
There's also more complex valvetrains to protect.


Daresay, but I don't see why a complex system is harder to lubricate than a simple one, though it may have more failure points.

I suppose hydraulic tappets and chain tensioners are a specific oil-vulnerability but I think they existed pre-1988, though probably got commoner after.

I wonder if the increase in [censored] plastic chain guides has anything to do with it, but I think they existed pre-1988 too.

 

[mooferz]

Actually I was at Dollar General earlier and was shocked when I saw SN grade oil on the shelf.
I promptly reorganized the shelves so only the SN quarts were visible.

 

[MolaKule]

API SF is often approved as the minimum spec for Outdoor Equipment Manf. engines.

 

[CincyDavid]

If you're driving a beater hooptie that either leaks of burns oil, and is one repair away from the boneyard, why not?!?

Drove past DG's headquarters near Nashville last week...not a very big building, I was expecting something more grandiose.

I can't read the label on the SN-rated oil...who do we think makes it?

 

[mooferz]

Originally Posted By: CincyDavid
I can't read the label on the SN-rated oil...who do we think makes it?

Label isn't very helpful.

If I were to guess based only on the bottle, it'd be one of the Warners- whoever "WSE" is. The Dollar General bottles are similar to the Peak bottles. Also I've just noticed they're the same as Advance Auto house brand oil bottles.

 

[BigD1]

Originally Posted By: horse123
Dollar general is just massively stupid for massively stupid people. Prices there are $1 on things that are less than $1 everywhere else, and higher than $1 on everything that's only $1 everywhere else.

If you're buying motor oil from a dollar store you need to consider using public transportation instead.


Yes I was stupid when I bought Castrol GTX High Mileage for $2.05 a quart. I was stupid when I bought Sergeant's Skip-Flea and Tick Shampoo 15 oz. for $2.95 because I I could have bought the 18 oz. bottle of it from Amazon for $6.49 shipped.

Calling people stupid for shopping at DG is very insulting.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: BigD1
Yes I was stupid when I bought Castrol GTX High Mileage for $2.05 a quart.


Man that's actually a great price! $10.25 for 5 quarts,that's $7 cheaper than Walmart's 5 quart jug.