PP vs Valvoline Maxlife Synthetic

[christian691]

I've been searching through the forums and want to choose between the two. I've read good things about both oils and I'm having some difficulty picking one over the other. Are there any major differences/advantages between them?

BTW I've got about 108K miles on my car, it's an 01 Sentra with the 2.0 liter SR20DE motor. Never burnt a drop of oil in its life

If anyone else has any recommendations, please let me know.

 

[Merkava_4]

If you can get your hands on some full synthetic Maxlife. . . Get It !

 

[TallPaul]

I don't know much about the Platinum oil. I believe the Maxlife Synthetic will be about 1 to 1.5 cSt thicker at 100C. The Maxlife lists 290 ppm moly (not sure what the PP has). Valvoline techs tell me there is PAO in the Maxlife Synthetic, but I haven't been able to figure that from the MSDS. Of course I am biased towards Valvoline, but PP has had good reviews here and is frequently on special so folks have been loading up around $2 to $2.50 a quart.

 

[ThirdeYe]

You can't really go wrong with either one, I say just get whichever one is cheaper!

 

[Stainless]

I can't tell you which one is the BETTER oil for your car, but I do know that Pennzoil Platinum is Buy One Get One Free at Advance Auto Parts, until April 28th.

Link To AA sale

 

[Bill in Utah]

Since gas is getting a little more in cost, I'd go with PP. (Maxlife is a thicker oil and could cost in a MPG difference)

But more important question is how long of a OCI?

What type of driving and style?

Bill

 

[christian691]

Thanks for the responses.

Yeah I did happen to check out the AAP online circular this week and saw the BOGO PPs

Thanks for the heads up though.

I've been doing 5K mile OCIs, but I'm looking to extend that to 7,500 or more if the UOAs come out looking alright. I do mostly highway driving during the week (I have a 20 minute commute to work). Most of the time it's stop-and-go, but when the roads are clear I like to do some spirited driving. Car is barely modded- it has a cai and timing is bumped up to 18*.

 

[Doc8404]

Quote:

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If you can get your hands on some full synthetic Maxlife. . . Get It !

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i wouldn't call it FULL synthetic...!!!!?????????

 

[teven7492]

Valvoline Maxlife bc of its better additive package , more ZDDP more calcium .

 

[Doc8404]

are you talking about FULL SYNTHETIC Penzoil Platinum???

 

[vronline]

I'm having a hard time finding the MaxLife synthetic... Seems it must not be a big seller, so it's not getting much shelf space.

 

[ThirdeYe]

I see it occasionally but you're right, I don't see it very often. Then again, around here, I don't see PP too much either, nor GC. Just mainly Mobil 1 hogging up the synthetic shelf space

 

[KieferS]

I think there was a thread on here about valvoline saying switching between maxlife and another oil may cause leaks because the seals swell, and go back down in size again when you switch?

 

[Merkava_4]

Quote:

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i wouldn't call it FULL synthetic...!!!!?????????

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I would!

There's a full synthetic Maxlife too; although rare.

 

[seldont]

Quote:

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Quote:

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i wouldn't call it FULL synthetic...!!!!?????????

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I would!

There's a full synthetic Maxlife too; although rare.

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Not rare in my basement. I have about 40 quarts of the stuff from the big $2 per quart sale Autozone had a couple of years back...

 

[Merkava_4]

THEY'VE GOT IT !

I just got back from Kragen and they've got it, Maxlife full syn 10W-30.

Pricey at $5.49 a quart though.

 

[06VtecV6]

Maxlife syn is not even available in 5w-20.. look..

http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=101

Plus, on their website..no specs of their oil. I've never even seen a bottle of Maxlife syn on any shelf and I live here in the 4th biggest city in the whole place.

If Max life syn is thicker at 100 but HT/HS is lower, then it's not going to perform as well as PP which is lower visc at higher temp but has a great HTHS. Since it's a higher group, it's going to use a lot of VIIs to get their VI up there but so what if the HT/HS is there despite the lower visc at 100. Where are the Max life syn specs?? HT/HS? VI?? 10 cSt? Plus like I said, I have never seen a Val Maxlife bottle anywhere and also isn't pennsyvania oil supposed to better crude? Also, BIGOF at AAP, verified! This discussion should be about MC versus PP and not ML vs PP. E.T phone home.

 

[TallPaul]

PM me and I can send the Maxlife synthetic product data sheet that I got about 6 months ago (there could be a newer one though, so may want to contact Valvoline). When I got HTHS from Valvoline a year or so ago, Maxlife Synthetic had higher HTHS than the regular Maxlife. The HTHS looked good and was better than All Climate or Durablend.

Walmart has (or at least had) Maxlife Synthetic and I think for under $5.

 

[dkcase]

The last time I looked at WalMart here - 2 weeks ago ? -- Pennz Plat and Maxlife Syn were the same price. $19.97 for 5 quarts, I think.
In fact I have Platinum in one vehicle and Maxlife syn in another.

 

[beanoil]

Maxlife Syn is all over here in the Midwest. Every WM, and until recently, every AA. AA has it on closeout for 3.25 a quart. TallPaul, don't you think a 25% blend of Maxlife Syn with All Climate might be a good brew?