Bulk oil mystery

[wemay]

Bulk oil has to be one of the only products we buy for which finding out the brand name is the most difficult thing to confirm. I kind of went over this in a recent post but it wasnt the topic. I do know that most folks dont care and that is fine, but I do.

I have an oil change plan that was thrown into the deal after I purchased my car (9 oil changes by 10/2017). To be honest, I completely forgot about this plan until recently receiving the paperwork, so called the dealership to see what oil was used (QS is recommended in the om). Each time I called there was hemming and hawing, and diffefent oil brands advised. QS, VWB and Kedall. So I dug deeper, asking the Svc Mgr, 'are you sure ______ is the oil?' He at least was honest and gave me the bulk oil distributer's number to find out because he wasnt even sure. Their name is Flamingo Oil, nice folks that were very helpful. They advised that the oil this dealership uses is called Maximo. Although it has an API rating, I have never heard of it nor want it in my car. The 'synthetic' they use if requested (and you pay the difference)? EcoPower. EcoPower is a blend, not a syn.

The only thing I will use the plan for is the factory oil filter (after my small stash of Purolators run out), because not only was this deception uncalled for, when they do change your oil, thay leave the engine side of the undertray full of the old oil, contributing to leak paranoia.

 

[Donald]

As long as the bulk oil meets the requirements for your engine I would say they are within their rights as far as a contract goes. Unless the contract calls for OEM, like Motorcraft oil for a Ford.

 

[Barkleymut]

what kind of car? unless it is an exotic or has really weird oil requirements I would feel fine with it.

You could also ask them if they have ever done a VOA on it.

Or you could run it for 3,000 and then send in a sample for a UOA. Throwing away that many oil changes seems silly just because you don't know about the oil.

 

[wemay]

Donald, Barkleymut, good points. I just dont feel comfortable using a non major oil brand. Just not confident enough. I would rather bring my own oil and have them perform the labor plus supply the rather excellent oil filter. I at least need to see the oil in PQIA.

The Hyundai in my signature.

 

[Barkleymut]

Fair enough, it is your car and I hear ya. Big brand names make me feel a little better. But I have used G-oil a bio something based oil that 3 years ago was non existant.

I would ask the distributor who does the refining/blending of this oil. I bet they buy it from one of the big boys already formulated and just put their sticker on it. Good luck getting that info out of them.

 

[eljefino]

Thing is if the bulk tank is 20% full of exxon and citgo is a nickel cheaper so it gets delivered, you're getting a blend of the two and they'd be wrong to advertise one as the other.

Jiffy Lube has a contract with Pennzoil so they can say with certainty that's what's going in.

 

[fdcg27]

Here's a brief pdf of this oil:

http://www.pinkbird.com/prodinfo.nsf/626e6035eadbb4cd85256499006b15a6/9effaedefe95f0ba852574c5006b565e/$FILE/Maximo.pdf

It is API licensed so should be fine in service.
Flamingo Oil Co?
Really?
Anyway, I'd have no problem with free fills of this stuff and for free you don't have to run it a bunch of miles to get your money out of it.
Just because neither of us have ever heard of this oil before doesn't mean that it's substandard.
This appears to be a regional brand with distribution in South Florida.
I'd take the nine free oil changes myself, and I'd speak with the service manager and ask that the guy doing the work try to avoid leaving a bunch of drain oil in the undertray.

 

[shDK]

Pretty difficult to find anything about where and who makes it.

 

[zrxkawboy]

Originally Posted By: wemay
I just dont feel comfortable using a non major oil brand. Just not confident enough. I would rather bring my own oil and have them perform the labor plus supply the rather excellent oil filter.


If their oil makes you uncomfortable, then this would be a reasonable compromise, still giving you some value out of the deal.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Thing is if the bulk tank is 20% full of exxon and citgo is a nickel cheaper so it gets delivered, you're getting a blend of the two and they'd be wrong to advertise one as the other.

Jiffy Lube has a contract with Pennzoil so they can say with certainty that's what's going in.


This makes sense. More reason to bring my own though. I lke knowing what's going in.

 

[TiredTrucker]

To muddy the waters a little, API did some sampling of various bulk oil supplies and found that 1 in 5 did NOT meet the API classification they claimed.

http://www.api.org/news-and-media/news/n...mance-standards

 

[bigt61]

Ask the dealer what the upcharge would be to use Mobil 1. Almost all new car dealer service departments stock it because so many people ask for it by name. Personally, if I had a new Hyundai Turbo, I'd use a full synthetic.

 

[Tom NJ]

There is change in the wind. On July 1st changes took effect in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce Handbook 130 with respect to bulk oil sales. As noted on PQIA's web site:

"In short, the changes require that fast lubes, new car dealers, and others that change engine oil for a fee (installers) must let you (the consumer) know the brand, SAE viscosity grade, and API service classification of the oil they use to service your car. This information must appear on the receipts consumers receive..."

Some 20 states automatically adopt the NIST Handbook 130 standards (not Florida) and many others are expected to follow suit in time (including Florida).

For more information, including which states participate, see here:

PQIA NIST HB 130

and here:

PQIA NIST HB 130 #2

Tom NJ

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: Tom NJ
There is change in the wind. On July 1st changes took effect in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce Handbook 130 with respect to bulk oil sales. As noted on PQIA's web site:

"In short, the changes require that fast lubes, new car dealers, and others that change engine oil for a fee (installers) must let you (the consumer) know the brand, SAE viscosity grade, and API service classification of the oil they use to service your car. This information must appear on the receipts consumers receive..."

Some 20 states automatically adopt the NIST Handbook 130 standards (not Florida) and many others are expected to follow suit in time (including Florida).

For more information, including which states participate, see here:

PQIA NIST HB 130

and here:

PQIA NIST HB 130 #2

Tom NJ


Great info, thanks Tom. Hopefully Fl. adopts this soon.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
Ask the dealer what the upcharge would be to use Mobil 1. Almost all new car dealer service departments stock it because so many people ask for it by name. Personally, if I had a new Hyundai Turbo, I'd use a full synthetic.


Hyundai specs, API SM/ILSAC GF-4/SAE 5w30 for this vehicle. I have been indecisive regarding syn vs conventional alot with this engine. But the fact remains, The oem powertrain warranty is 100k miles and the owners manual does not mention synthetic oil anywhere. Any reasons we all have for this would be totally speculative. I have decided that at the Severe Service 3k mile intervals, especially running an ILSAC GF-5/SN (for turbo protection) spec oil, like the recommended QSAD, I'm ahead of the game.

 

[Mackelroy]

The dealerships offer the free oil changes( to give an idea of value, and less maintenance cost to the customer), but its really(on their end) to get the added services repairs such as wipers airfilters and what ever is on the maintenance schedule,ect, so naturally they'd want to use the cheapest bulk oil they can cost wise, since this is a loss on the bottom line, up front for them.

And then they have to deal with a Picky customer that wants the 3 rd degre over what oil they are using. Comes don to you get what you pay for. When its free you have no grounds to complain, really.

 

[vssjim]

Thing is if the bulk tank is 20% full of exxon and citgo is a nickel cheaper so it gets delivered, you're getting a blend of the two and they'd be wrong to advertise one as the other.

Jiffy Lube has a contract with Pennzoil so they can say with certainty that's what's going in. [/quote
Jiffy lube as a company is owned by Pennzoil I'm fairly sure but I don'y know if all stores fill with pennzoil always or at some I know it is only an upcharge option not a bulk fill low cost option. Some stores as far as I know company owned are independent owners so I'm sure there are different items at different stores

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: Mackelroy
The dealerships offer the free oil changes( to give an idea of value, and less maintenance cost to the customer), but its really(on their end) to get the added services repairs such as wipers airfilters and what ever is on the maintenance schedule,ect, so naturally they'd want to use the cheapest bulk oil they can cost wise, since this is a loss on the bottom line, up front for them.

And then they have to deal with a Picky customer that wants the 3 rd degre over what oil they are using. Comes don to you get what you pay for. When its free you have no grounds to complain, really.


I just so happened to negotiate getting this plan after the price/finance agreement was made and should have asked about oil brand prior to doing so, but, for most folks, this maintenance agreement isnt free, its figured into the financing.

 

[binkis]

Just have a question I use castrol synthetic an oem oilfilter I bought the car used @106k I change the oil bout every 6-7k however in bout 3k miles time my oil is black as [censored] I ran napa engine flush through it once seemed to help some idk maybe its jst normal 2005 Chevy trailblazer. Probably shouldn't hurt nothing ain't had any problems yet but nevertheless am curious any thoughts or ideas an or absloute truth to this??

 

[Pajero]

Thanks for the link. Great info