Dexos

[dgc76]

I noticed that Wally World’s Supertech 10,000 mile 5w20 has two bottles, one Dexos approved, one not Dexos approved. Both are SJ. The 5 qt Dexos is about $1 higher. Is the only difference that they pay GM the fee on one and not on the other?

I mostly run NAPA full synthetic and recently their bottles no longer have the Dexos label, but is rated SJ. Again, is the difference just fee related?

 

[Snagglefoot]

My friend, SJ went obsolete in 2001. I see you have 3 posts. Might you be trolling?

 

[dgc76]

My friend, SJ went obsolete in 2001. I see you have 3 posts. Might you be trolling?

Not a troll, meant SP.

 

[Snagglefoot]

That’s better. I would think the non Dexos bottle will disappear soon, so scoop it up. I don’t think Supertech intends to market a non Dexos version and a Dexos version. They are probably the same oil. I would expect you’ll see Dexos bottle only in the future unless they have more old stock.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Here’s a cool graph on the history of API classifications.

 

[blufeb95]

One is the regular full syn, the other must be the high mileage full syn, I just looked on Walmart's website and the High Mileage Full Syn no longer seems to have the Dexos marker on it.

 

[dgc76]

One is the regular full syn, the other must be the high mileage full syn, I just looked on Walmart's website and the High Mileage Full Syn no longer seems to have the Dexos marker on it

In my original post, I referenced that I normally use NAPA (Valvoline) synthetic. I usually buy 2 to 3 cases when it is on sale. The last I purchased was rated SN Plus and had the Dexos label. The last two cases I bought this past week is rated SP, but no Dexos label. Did Valvoline decide to just not pay the fee to GM? Not that it matters, I am just curious.

 

[CR94]

Interesting chart. To the comments about "There was no ___ prior to 19xx," they should add one to the effect there were no S_ designations either, prior to about 1970. (I'm not certain of the exact year.) There were earlier quality designations like MM, MS, etc., subject to occasional updates and upgrades, just as the modern S_ ones are. I assume categories SA through about SD are the modern naming convention applied to specific old standards.

About the time the S_ system was new, there was a big article about it in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics, complete with enthusiastic descriptions of how the latest standard (maybe SE?) reduced problems with sludge and high-temperature oxidation, compared to the previous top category.

 

[tasch72]

In my original post, I referenced that I normally use NAPA (Valvoline) synthetic. I usually buy 2 to 3 cases when it is on sale. The last I purchased was rated SN Plus and had the Dexos label. The last two cases I bought this past week is rated SP, but no Dexos label. Did Valvoline decide to just not pay the fee to GM? Not that it matters, I am just curious.

It seems like GM is moving away from 5w-20 for most engines in favor of either 5w-30 or 0w-20, so it may not make sense for oil companies to pay a fee to license certain 5w-20 lines under dexos.

 

[blufeb95]

It seems like GM is moving away from 5w-20 for most engines in favor of either 5w-30 or 0w-20, so it may not make sense for oil companies to pay a fee to license certain 5w-20 lines under dexos.

The description for 5W20 now mentions use 0w20 if D1G2 is required.

 

[tasch72]

The description for 5W20 now mentions use 0w20 if D1G2 is required.

That's also a good point. Pennzoil states 0w-20 "Offers same protection as 5W but also provides faster flow and better fuel economy"

 

[dgc76]

The GM change to 0w20 is probably the reason. I never understood the need for a Dexos standard anyway. If an oil meets SP and GF6, then it is good to go. Always figured it was just something to earn a fee (and to deny warranty claims and encourage bringing it to a GM dealer for service) I drive one GM vehicle and do not go out of my way to use Dexos approved products.

 

[blufeb95]

The GM change to 0w20 is probably the reason. I never understood the need for a Dexos standard anyway. If an oil meets SP and GF6, then it is good to go. Always figured it was just something to earn a fee (and to deny warranty claims and encourage bringing it to a GM dealer for service) I drive one GM vehicle and do not go out of my way to use Dexos approved products.

Prior to SP and even SN+, Dexos 1 Gen 2 was there to address LSPI in small displacement TGDI engines. SP brought the baseline pretty close to Dexos, but Dexos1 Gen3 will be based on GF-6 with stricter limits and the ash limits will force manufacturers to go in a more mid-SAPS direction, I've noticed during the SP transition that Castrol Edge Xw20 and Xw30 are now ACEA C5 and C2 respectively now, I'm guessing that was in preparation for Dexos 1G3, if they're having to drop the ash limit from 1% to .9%, I guess they didn't see the point and just went to .8% to knock a few European specs out of the park at the same time.