I'm comfused on how a motor oil that claims to be a 10w30 or say a 5w30 and doesn't meet the API starburst requirements for fuel economy. Valvoline told me because they blend higher in the viscosity grade. So then a 5w30 high milage motor oil doesn't offer the fuel economy of a plain 10w30??? The following is from Valvoline:
Does a 5w30 not = a 5w30 anymore???
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yep.....thats right! "combination of higher viscosity and extra additives it will not meet the API starburst requirements for fuel economy".
What's best for your engine may not be the same as USA mandated API starburst requirements........
MaxLife is good stuff........Try it for 10K and test for yourself. You will not be disappointed.
Ashland has the guts to market Maxlife without the API statburst! Good for them/us!!!!!
Ever read any hipe from Maxlife users that clame fuel mileage went UP using Maxlife? I have.......
My kids beeter 99 Camry I4 out at MSU (Michigan State University) with 103K on it has had MAXlife (dino 5w30)in it the year that we have had it. (previous owner 30-90K Wolfs Head 5w30) Stopped the "puff" of blue smoke at startup and starts/runs smooth as glass at 0'f and at 100MPH ....O! got to talk to my son about slowing down.......
What's best for your engine may not be the same as USA mandated API starburst requirements........
MaxLife is good stuff........Try it for 10K and test for yourself. You will not be disappointed.
Ashland has the guts to market Maxlife without the API statburst! Good for them/us!!!!!
Ever read any hipe from Maxlife users that clame fuel mileage went UP using Maxlife? I have.......
My kids beeter 99 Camry I4 out at MSU (Michigan State University) with 103K on it has had MAXlife (dino 5w30)in it the year that we have had it. (previous owner 30-90K Wolfs Head 5w30) Stopped the "puff" of blue smoke at startup and starts/runs smooth as glass at 0'f and at 100MPH ....O! got to talk to my son about slowing down.......
The winter rating is not a factor in meeting the "energy conserving" requirements.
At 100C, the viscosity for a 30 grade can be 9.3 to 12.5 cSt. They can make a 5w30 with a viscosity of 12.0 cSt at 100C and it will provide slightly lower fuel economy at operating temperature than a 10w30 with a viscosity of 9.5 cSt at 100C.
At 100C, the viscosity for a 30 grade can be 9.3 to 12.5 cSt. They can make a 5w30 with a viscosity of 12.0 cSt at 100C and it will provide slightly lower fuel economy at operating temperature than a 10w30 with a viscosity of 9.5 cSt at 100C.
Product data sheets show the 100C viscosity of Maxlife is the same as a typical non-high mileage oil of the same weight. Since they say they blend higher in viscosity, then my assumption must be correct that where Maxlife is thicker is in the base oil.
oh I see....or do I. So a 5w30 could be thicker at 100c than a 10w30. But wouldn't the 5w30 flow better than a plain 10w30 when cold?
ok so Maxlife (I was talking about any high milage, but I'll say Maxlife since I'm looking at its specs) 5w30 has a CST of 10.61 at 100c and 62.31 at 40c. Plain all climate 10w30 has a CST of 10.67 at 100c and 69.74 at 40c. So the plain 10w30 is higher at 100c and 40c than the maxlife 5w30, yet the 5w30 don't meet the fuel economy label and the plain 10w30 which is thicker does??? Help me?
Why does everyone care so much about grammer in this fourm? I don't understand?
I must have missed the on-ramp where the star of "Frazier" entered this thread...
JJ
You're right, that's a good question!
API Starburst oils must pass the GF-4 Sequence VIB fuel economy test. This test has 3 viscosity categories & all are run against the same PAO reference oil.
SAE 0W-20 and 5W-20 viscosity grades:
2.0% minimum fuel economy gain (vs. the reference oil) after 96 hours runtime
SAE 0w30 and 5w30 viscosity grades:
1.5% minimum fuel economy gain after 96 hours run time.
All other SAE multiviscosity grades:
0.8% minimum fuel economy gain after 96 hours run time.
The cumulative total fuel economy scores are based on both a 16 hour & 96 hour fuel economy average, but this is enough to get a basic understanding of the test parameters.
In addition, to beat the PAO reference oil, most 30 weight starburst conventional oils are grouped in the 10.0 to 10.5 cSt range and rely on the temporary shear of VI improvers and friction modifiers to generate a passing score.
So a high mileage oil formulation, with a slightly higher viscosity for better ring seal & less consumption, and more additives that raise the HTHS, such as detergents & dispersants, has little chance of producing a passing score in the Sequence VIB.
API Starburst oils must pass the GF-4 Sequence VIB fuel economy test. This test has 3 viscosity categories & all are run against the same PAO reference oil.
SAE 0W-20 and 5W-20 viscosity grades:
2.0% minimum fuel economy gain (vs. the reference oil) after 96 hours runtime
SAE 0w30 and 5w30 viscosity grades:
1.5% minimum fuel economy gain after 96 hours run time.
All other SAE multiviscosity grades:
0.8% minimum fuel economy gain after 96 hours run time.
The cumulative total fuel economy scores are based on both a 16 hour & 96 hour fuel economy average, but this is enough to get a basic understanding of the test parameters.
In addition, to beat the PAO reference oil, most 30 weight starburst conventional oils are grouped in the 10.0 to 10.5 cSt range and rely on the temporary shear of VI improvers and friction modifiers to generate a passing score.
So a high mileage oil formulation, with a slightly higher viscosity for better ring seal & less consumption, and more additives that raise the HTHS, such as detergents & dispersants, has little chance of producing a passing score in the Sequence VIB.
Theoretically yes.
Blue99 Thanks, again, for the clarity you bring to these threads. Good explanation, and the "temporary shear" is the missing piece of knowledge we didn't have.
Because it's part of proper human communication.
English may have weird spelling and lots of exceptions to its rules, but we accept that as a tradeoff for the turbocharged power this language gives us . . . when we use it properly.
Change your verb tenses as appropriate, keep the subject-verb agreement topped off, properly inflate the spelling, and English'll serve you for a lot of years.
I too must thank you Blue. A very clear explanation with a couple specifics thrown in.
Flux,
You're comment is so blatantly incorrect, it is not even worth responding too.
Flux,
You're comment is so blatantly incorrect, it is not even worth responding too.
Regarding Maxlife, several bazillion threads ago (about 2 years), someone indicated that Valvoline said that Maxlife would indeed pass the sequence VIB fuel economy test; however, the majority of other high mileage oils would not seeing as they are blended much thicker (GTX HM for example in 10w30 is 12.2 Cst at 100C and 3.4 cP HT/HS). Valvoline apparently didn't want to go through the hassle of getting Maxlife "certified" if you will, for the starburst since the other's couldn't.
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Because it's part of proper human communication.
English may have weird spelling and lots of exceptions to its rules, but we accept that as a tradeoff for the turbocharged power this language gives us . . . when we use it properly.
Change your verb tenses as appropriate, keep the subject-verb agreement topped off, properly inflate the spelling, and English'll serve you for a lot of years.
I don't know anyone that using proper English. We have/are changing English with ever passing day. Just trace by history all the way to the Bible. I think proper human communication isn't based on the proper use of English, rather the ability to get one to understand what you are communicating. What use would proper English serve if the person you are speaking to doesn't understand it??? And what does any of this do with OIL????
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