Valvoline Merc. V does not say Full Synthetic

[04SE]

I finally got a case of Valvoline Merc. V this morning from Napa. The guy said it was the only Valvoline Merc. V he could order and he had just got the case in this week. He said he does not have the option of regular or synthetic when he orders it. The bottles are just like the one pictured in Valvoline's link below but they do not say "Full Synthetic." He is going to have another case arriving tomorrow so I can get 3 more quarts to flush my transmission.

Is there two types or is this stuff new old stock from a warehouse somewhere?

http://www.valvoline.com/pages/products/product_detail.asp?product=117

EDIT:

I just checked the part number on the bottle versus the full synthetic quart part number on the website and they match. Maybe they added 'Full Synthetic' as part of an advertising thing?

 

[oilboy123]

The price would be a good indicatation. $4 a qt or $6 or $7 qt?

Call the tech line. It would be good to know if they upgraded, but I think it would say full syn if it was. If it was they would be bragging the fact.

The link says full syn............so it must be, good for them. No data sheet?

 

[04SE]

Price was $6.86 per quart and for the case he charged me $5.49 per quart.

It is surely cheaper some place else but NOBODY around here has Valvoline Mercon V, plus it is a small town Mom/Pop operation so I do not mind supporting them.

 

[chevrofreak]

I have 15 quarts of Valvoline Full Synthetic Mercon V sitting here with the part number of VV360. What's the number of yours?

 

[MC5W20]

I have been using this for the last 3 years. What you have is new old stock. The bottle changed and the stuff that says "FULL SYNTHETIC" are the newer production. You can e-mail or call Valvoline for verification.

 

[04SE]

Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
I have 15 quarts of Valvoline Full Synthetic Mercon V sitting here with the part number of VV360. What's the number of yours?


Yep, VV360 on the case and the quarts.

Originally Posted By: MC5W20
I have been using this for the last 3 years. What you have is new old stock. The bottle changed and the stuff that says "FULL SYNTHETIC" are the newer production. You can e-mail or call Valvoline for verification.


So, it is new old stock BUT it is synthetic? And they just changed the bottle to now say synthetic?

Sorry, just trying to clarify for peace of mind.

 

[MC5W20]

I'm not sure if the old stuff was 100% synthetic or not. I'm guessing that since the bottle changed to say "FULL SYNTHETIC" that there probably was a small amount of group ii in the old formula. Probably just switched to all group iii and labeled it full synthetic. Not sure, but that is my guess.

I've read elsewhere on here that it is very difficult to meet Mercon V specs when not using all sythetic.

 

[bmwtechguy]

MerconV is usually a synthetic blend. The synthetic portion is probably some group III basestock, and the balance is group II or better? The move to all group III basestock would be a way to be able to market as a full synthetic and a higher quality product than others not labeled as such My guess is that the difference in performance is minimal between the older stock and the newest full-syn label. Certainly no reason to avoid it. Synthetic is more and more a marketing term these days, it seems. More and better quality additives can make a bigger difference in performance of a lubricant than the difference between group II+ and group III basestock alone. Schaeffers lubricants is a perfect example of this.