Valvoline Modern Engine

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: Scooby24
VAS definitely looks more impressive..no idea what the base oils are though. I'm struggling to see how they are justifying 40 a 5 qt jug. Surely they aren't banking on marketing being that powerful.



I like Valvoline and I use their oil but their marketing is really crazy. At least Mobil1 AP says it’s good for 20k or one year to justify its price. VME says nothing other than it’s for engines after 2012. They are really missing a huge opportunity here. For most people, the VAS will be more than sufficient for their needs.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Went to my local WM to pick up oil for my next change and did not see the VME on the shelves.
I did notice that RP is back and didn't notice any Pennzoil Gold, although I can't say I was looking hard for it specifically...think I would have noticed it if it had been there. Did see QSUD in the green bottles, but I wasn't able to find any info about the d1G2 version in the Shell PDS repository so it was not on my "preferred" shopping list. Took a quick peek at the M1 5W30 AP and realized that the $10 WM gift card promo ended in 2017, so I'd be looking at $30/jug there even with the rebate for an oil that is still a bit of a mystery to me (no detailed VOA info online as far as I know). No M1 EP flavors to consider at this store.

It basically came down to Valvoline Full Synthetic or M1 5W30 for me and I ended up choosing the former, partly out of curiousity and partly because Valvoline was nice enough to publish a NOACK loss result for that oil (9.3%). I have seen ~10% for M1 5W30, but those are all pretty old results and I wish XOM would be kind of enough to just share their results with us. I was a little wary of the VFS because it is higher in SA than the M1 (0.97% to 0.8%), but it apparently passed the d1G2 turbo deposit tests and, also, what the heck, I only live once. The VFS was about $22 and the M1 would have been ~$16 to me after the $10 rebate, but spending that extra $6 makes me feel like a wild and crazy guy and that 10 minutes I would have to spend to earn that rebate is worth something, right? I have run a lot of various M1 5W30s in the past, this Valvoline is sort of an "experiment" that will likely result in my car performing exactly like it has for the past 80,000 miles.

Still thinking I will try M1 0W30 AFE next winter, but I STILL don't see it in d1G2 jugs!!

BTW, the VFS 5W30 is a little thinner than the M1 at 100C, 10.2 to 11 cSt, but has a higher HTHS (3.2 to 3.1 mPa*s). I also noticed that it rang up at WM at Synpower....

 

[Scooby24]

Any theories as to why boron is gone, and magnesium is reduced? Those seem to be the major differences between VAS and VME.

Those seem like positives...so why remove/reduce them?

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Scooby24
Any theories as to why boron is gone, and magnesium is reduced? Those seem to be the major differences between VAS and VME.

Those seem like positives...so why remove/reduce them?


AGREED!, especially since they do not contribute to LSPI (as much as) the way calcium and sodium have been shown to, and maybe even less intake valve deposits as well (than calcium).

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: Scooby24
Any theories as to why boron is gone, and magnesium is reduced? Those seem to be the major differences between VAS and VME.
Those seem like positives...so why remove/reduce them?


All I can think of is to reduce ash levels?
As I mentioned above, the Full Synthetic/former Synpower seems to be a somewhat higher in SA than some of its major SN/GF5 competitors.

 

[BlueOvalFitter]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
Exactly PimTac. Spot on.

And car51 I'm with ya. I will roll with VWB or Valvoline Advanced Synthetic. Not $40 oil. Stupid pricing.

Um, people buy AMSOIL at this price quite often..........just sayin'...........

 

[bbhero]

Not typical Walmart shoppers hoss...

$40..
Is stupid. Ask Mobil 1... About how must dust is collecting on the AP oil for $40. This will not sell either. Any oil over $25 did not sell very well at Walmart before now. With Pennzoil Platinum being $27 plus and Castrol Edge being $27 plus it will be interesting to see how much they actually sell after this latest increase.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Originally Posted By: bbhero
Exactly PimTac. Spot on.
And car51 I'm with ya. I will roll with VWB or Valvoline Advanced Synthetic. Not $40 oil. Stupid pricing.

Um, people buy AMSOIL at this price quite often..........just sayin'...........

Good point, but at least Amsoil puts some test results out there that could back up their claim that their oil is superior (at least SS).
It could be that low NOACK loss and low CCS viscosity ends up making no difference in the buyer's car, but they put the numbers out there to back up the marketing and price.
Valvoline doesn't tell us much about VME and the numbers I do see aren't super impressive.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
Originally Posted By: BlueOvalFitter
Originally Posted By: bbhero
Exactly PimTac. Spot on.
And car51 I'm with ya. I will roll with VWB or Valvoline Advanced Synthetic. Not $40 oil. Stupid pricing.

Um, people buy AMSOIL at this price quite often..........just sayin'...........

Good point, but at least Amsoil puts some test results out there that could back up their claim that their oil is superior (at least SS).
It could be that low NOACK loss and low CCS viscosity ends up making no difference in the buyer's car, but they put the numbers out there to back up the marketing and price.
Valvoline doesn't tell us much about VME and the numbers I do see aren't super impressive.




Amsoil has its following and marketing mystique. It’s a good oil no doubt. M1 AP does market itself as a 20k mile oil so a niche segment of users will use it but the price is a turn-off. VME does none of the above. They have bungled this opportunity imo and as a Valvoline user I will go with the cheaper VAS which has a excellent add pack and good numbers for a lot less.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

$40 for Valvoline?

For that price, you can get Motul or Liqui-Moly

 

[Camprunner]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
$40 for Valvoline?

For that price, you can get Motul or Liqui-Moly

And you know Motul & LM would be better then the Valvoline how?

 

[Vuflanovsky]

My Wal Mart apparently removed the M1 AP and doesn't carry Valvoline Modern...only the Advanced ( former Synpower ). Somehow I think it'll probably remain that way...

 

[RD_3]

They just dropped the price of VME at my local WM down to $34.97.

That being said, I still picked up a jug of VAS 5w20 for $21.97...

 

[bbhero]

Totally agree PimTac.

I would MUCH rather Valvoline Advanced Synthetic at $21.97. It really looks to be a very interesting oil. Titanium, molybdenum, and boron is definitely a difference from the previous Synpower formulation.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
Totally agree PimTac.
I would MUCH rather Valvoline Advanced Synthetic at $21.97. It really looks to be a very interesting oil. Titanium, molybdenum, and boron is definitely a difference from the previous Synpower formulation.


I didn't even have the VME to pick at WM, but my thoughts were much like yours and I will try my first Valvoline change within the next couple of weeks.
I had to look hard, the only jug of 5W30 I could find was on the top shelf and even turned so I couldn't see the grade (good thing I'm over 6').