Pennzoil Ultra or Pennzoil Platinum?

[HangerHarley]

Originally Posted By: Lethal1ty17
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
For any change interval you might be doing, the difference in cost per mile between the PP and the Ultra is nil.
Is the Ultra a better oil?
I'm sure it is.
Do you need it.
I'm sure you don't.
Should you use it?
Why not?
You could try the Ultra, and see for yourself whether you notice any difference at all.
If you do, it's worth the four bucks and change.
If you don't, you can keep that sawbuck in your pocket.



+1

i tried it just for the heck of it, im hard on oil and i DRIVE cars, not just putt around. didnt notice one bit of difference really with the Ultra compared to my Edge other than it was the slightest bit noisier, but it could have just been me looking for problems.


Did PP make or expose Leaks?

Or is its HTHS high enough that it simply isnt a Leaker Oil?

 

[HyundaiGuy]

While I like a bargain as much as the next guy, I can't see agonizing over a 5 dollar difference in price for one of the most important things one can do to care for a machine that costs in the tens of thousands (on average.) Buying PU over PP seems a "no brainer" to me, as does synthetic over dino. But that's just me- as with everything else in life- you roll the dice and move your mice.

 

[Jason_M]

Ultra is brand new. Launched March 2010 from Pennzoil. It's roots come from Europe under the Helix Ultra label. It meets and exceeds the GM Corvette specification for motor oil, exceeds GF-5 spec coming in October 2010, and meets the Ferrari spec (a oil specification that is NOT published to the industry). I would say that Ultra is "the very best" oil in the market today, as no oil has meet such specifications. I would put it in my car, and plan to on my next oil change. For sure worth a few bucks if you want the best.

 

[Jehartley]

Originally Posted By: Jason_M
Ultra is brand new. Launched March 2010 from Pennzoil. It's roots come from Europe under the Helix Ultra label. It meets and exceeds the GM Corvette specification for motor oil, exceeds GF-5 spec coming in October 2010, and meets the Ferrari spec (a oil specification that is NOT published to the industry). I would say that Ultra is "the very best" oil in the market today, as no oil has meet such specifications. I would put it in my car, and plan to on my next oil change. For sure worth a few bucks if you want the best.


IF Ultra gets the Dexos cert like Platinum, then I will agree with you.

 

[demarpaint]

I'd agree and use it if they get it to market in a 0W20.

 

[bigbadboss101]

I have a 2010 Subaru WRX. My last change was at 10900 km, and today it's at 17100km. So with 6200km the oil was a little bit low, and dark. The oil I used was Pennzoil 5w30 synthetic. Used the Subaru filter with the ring. I don't think the engine at this age and with frequent oil changes should get dirty so soon. Could it be that the PP burn or shear ? People say PP has more detergent but with 17100 km there shouldn't be much to clean off. Gas I aways go with Shell or Esso Premium. Oil about 400 ml low and darker than usual.

BTW, I am in Canada so numbers are in km.

 

[bluesubie]

Originally Posted By: bigbadboss101
I have a 2010 Subaru WRX. My last change was at 10900 km, and today it's at 17100km. So with 6200km the oil was a little bit low, and dark. The oil I used was Pennzoil 5w30 synthetic. Used the Subaru filter with the ring. I don't think the engine at this age and with frequent oil changes should get dirty so soon. Could it be that the PP burn or shear ? People say PP has more detergent but with 17100 km there shouldn't be much to clean off. Gas I aways go with Shell or Esso Premium. Oil about 400 ml low and darker than usual.

BTW, I am in Canada so numbers are in km.

I'm not a fan of using any Energy Conserving oil in a 265 hp 4 cyl turbo with a 5 qt oil capacity. Although the short OCI's might be fine, but you should do a used oil analysis and/or switch to a more robust oil IMO.

If you have a look around the forums, you'll see that Subaru turbos do well on more robust oils (Rotella T 5W-40, etc.) since they're a bit more resistant to burning/shearing. Note that the manual states that 5W-30 is preferred for fuel economy and thicker grades are required for high temps and severe conditions.

Unfortunately, the more robust Euro PU's are nearly impossible to find. Although if you check the PU thread in the Euro forum , there are some details on how to get some PU 5W-40 direct from Pennzoil. I have a case in my garage now.

Some people say that dark oil does not tell you anything about the condition of the oil. Even though your engine is new and probably has no sludge, you want to keep it that way by using Pennzoil Ultra with Hyper Cleansing Technology.

And now back to the PU vs PP should I save $4.50 thread.

-Dennis

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: bigbadboss101
I have a 2010 Subaru WRX. My last change was at 10900 km, and today it's at 17100km. So with 6200km the oil was a little bit low, and dark. The oil I used was Pennzoil 5w30 synthetic. Used the Subaru filter with the ring. I don't think the engine at this age and with frequent oil changes should get dirty so soon. Could it be that the PP burn or shear ? People say PP has more detergent but with 17100 km there shouldn't be much to clean off. Gas I aways go with Shell or Esso Premium. Oil about 400 ml low and darker than usual.

BTW, I am in Canada so numbers are in km.


6,200 km is enough to darken your oil. Although `dark` is a pretty vague description. To determine if there`s an actual problem with it, you could either send a sample off for UOA or save the time $20 bucks and do a simple `poor mans field test`. The article is likely copyright by the site owner, so rather that copy & paste it I`ll just give you a link to it:

http://members.themotoroilevaluator.com/index.php?id=162

The site is free but you may have to spend the 5 minutes to register there. Well worth the 5 minutes though, as that site and the `engine bible` he links to are what I use as the holy grail of all things engine oil related.

Bitog is a great supplemental (and the members here pinpointed a problem I`d overlooked the same day I posted), but I take everything I read here with a huge dose of salt. Lots of good info here, but you really have to sift to find it. IMHO far too many post opinion based soley on their own experience and then extrapolate from that a one size fits all remedy with no consideration given to the fact that the vehicles in question, driving style, usage, climate, etc, are different from their own; and no empirical evidence whatsoever.

But like they say, opinions are like ---------, everyone has one. You just have to sift through the usual junk to find the gold that is here; but that`s the same as any other forum.

End rant (and donning flame suit). BTW this in no way refers to anything above my post, just a common theme in any thread. I just wish the net was advanced enough that I could reach out and smack silly the next person I see recommend a Fram oil filter to anyone (different thread).

-Spyder

 

[fdcg27]

The HT/HS number is not related to oil leaks.
It is a measure of how well a finished oil holds up under really high load and temperature conditions.
Many years ago, in a galaxy far,far away, syns were said to promote oil leaks.
In the case of the Grp IV oils then used as basestocks, along with an absence of seal conditioners, this was probably true.
In the case of PP or Ultra, since they are Grp III oils, this doesn't apply.
In the case of current Grp IV oils, whatever they may be, it doesn't apply either.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: bigbadboss101
I have a 2010 Subaru WRX. My last change was at 10900 km, and today it's at 17100km. So with 6200km the oil was a little bit low, and dark. The oil I used was Pennzoil 5w30 synthetic. Used the Subaru filter with the ring. I don't think the engine at this age and with frequent oil changes should get dirty so soon. Could it be that the PP burn or shear ? People say PP has more detergent but with 17100 km there shouldn't be much to clean off. Gas I aways go with Shell or Esso Premium. Oil about 400 ml low and darker than usual.

BTW, I am in Canada so numbers are in km.


The numbers you are referencing are its NOACK and HTHS.

PP has an HTHS of 3 and a NOACK of 11.6. While not outstanding, these particular scores are perfectly acceptable. Not as good as boutique oil like Redline, but it costs a lot less too. To give those scores some meaning, I`ll pick on Castrol Edge as its a direct competitor, and, thanks to their marketing, pretty much a house hold name. Its HTHS is 2.9 and its NOACK is 13. Lower is better for these scores, but they are pretty close.

-Spyder

 

[Nyquist]

Actually it is preferable to have a higher HT/HS number. You were correct on the lower NOACK numbers Spyder7.

 

[wander2039]

I went with PP this time for Escape. Previous fill was Ultra and changed it out at 8k should of went to 10k (always say that never do). Could be all my head but with Ultra it was bit smoother. May go back next time the wife did the shopping she said they were out, in her defense I told her either was fine. Afterwards she asked the difference and got mad at me for saying PP was fine.. she's picky about her ride.

 

[Spyder7]

I`d like to try Ultra, but with at least another month to go before the PP even goes in, I`ll have lots of time to see if I can get it on a good sale or rollback. The day I bought PP it happened to be $19 at Walmart, and Ultra was at least double that, so the choice for me was easy.

That same trip GTX and Edge were also rolled back (Edge was more $10 more expensive than the PP but rolled back to the same price as Supertech syn). Where I hit Wallyworld about once a week and always cruise their auto section (starting with the engine oils), I`m pretty confident I`ll find Ultra rolled back before the PP comes out.

-Spyder

 

[Brett Miller]

I'm sticking with Platinum because I don't feel Ultra will be around for the long term.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: Brett Miller
I'm sticking with Platinum because I don't feel Ultra will be around for the long term.


I totally disagree. I don't think Ultra will be going anywhere. Pennzoil has a lot of money invested in this oil and they aren't just going to discontinue it because a few people on BITOG have noticed that their local Walmarts aren't moving much of this oil. I would be willing to bet that this oil is turning out to be a big success for Pennzoil so far.

 

[Lethal1ty17]

though it has been mentioned that even crisco could become the official oil of ferrari with a large enough sum of money, i dont think ferrari would openly stake their reputation to an oil that did anything less than their world class impressive high standards.

the extra few bucks is negligable, and its worth it to satisfy my curiosity anyways, hence why i now run ultra and run it hard with absolute confidence.

 

[jdjiii]

If you look at Shell Helix Ultra, Pennzoil Ultra, and Pennzoil Platinum, they all come from the same base oil made from natural gas - there PURE PLUS oil technology.. Differences beyond the base oil is additive package variations. As you all know Shell owns Pennzoil.

 

[IndyFan]

Originally Posted by Patman
Originally Posted by Brett Miller
I'm sticking with Platinum because I don't feel Ultra will be around for the long term.


I totally disagree. I don't think Ultra will be going anywhere. Pennzoil has a lot of money invested in this oil and they aren't just going to discontinue it because a few people on BITOG have noticed that their local Walmarts aren't moving much of this oil. I would be willing to bet that this oil is turning out to be a big success for Pennzoil so far.


Wow, an old thread. Is Pennzoil still developing Ultra, or is it nearly DOA?

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted by IndyFan
Originally Posted by Patman
Originally Posted by Brett Miller
I'm sticking with Platinum because I don't feel Ultra will be around for the long term.


I totally disagree. I don't think Ultra will be going anywhere. Pennzoil has a lot of money invested in this oil and they aren't just going to discontinue it because a few people on BITOG have noticed that their local Walmarts aren't moving much of this oil. I would be willing to bet that this oil is turning out to be a big success for Pennzoil so far.


Wow, an old thread. Is Pennzoil still developing Ultra, or is it nearly DOA?


WMT has it online still, $24.31 for a 5 qt. jug. There's a rebate going on too.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Originally Posted by demarpaint
Originally Posted by IndyFan
Originally Posted by Patman
Originally Posted by Brett Miller
I'm sticking with Platinum because I don't feel Ultra will be around for the long term.


I totally disagree. I don't think Ultra will be going anywhere. Pennzoil has a lot of money invested in this oil and they aren't just going to discontinue it because a few people on BITOG have noticed that their local Walmarts aren't moving much of this oil. I would be willing to bet that this oil is turning out to be a big success for Pennzoil so far.


Wow, an old thread. Is Pennzoil still developing Ultra, or is it nearly DOA?


WMT has it online still, $24.31 for a 5 qt. jug. There's a rebate going on too.


Right now I wouldn't be buying much oil most rebates are good until December and Black Friday is just around the corner.