I have been using generic oil since the 70's and specifically Walmart for the past 10 years or so. It is good stuff. It meets all the government standards. Call me stupid but I trust our government for some things. Oil is one of them.It does not matter what company makes the oil, it matters what spec the oil is made to. The spec is controlled by Walmart and it is made to government specs. I had two cars go over 200K. No major problems.
I didn't realize that either API or SAE were government organizations. When did this happen?
Matt
A few years ago I bought two pairs of Walmart's high end men's shorts. The government must not have inspected them, as they shrunk very quickly.
API is not really part of the government.
Not is SAE for viscosity, so I guess we should call him stupid as he requested. :-)
Matt
The government isn't even aware that motor oil exists, at least not beyond requiring manufacturers to have MSD sheets for it and making sure that it doesn't get dumped in groundwater. The performance standards and verification measurements for lubricants are set by professional organizations including the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American Petroleum Institute (API). The API does derive some of its requirements indirectly from government, but usually that's in a negative sense. For example, the latest API standard for gasoline engine lubricants sets a MAXIMUM for certain additives because although oil performs better with more of these additives, they damage pollution control devices such as O2 sensors and catalytic convertors over time as the engine consumes small amounts of oil. So indirectly, the EPA emissions requirements do affect the API standards. But not in the way you seem to think.
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