Amazon Basics Motor Oil - Let's get ready to argue

Paul_Heery · Paul_Heery's Garage

Amazon has branded motor oil under their Amazon Basics label. There is a lot of noise about this on the Internet. What are your thoughts?

AmazonBasics Full Synthetic Motor Oil - Euro Formula - 0W-40

legion · 02-13-2019, 08:08 AM

If only we had a forum member that could definitively tell us about this product...

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

All I know is I tried Valvoline full synthetic in the Cobra and the first time I stood on the gas after getting the oil warm the oil pressure went to 0. Can't be any worse than that.

(That is the only oil that has happened with) I now have a baffled oil pan so I could probably get away with V1 again, but why bother.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

I KNOW the Brad Penn oil I use in my Elky and 911 work, and I buy it from a supplier on Amazon. I can't image trying to save a few bucks to have cheaper oil when oil is not expensive to start with. Even if it was a penny per gallon, it would not save me the cost of an engine rebuild.

Thanks but no thanks.

flatbutt · 02-13-2019, 08:40 AM

An oil thread! That dude in the first video sure does talk fast. I'm with GH, plus I usually go with the manufacturers recommendation balanced with my local busted knuckle shops opinion.

1990C4S · 02-13-2019, 08:40 AM

Oil is not a place to gamble. Low savings, high risk.

Saving $10 every few months on a 911? No for me. And my turbodiesel is fussy. I will stick with Mobil1 thanks.

If I had a ****ty daily driver, for sure I would use cheap oil, but I doubt I would buy synthetic.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Interesting to read the reviews. A number of people stated that they could tell a difference in the power output of their engine after changing oils. Their seat of the pants dyno could tell the difference in power output between brands of motor oil. Really?

One guy changed the Mobil 1 full synthetic in his Mini every 3000 miles.

I was afraid maybe Amazon began making motor oil because Bezos's nephew got a new chemistry set for Christmas, but it's actually made by the same company that makes WalMart's oil. So it's WalMart oil, delivered to your door. Not a bad deal if you use WalMart oil.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

If I had a ****ty daily driver, for sure I would use cheap oil, but I doubt I would buy synthetic.

I changed my lawnmower oil every 25 hrs. That's about how long it took my Ford 2N to burn a quart running the bush hog. Drained if from a $10000 mower and put it in a worn out tractor. It worked out great.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I changed my lawnmower oil every 25 hrs. That's about how long it took my Ford 2N to burn a quart running the bush hog. Drained if from a $10000 mower and put it in a worn out tractor. It worked out great.

Wow, reusing oil is just too cheap for me. I am too lazy to clean out my oil drain pan that well. I just wipe out the excess, and hang it back on the nail I hangs from. All my engines get fresh oil.

Our former airplane mechanic used the oil from our 206's oil changes in his tractor. I can't imagine wanting to use aviation oil in a tractor, but it was his tractor.

wdfifteen · wdfifteen's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Wow, reusing oil is just too cheap for me. I am too lazy to clean out my oil drain pan that well.

Clean out the oil pan? A few leaves of grass (and a banana peel and a handful of sawdust) wouldn't hurt that old Ford.

VincentVega · 02-13-2019, 09:39 AM

Well, it was a ford.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

I tend to go Rotella or Mobil 1. I don't cheap out on oil filters either. Maybe Mike will chime in on this.

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

I use Mobil 1 in the truck. It has only 191k miles on it. The two DD get Pennzoil. The high strung small block gets the good synthetic.

pwd72s · 02-13-2019, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Oil is not a place to gamble. Low savings, high risk.

Saving $10 every few months on a 911? No for me. And my turbodiesel is fussy. I will stick with Mobil1 thanks.

If I had a ****ty daily driver, for sure I would use cheap oil, but I doubt I would buy synthetic.

Well, according to many here, nothing but ****ty drivers in my garage. But they get Mobil one, along with the lawnmower. I've used it for many years with zero oil caused problems.

sammyg2 · 02-13-2019, 11:54 AM

Quote:

ACEA A3/B4 and API SN approved

The difference between the most expensive synthetic motor oil and the cheapest synthetic motor oil is very, very small.
Possibly made at the same place and same process.

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

Most likely the detergents and amounts of them?

aschen · 02-13-2019, 12:00 PM

I am sure this is formualted and manufactured for amazon by a well known supplier. I would think it is nearly identical to something already common. That said, it doesnt seem any cheaper than the rotella I buy at Walmart for the modern cars.

I do love me some amazon Basics though. I currently source batteries, light bulbs, and a fair bit of my wardrobe from the amazon basics collection

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

It is made by Warren Oil. Basically, Coastal and some other brands.

http://www.warrenoil.com/

cabmandone · cabmandone's Garage

I buy whatever is cheap. I still change my oil every 3-4000 miles. I figure keeping clean oil in is better than running "good" oil for 5-7000 miles. The brand specific guys always make me smile.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage