Hey guys, I recently was calling up the hotline for Pennzoil to ask if they sell 15W40 in Canada. Strangly it went straight to a Shell Oil number. I knew they owned Quaker State but Penzzoil aswell? So what this leaves me wondering and I wish you could answer my question;
is Q.S., pennzoil, and Shell oil all the same formula??? They are owned by the same parent company so I wonder if the formula is still the same, and if we can just choose between whatever is on sale. Shell is usually sold cheaply at Costco stores....So are they all the same?

Thanks.

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My Cars
Mercedes CLS
Mercedes C-Class W203 - All time favorite

R.I.P.
Mercedes C-Class - W202 Lemon
Mercedes ML - Warrior
VW Jetta – Worst Car I ever owned - Alot of problems

Well do what you will, but I would not use any of that garbage in my mercedes. Only Mobil 1 synthetic for me. Quaker State and Pennzoil are garbage.

Yes and no. First, QS and Penn are not garbage - open your mind a bit. All oils must meet the standards set by the API, and those standards are high. All oils you're considering meet that standard, however, all those oils use additives to make their oil "better" than their competitors. Yes, they all reach the same standards so they are the same, but no their not the same because they all use different additives.

Pennzoil, QS, Shell, Chevron, etc. all make a good product. You could run it and you wouldn't notice a difference immediately or after 100k miles. The biggest leap in quality is from regular oil to synthetic. I use synthetic in everything I own except my diesels. For those, I use Chevron Delo 15-40.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

If you ever go to any lubricant blending plants, like Shell in Brockville, Ont, or Petro-Canada blending plant/refinery in Mississauga, Ont, you'll be very surprised to see how so many brands come out of the same pipe in the bottling plant..
All engine oil (without exception), whatever the label, the bottle and marketing claims, and meeting the same API specs are basically equal in quality.
A 10W40 API SM is a 10W40 API SW, whatever the make or brand it is.

Gasoline all comes out of the same pipe, too, but then gets additives added.

Call me crazy, but for all these years I've used Walmart "Tech" brand oil. About a year ago I had to take the oil pan off my '90 124 to replace the oil pump. Not because of the cheap oil, but because a professional mechanic, at some time in the past, dropped a little ball socket into the engine... it eventually got into the oil pump and Bam! locked it up instantly. I must have driven a mile or so with zero oil pressure until I heard all the racket and shut it down (we idiots need an idiot light and not just a gauge.)

Anyway, the engine amazingly survived with no damage and, in spite of my cheap oil of choice, the inside of the engine was as clean as could be, with no sludge or deposits of any kind. And when I pulled the connecting rod caps to check the bearings, there was still a lot of oil in the bearings.

So, I'll just keep using the Walmart store brand, thank you.

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2012 E350
2006 Callaway SC560

I've heard about the gasoline coming from one refinery for different regions and everyone adding their mix of additives...but in the case of Quaker State, Pennzoil, Shell Oil...are they all using the same additive? I doubt shell would want to employ 3 different research and development teams as that would shave millions from their billions in profits. Also Shell as a parent company owns Jiffy Lube as its a division of Pennzoil, so Shell has alot of interest in motor oil and end clientele.....

__________________
My Cars
Mercedes CLS
Mercedes C-Class W203 - All time favorite

R.I.P.
Mercedes C-Class - W202 Lemon
Mercedes ML - Warrior
VW Jetta – Worst Car I ever owned - Alot of problems

You could tell the difference between QS and Pennzoil by the smell: Pennzoil was sulfury. I don't know if that's still the case.

Pennzoil,QS and Shell are all Sopus products.While they are not of the same "formula" they are all excellent products.

i'm suspect of them being the same "additives" or formula aswell...

__________________
My Cars
Mercedes CLS
Mercedes C-Class W203 - All time favorite

R.I.P.
Mercedes C-Class - W202 Lemon
Mercedes ML - Warrior
VW Jetta – Worst Car I ever owned - Alot of problems

Well oil analysis indicates otherwise.
Many use different basestocks also but still end up with an excellent product.

SM/GF-4 is our friend.

you said....."Well, whatever it is, I'm going to keep using it based solely on my excellent experience with it."




You do that. Back in the day, I was on the VW TDI forums with some friends saying the same thing about using oiled-foam air filters, modifying ECUs, etc, all because WE KNEW BETTER than the VW engineers.

Sadly, I went through 5 airmass meters on my TDI, and ultimately melted - yes melted - the injection pump due to amateur foolery. Ah, but it was fun to think I had outsmarted the engineers. Throw in some Autozone tranny fluid while you're at it - hey, it's cheaper!

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former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

Thanks for your concern. However, let me remind you that we are talking about two 300Es, almost 20 years old, each with close to 200K miles, one of which I opened up and it was super-clean inside. Neither engine has ever required anything more than routine maintenance, except the '90 did get new valve seals, which eventually led to a new oil pump because of the foreign object the mechanic dropped in the engine. My amateur foolery seems to be working out quite well.

These engineers you praise are the same ones who are responsible for radiators with necks that break off, evaporators that leak, valve seals that leak, head gaskets that fail, etc, etc.

If there had been negative consequences of my choices, I could better understand your holier-than-thou attitude, ya know? You may have torn up your VW with your modifications, but my two MBs are faring quite well. You are comparing apples and oranges.

And the fact is, I have always used WalMart transmission fluid, too. Both transmissions are fine. Amazing, isn't it?

And it's not because I can't afford "good" oil. It's simply foolish to pay extra for the same product.

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2012 E350
2006 Callaway SC560

Well for me, 3k a month in "severe" conditions, and plenty of redline runs makes me feel a lot better with a good additive package in an oil that can go 6k between changes - I suppose if you're an easy driver and also change it every 3k, sure, you'll get 200k out of it. You also don't have a 722.6 trans, like I do - so pardon the trans fluid statement.

I can't imagine how it would behoove MB not to put the cheaper oils on the list, unless they had a reason not to. I presume someone will come from the sidelines and say MB is in bed with certain suppliers and are being paid to list certain ones. If you value your vehicle and want the maxiumum durability over a lifetime, why would you not go for the best additive package, one that can suspend the most debris for under the worst conditions?

I've spent $300 in unexpected repairs over the last 48k miles. I also burn zero oil between 5-6k mile change intervals, and as far as using shell gas since 100k, I'm on the original fuel pump and injectors......never a stumble.

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former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

I am an easy driver but I don't change the oil every 3K miles.

I'm sure your choices are appropriate for you, just as mine are for me.

Tell ya what, I won't criticize you for using what you like, and you show me the same respect. Fair enough?

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2012 E350
2006 Callaway SC560

Let me also be a real a$$ and get this thread closed by saying that, if you've got to worry about saving $2/qt on oil, you are living beyond your means (and your annual maintenance budget) and you need to seriously consider buying a nice Hyundai. These threads are getting ridiculous\

FWIW, I have a friend who owns several local gas stations. I had been running Shell V-Power and noticed IMMEDIATELY better results than any Walmart or Costco gas. I asked him if I was just being a gas snob, and he, NOT a Shell distributor, said no, that Shell gas IS superior due to the additive package. Make of that what you will

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former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL