Overheard a customer say 'any oil is fine' and had to bite my tongue

I was at a quick lube place in El Paso last Thursday picking up some filters, and this guy tells the counter kid he just uses whatever cheap 5W-30 is on sale because 'oil is oil, it all gets dirty anyway'. Took everything I had not to jump in and explain how wrong that is for modern engines, especially with turbo chargers that need proper viscosity and additives. I get that people don't wanna spend extra, but skimping on oil spec is a fast way to kill a motor. Anyone else run into folks who think oil brands are all the same?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakotawood22d ago

Worked at a shop in Phoenix for 3 years and saw two engines die from cheap oil. One was a 2015 Ford Focus with a turbo, guy used store brand 5W-30 and the turbo seized at 60k miles. Another was a Hyundai with the 2.0T, same story. Modern engines run tighter tolerances and the API certification is important, not just the weight. Your oil pump will thank you for sticking with at least a mid tier brand.

jesse99421d ago

Nah, I've ran cheap oil in beaters for years without a single issue, @dakotawood.