To go one step further, ford, gm, Toyota, etc don’t make their own fluids. Most of the time when you look at an owners manual, every one that I’ve read says that the only thing that is required is for the oil you use to have the api donut on it. It’s “recommend” to use motorcraft, ac delco, etc brand filters and oil available at the dealership, but if “x” oil isn’t available, an oil that has the api donut is suitable for your vehicle and it gives some filter spec that I think basically every aftermarket filter has to have If it is suitable for oe fit form and function. I think a lot of this has to do with the right to repair act. Walmart has gotten so good with their shipping and delivery, I never even have to step foot in the store and get free delivery (you can get everything from supertech to royal purple, whatever helps you sleep at night). It’s a heck of a lot faster to buy their stuff and have it ready to go when time for an oil change then it is to go wait at the quick lube joint or a dealership and pay an arm and a leg. I can change oil in my driveway in about 20 minutes, if that. Dealerships are in it to make money, why would they tell you outright you can use any oil when you can get a 5 quart jug of 5w-30 at Walmart for $20-25 opposed to a quart for like $12 at the dealership.

Same with Home Depot and Lowes. I worked for a company that supplied both with flooring. Home Depot would fine us for stupid stuff. One day I walked into our largest RDC which is in Sunnyvale. There was a toilet sitting on the receiving dock. I asked what the toilet is doing there and someone said Home Depot returned it. When I got back to the office I told our the guy that handled our home center sales and told him to fine them. He said he can't do that. I said why they would fine us.

My question is why people keep paying more money for similar products just for the name on them. The oils are rated by thirt parties, you don’t just have to trust them.

I use them as long as they have a product that meets the specs. They don’t have one that specs for my truck but I’d use it if they did.

All the gas oils I’ve personally seen on the shelf are API SP rated these days, as far as I know the api donut is what almost every manufacturer calls for. Many of these modern turbo engines cook oils quick, hence the need for these higher rated oils, I’ve read that the maximum you would want to go is 5,000 miles even on a full synthetic. Those $10-12 saving every oil change adds up over time.

FIFY

Yeah but you didn’t fix carp same “minimal” specs the name brand oils meet. I’ve sent it I. To be analyze, good wear numbers plenty life left. I run whatever synthetic diesel oil I can find in either 5 or 15 w40 in my diesel for 10,000 miles same good used oil analysis. That’s not guessing I have used it sampled it it’s good to go.

I’m convinced that “minimum” spec is plenty strenuous for almost every application. A lot of people don’t know that most service manuals cannot force you to use their brand of oil, lubricant, or even filters and my experience has always been that if you read the fine print it almost always says if “x” brand lubricant isn’t available, use of a lubricant that meets “y” spec is acceptable. Power sports and ag can be notorious for having their brand of oil, other lubricants and filters, but they are usually (I have found agco parts to actually be cheaper than a lot of parts stores that match over) highway robbery prices and oftentimes not too easy to get. If you read the fine print, you’ll learn that you can find something on the shelf at Walmart, tractor supply, the auto parts store, or wherever else you please for a fraction of the cost that meets the exact spec as the dealer product. Same goes for coolant a lot of times too. I’m a cheapskate, I use the cheapest fluid I can find that meets weight and spec and run it. Don’t think I’ve had a fluid related failure yet other than sheer lack of changing fluids altogether on something.

If someone put supertech oil in your truck, you’d never know the difference. The company that produces it also produces a lot of other oils that you’ve probably used over the years.

My truck can’t taste the difference between SuperTech, Valvoline, or any other brand.