{"id":5678,"date":"2026-03-21T09:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T13:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/?p=5678"},"modified":"2026-03-21T09:14:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T13:14:29","slug":"do-you-need-expensive-engine-oil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/do-you-need-expensive-engine-oil\/","title":{"rendered":"A Valvoline expert says cheap engine oil is fine \u2014 look for the API donut on the bottle and skip the upsell"},"content":{"rendered":"

A regular engine oil change is one of the most basic parts of vehicle maintenance. The exact timing varies depending on vehicles but it\u2019s something that should be changed at regular intervals. But do you actually need to shell out for the expensive stuff a few times a year? Or is the shop just trying to upsell you?<\/p>\n

I recently chatted with Dr. Michael Warholic, the Senior Global Technology Director at Valvoline, and apparently, the cheaper stuff is just fine. As the chemical engineer explains, there are minimum standards that have to be met before an engine oil can hit the market. And choosing the right oil for your vehicle is an important thing.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cFrom a qualification perspective, the first thing you want to look for on any container of oil. Whether it’s one quart, five quart, whatever, is the specifications that are indicated on that container.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Look at what\u2019s in the vehicle\u2019s owner\u2019s manual. It’ll tell you in there exactly what type of oil to use. Is it an API ILSAC G07 oil? Just API SQ, these are oil specifications or templates that go through rigorous protocols for approvals.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Spotting an approved engine oil shouldn\u2019t be too difficult either. There are small badges and logos that indicate that oil meets certain specifications or standards. The sheer number of these may make things confusing, but if you know what your specific vehicle needs it all gets a lot clearer. For instance, vintage vehicles<\/a> may need a certain oil, and vehicles from European OEMs may need something special too.<\/p>\n

Dr. Warholic explained: \u201cApproved products will have indicators on the packaging that they’re approved. There’s an API donut we call it if you look at the back of Valvoline oils. There’s a donut that tells you that this grade and also tells you that the oil is approved and meets minimum testing standards. The donut is actually trademarked by API, and it’s only there for approved registered oils.<\/em><\/p>\n

“And on the front, you may see a starburst, we call it, which looks like a star that indicates that it meets ILSAC GF-7 specifications. You may see callouts to OEM performance like Dexos or say if it\u2019s European it may be a BMW LL01 claim or it may be a VW 508, 509. Lots of numbers and letters but you want to look for that call out on the product for whatever performance level it meets that ties back to what the owner’s manual says.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

So, with all commercially available oils requiring testing and approval, you should be fine with a cheaper option. Provided you aren\u2019t at a particularly shifty mechanic\u2019s shop or using something you found in an alleyway. Just look for the correct approval marker, and your engine won\u2019t suffer from using it. With that being said, if you do have a bit of a budget, then better options are out there.<\/p>\n

While a cheaper oil is just fine, a more expensive one has its benefits<\/h2>\n

As anyone who\u2019s been truly broke knows, you can save a fortune<\/em> living off rice and beans. [Editor’s Note: I prefer instant ramen.] <\/em>You\u2019ll be miserable, and might be missing out on certain nutrients, but you won\u2019t die. From the sounds of things, engine oil follows a similar logic. There\u2019s stuff that will make your car work and not do it any harm, then there\u2019s more expensive stuff that will make your engine\u2019s life a lot easier.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe specifications, like I mentioned GF-7 SQL, are all minimum performance requirements. That’s the floor that you’re starting from<\/em>,” Dr. Warholic said.<\/p>\n

“Because we want to do better and exceed those requirements. So, when you look at a full synthetic oil like Restore and Protect. Restore and protect has very unique parameters compared to any other oil out there. The ability to remove deposits, the ability to unstick piston rings, those are unique one of a kind performance parameters that you\u2019re not going to see anywhere else.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

What Dr. Warholic says is true from what I can tell. I did get the opportunity to strip down and look at a couple of engines during a visit to one of Valvoline\u2019s labs, and the engine that had been running Restore and Protect was noticeably cleaner than the \u201ccontrol\u201d engine running on regular oil. Valvoline\u2019s newer oil couldn\u2019t stop carbon building up on the piston heads, but every other bit of the engine\u2019s internals was pretty spotless. The control engine, on the other hand, had a thick coat of \u201cvarnish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Restore and protect aside, Dr. Warholic went on to outline what a regular premium oil will usually do for your engine. He said:\u201cFor a typical full synthetic oil in terms of performance, you\u2019re going to see better thermal stability, so the oil doesn\u2019t degrade, oxidize, and thicken as easily. You\u2019re going to see better wear performance around valve train wear, piston wear, bearing wear.<\/em><\/p>\n

“You\u2019re also going to find better lubricity, which is the ability to make the engine be as efficient as possible and those metal parts to ride on each other smoothly and with better friction. Better oils have those capabilities within them based on additive changes, base oil changes, or viscosity modifier changes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

So there we have it. Yes, you can get away with the cheaper option when going for an oil change. There are minimum standards it has to meet, and it won\u2019t ruin your engine. However, you do get what you pay for to an extent and more expensive oils will do a better job. That ranges from lubricating the engine better and making it run more efficiently, to reducing overall wear, to cleaning off some of the buildup that will coat engine internals over time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A regular engine oil change is one of the most basic parts of vehicle maintenance. The exact timing varies depending … <\/p>\n

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