Ashish

iTrader: (3)

For the past 2 oil changes the German Castrol bottles have always said "Made in Germany" at the back. Recently, I see a new label on the bottle so I decide to check out the back. The barcode still remains the same but it no longer says "Made in Germany". Also, the oil ratings or whatever those acronyms in the back are called are different.

Is it still GC? or is it a different product?

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

Different product. Not the real deal. Look elsewhere.

Ashish

iTrader: (3)

Even if its the same bar code?

This sucks.

E V I L

iTrader: (6)

It is the same thing. Could have been an older bottle that just got pushed to the front or they may have just removed the MADE IN GERMANY logo. If the barcode is the same then it is the same thing!

Dom

iTrader: (2)

If it's 0W30, it should be Made in Germany. It sucks the Autozone by me doesn't sell them anymore. I just went with 5W30. Oh well.

Ashish

iTrader: (3)

Thats what I thought, but at the same time I don't know why the oil specifications would be different.

Not sure with other autozones but to my knowledge this one fills their racks from the front, so I'm assuming this is the new bottle.

ChocoTaco369

Not necessarily true. There is 0W-30 made in America and it sometimes gets mixed in at Autozone. I've never seen it, but I know it happens because people have told me.

By law, products have to say where they are made. It has to say "MADE IN _____." Ashish, are you saying the bottle doesn't say where the product was made in at all? Does it say where it was imported to? I believe GC 0W-30 is imported to Wayne, NJ. If it's Castrol Syntec 0W-30 at Autozone, it PROBABLY is made in Germany, but my point is there has to be a logo on there by Federal Law. Search harder for the logo. Maybe they moved it. Check under the bottle, all along the sides, etc...The "Made in ________" logo is basically printed onto the bottle so it can't be peeled off like a sticker. You'd need acetone or sandpaper or something to get it off.

Redlinez

iTrader: (5)

They're not the same. The German Castrol is made from a different base stock. I think it's something you'll stop seeing here. I just started having an intermittent lifter tap after about 3000 miles on GC. I may switch back to Supertech synthetic 5/30 and see what happens.

cals400ex

iTrader: (27)

the autozone stores here have the the 0-30. and i would think it would be similar with the price being about the same. however, this stuff says made in usa.

Jordan S.

iTrader: (17)

Not true.

ChocoTaco369

The Made in USA stuff isn't fully synthetic. USA oil companies are allowed to use highly refined crude oil as their base, which is NOT fully synthetic. Through loopholes, they are allowed to call it fully synthetic when it really is not. These Synthetics are called Group III synthetics - they're marketed as fully synthetic but the base stock is not, so it's not really fully synthetic.

This practice is illegal in Germany. Made in Germany Castrol Syntec CANNOT be made this way. German government prohibits Group III oils from being called fully synthetic because, well, they aren't fully synthetic. GC 0W-30 is a Group IV synthetic - a TRUE synthetic - while American 0W-30 is a Group III synthetic - not fully synthetic, but marketed as fully synthetic thanks to loopholes.

cals400ex

iTrader: (27)

i thought mobil 1 was a group IV? or a year or so ago i thought so?

ChocoTaco369

Mobil 1 changed their stuff. Once companies started selling the Group III stuff as fully synthetic, Mobil 1 jumped on the bandwagon. That's why their 30 weights are such junk now. Their 40 weights may still be a group IV. It's unknown at this time, but all evidence leads to Mobil 1 being reformulated as a Group III phony full synthetic.

Dom

iTrader: (2)

As if the oil companies aren't ripping us off enough they lie about the oil base.

I'm so happy. I recently moved and the Autozone by me has the European formula. It says it in big letters on the front. Can't miss that. On the back it says Made in Germany.

snake hunter

Yes you are correct. M1 including the 30 weights is group iv.

LS1crazy01

iTrader: (14)

Just by it from ws6store.com

ChocoTaco369

Again, all evidence available shows that Mobil 1 is NOT a Group IV synthetic anymore. They changed along with everyone else when one specific oil company won the case where they were sued for putting "fully synthetic" on a Group III. Courts ruled in their favor, so since they could get away with it, Mobil 1 switched over, too. Group III's are cheaper to make, so why not convert to the lower quality stuff if you can advertise them as the same? The public is ignorant.

snake hunter

Correct. In fact it was Mobil who sued Castrol for claiming Syntech was a full synthetic, when it was being made with highly refined group III base stock. In 1999 Mobil lost their suit. Court (or arbitrators) decided "synthetic" was a marketing term. Long story short, Castrol and most manufacturers are still group III. (European Union does not allow this, thus the German Castrol). M1 is still made with group IV polyalphaolefin stock , so it looks like it is still group IV, but to what extent, we may never know. I'm still using it with great success, and will continue to do so. There are other great oils out there though.

LastHawk

So I guess the big question is; is the quality of oil so different that people should stop using it? Or we all just worrying entirely too much.

snake hunter

I think people worry way too much about it. Change it every three thousand miles and enjoy your car. All oils have to pass standard tests to meet industry standards, so even if you use conventional oil you'll be fine.