Valvoline Oil Change Trustworthy?

[NJExplorerFan]

Hey everyone, I'm due for my 20K mile oil change. I was curious if any of you had changed your oil at your local Valvoline Express Oil location. I been doing it with my Mustang for years and it's been fine. But, with a newer 2015 motor running on specific oil, are their special blends trustworthy as compared to the dealership? Or are they all using the same stuff from one of more of the same providers? I haven't checked the manual, but is it regular oil or a synthetic blend, or perhaps full synthetic?

Your input is greatly appreciated!

 

[kk239]

Had the oil changed at a Valvoline Express about 3 months ago. Had them put in synthetic blend that was advertised as a Valvoline product. My OLM seems to be showing normal oil life thus far, compared to oil life from previous oil changes done at the dealer.

I did have a gripe with Valvoline Express after the oil change when I began noticing small oil stains in the driveway. When I looked under the car, the oil filter was coated in oil. Turned out the filter was not tightened down enough and I was able to loosen it by hand. It was just a matter of me tightening it down properly to stop the leak, but it was disappointing that they are an oil change facility and this happened. I was the first car that morning, so maybe the kid down below hadn't had his morning coffee yet.

 

[JR123]

I would highly recommend in warranty oil changes at your dealer. If you have any issues, they could take one look at that non motorcraft filter and make it the cause. A syn blend is only $39 or do and plenty of coupons out there.

 

[Odrapnew]

Had the oil changed at a Valvoline Express about 3 months ago. Had them put in synthetic blend that was advertised as a Valvoline product. My OLM seems to be showing normal oil life thus far, compared to oil life from previous oil changes done at the dealer.

I did have a gripe with Valvoline Express after the oil change when I began noticing small oil stains in the driveway. When I looked under the car, the oil filter was coated in oil. Turned out the filter was not tightened down enough and I was able to loosen it by hand. It was just a matter of me tightening it down properly to stop the leak, but it was disappointing that they are an oil change facility and this happened. I was the first car that morning, so maybe the kid down below hadn't had his morning coffee yet.

FYI – The OLM does not “know” what oil you put in your vehicle. It uses an algorithm based on engine use to determine when to change the oil. I believe it’s based on synthetic blend. So, if you use full synthetic, the OLM should be on the conservative side for oil changes. I use synthetic and change it when it gets down to about 20%. Oil analyses showed that I still had quite a bit of life left in the oil.


I cannot comment for trusting Valvoline Oil Change service as I do my own oil changes.

I would highly recommend in warranty oil changes at your dealer. If you have any issues, they could take one look at that non motorcraft filter and make it the cause. A syn blend is only $39 or do and plenty of coupons out there.

I'm fairly certain they cannot deny you warranty issues for using non-Motorcraft oil and/or filter as long as they meet the requirements. I think it's covered under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

 

[kk239]

FYI – The OLM does not “know” what oil you put in your vehicle. It uses an algorithm based on engine use to determine when to change the oil. I believe it’s based on synthetic blend. So, if you use full synthetic, the OLM should be on the conservative side for oil changes. I use synthetic and change it when it gets down to about 20%. Oil analyses showed that I still had quite a bit of life left in the oil.
.

Never said it did. Just making the point that the oil change and oil used at the Valvoline Express and that from the dealer, at least on my vehicle, has not reflected any difference in oil life as the original poster was questioning ("Or are they all using the same stuff from one of more of the same providers").

 

[Odrapnew]

Never said it did. Just making the point that the oil change and oil used at the Valvoline Express and that from the dealer, at least on my vehicle, has not reflected any difference in oil life as the original poster was questioning ("Or are they all using the same stuff from one of more of the same providers").

I think I need to clarify my statement.

The OLM should be more of an OLE(Oil Life Estimator)

If you filled your engine up with full synthetic oil, reset your OLM and ran the vehicle until the OLM read 0 and then repeated that with conventional oil(running the engine exactly the same), you would get identical mileage oil change interval based on the OLM. By exactly the same, I mean lab controlled test. If the engine lasted(and didn't shut down from error codes), you could run the engine with no oil and the OLM will give same change interval. The OLM doesn’t measure anything about the oil’s lubricity properties or contaminants, it just estimates oil life based on how the engine has been used.

It should also tell you to change the oil @ 1 year regardless of miles or 10K miles regardless of how it’s used since those are the specified maximums in the manual.

To answer the OP's question, if Valvoline is filling up with synthetic blend or full synthetic, there's no reason to question the lubricating properties of their oil vs. Motorcraft(or whatever your dealership uses).

 

[NJExplorerFan]

Thanks guys. I assume "OLM" means oil life monitor? I'm trying to understand how it works. So based on algorithms, it calculates when to change the oil based on how "I" drive the vehicle or other internal engine operating conditions? It's ironic that my last oil change was at 10K miles and just a couple days ago I got a notice to change the oil and the percentage meter now reads in the single digits, maybe even at 0% now.

I say ironic because I'm at 19,950 miles and I believe the manual says to change the oil every 10K miles. So, is it really just a counter that goes off every 10K miles or were my driving conditions for the last 10K miles exactly equivalent to what the manual says?

 

[peterk9]

Thanks guys. I assume "OLM" means oil life monitor? I'm trying to understand how it works. So based on algorithms, it calculates when to change the oil based on how "I" drive the vehicle or other internal engine operating conditions? It's ironic that my last oil change was at 10K miles and just a couple days ago I got a notice to change the oil and the percentage meter now reads in the single digits, maybe even at 0% now.

I say ironic because I'm at 19,950 miles and I believe the manual says to change the oil every 10K miles. So, is it really just a counter that goes off every 10K miles or were my driving conditions for the last 10K miles exactly equivalent to what the manual says?

It's actually IOLM. I = Iintelligent. Chances are the monitor was not reset. I always check mine after every oil change just make sure they reset it.

Peter

 

[JAPeterson]

I personally do not trust any and I mean any quick oil change location to do it properly and that even means the Ford dealer. The help that is changing your oil in these locations are making minimum wage and at times I even wonder if they have any idea of what they are doing. I have seen loose and missing oil filters, missing and loose drain plugs, the wrong oil installed, not enough oil installed and everything in between. The Ford dealer is no better. A friend of mine drove his 2016 F350 with the 6.7 diesel off of the log when it shut down due to low oil. The dealers workers forgot to put on the new filter. You could follow the trucks path from the oil that it was leaking from the lube bay to where they parked it to the hwy just off of their property. Now my friend also should shoulder some of the blame on this. Who doesn't see a puddle of oil under their vehicle.

If you do use a quick change shop before you leave the lot check your oil by yourself and make sure it is at the proper level. Also let the engine idle for a few minutes and take a look under it and see if you see any type of drip from the filter or drain plug area. If you have the transmission fluid changed do the same thing before you leave their lot. It may take you a few minutes to do these checks and they might take offense that you are doing them right in front of them but it is your vehicle not theirs.

 

[Odrapnew]

Thanks guys. I assume "OLM" means oil life monitor? I'm trying to understand how it works. So based on algorithms, it calculates when to change the oil based on how "I" drive the vehicle or other internal engine operating conditions? It's ironic that my last oil change was at 10K miles and just a couple days ago I got a notice to change the oil and the percentage meter now reads in the single digits, maybe even at 0% now.

I say ironic because I'm at 19,950 miles and I believe the manual says to change the oil every 10K miles. So, is it really just a counter that goes off every 10K miles or were my driving conditions for the last 10K miles exactly equivalent to what the manual says?

It monitors things like cold starts, engine temperature, throttle positon, engine load...etc to estimate the life left in the oil. If you are driving relatively easy, it's possible the oil's lubrication properties would allow you to run longer, however, the algorithm Ford programmed should read 0% when you hit 10k miles, that's the max distance the manual says to go between oil changes.

And, "monitor " in OLM may be misleading. It's not directly monitoring the oil, is more of monitoring the other parameters I mentioned above to estimate the oil life.

Another example would be if you ran your vehicle without an air filter and in a dust storm for 10k miles. The oil would be so contaminated with dust, you be wearing the components down is a hurry. The OLM does not known the oil is full of dust.

Sorry for being so technical.

 

[chefduane]

I'm fairly certain they cannot deny you warranty issues for using non-Motorcraft oil and/or filter as long as they meet the requirements. I think it's covered under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

I knew about warrantees remaining valid as long as work met OEM requirements, but did not know the specific Law or Act that covered that.
Valuable information, to be sure. Thanks!

 

[Tuscany]

FYI – The OLM does not “know” what oil you put in your vehicle. It uses an algorithm based on engine use to determine when to change the oil. I believe it’s based on synthetic blend. So, if you use full synthetic, the OLM should be on the conservative side for oil changes. I use synthetic and change it when it gets down to about 20%. Oil analyses showed that I still had quite a bit of life left in the oil.


I cannot comment for trusting Valvoline Oil Change service as I do my own oil changes.




I'm fairly certain they cannot deny you warranty issues for using non-Motorcraft oil and/or filter as long as they meet the requirements. I think it's covered under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

The magnuson-moss act....
Don't rely on that one..

It doesn't matter that the law exists, or if you are in the right.
It matters if you can afford the legal fees and the years of postponements to litigate it.
You will not be able to wave a magic wand and point to the MM act, and have a judge order Ford to pay up.
Your automaker employs attorneys who will disagree, and they have the budget and time to easily bury you with paperwork for years.

If you want to insure your warranty, use your Ford service department, and save your work orders.

 

[bigdude2468]

The magnuson-moss act....
Don't rely on that one..

It doesn't matter that the law exists, or if you are in the right.
It matters if you can afford the legal fees and the years of postponements to litigate it.
You will not be able to wave a magic wand and point to the MM act, and have a judge order Ford to pay up.
Your automaker employs attorneys who will disagree, and they have the budget and time to easily bury you with paperwork for years.

If you want to insure your warranty, use your Ford service department, and save your work orders.

 

[Odrapnew]

The magnuson-moss act....
Don't rely on that one..

It doesn't matter that the law exists, or if you are in the right.
It matters if you can afford the legal fees and the years of postponements to litigate it.
You will not be able to wave a magic wand and point to the MM act, and have a judge order Ford to pay up.
Your automaker employs attorneys who will disagree, and they have the budget and time to easily bury you with paperwork for years.

If you want to insure your warranty, use your Ford service department, and save your work orders.

All good points. It'll all come down the the specific situation and if/how hard Ford would want to fight it.

Also, how often does a vehicle these days catastrophicly fail within the warranty period(specifically an engine within the Ford 5 year/60k powertrain) when regular maintenance is performed? I think it's pretty rare these days.

 

[Tuscany]

I would agree that a chance of a catastrophic failure is remote. I would also suggest taking a good look at the quality of the average "quick change"......"technicians".
Not top shelf. Heck, not even bottom shelf.

Those places hire/pay the absolute bottom for employment in the automotive motive field, and I would definitely not walk away when they are servicing your vehicle.
They are notoriously uneducated in the simplest chemical differences, such as mixing antifreeze compounds that will clash, coagulate and plug up your heat exchangers.
Good luck trying to pin that one on your warranty. Get ready to stroke a $1,500 check to fix it.

If a failure happens, I like the odds of a dealership owning the problem, rather then the drunk working at a "quick lube"

JMO.

 

[chefduane]

Those places hire/pay the absolute bottom for employment in the automotive motive field, and I would definitely not walk away when they are servicing your vehicle. At least if a failure happens, I like the odds of a dealership owning the problem, rather then the drunk working at a "quick lube."
JMO.

I would second this assertion. A neighbor's son went through Auto Tech School a few years ago. Pretty good kid, responsible, good with tools. When he got his first job it was at one of those quickie lube places. He didn't stay long as he said they were totally irresponsible and clueless as to real automobile repair. Some were junkies. He quit after a few months and now he is at a Chrysler dealership.

 

[Halwg]

At a former employer, we leased Fords for 2 years 60,000 miles or 3 years 90,000. I have seen several trucks that did not have their oil changed until the vehicle was ready to back from lease. Some of these went into the high 70,000 mile range just adding some oil. Then a change was done prior to return.

None of these vehicles failed while in our use, but just think if you were unlucky enough to buy one that came off lease.

 

[NJExplorerFan]

I would agree that most of these quick lube places aren't trustworthy. And I also agree that you can't even trust some Ford dealers. So where do you go really without trying places until you find one you feel comfortable with. I use to do my own oil changes but life now gets in the way. I can share my own personal experience... There is a local Valvoline near my home and I been going there for years. The Manager is always on site checking everything, the staff shouts outloud everything they're doing each step of the way, while you sit in the car and watch everything being done. They'll even bring the dipstick to your window so you can see the oil level. Each service that's done is recorded as well. You can see the microphone right above your vehicle. I been bringing my old '03 Explorer V8 there and even my Mustang with a souped up motor that has seen many trips down the 1/4 mile strip. I don't now, I guess at the end of the day, who do you trust unless you have time to do it yourself? I don't see what's going on at the dealer but at least at the local lube place, I see everything vs sitting in a waiting area.

Question is whether it will hurt my warranty or not if I don't do oil changes and other basic maintenance services at the dealership.

 

[peterk9]

......Question is whether it will hurt my warranty or not if I don't do oil changes and other basic maintenance services at the dealership.

It should not be an issue. Best to keep all records and receipts. BTW, I've had oil changes and all my work done by the dealerships for more than 10 years and have never has an issue.

Peter

 

[wilsoda]

Stay away from Valvoline Oil change. A few years ago my wife took her Honda in and they convinced her to power flush the transmission even though fluid was changed at dealer 12k miles earlier. Honda explicitly states that power flushes shouldn't be done and is very particular with their transmission fluid specs. In addition to this they left it 3+ quarts low. Transmission failed 1200 miles later. Valvoline sent their "regional master technician" to the dealer we had it towed to. He declared that it just needed more fluid and that it was now topped off and good to go. Dealer checked at it was still over a quart low and I couldn't even get it to move across out of the service bay. Manager and tech said they weren't responsible so I started escalating up the corporate chain. Valvoline actually produced the video showing that they showed my wife the dipstick and so she was responsible for it being low!? They also sent a pile of expert studies stating that failures due to faulty maintenance would show up immediately so they were not liable and that aftermarket fluids don't cause problems so they were obviously well practiced in these issues. One employee I spoke to even said go ahead and sue since they knew how to deal with this and an individual could never afford to fight them in court.