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The Secret Motor Oil Companies Don't Want You To Know

Specially formulated motor oils have a secret most car owners do not know: You can actually formulate your own specialty motor oil for your car. Here's how it is done.
You Can Mix Your Own Blend of Motor Oil

As counterintuitive as it may sound, there are similarities between baking a cake and creating a specially formulated motor oil. According to a recent episode of The Motor Oil Geek YouTube channel, Lake Speed, the host of the channel explains that making a specially formulated motor oil is really not that different from baking a special kind of cake―just adding the correct ingredients by following a recipe is chemistry in action that transforms a base motor oil into a boutique motor oil.

Related article: Two Simple Ways to Test Your Unused Motor Oil at Home

More to the point, the host states, "The fact of the matter is that most brands of oil don't formulate the oils they make and sell. That's right, the big 4 additive companies (Afton, Infineum, Lubrizol and Oronite) actually do the formulating and testing. Most oil marketers are buying an additive package and following the "recipe" provided by the additive company to make the oil, so it is just like making a cake from a box of Betty Crocker cake mix."

In other words, that bottle of NAPA brand motor oil is technically not made by the manufacturer. Rather, the additives used in motor oil brands are designed by four other companies that the brands buy from and then add to their base motor oil.

Related article: Is the Cheaper Costco Kirkland Oil Miserly on the Additives Your Car's Engine Needs?

What is Boutique Motor Oil?

Boutique motor oil is not just a marketing claim. It accurately refers to a high-quality, specialized, or custom-blended motor oil. Boutique motor oils are produced by smaller, independent companies rather than large-scale, mass-market oil manufacturers that produce the motor oil used by the majority of cars today.

Boutique motor oils are formulated for specific performance characteristics or applications, such as:

  1. Racing engines: Higher tolerance to extreme conditions like high temperatures and pressures.
  2. Classic or vintage cars: Formulated to protect older engines that require specific additives or viscosities.
  3. High-performance or luxury vehicles: To enhance performance, improve fuel efficiency, and extend engine life.

What Goes Into a Boutique Motor Oil?

Boutique motor oils are formulated with superior ingredients, like higher-quality synthetic bases, and typically include more advanced or specialized additives than the ones used in standard motor oil brands. Because of the specialized chemistry and ingredients required to "bake" a boutique motor oil; a small demand by niche markets; and a focus on particular performance qualities, they are often quite expensive.

How to Make an API-Licensed Motor Oil and How to Change It Like the Big Boys Do

Follow along with the host as he shows how to blend up a synthetic API SP GM Dexos 1 Gen 3 licensed 5W-30 motor oil.

"We are going to show you every step of the process. We are going to show you the base oil, the additive package, the viscosity modifier―we are holding nothing back. We are going to show you everything it takes to make one of these oils, and then we are going to show you the boutique way," promises the host.

In the video, you will watch and learn through step-by-step demonstrations that include―but are not limited to:

  • The "cake bake" simplicity of adding ingredients already designed by someone else.
  • Where additives referred to as "Viscosity Index modifiers/improvers" come from and what they consist of.
  • The four companies that make these additive packages for motor oil manufacturers.
  • Some of these additives are used to modify the oil in passenger car engines for special applications, like turbocharged engine conditions.
  • Standards are set for motor oil that manufacturers (both the branded oil makers and the additive wizards) have to adhere to. These standards are "application-specific chemistry" and differ between uses for your sedan and a race car.
  • Why boutique motor oils are not used (aside from their cost) in everyday cars.
  • How the host’s kitchen-created "outlaw" motor oil compares to the off-the-shelf bottle of motor oil.

The Secret Oil Companies Don't Want You To Know...

 

For additional articles related to motor oil, here are three useful ones for your consideration:

Just in case you want to get your inner Geek on: Here is the link to a recommended guide that discusses more about API Motor Oil Classifications than you will ever want to read about…ever again.

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWritesfor daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

Image source: Deposit Photos

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