What Is Bulk Oil?
There have been some post regarding Bulk Oil, so I looked up some information about just what bulk oil is...14% of all recycled oil is re-refined into its orginal oil state and sold for reuse in our automobiles...What they do is first clean the oil of contaminants through a vacuum distillation. They then add water to it to remove any remaining chemicals. The refined oil is then mixed with what is referred to as a fresh "additive Package". This supposely gives it better performance. They also add detergents, rust and corrosion inhibitors, viscosity-index improvers, antioxidants, dispersants, foam inhibitors, friction modifiers and antiwear agents. According to some, re-refined oil gives the same quality and performance as virgin oil. Bulk oil cost less than virgin and is sold in 55 gal drums.
If you intend to use bulk oil at the express lube businesses, check the label for the amount of re-refined oil the product contains. Some as little as 25% re-refined oil mixed with virgin oil. Others are formulated with 100% refined oil with additives to improve its performance.. Look for the API Service Symbol which identifies the performance level. It should also have a StarBurst Certification mark which tells you the bulk oil your having put into your car, meets or exceeds current engine guidelines. Test show the brand does not really matter, as long as it has the Starburst Seal.
Regardless, DO NOT CHEAT ON YOUR OIL FILTER...THEY SUGGEST A GOOD QUALITY LINE...AND THAT WILL NOT BE THE STANDARD FILTER THEY USE AT THE EXPRESS LUBE..HAVE THEM ORDER IT FOR YOU SPECIALLY...even better go to the auto parts store and purchase 2-3 good filters and put them in the trunk of your car..then you have them when needed..