In a previous video, we tested AmazonBasics full synthetic engine oil against Mobil 1 and it did a very good job.
However, we tested 10w30, not 5w30 and this is the 5w30 showdown.
So today we're gonna be competing AmazonBasics full synthetic against LiquiMoly, a brand that comes from Germany
that's supposed to be extremely good. So let's get the testing underway and see just how good this LiquiMoly is compared to AmazonBasics.
In the first test we'll measure cold temperature oil flow. When the engine has first started
we want the oil flowing as quickly as possible to begin lubricating moving parts.
While I'm not able to test products using expensive test equipment used for ASTM SAE or API testing,
there are some oil properties that can easily be tested to compare oil performance.
There are many important functions of engine oil and the three that we'll be measuring include the ability to handle exposure to heat, wear
resistance or film strength, and cold flow performance of new, as well as oil that's been exposed to heat.
So I'll place the oil in a freezer that set the 15 below zero Fahrenheit and leave it in there for 24 hours.
Later in the video we'll compete these two brands to see which one has the best cold flow performance.
In the previous video comparing synthetic oils from AmazonBasics and Mobil 1
I explained the American Petroleum Institute donut along with two important pieces of information including the viscosity grade and the two digit code.
Costing $13.50 for one liter or
$45 for a 5 liter container, LiquiMoly 5w30 top tech
4200 is a synthetic oil designed for both gasoline and diesel engines. Since this product is manufactured in Germany, it meets many European oil
specifications. It also meets API SN specifications. While test equipment doesn't simulate engine operating conditions perfectly,
the lubricity tester will provide us with some great information on oil performance when it comes to film strength.
I put together a video a while back on how lubricity tester works. So, please consider checking it out.
The lubricity tests will last right at 10 minutes.
During the test, we'll be making sure the bearing is receiving a constant supply of oil and watching the bearing temperature and energy usage as well.
Before we begin the test, I'm going to first calibrate the weight scales and then weigh each bearing.
After the test I'll measure the amount of scoring on each bearing by taking a weight measurement and then measuring the size of the wear scar
Costing only $19.99 for a 5 quart container,
which is less than half the price of the LiquiMoly, can AmazonBasics
possibly outperform its high-dollar competitor? The AmazonBasics full synthetic 5w30 meets generation 2 dexos1,
certification API SN+ and ILSAC GF 5
specifications. It claims to be formulated for longer drain intervals and is designed to prevent low-speed pre-ignition in turbocharged direct injection
engines. It also claims to provide outstanding protection in cold climates.
So who packages the oil for Amazon? Warren Distribution, a company located in Omaha, Nebraska that's been in business since
1922. Having been in business for nearly a hundred years
they've survived the test of time but can their low-priced oil outperform a premium price brand like LiquiMoly? Well, we're about to find out.
Now that the test is complete I'll weigh each bearing and I'll also measure the size of the wear scar.
LiquiMoly is on the left and AmazonBasics is on the right and all I can say is
wow, AmazonBasics really did a lot better job than LiquiMoly on this test. It's been right at 24 hours
so let's get the testing underway. AmazonBasics is on the left and LiquiMoly is on the right. AmazonBasics
is first to make contact with the oil slide and it isn't waiting around for LiquiMoly. Considering the price difference
Amazon is a clear underdog in this showdown and seems to have something to prove to it's more expensive competition.
Relying on its Warren Distribution pedigree, Amazon hits the hammer on the home stretch finishing ahead of LiquiMoly by an inch. Very impressive.
In the next test we're going to see just how well each brand of oil can tolerate heat. Before we begin the test
I'll be weighing each coffee pot before the test then adding approximately 200 grams of oil into each container. After the test
I'll weigh each container again to calculate oil loss caused by the heat.
So why this test?
Oil that evaporates quickly
isn't going to protect your vehicle's engine and keep it running smoothly compared to oil that can handle the heat. The appropriate test to measure
Evaporative loss is known as the Noack volatility test which exposes oil to 482 degrees
Fahrenheit for one hour to simulate conditions in and around the top of piston rings of engines.
So what happens with oil vaporizes excessively? It becomes thicker and heavier contributing to poor oil circulation, reduced fuel economy,
increased oil consumption, wear, and emissions. Since I don't have this special piece of test equipment
I'm only going to heat up the oil to around 375 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours.
I'll be Rotating the oil containers every 5 minutes
just in case there are hot spots on the griddle. In addition to rotating the oil containers on
the griddle every 5 minutes throughout the test
I'll be measuring the temperature of each oil container just to make sure the temperatures of each oil are very similar.
Throughout the test the amount of vapor coming out of each container appeared to be about the same.
However, there's only one way to find out.
OK, it's been running for two hours and I'm going to go ahead and remove these coffee pots from the griddle, allow them to cool and then we'll add the oil back
into the tester for the cold flow test. So we're gonna go ahead and weigh each container. Amazon's started off at
416.96, it now weighs
414.44. LiquiMoly started off at 407 grams and now weighs
404.52. That's a loss of 2.48 grams
So LiquiMoly barely won this competition by a fraction of a gram.
Just because both oils experienced nearly the same amount of evaporative loss doesn't mean that the cooked oil will perform equally for cold flow.
So we're going to once again
compare new oil performance to see if the outcome is the same and we'll compare the cooked oil performance against new oil.
So I'll go ahead and place the oil back in the freezer for another 24 hours.
It's been right at 24 hours so let's get the testing underway.
AmazonBasics is on the left
LiquiMoly is in the second lane, cooked Amazon is in the third lane, and cooked LiquiMoly is on the right. The new
AmazonBasics is the first to make contact with the oil slide. Then new LiquiMoly barely beats the cooked AmazonBasics.
It's a very tight race at first in the left three lanes, but not for long.
Just like the first race, the new AmazonBasics
didn't wait around for LiquiMoly and is in the lead. Tthe new LiquiMoly and the cooked AmazonBasics are neck-and-neck.
The cooked LiquiMoly is in a distant fourth place.
The new AmazonBasics is now taking a commanding lead over the new LiquiMoly
and the cooked AmazonBasics is barely ahead of the new LiquiMoly. Just like the first race the new AmazonBasics
wins over the new LiquiMoly by around an inch. The used Amazon barely beats the new LiquiMoly.
Finally the new LiquiMoly beats the used LiquiMoly by nearly an inch and a half.
The playoff category winners now include AMSOIL, Red Line and AmazonBasics.
They'll advance to the Elite Eight where the rigor involved in testing each brand is only going to become more intense.
Well it just goes to show you don't have to pay a lot to get a lot, if you have the right information you can get
a very good quality product for a great price. In this instance AmazonBasics definitely won the competition in a very decided manner.
I was really surprised that AmazonBasics did win in such a convincing manner.
I was expecting a lot more out of LiquiMoly. Now I'm not suggesting it isn't a great engine oil
it just did not do well in the testing that I did and when you look at the evaporative loss testing
where it actually won in terms of the amount of oil evaporating off, unfortunately
once we retested that oil, it really seemed to slow down quite a bit,
which is exactly what you do not want to have happen. The AmazonBasics oil, even though quite a bit evaporated off,
it did continue to flow very well when it was very cold. That's exactly what you want.
Anyway, I have a lot of fun doing these videos and I'm looking forward to the next showdown video on these engine oils.
Also, I'm always looking for new video ideas. As you know, all my video ideas come from viewers.
So if you have an idea, please let me know. As usual, I just want to say thanks so much for watching the video.
Please take care, and I look forward to next time.
