[dip27in]

I have been a regular buyer on various online sites, I try them till the point they disappoint me or I feel my trust has been misplaced. In a recent oil change exercise, I had ordered 2 cans of 4 Ltr MOTUL 0-40W X-max Engine oil for two cars along with an Shell Engine Oil. The MOTUL was ordered for my BMW E46 and the Shell was order for the Skoda vrs.



The order was completed with two Novmeber 2016 import engine oil from Cloudtail India and a march 2018 Shell engine oil.



I was concerned about the shelf life of the engine oil, hence flagged this issue to amazon India. Amazon replied happily saying that the oils have shelf life of more than 5 years, which contradicts Motul global site.


Motul however says, the oil has an shelf life of 3 years provided it is stored under shade and at an temperature less than 40 Degree Celsius.

In my case, the products were shipped from Hyderabad and I dont expect such temperatures to be all year around. The impact of using an old expired engine oil can be catastrophic on the environment, as well as the engine itself. Amazon was however prudent enough to issue me a free engine oil which I received suddenly even without asking for it.


Just for your information, Amazon had forwarded another engine oil FOC, which was November 2017 Export ( and August 2017 manufactured). As a typical sensitive car owner, I would always like to use the best and current product on my cars. I dont have any reason to pay for an old product. Neither amazon mentions that the products are old, while they offer discount nor do we expect such hard realities. One can surely agree to buy such products, provided its mentioned clearly and we know what we are signing upto. I have stopped buying wipers online, since every time it has been at-least 1 year old product( the website has been the same though).

[libranof1987]

It is the vendor who has sold the product, not Amazon; just so we are clear about liability.

Good on you that you checked this, to the extent of getting it technically verified from the manufacturer itself. I doubt most of us would. It is an unfortunate risk we run while buying something online, without physically examining it, to our content.

That being said, we can't be sure the A.S.S. is selling us good oil (rating, OEM and vintage).

Great job by Amazon to resolve this.

[dip27in]

Re: Amazon India sells two years old import Motul Engine Oil
It is the vendor who has sold the product, not Amazon; just so we are clear about liability

Amazon at first denied their responsibility and asked me to get it in writing to confirm that the product is expired.


Further to that, they have issued a FOC for only one which does not help me to close the process of oil change, instead kept on pushing it, saying that I have to find it if it has expired or not. The screenshot of email may be referred for this.



In this case, whom should a person follow up with ? Cloudtail India Pvt ltd or Amazon india? Isnt it wise to mention the manufacturing date of the product, especially when we are so much concerned about Carbon footprint, Pollution etc ! A typical product description of the concerned item.





It Is clear that old engine oils are pushed down to unsuspecting customer, through online channel easily, since there is no way you can do anything at the onset. At one side, you are lured with the price benefit and on the other hand you get an old and near expiry product.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by dip27in

In this case, whom should a person follow up with ? Cloudtail India Pvt ltd or Amazon india? Isnt it wise to mention the manufacturing date of the product, especially when we are so much concerned about Carbon footprint, Pollution etc ! A typical product description of the concerned item.

Cloudtail IS Amazon's inhouse distributor. They need to keep the retailer and distributor parts of their business separate for legal and tax reasons.

Similarly if you buy on Flipkart and see WS Retail as the seller, that is effectively Flipkart.

[R2D2]

I have used 1-2 year old engine oil without any ill effects whatsoever. As long as the oil container is stored in a cool dry place with the cap and seal in place there will be no issue. I have even bought oil a year in advance during an online sale and used it when was time for the car's annual service.

Think about it..when you give your car to an service centre do you know when the oil or any other lube was imported and the condition it was stored in? Don't worry.

[Altocumulus]

Just because I don't know what vintage oil the ASS gives does not mean I will ignore the fact that someone gave me a crucial component for the engine, which is about to expire very soon.
Also in an ASS where they are filling oil every single day, it is doubtful they would stock something 2 years in advance.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

Just because I don't know what vintage oil the ASS gives does not mean I will ignore the fact that someone gave me a crucial component for the engine, which is about to expire very soon.
Also in an ASS where they are filling oil every single day, it is doubtful they would stock something 2 years in advance.

I would sort of agree. That's why I buy engine oil only from known local stores - at least, I can check the can for expiry date, and also get back to the dealer if the product is somehow defective.

For example some years back, I ran into a case where a defective O Ring on an oil filter caused all my engine oil to leak out so that I needed to get the car towed to a garage. The dealer I bought from was very apologetic and immediately replaced my purchase (which was expensive - Shell 5w40 fully synthetic, along with the oil filter) within minutes of my letting him now.

I seriously doubt I will achieve that kind of turnaround time with Amazon - and after his action I am his customer for life (or as long as I remain in Chennai).

The dealer - https://www.justdial.com/Chennai/Vms...PCH16562_BZDET

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

Just because I don't know what vintage oil the ASS gives does not mean I will ignore the fact that someone gave me a crucial component for the engine, which is about to expire very soon.

Suit yourself. Then it's best to buy from a dealer and forego the price advantage of buying online.

I haven't really regretted purchasing online. It saves me time, money and effort of going to the shop for a purchase. The can is delivered at home. My current 1 litre can of Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 was imported end 2016, purchased in 2018 and my car runs just fine. And I maintain my car very well.

Also in an ASS where they are filling oil every single day, it is doubtful they would stock something 2 years in advance.

2 years in advance? Err..I was just sharing MY experience of using "older" oil with no ill effects whatsoever. Don't take it too literally and extrapolate it to a dealership.

[dip27in]

Originally Posted by R2D2

I have used 1-2 year old engine oil without any ill effects whatsoever. As long as the oil container is stored in a cool dry place with the cap and seal in place there will be no issue. I have even bought oil a year in advance during an online sale and used it when was time for the car's annual service.

Think about it..when you give your car to an service centre do you know when the oil or any other lube was imported and the condition it was stored in? Don't worry.

I agree to the fact that it should not matter for an one year old oil. In this case also, the newest Motul has been used in one of the cars and the oldest product sold has been retained for further test. I am lucky to have patience and resource to do this for my satisfaction and knowledge.

If amazon sold with the caveat that its an old thing, hence its discounted, I would agree to that. I am actually signing in for that extra savings.However, please refer to the arrogance in their reply. Moreover the stated that the oil is good for 5 years of storage which even Motul Disagreed in their subsequent email.


Here in this case, my cars don't visit any workshop, they are old and I am fully dependent on imports or online purchases within India. I choose the best product according to my budget and research. I would pay more for a genuine and current batch product, rather than paying extra charges at the ASS.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by dip27in

I agree to the fact that it should not matter for an one year old oil. In this case also, the newest Motul has been used in one of the cars and the oldest product sold has been retained for further test. I am lucky to have patience and resource to do this for my satisfaction and knowledge.

Wow man, you are a patient person alright. Anyways, as I said in my earlier post don't be concerned about oils expiring they are meant to survive albeit for a limited time or mileage in the WAY harsher environment of the engine.

If amazon sold with the caveat that its an old thing, hence its discounted, I would agree to that. I am actually signing in for that extra savings.However, please refer to the arrogance in their reply. Moreover the stated that the oil is good for 5 years of storage which even Motul Disagreed in their subsequent email.

Yes you may be right. Come to think of it I believe there may be a chance they discount oils to clear old stocks faster. I don't mind as long as the container is authentic, relatively new, sealed and not damaged in any way.

Here in this case, my cars don't visit any workshop, they are old and I am fully dependent on imports or online purchases within India

My cars are old too (one is is nearing 10 and other is 16+) and very well maintained. Some pics of my car have been shared here on TBHP in the Long term review section.

I understand your concern that you want the best for them because it's the same here. What I am trying to do is alleviate your concern that an older stock of oil will be non performant or cause any damage to the engine.

But as a customer I agree you are fully within your rights to demand the newest possible stock. To that extent I suggest you buy from a local dealer and not online.

[rdst_1]

If you ever visit Bob is the Oil guy forums, you'll find that many Oil Enthusiasts on those forums have no issues using even 3-4 old oil if the bottles are sealed.
Most of them state that oil is good for at least 5years if cans are sealed.
These are guys who have 100s of litres of oil sitting at their houses just because they can't stop buying engine oil in sales. I saw one guy who had 350L of engine oil sitting at his home. His reasoning was that his cost was around $1.5-2 per lt due to buying them in sales and that he did oil changes for 4 of his vehicles and for many friends.
Like I said, he and many others on the forum have no issues using 3-5 year old oil since it is sealed. 1 year if product is opened, used and bottle shut back properly. And these are guys who get their oil analyzed for record keeping and deciding oil change intervals.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by rdst_1

If you ever visit Bob is the Oil guy forums...

...he and many others on the forum have no issues using 3-5 year old oil since it is sealed. 1 year if product is opened, used and bottle shut back properly. And these are guys who get their oil analyzed for record keeping and deciding oil change intervals.

I visit BITOG frequently, and I've noticed varied opinions on this too. What matters is storage conditions, which is not something we are sure of in this country. In addition, Motul themselves state that the oil in question may be past its use-by date, and they won't guarantee its performance unless specific tests are conducted.

FYI, dip27in uses his cars hard, redlines them frequently, and races them on track (I am personally aware of this), and takes care of them very meticulously (way beyond what I do). So it would certainly matter if he pours in oil that does not stand up to rigorous use, and he is therefore fully entitled to being choosy about the quality of his engine oil.

[R2D2]

This is what Mobil have to say about their oils including Mobil 1 synthetic. I quote:

ExxonMobil recommends a five-year maximum shelf life for engine oils, including Mobil 1™ synthetic motor oil.

URL - Mobil shelf life

While we all have a preference for new stock I for one wouldn't worry about using an oil 1-2 years old.

[hok kolorob]

Originally Posted by R2D2

This is what Mobil have to say about their oils including Mobil 1 synthetic. I quote:



URL - Mobil shelf life

While we all have a preference for new stock I for one wouldn't worry about using an oil 1-2 years old.

I think the issue was with Motul engine oil in particular and what Amazon said. Rather than sending a random link, they should have checked with the manufacturer, like dip27in did. I think that was the issue and not whether we should or should not use an oil with old manufacturing date.

[2000rpm]

Guys,

Just one thought. Oil is derived from crude which has been stable across millions of years. Unless there are some additives which make it perishable, I dont think that a petroleum product can really expire.

Its like saying that the petrol pump sold me old petrol

Unless someone can really explain what happens to the oil post its so called "expiry date", I would believe that oil expiry is much longer than printed material.