Intended to order on Ebay 5 litres can of VW Quantum 111 504/507 Oil for next service on our petrol Yeti 1.2. When it arrived it was a can of Britoil but conforms to VW 504/507. 

Complained to eBay that title of selling item listed as Quantum so EBay will be having words with the seller.

However has anyone used Britoil satisfactorily or should I just return it and go buy a known brand?

Edited 28 June, 20196 yr by survey
Spelling!

I suspect it’s like going to the chemist and coming home with a ‘generic brand’ made of exactly the same ‘ingredients’ and guaranteed to do exactly the same job as the one with the more expensive label.

9 hours ago, Ryeman said:

I suspect it’s like going to the chemist and coming home with a ‘generic brand’ made of exactly the same ‘ingredients’ and guaranteed to do exactly the same job as the one with the more expensive label.

So maybe quite ok to use then?

Specifically, does it say it is "approved" by VW to VW504/507. Or does it say something along the lines of "Can be used where VW504/507 is required" or "Recommended for use where VW504/507 is required" or "Meets the requirements of VW504/507"?

 

Edit: In any event, I wouldn't use any old oil made by or sold under a banner that Google has no information about. It would appear that Brit Oil doesn't have any web presence at all (disregarding the old BP sub company Britoil who have no connection to Brit Oil).

Edited 29 June, 20196 yr by Rustynuts

I’ve worked in the engine oil business for 27 years, mostly in R&D.  I’ve never heard of them.  I just tried to find something out about them and came up pretty much blank.  Quantum is the aftermarket brand of VW and is made by whichever oil brand wins the tender.  It isn’t Britoil.

 

The 504/507 specification is one of the toughest there is to achieve.  You can buy a ready-made formula from one of the additive suppliers, blend it up and sell it out but even this requires a degree of overhead and upkeep.

 

For what oil does, for how fundamentally vital it is to the operation and life of the engine, why skimp?  If it was me, I’d be sending it back.  I would be OK using Quantum.

Edited 29 June, 20196 yr by weasley

28 minutes ago, survey said:

So maybe quite ok to use then?

It meets the specs as being ashless but just not the expensive label.

35 minutes ago, Rustynuts said:

Specifically, does it say it is "approved" by VW to VW504/507. Or does it say something along the lines of "Can be used where VW504/507 is required" or "Recommended for use where VW504/507 is required" or "Meets the requirements of VW504/507"?

 

Edit: In any event, I wouldn't use any old oil made by or sold under a banner that Google has no information about. It would appear that Brit Oil doesn't have any web presence at all (disregarding the old BP sub company Britoil who have no connection to Brit Oil).

It says. Latest performance standard API. Then Brit Oil OEM 5w30 fully synthetic. Provided performance, demands and requirements of the most recent demands and requirements of the most recent and up to date Audi/VW spec 504/507.

28 minutes ago, weasley said:

I’ve worked in the engine oil business for 27 years, mostly in R&D.  I’ve never heard of them.  I just tried to find something out about them and came up pretty much blank.  Quantum is the aftermarket brand of VW and is made by whichever oil brand wins the tender.  It isn’t Britoil.

 

The 504/507 specification is one of the toughest there is to achieve.  You can buy a ready-made formula from one of the additive suppliers, blend it up and sell it out but even this requires a degree of overhead and upkeep.

 

For what oil does, for how fundamentally vital it is to the operation and life of the engine, why skimp?  If it was me, I’d be sending it back.  I would be OK using Quantum.

Indeed. I wouldn't have bought it if I had realised it wasn't Quantum as advertised. 

If the listing was for Quantum that's what what you should`ve got if you ordered it

 

2 minutes ago, dervdave said:

If the listing was for Quantum that's what what you should`ve got if you ordered it

 

 

The only downside of buying oil off eBay is that you might end up with  a tin of Quantum filled with Britoil.

15 minutes ago, survey said:

It says. Latest performance standard API. Then Brit Oil OEM 5w30 fully synthetic. Provided performance, demands and requirements of the most recent demands and requirements of the most recent and up to date Audi/VW spec 504/507.

That doesn't say it's approved by VW. I'd be sending that back.

1 minute ago, Rustynuts said:

That doesn't say it's approved by VW. I'd be sending that back.

I think that's what I am doing. Was maybe hoping to avoid the returns palava!

That's the problem!  Crooks on ebay flogging rubbish to people, knowing most can't be bothered to return it = massive profit!

 

Question, how much was the oil you thought you were buying?  Cheapest Brit Oil I found retailing on e-bay is £19.  Proper Quantum from TPS about double that.  So someone grabs a pallet load of Brit Oil (I think the Brit part has a spelling mistake at the start) and punts it on e-bay as Quantum with a photo of genuine Quantum.  They sell it cheap at say £29 send people the cheap knock-off and rely on them not making a fuss.  It'd go something like this

 

"Oh we ran out, the next delivery of Quantum isn't due in for 8 days, so we sent you a substitute, It's VW 504/507 spec Is that ok?"  
"Grumble, grumble, well it says 504/507 so I suppose it'll do, I can't wait nearly 2 weeks!" 

 

*KerChing!*

 

Multiply that £10 a jug profit by 100's of customers they cheat per day on e-bay.
 

As a small aside, I've just used my GoogleFu.  Brit Oil have an advert on AliBaba with the manufacturer/wholesaler company profile saying it was "UK Lubricants Limited" and based in W. Yorkshire.  It appears one version of the "Brit Oil" label mentions actually mentions "UK Lubricants" on the front pack shot.  Now for the interesting bit, a check of Companies House records suggest that company was dissolved in 2016!  So personally I wouldn't touch the stuff. 

Do not use this stuff!! As the company Brit oil (Bradford, W.Yorkshire) has not existed for over 3 years, it a sure bet this oil is likely to be random rubbish, falsely labelled or some very old stock from a company that went bust and may never had their oil approved or tested to 504/507.

 

Research and only buy from a reputable seller (some on ebay are actually VAG main dealers), I'm inclined to use Opieoil (10% off using Briskoda code). Some dealers e.g. Horton Skoda will discount when asked.

 

Accept you have pay 2 or 3 quid more for the real genuine stuff after all the only attraction is the artificially low price designed to hook you. But then how much is your Yeti worth?

 

Report to eBay as fraud.

 

 

I use Opie oil through Ebay. Thing is, last week when I bought this oil it was £26 per 5ltrs delivered (plus 10% Quidco cashback). Now they've stuck the price up by a tenner.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181244235230

At that price you might as well get Quantum.  My local garage just did my oil and filter last week, just checked the bill,  £32.75 +vat for Quantum from TPS.

If TPS was on my doorstep and sold a specific oil I'd use them. But as said, Quantum is made to a budget and could be an oil from any supplier. I'd prefer a named bottle personally.

 

Quantum doesn't fill me with too much confidence if you consider it might be Castrol in the bottle.

22 minutes ago, Rustynuts said:

Quantum is made to a budget and could be an oil from any supplier.

 

Genuine Quantum oil is blended by Fuchs in Stoke on Trent since around 2016/ 2017, before then it was a Castrol product.  Quantum is a Volkswagen UK  company/brand.

 

Quantum long life 3 is basically the same product as Fuchs TITAN GT1 PRO C-3 XTL 5W-30

 

Afaik Fuchs are the preferred factory fill supplier.

 

https://www.am-online.com/news/supplier-news/2017/04/13/volkswagen-turns-to-fuchs-lubricants

 

https://quantumparts.co.uk/lubricants/longlife-03-5w30-5l

As I said, with the inside knowledge I have, I’d be ok using Quantum. Being the official VW brand means they won’t be playing fast and loose with the specifications and approval demands.

 

Also, just to correct a small mistake above, the 504 00/507 00 specification (to give it its full title) is not ashless, but is known as “mid-SAPS”, putting the ash level lower than the heritage oil specs but not the lowest there is.

3 minutes ago, xman said:

 

Genuine Quantum oil is blended by Fuchs in Stoke on Trent since around 2016/ 2017, before then it was a Castrol product.  Quantum is a Volkswagen UK  company/brand.

 

Quantum long life 3 is basically the same product as Fuchs TITAN GT1 PRO C-3 XTL 5W-30

 

Afaik Fuchs are the preferred factory fill supplier.

 

 

 

Which is why I prefer to use Fuchs. There could well be some Castrol based Quantum kicking about on eBay which I would be disappointed with, but as it happens Fuchs from Opie was / is cheaper than quantum from TPS.

 

Xman has highlighted the situation for Quantum (don’t assume this carries across to factory-fill though).  As I said early on, that would work for me.

UK lubricants ltd (Bradford), the "company" allegedly behind this Brit Oil has a companies house record which should set off alarm bells.

 

Incorporated in Sept 2012, no directors appointed till a year later, subject to a compulsory strike off order, which was cancelled in 2014 and then compulsory dissolved shortly afterwards.

 

Nature of business (SIC)

46900 - Non-specialised wholesale trade

 

Filings have been redacted by the looks of the filings

 

So the oil is definitely not made or blended by them, possibly something imported from east Europe or beyond with stickers printed and slapped on to order.

 

AVOID

7 hours ago, survey said:

I think that's what I am doing. Was maybe hoping to avoid the returns palava!

 

I`ve bought my Quantum from here a few times 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quantum-Longlife-3-5W-30-Fully-Synthetic-Engine-Oil-4x-5-Litre-Bottles-20-Litres/263923077586?epid=1705379933&hash=item3d730a91d2:g:UJMAAOSwK3ZbllLQ

2 minutes ago, dervdave said:

 

I`ve bought my Quantum from here a few times 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quantum-Longlife-3-5W-30-Fully-Synthetic-Engine-Oil-4x-5-Litre-Bottles-20-Litres/263923077586?epid=1705379933&hash=item3d730a91d2:g:UJMAAOSwK3ZbllLQ

Now ordered that same oil. Used it for some years on a previous (diesel) Yeti.  EBay have started ball rolling telling original supplier to issue a returns label ( as well they might!)