{"id":661,"date":"2025-07-05T14:10:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T14:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=661"},"modified":"2025-07-05T14:10:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T14:10:45","slug":"does-costcos-kirkland-signature-motor-oil-pass-the-same-tests-as-other-brands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=661","title":{"rendered":"Does Costco&#8217;s Kirkland Signature Motor Oil Pass The Same Tests As Other Brands?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Costco can do a pretty good job helping drivers save money, whether the company is offering a <a class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/autos.yahoo.com\/costco-tires-actually-good-deal-232500416.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:good deal on tires;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-rapid_p=\"39\">good deal on tires<\/a>, or\u00a0<a class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/autos.yahoo.com\/costco-discount-brand-corvettes-165649176.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:discounts on brand-new Corvettes;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-rapid_p=\"40\">discounts on brand-new Corvettes<\/a>, or a low-cost motor oil under its own house label, Kirkland Signature. Yes, that&#8217;s the same brand slapped on Costco krill oil, olive oil, and vegetable oil. And Costco underwear, protein bars, snack nuts, baby wipes, and more. Much more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">But that doesn&#8217;t mean there&#8217;s anything wrong with any of those products. Just ask the millions of people who devour the Kirkland Signature rotisserie chickens each year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">So it should come as no surprise that Kirkland Signature motor oil can pass the same tests as its brand-name competition. The same way Costco&#8217;s cooked chicken has to meet certain guidelines to keep people healthy, Costco&#8217;s house-brand motor oil \u2014 like everybody else&#8217;s \u2014 is held to strict standards to help maintain your car&#8217;s health.<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Read more: <a class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/autos.yahoo.com\/favorite-factory-exhaust-designs-153000550.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:These Are Your Favorite Factory Exhaust Designs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-rapid_p=\"41\">These Are Your Favorite Factory Exhaust Designs<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 font-bold text-2xl md:text-3xl\">Who Tests Kirkland Signature Engine Oil?<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/L5tGpamzVkA796Rw2kHnQg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUzOQ--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/jalopnik_622\/46af2e1a9ea5dffa27c97e126ea7f701\" alt=\"A chemist holding a flask of liquid.\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" data-nimg=\"1\" \/><button class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\" data-rapid_p=\"8\" data-v9y=\"1\"><\/button><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] mt-1  line-clamp-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div>A chemist holding a flask of liquid. &#8211; Ivan-balvan\/Getty Images<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Multiple agencies set standards for motor oil, including the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the Petroleum Quality Institute of America (PQIA). The former, for example, is behind the common ratings for oil, like &#8220;SAE 5W 30,&#8221; where the &#8220;5&#8221; represents how thick the oil is during a cold start and the &#8220;30&#8221; is how thick it is at regular operating temperatures. (The &#8220;W&#8221; means it&#8217;s suitable for winter driving.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">The PQIA is a good source for finding more details with its easy online lookup tool. Using that to compare\u00a0<a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/pqia.org\/kirkland-full-synthetic-sae-5w-30-motor-oil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:Kirkland Signature;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"42\">Kirkland Signature<\/a> with, say,\u00a0<a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/pqia.org\/mobil-full-synthetic-5w-30-motor-oil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:Mobil;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"43\">Mobil<\/a>\u00a0can show some of the tests these lubricants go through and their results, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Maintaining oil thickness in a hot engine? This is measured in centistokes, which gauge the time it takes for oil to flow through a test channel, and fully synthetic Kirkland Signature 5W 30 rates at 11.6 centistokes at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, with the Mobil equivalent at 11.2. So the Kirkland oil flows a tiny bit slower,\u00a0meaning it maintains its thickness under heat a bit better. Amount of zinc added to the oil for the anti-wear protection <a class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/autos.yahoo.com\/zinc-additive-really-needed-older-162500188.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:needed in older engines;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-rapid_p=\"44\">needed in older engines<\/a>? Costco&#8217;s oil has 870 parts per million versus Mobil&#8217;s 868. Here, Kirkland has a (very) small advantage by providing more of the protective element.<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-fullbleed mb-4 bg-marshmallow pb-5 dark:bg-ramones md:invisible md:mb-0 md:h-0 md:overflow-hidden md:pb-0\">\n<div class=\"py-2 text-center text-xs uppercase\">Those admittedly cherry-picked minor differences come with a huge price saving. Costco sells 12 quarts of Kirkland Signature for about $5 more than a six-pack of Mobil1.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"col-body mb-4 font-bold text-2xl md:text-3xl\">Why Testing Is Important For Engine Oil<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative col-body mb-4\"><figcaption class=\"relative text-[0.875rem]\/[1.25rem] mt-1  line-clamp-2 pr-2.5\">\n<div>A couple with car trouble. &#8211; Juanma Hache\/Getty Images<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Engine oil plays a number of vital roles in your car, so you have to be sure it&#8217;s up to the task. Let&#8217;s look at viscosity performance again. If oil is too viscous \u2014 that is, too thick \u2014 it may not flow through the engine quickly enough to lubricate the moving parts, leading to engine damage. Likewise, if the engine is too thin, the layer of lubrication between pieces of metal may be too thin as well, leading to the same problem. You need a &#8220;just right&#8221; formulation that&#8217;s been properly tested to meet your car&#8217;s needs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0\">Dirty oil can be another huge problem, as contaminants can lead to more metal-to-metal contact from lack of lubrication, plus the dirt can cause sludge buildups that prevent the oil from flowing where it should. It&#8217;s usually the case that oil gets dirty and contaminated over time, which is why the <a class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.jalopnik.com\/the-simple-act-of-maintaining-your-car-part-1-oil-cha-1848752043\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-ylk=\"slk:simple act of maintaining your car;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-rapid_p=\"45\" data-v9y=\"1\">simple act of maintaining your car<\/a> is so important. But the American Petroleum Institute\u00a0also has its own seal of approval for performance and quality to make sure new oil comes to you clean in the first place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Costco can do a pretty good job helping drivers save money, whether the company is offering a good<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-autos","category-life-autos"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=661"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":663,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661\/revisions\/663"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}