Nulon APEX+ 5W-30 LONG LIFE - DEXOS Rating removed

foxpants on 24/07/2025 - 13:03
Last edited 24/07/2025 - 13:04

I just wanted to make a quick post here to share what I've recently found out about this oil. It's quite often on special and Ozbargained so I hope at least someone benefits from this. I've been using it exclusively for a few years now and find it to be a great balance of quality and cost when on special.

I just bought a few bottles of this ( currently 50% off 6L at SCA ) and noticed that the DEXOS1 Gen 3 rating label on the front of the jug, and all reference to DEXOS compliance on the back of the jug, have been removed.

I own two GM vehicles that require this spec so I submitted a query with Nulon themselves to ask why the rating has dropped off, was it due to licensing, changed formula etc. Their customer service was super prompt and got right to the point, I had a call not 20 minutes after lodging a query online.

The rating is gone because (and I'm paraphrasing here) they no longer pay for the (expensive) licensing due to lower demands in the Australian Domestic market for this specific requirement.

The formula is unchanged, so the oil still effectively meets the standard.

So if your vehicle calls for the DEXOS1 Gen1/2/3 spec, this popular oil will absolutely still be suitable despite no longer carrying the DEXOS spec and labelling.

Hope this helps someone, thanks for reading.

Automotive 5W-30 LL Engine Oil Nulon

Comments

  • JIMB0 on 24/07/2025 - 13:13
    +1

    What to stop them changing the formula later? Will you need to call up each time you purchase it to confirm or is there another to know?

    • JimB on 24/07/2025 - 15:52
      +1

      I note in the past they used the phrase 'Meets VW 504 507 specifications' rather than 'VW 504 507 approved'

      Maybe they should do that also.

  • dealmaker on 24/07/2025 - 14:03
    +1

    thanks, that helps

  • Bignudge on 24/07/2025 - 14:21
    +1

    Tbh, unless you're doing the Bathurst 1000 with your car…. oil is oil. Chuck in some fully synthetic oil from a good brand such as Penrite or Royal Purple with the similar viscoscity that your car came with from factory and you're golden (slightly thicker oil will provide better protection at the expense of fuel economy and vice versa). And change it out every 7000KM too, sooner if you drive it hard or tow.

    It's more changing it regularly opposed to using the perfectly correct oil but changing it every 12,500KM cause manufactuers try to pull out the servicing intervals to reduce apparent running costs for prospective buyers

    • foxpants on 24/07/2025 - 16:25

      Overall I tend to agree, and I kind of do both. This Nulon oil in particular for my two vehicles is not only quite cost effective when on special, coming in well under $10 a litre. It enables me to change it at considerably accelerated intervals, but also meets the needs of modern, small displacement, direct injected turbo motors though it's various specifications. I definitely want some of these relatively easy to achieve mitigations against carbon build-up and LSPI.

      Personally what I do, is reset the oil life indicator when I do a change, then change the oil when it's convenient for me and the life indicator is in the circa 35-50% life remaining range.

  • TimmyTims on 24/07/2025 - 14:23
    +1

    Thanks for the post, hearing about their support I think I'll lean towards them instead of other brands for my 5W-30

  • Euphemistic on 24/07/2025 - 17:33

    They used to say oils aint oils. But like petrol, if there really was a massive difference in one particular brand, all the orhers would soon copy it and make the same stuff. Are there really lots of different manufacturers or are there a couple of factories that put a different sti ker on every second bottle and add 0.02% 'special additive' to the 'premium' brand.

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