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The 3000 Mile Oil Drain Fails To Address The Real Issue

Written by Ches Cain
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The 3000 Miles Oil Change Interval Doesn’t Address Oil Quality

When people say to me they change their oil at 3000 so not to take any chances that dirt could be causing damage or the oil could be getting “bad”, I say to them, why not change every 50 miles then?? I’m sure the oil is still good but as you said, why take a chance?

Let’s look at the top reasons for engine failure which relate to the oil.

#1 is lack of lubrication. Nothing to do with dirt but a poor quality non-synthetic even low quality synthetic made from Group III base stocks (There are over 80 different quality levels for a Group III oil thus lower prices – this does not fit the scientific definition of synthetic) can and will leave deposits OR lose viscosity early on both causing lack of lubrication.
#2 – Overheating – Often the damage done after a engine overheats is caused by the heat being too intense for the oil to hold its properties. An AMSOIL product would have prevented this especially in air cooled (V-Twin bikes or marine) and in the new trend of turbocharged engines. The coming LSPI issue will demand the oil be at least a 100% synthetic quality. It’s designed for temperatures beyond these issues.
So changing oil every day will not prevent the above. Any overheating event or the list of reasons which cause a lack of lubrication cannot be addressed by the 3000 mile oil change. Only by the quality of the oil. AMSOIL also adds performance and for the difference in price per quart is less than the cost of a cup of today’s coffee so the solution for protecting your investment is here!! And has been for 45 years.

Quality Oil Filtration is a Must but still only part of the issue

I couldn’t find the study as I was writing this but Federal Mogul published research that “dirt” in oil was actually a minor part of failure while things relating to lubricant quality were. Acids or loss of TBN was a much more severe issue. Corrosion and storage was a far greater contributor to reduction in engine efficiency and ultimately failure.

Mild quality oil filters solve the dirt issue for up to 10,000 miles but you still need an oil which can fight contaminants caused by fuel or advanced wear over the years (such as starting with a used vehicle which you don’t know the history of). AMSOIL addresses the contaminants with their advanced additive packages and are willing to cover that with a guarantee.

How do you know?

Note while that AMSOIL does back their oil for longer intervals, this is clearly stated for engines which are in normal operating condition and have not been modified. For modified engines, neglected ones or those with a good number of miles over 100,000 they do list severe service categories or one can always get our KIT-02 oil analysis kit and go from there.

Just use better oil and find out what you are missing!

AMSOIL use will tilt the scales of a nations fleet replacement statistics. Imagine that. Just from changing brands of oil.

The 3000 mile oil change interval excuse is much like arguing one brand of cigarettes is more healthy than another.
Use AMSOIL and unlock the full potential of your drive train!! Find out what others already know – AMSOIL is all about performance!
Ches Cain – AMSOIL Direct Jobber

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AAA Study Finds Synthetics a SIGNIFICANTLY Better Alternative than Conventional

Written by Ches Cain
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AAA Testing Affirms Superiority of Synthetic Motor Oils

AMSOIL introduced the world to synthetic motor oil in 1972, and we’ve been extolling the benefits ever since. While we’ve been joined by many vehicle and equipment manufacturers and competing motor oil companies over the years, the American Automobile Association (AAA) is the most recent company to promote the benefits of using synthetics. The popular club recently conducted in-depth testing to determine if it’s worth paying more for synthetic oil over conventional oil.

The answer is a resounding “yes.”

“Oil protects critical engine components from damage and AAA found that synthetic engine oils performed an average of 47 percent better than conventional oils in a variety of industry-standard tests,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “With its superior resistance to deterioration, AAA’s findings indicate that synthetic oil is particularly beneficial to newer vehicles with turbo-charged engines and for vehicles that frequently drive in stop-and-go traffic, tow heavy loads or operate in extreme hot or cold conditions.”

AAA’s research included eight industry-standard ASTM tests focusing on shear stability, deposit formation, volatility, cold-temperature pumpability, oxidation resistance and oxidation-induced rheological changes. Each test was performed on five synthetic and five conventional oils. The results of this study by a reputable, third-party organization reaffirm what we’ve been saying for more than 45 years and give you one more reference point to back up your claims in the buy-sell process.

Click here to see the full AAA report.

Gone is the adage, “As long as you change your oil at 3000 mile intervals, I don’t care what oil you use, it will be just fine. Synthetics are a waste of money.”

AAA Finds Synthetic Lubricants worth switching to on several accounts

The above ignores many issues which this test and AMSOIL has outlined for decades. Not only that but it totally ignores the #1 reason for our brand which is performance.
An unscientific approach can also explain. If you imaging all the cars in the junkyard that are there because of an engine that failed I bet the majority of them did get their oil changed at 3000 miles. At least that is true if we go back to the 70’s. So changing oil too frequently didn’t prevent a seized engine due to loss of coolant or a lose oil drain bolt. Yes – Synthetics (true ones at least) could have very well prevented that breakdown.

Also severe wear due to fuel and acids in the crankcase which AMSOIL addresses but a conventional Group II base stock cannot. At least when considering their price point which limits the quality of the additives.

Synthetics as you see in this report excel in viscosity retention and oxidation resistance. Federal Mogul published a study years ago showing the majority of engine failures (I think the figure was greater than 85%) were not because of contaminants but because of a lack of lubrication, excess heat or corrosion. AMSOIL products address all these and their sub-categories.  Even if the subject changed the bargain brand every 50 miles, it won’t address viscosity loss when there is a overheating event causing deposits or metal fatigue.

Again the above are all features and insurance of Synthetics but the real draw is performance and is why I was sold on AMSOIL and later became a dealer thanks to it’s performance in 1960’s cars which I was told “It ain’t gonna work in them old cars!!” Lol!

 

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What are CAFÉ Standards?

Written by Charleen
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What are CAFÉ Standards?

John Baker|

The energy crisis of the 1970s led to modern CAFE standards.

Back in March, news hit that the Trump administration was considering reevaluating the corporate average fuel economy (CAFÉ) standards that mandate fleet-wide fuel economy of 54.5 mpg by 2025.

Some claim the standards are too strict, will cost jobs and will take money from people’s pockets as vehicles become more expensive. Allegations of the Obama administration engaging in last-minute shenanigans to maintain the standard ensued.

On the flip side, others say that maintaining the current standard will strengthen our energy policy, reduce greenhouse gases and create jobs.

Either way, President Trump decided to re-examine the standard and determine whether or not to scale it back. A decision may not come until April 2018. Allegations of the Trump administration engaging in shenanigans have since ensued.

I’m not getting into any of that.

Instead, what’s the point CAFÉ standards and how did they begin?

Remember the Yom Kippur War of 1973? Me, either. I do, however, recall images of the gas lines of the 1970s. My parents occasionally dust off one of those stories about waiting hours for gas – if there was any – whenever we spoiled brats complain about $2.00/gal. gas.

Well, the U.S. decided to back Israel in the Yom Kippur War, and the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) expressed its disdain by shutting off the crude-oil spigot to America. The result? The price of oil quadrupled by March 1974.

Inevitably, the price of gas jumped, too, leading to widespread gas shortages and sticker shock when drivers rolled up to the pump in their massive, gas-chugging V-8s.

Things took another turn for the worse in 1979 after tempers again flared in the Middle East, this time involving Iran and Iraq, which pushed gas to record highs. The average price per gallon hit $2.64 in 1981, higher than today’s price.

By that time, the U.S. government had responded with its first set of CAFÉ standards, enacted in 1975. Each automaker’s auto fleet would have to deliver an average of 18 mpg by 1978 or face penalties. The standard, in theory, would reduce our dependency on foreign oil and mitigate future disruptions to the supply chain.

Take that, OPEC.

Better engines = better fuel economy

The CAFÉ standards have steadily grown more strict over the years. They also include trucks today, and the number is typically reported as the average between an automaker’s cars and light trucks.

Automakers have developed several new technologies to boost average fuel economy.

  • Vehicles today are much lighter than those of yesteryear, with the aluminum-bodied Ford F-150 representing the poster child for modern light-weighting.
  • Fuel injectors replaced the carburetor back the in 1980s, allowing for more precise fuel delivery.
  • Cylinder deactivation has evolved from fascinating space-age marvel to ho-hum technology, helping bigger vehicles squeeze a few more miles out of each gallon.
  • Turbochargers help smaller engines make more power, allowing automakers to use a four-cylinder engine where they once used a V-6.
  • Variable valve timing adjusts when the valves open and close in relation to operating conditions, boosting efficiency.
  • Direct fuel injection takes precision fuel delivery to another level.
  • Synthetic lubricants reduce energy lost to friction, while lower-viscosity lubricants reduce pumping losses. Plus, hybrid and electric vehicles are popping up in most automakers’ fleets to help increase their fleet-wide mpg average.
  • And, of course, most of these advancements wouldn’t be possible without computers now performing thousands of calculations per second as you drive, endlessly searching for the ideal confluence of performance and fuel economy.

And it all started with the Yom Kippur War.

Whatever happens in the latest battle of the CAFÉ standards, you can bet the automakers are going to keep ramping up their engine technology to get the most mpg possible.

Synthetic motor oil was made for strict CAFE standards

Many of these new advancements take a toll on the engine, too, which fellow blogger Josh Kimmes talked about recently. Modern engines run hotter, suffer increased stress and generate more contaminants in the motor oil, all on drain intervals much longer than the old 3,000-mile standby of years gone by. Is there any wonder why many automakers now use synthetic lubricants in their vehicles and recommend them as the service fill?

Upgrade your vehicle to AMSOIL synthetic lubricants to take full advantage of the amazing technology we’re seeing in the market today. They deliver outstanding wear protection and engine cleanliness, while maximizing fuel economy, too.

What good is driving the most advanced engine in the world if you don’t protect it with an oil just as advanced?

Wherever you stand on the issues, we can all agree on that.

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