Part 9 - Very Few Companies Offer Extended Oil Drains
Now, you may be saying to yourself, "This is all great, but there is something I just don't understand. If there are oils out there that will last for 25,000 miles - and have been for over 25 years - why am I still being told to change my oil every 3,000 miles? Either someone is lying or someone just doesn't have all of the facts.
Well, I believe that it is a little bit of both. You've probably heard that 3,000 mile oil changes are necessary from friends, family, possibly your mechanic and definitely your local quick lube operator. The problem is, most of them are just reiterating what they've been told for years - and it has served them fairly well.
Most of them simply do not understand lubricants nearly as well as they think they do. Even those mechanics who are brilliant when it comes to automotive engines are not necessarily experts on lubrication. Lubrication technology is much more involved than most of them thinks.
Nobody can know everything, but in order to give people the most accurate advice, it pays to make sure that you have all of the relevant information.
I believe that there are even a large number of quick lube operators that don't know nearly as much about lubricants as they'd like to think. However, I also believe that some of those same quick lube operators that are telling you to change your oil at 3,000 mile intervals might very well be using synthetic oil for extended oil drain intervals in their own vehicles.
It's sad, but true. Oil companies and many quick lube operations know that synthetic oils are capable of extended drain intervals but are too afraid of lost revenue to admit it. In fact, here are a few quotes from different people in the automotive and lubrication industries which should illustrate what I mean:
According to GM's Mike McMillan, "Certainly there is technology available to raise the standard and extend the drain interval without compromising engine durability or removing the performance cushion ... Europe is already at a 9,000 mile drain interval and is seriously considering twice that". Of course, you have to remember that most vehicles in Europe are using synthetic oil.
Most other auto manufacturers seem to agree with Mr. McMillan. In the May 1996 issue of Lubes 'n' Greases representatives from the three major US auto makers detailed how lack of knowledge about available lubricant technology led to an unsatisfactory PCMO (Passenger Car Motor Oil) upgrade.
In "GM's Tough Agenda for Lubes," Lubes 'n' Greases reports that extended drains are a customer service issue. "...We're very concerned about engine durability and oil drain intervals particularly as they impact reducing the amount of maintenance our customers are required to perform. Customers want to minimize their vehicle maintenance time and changing engine oil is their single biggest remaining maintenance item. Addressing that issue is very important to us."
Even quick lube operations know that the technology exists to extend oil drains well beyond the 3,000 mile mark. Some are embracing extended drain technology as a way to increase customer satisfaction as well as company profits by working WITH the improvements in lubrication technology, instead of against them.
Dennis Brooks, Vice President of SpeeDee Oil Change and Tune- Up, implied as much in a statement he made in the November 1996 issue of National Oil & Lube News, a respected periodical in the lubricants industry.
In regard to the extended drain issue Brooks said, "I believe there will be greater potential to move into selling a higher percentage of synthetic oil."
Others in the quick lube industry, however, are running scared. Jim Sapp, Convenient Automotive Services Institute (CASI) president, is quoted in the same article as saying, "For years, Jiffy [Lube] has preached the 3,000 mile or three month oil change interval. And fortunately for us, many motorists take it as gospel. But we need to do more as an industry ... It's not inevitable that intervals will expand to the point where we can no longer stay in business." In other words, it IS possible to continue to keep motorists in the dark about extended drains.
In the October 1996 issue of Lubes 'n' Greases, Quaker State CEO Herbert M. Baum suggests, "We need to go on the offensive. Stop fighting with each other and go forward as a group; fight for regular oil changes. We have to build business as a group, and it's the role of our associations to promote the use of our products."
Nevertheless, Quaker State now is manufacturing and selling an oil which they say can last for 7,500 miles (although they neither recommend nor guarantee those intervals). They're trying to ride the rail and pad their pockets, but eventually a train is going to come along, and they are going to have to choose a side or get bulldozed.
You see, extended drains are happening and have been scientifically proven for nearly 30 years to be safe as long as the oil used has been designed for extended drain use. As of May 2000, I know of only three motor oil manufacturers that actually recommend extended drain intervals for their oils: AMSOIL, NEO and Red Line.
Other synthetic oils are likely to last longer than 3,000 to 5,000 miles (probably closer to 7 to 10,000), but the manufacturing companies do not recommend, nor will they back such practices with any sort of warranty.
AMSOIL recommends and guarantees up to 35,000 miles or one year for most automotive gasoline applications and has recommended slightly shorter 25,000 mile changes since the early 70's. NEO has also been in business since the early 70's and recommends 25,000 miles or one year intervals. Red Line gives a range of 10,000 to 18,000 miles as the recommended change interval, depending upon your driving habits.
Of these three oils, AMSOIL sells for the best price at as little as $5.70 per quart for their 25,000 mile oils or just over $8.00 per quart for the Series 2000 35,000 mile oil. Red Line follows at an average of $7.50 to $8.00 per quart for all of their oils. NEO appears to be the most expensive at close to $10 per quart.
If used for their full recommended drain interval, all of these oils are more economical than an off-the shelf synthetic oils that you find at the local K-Mart, Walmart or Meijer. These typically run about $3.50 to $4.00 per quart but should be changed 3 to 5 times as often.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpted with Permission from "The Motor Oil Bible" eBook Copyright 2000 Michael Kaufman ("The Motor Oil Bible" Author) Download it from: http://www.motor-oil-bible.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Part 8: Synthetic Oils Offer Greatly Extended Drains - Motor Oil Myths
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