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Re: oil change

To: "Bob Kegel" <bobkegel@seanet.com>, <shop-talk@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: oil change
From: "Kai M. Radicke" <kradicke@wishboneclassics.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 19:15:00 -0400
> Amsoil recommends 25,000 miles or once a year with filter
> changes every six months for some of its products. Mobil 1
> says follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations: "Oil
> change intervals can be as short as 3,000 miles or as long as
> 15,000 miles on some new cars."  Redline recommends
> between 12,000 and 18,000.

I will put this as bluntly as possible, most Amsoil products are garbage.
This is based purely on my opinion of their deceptive marking campaigns,
incomplete test results,  tests of their own design which really do not
replicate any lubrication situation in your engine, and deceptively stating
their SAE ratings (such that a product appears to meet SAE SL or SJ
standards when it actually does not).

About the only thing worse than Amsoil, and for which more people seem to be
suckers, is Lucas Oil transmission suplements.  Cranking the little plastic
gear wheels at your auto store with the Lucas oil is not a valid test of
anything.  You would have to be brain dead to buy Lucas products based
solely on their in store interactive displays.

Besides, if your gearbox or motor does die, after following Amsoil's
interval recommendations, are they going to foot the bill for a new motor?
I do not think so.

Oil changes are an area where one's common sense matters the more than what
other people say.  On one hand you have car makers interested in offering a
vehicle for sale with as little future inconvenience to the customer, that
includes decreasing the amount of dealer services required.  However, GM and
Ford also do not want to replace the motors in fleets of vehicles if they
get over confident about their interval specs.  They also know that if they
spec a 25k mile oil change, and at 100k miles 25% of the motors fail, they
will be held accountable by consumer groups.

For the most part, follow the guidelines from the manufacturer, if you go
over the suggested interval by 25%, that probably is not a big deal.  It
becomes a big deal when unrealistic interval times are suggested when it is
not the industry norm.

When you see multiple major vehicle manufacturers offering long oil change
intervals across the entire range of their vehilces, you will know that
lubrication science has allowed for this to be common place and you can
probably adopt the standard for your vehicle (assuming it is not too old,
where large clearances or other issues come into play).  If and when Detroit
adopts 15k mile oil changes from everything from a Ford Focus to a Corvette,
that will be the day you can trust that interval figure.  Until that day,
5-6k miles seems to be the current industry norm.

Kai

--
Kai M. Radicke
Wishbone Classics
* British Car Parts *
www.wbclassics.com
Ph: 215.945.7250






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