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OK, so I’ve removed all the useless posts about article spinning and stock trading and this is going to be focused back on automotive subjects.
If anyone wants to write, advertise, or use this blog for automotive related purposes, just contact me via the contact form and I’ll accommodate.
Jonathan
(Photo: Robert Couse-Baker/Flickr)Do you change your oil every 3,000 miles? The majority of drivers on the road have been bombarded by advertising that recommends changing their car’s oil every 3,000 miles, but the truth is that interval is no longer really necessary. Yes, engine oil does get dirty, and when that happens, it can clog engine parts, but if you’re driving a car that’s less than five years old, you’re probably wasting money — and oil — if you change it as frequently as that. Yes, knowing when to change oil is not as simple as some ad campaigns would have you believe. oil change
Changing the oil in your car every 3,000 miles was necessary in the 1970s, when most cars used 10W-40 oil, which tended to wear out within about 3,000 miles. Thanks to improvements in high-quality lubricants and tighter tolerances in the assembly of automotive engines, the 3,000-mile baseline simply does not apply to many cars on the road today; in fact, automakers now recommend you change oil at 5,000, 7,000, 10,000 or even as high as 15,000 miles for newer models under ideal driving conditions. For example, Toyota recommends you change oil at 5,000 miles for a 2005 Tacoma pickup, Honda recommends 7,500 miles for its 2002 Odyssey, General Motors suggests 7,500 miles for its 2007 Chevrolet Malibu, and Ford recommends 10,000 miles for its 2011 Fiesta. A 2008 Porsche Boxster can go 12,000 miles between changes, and a 2010 BMW 3 Series can go up to 15,000 miles before you change oil under ideal conditions; with this kind of complexity, it’s easy for consumers to be confused. oil change
Almost 15 million Californians change their motor oil every 3,000 miles or more often, using more than 150 million gallons of motor oil each year – enough oil to fill 255 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to a recent study by CalRecycle. CalRecycle spokesperson Jeff Danzinger says their studies indicate the state could reduce total motor oil consumption by as much as 10 million gallons per year if motorists were to change oil according to manufacturer recommendations. “If you’re changing your oil too soon, you’re needlessly creating waste oil and putting a strain on the system and supply,” Danzinger explains. oil change
(Photo: JASON ANFINSEN/Flickr)And that’s just California — wonder how much oil is being wasted across the entire United States by people who have fallen victim to advertising and don’t follow the intervals recommended in their owner’s manual? Across the country, reprocessors treat about 1.1 billion gallons of used oil yearly according to the American Petroleum Institute (API).
Unless you’re driving a car that’s more than ten years old, or under super extreme conditions, there’s really no reason to change your oil at 3000 miles anymore. Let’s put that amount into dollars: Changing motor oil according to manufacturer specifications would reduce motor oil demand in California by approximately 10 million gallons per year, and could halve the amount of money those drivers spend on oil changes, which average about $25 at quick-change facilities and can cost significantly more if your vehicle uses long-life synthetic oil. Under normal driving conditions, following the automaker’s recommended intervals will not affect your car’s engine, its performance, or your warranty.
What Is Considered Severe Use?
Severe use involves extensive idling or driving frequently in stop-and-go traffic; operating in cold temperatures below 10 degrees or extreme temperatures above 90 degrees; extreme humidity; repeated short-distance trips of less than five miles; towing a trailer or hauling heavy materials; or using E85 fuel more than 50 percent of the time. If you do drive in any one of these conditions in a typical week, you are driving in severe conditions, and may need to change oil more often.
What Happens if you Don’t Change Oil in Your Car?
As Alina Tugend of the New York Times says, “It just gets dirtier and dirtier. It’s like mopping the floor with a bucket of water and detergent. The water starts out clean, but the more you use it, the filthier it gets. Eventually, you’re making the floor dirtier if you don’t change the water.” Dirty oil no longer lubricates properly, increasing friction, operating temperature, and causing the engine to wear faster.
Do You Know When to Change Oil?
Your vehicle’s owners manual will tell you how often you need to change your oil. If you drive a newer model, the car may just tell you when you need to change your oil. Since 2003, General Motors has equipped nearly its entire North American lineup with the GM Oil Life System; in fact, since the 2010 model year, nearly half of American carmakers now offer Oil Life Monitoring Systems to tell drivers when their car actually needs its oil changed, including Acura, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and Mini. These Oil Life Monitoring systems automatically monitor engine characteristics, driving habits, cold starts, short-distance trips, and the climate in which the vehicle is operated, and then notify the driver when it is time to get an engine oil change with an signal on the dash indicating it’s time for service.
If you are an extremely low-mileage driver you should change oil at least once a year. Otherwise, if your vehicle is equipped with an oil life monitoring system, you can trust the info/alert in your dashboard to tell you more accurately when you need a change. Don’t have an Oil Life Monitoring System? Consult your owner’s manual, your auto manufacturer’s official website, or authorized dealer for more information. Curious about your car right now but don’t have an owner’s manual handy? You can find suggested oil change intervals for many makes and models all the way back to the 2000 model year on the nifty widget at www.checkyournumber.org.
Tired Of Changing Your Oil Every 3,000 Miles?
Then trade in that beat-up 1970’s jalopy for something newer! Consider these new models that boast 10,000 to 15,000 oil change intervals:
All 2012 Audi models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles
All 2012 BMW models suggest you change oil at 15,000 miles
2012 Ford Fiesta, Flex, Focus, and Mustang models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles
All 2012 Jaguar models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles
2012 Lincoln MKT and MKX models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles
All 2012 Mercedes-Benz models suggest you change oil at 12,000 miles
All 2012 Mini Cooper models suggest you change oil at 12,000 miles
All 2012 Porsche models suggest you change oil at 10,000 miles, though some can go as far as 12,000 miles between oil changes
Nearly all 2012 Toyota models go 10,000 miles between oil changes
All Volkswagen models can go 10,000 miles between oil changes
Get a FREE Amsoil no obligation catalog in the mail, so you can order Dominator
The 2011-2012 AMSOIL Championship Snocross Series will start with a new twist in Duluth, Minn. November 25-27. The Amsoil Dominator® race will offer up a winner-take-all $10,000 prize and add a unique format to the Friday night show at the AMSOIL Duluth National. Sixteen riders will compete head-to-head in a bracket-style eliminations race, with the winner of each one-on-one race advancing to the next round. After four rounds of racing, one rider will stand alone at the top of Spirit Mountain as the newly crowned Amsoil Dominator.
Amsoil Dominator
“We wanted to do something new and exciting in Duluth,” said ISOC Director of Operations Carl Schubitzke. “The Amsoil Dominator will be a fast-paced, man-versus-man, brand-against-brand event that will have race fans on the edge of their seats. This race will set the tone for an exciting year of racing on the ACSS.” Team AMSOIL will be up for the task in Duluth. The AMSOIL/ Scheuring Speed Sports team will be led once again by Robbie Malinoski, who will be joined in the Ski-Doo-backed trailer by rookie Pro rider Darren Mees and Pro Lite rider Garrett Mees. The Judnick Motorsports/AMSOIL team will feature 2009-10 Pro Open champion Ross Martin and past semi-pro champion Mike Bauer, who will be moving up to the Pro class this season. AMSOIL will live stream all of the ACSS events at www.amsoilracing.com.
2011-2012 AMSOIL CHAMPIONSHIP SNOCROSS SERIES SCHEDULE
AMSOIL Duluth National Duluth, MN Nov. 25-27, 2011
Blackjack National Bessemer, MI Dec. 9-11, 2011
Canterbury National Shakopee, MN Jan. 6-8, 2012
Vision Kia Eastern National Farmington, NY Feb. 3-4, 2012
Michigan National Pontiac, MI Feb. 11, 2012
Fargo National Fargo, ND March 2-4, 2012
ERX National Elk River, MN March 9-11, 2012
Nielsen Enterprises Grand Finale Lake Geneva, WI March 16-18, 2012
Amsoil Break In Oil is an SAE 30 viscosity grade oil formulated without friction modifiers to allow for quick and efficient piston ring seating in new and rebuilt high-performance and racing engines. It contains zinc and phosphorus anti-wear additives to protect cam lobes, lifters and rockers during the critical break-in period when wear rates are highest, while its increased film strength protects rod and main bearings from damage. AMSOIL Break-In Oil is designed to increase compression, horsepower and torque for maximum engine performance.
Quickly Seats Rings
The primary goal during engine break-in is to seat the rings against the cylinder wall. Properly seated rings increase compression, resulting in maximum horsepower; they reduce oil consumption and prevent hot combustion gases from entering the crankcase. To achieve this, however, the oil must allow the correct level of “controlled wear” to occur between the cylinder wall/ring interface while maintaining wear protection on other critical engine parts. Insufficient break-in leaves behind peaks on the cylinder wall that prevent the rings from seating. The deeper valleys, meanwhile, allow excess oil to collect and burn during combustion, increasing oil consumption. Too much wear results in cylinder glazing due to peaks “rolling over” into the valleys and preventing oil from collecting and adequately lubricating the cylinder wall. Amsoil Break In Oil
AMSOIL Break-In Oil’s friction-modifier-free formula allows the sharp peaks on newly honed cylinder walls (fig. 1) to partially flatten. The result produces more surface area for rings to seat against, allowing formation of a dynamic seal that increases compression, horsepower and torque (fig. 2).
Amsoil break in oil
Protects Critical Parts from Wear
New flat-tappet camshafts and lifters are not seasoned or broken in and must be heat-cycled to achieve proper hardness. During the break-in period, these components are susceptible to accelerated wear because they are splash-lubricated, unlike other areas of the engine that are pressure lubricated. AMSOIL Break-In Oil contains high levels of zinc and phosphorus (ZDDP) additives designed to provide the anti-wear protection required during this critical period.
Increased Film Strength
High-performance and racing engines often use aftermarket parts designed to increase torque and horsepower. The added stress can rupture the oil film responsible for preventing harmful metal-to-metal contact on rod and main bearings. The base oils in AMSOIL Break-In Oil provide increased film strength to protect bearings from wear.
APPLICATIONS
AMSOIL Break-In Oil is designed to effectively break in high-performance and racing engines requiring SAE 30 oil, helping maximize compression, horsepower and torque.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The engine builder’s or manufacturer’s break-in recommendations should be followed if available. Break-in period should not exceed 1,000 miles. When the rings fail to seat, the exhaust ports will have a large area of oil residue (Fig. 3). As the rings begin this process, less oil is passed and the oil residue area begins to shrink (Fig. 4). When the rings are fully seated and have formed a tight seal against the cylinder walls, no oil residue will be evident. Other common methods to determine if rings have seated include performing a leak-down test or horsepower measurements over time. Break-in duration will vary between engines. Afterwards, drain and fill the engine with an AMSOIL high-performance synthetic oil that meets builder or manufacturer specifications.
HEALTH & SAFETY
This product is not expected to cause health concerns when used for the intended application and according to the recommendations in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). MSDS’s are available upon request at 715-392-7101 or on the AMSOIL Website. Keep Out of Reach of Children. Don’t pollute. Return used oil to collection centers.
For AMSOIL warranty information, click here.
TYPICAL TECHNICAL PROPERTIES
Break-In Oil (SAE 30) – BRK SAE 30
Kinematic Viscosity @ 100°C, cSt (ASTM D-445) 11.4
Kinematic Viscosity @ 40°C, cSt (ASTM D-445) 91.6
Viscosity Index (ASTM D-2270) 112
Flash Point °C (°F) (ASTM D-92) 238 (460)
Fire Point °C (°F) (ASTM D-92) 256 (492)
Pour Point °C (°F) (ASTM D-97) -36 (-32)
Four-Ball Wear (ASTM D-4172)
Para 1 (40 kg, 75ºC, 1200 rpm, 1 hr), Scar, mm
Para 3 (40 kg, 150ºC, 1800 rpm, 1 hr), Scar, mm
0.42
0.67
Total Base Number 6.6
High-Temperature/High-Shear Viscosity (ASTM D-5481 @ 150ºC, 1.0 x 106 S-1), cP 3.5
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Amsoil Dominator
There have been comments for YEARS that using a quality synthetic like Amsoil will somehow void your warranty. This is utterly silly and false. Here’s an example conversation on a Harley forum. Also, I was at a a local Firestone shop to get my 2000 Neon inspected the other day; it has 217,000 miles on Amsoil and runs fine. Amazingly, they tried to sell me an oil change, and a bunch of other stuff, and were claiming that synthetics are crap (while talking about a car with 217k on it). The conversation turned to Harleys, and the shop manager said they won’t let you use synthetics, but when I pointed out that Harley even SELLS a synthetic now (Syn3) he was unaware of that reality. Plus, Amsoil carries it’s own Amsoil warranty.
Bottom line, there is a lot of misinformation. Many shops are not motivated to give you options; they are trying to upsell you. Here is the Truth.
Virtually all automobile manufacturers warrant their vehicles to remain free of defect in manufacture workmanship
for a certain mileage or time period. Whether an automaker will honor a warranty claim depends on the vehicle owner providing proper maintenance for the vehicle. For this reason, it is important for vehicle owners to maintain maintenance records. Proper maintenance includes installing appropriate oil and filters. Automakers cannot deny warranty claims solely on the basis of using synthetic motor oil, and they cannot specify a certain oil brand to be used in their vehicles.
Instead, they require the oil meets the appropriate API performance classification and SAE viscosity grade specified
in the owner’s manual.
“Installation or the use of special materials does not, in and of itself, void the New Vehicle Limited
Warranties.”
Service and Parts Operations,
Chrysler Corporation
Many high performance vehicles are factory filled with synthetic motor oils and the manufacturers encourage continued use of synthetic motor oils in order to achieve maximum performance, including Cadillac, Chevrolet
Corvette and Dodge Viper. Many other automobile manufacturers neither recommend or discourage the use of synthetic motor oils, requiring only that the oil meets a certain viscosity grade and performance classification.
Automakers may not void warranties based solely on an owner’s practice of extending oil drain intervals.
Dealership personnel and district managers may be unaware of the serviceability of synthetic oils over an
extended period, but they may not summarily dismiss a warranty claim based on the owner’s practice of changing
oil at extended intervals. To do so does not disprove a defect in manufacture or workmanship as the immediate
cause of failure. Vehicle owners may appeal to a factory representative if the dealership and district manager
do not satisfactorily settle the warranty claim. Factory representatives appreciate the value of used oil analysis and
do consider preventive maintenance oil analysis reports in their evaluations of warranty claims, while post-failure oil
analysis is critically important to the disposition of a warranty claim. Their findings pull more weight than the opinions of dealerships or district managers.
“If engine damage otherwise covered by warrantywas found to be unrelated to the engine lubricant,then the consumer’s practice with regard to oilchange intervals would not be a relevant consideration,and the warranty claim would be honored.”
Fuels and Lubricants Division,
General Motors Research Laboratories
ON top of all that, it’s against the law for a manufacturer to specify a specific brand name product. If you want the Amsoil link go here; Amsoil Warranty
If you’re one of those conspiracy folks who won’t believe anything on Amsoil.com, go to the Wikipedia site.
Amsoil warranty Amsoil warranty Amsoil warranty
Amsoil warranty Amsoil warranty
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