The Truth About Extended Drain Intervals
If you're researching synthetic oils then you have come to the right place, get the facts about extended drain intervals and how they can enhance the performance of your vehicles
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone in the United States, meaning car manufacturer's, oil companies, quick lube operator's, mechanics and anyone else directly involved with changing oil in vehicles could all agree to a simple set of rules about drain intervals? Why can't we adopt a simple classification for motor oils like they do in Europe and just stick to a common sense solution instead of a dozen different recommendations being thrown at us all the time?
Car manufacturer's are slowly moving away from the die-hard 3,000 mile interval and believe it or not are getting closer to 7,500 miles. A recent publication announced that GM might well be adopting a new standard of oil spec to get their intervals up to 10,000 miles.
Going up to 10,000 miles shouldn't seem like such a shock when you consider the top 3 German manufacturer's BMW, Audi and VW all recommend 10,000 miles as long as a certain grade of synthetic oil is used. In fact drain intervals exceed 20,000 miles in Europe and have been for over two decades.
So why is it that the lucky owners of German cars in here in the U.S. get to go 10,000 miles and someone who drives a Ford is being told 3,000 miles? It all comes to one variable and one variable only and it's the quality of the oil being used. More specifically the quality of the basestocks used in making these oils. It's not rocket science because these oils have been available for years, however the quick lube industry in the U.S. is dependent on keeping Americans in the dark about these oils for as long as possible.
Without fear of voiding your factory warranty you do not have to adhere to your manufacturer's recommendation. You can safely use Amsoil for 25,000 miles in most gasoline vehicels, 15,000 to 25,000 miles in some diesels and Amsoil meets every European spec no matter what the drain interval is. Do not let your car dealer tell you that you must stick with specific drain intervals to keep your warranty intact because it simply isn't true.
To the left of this article are several other topics that cover warranties that were put in place by Federal Law. Everyone should be up to speed on this topic since you will probably be challenged on this issue if you are considering switching to Amsoil. How could it make sense that Amsoil has been in business since 1972 and we made products that voided warranties? Your right, it doesn't make sense and that's why Amsoil Dealers such as myself want to provide factual information so you can make an informed decision. Other than researching articles the next best way is to start talking to other people that are already using Amsoil. Chances are there is someone you know who already is.
This article brought to you by Steve Tarini an accredited expert author and synthetic lubrication expert. With over a dozen years testing synthetic lubricants and an Authorized Amsoil Dealer. Over 30+ years of mechanical background including experience with automobiles, trucks, off-road and street motorcycles plus jet aircraft. We know synthetics and Amsoil is clearly positioned as the leader in synthetic lubrication technology.