Article in Lubes and Greases Regarding Extended Oil Drains

[DocStressor]

Check out this column from Lubes and Greases:



http://www.amsoil.com/lit/lng_article/march_lng_new.pdf



It deals with several issues that have been discussed in "oil war" threads relating to extended oil drain intervals. The link is from the Amsoil web site, but L&G is a respected industry publication that is not connected with Amsoil. The take home message is the following: Europe has adopted extended oil change intervals using modern oil formulations. The same oils are available in the US, but marketing concerns prevent the manufacturers from recommending extended drain intervals.

 

[TowPro]

In the late 70's we used to change oil in cars at 6m or 6000 miles. Now the oil companys want to sell more oil, so they decided to talk everybody into changing at 3000 miles. They use clever marketing terms like "Its cheep insurance".



I change once per year, or 7500 miles, which ever comes first.

 

[HC]

Good article. I've been using brand *A*, but always considered the API issue to be a weakness or at least suspicious. So I was interested by the assessment contained in this quote:



"US consumers wind up in an expensive economic straightjacket and producers a rigid technical one. "



I'm at 34576 miles on my current oil change, and iron just came back at 41, Silicon at 3, both lower than at the 28628 mile filter changes. I do use a bypass filtration system, and change my full flow more often than most at 5k intervals.



3,000 mile oil change? I don't think so.

 

[amsoilman]

Very good article Lee!



I've been using the brand "A" products for over 22 years. I have read many articles from the Lubes & Greases Magazine, and they do "tell it like it is"!



Wayne

amsoilman

 

[Turbo Horseman]

So if most folks change at just under 5k and the "recommendation" is 3k, can we conclude that 4. 5k or one and a half times the industry target is the norm? If we do, would this same 50% "overuse" occur at higher "recommendations"? No wonder there is no move to increase the "recommended" change intervals.



Personally, if it comes with a warranty, and you do it right, it costs less $ to me and less harm to the environment.



Also, remember those adds about gas guzzling SUVs and how they "finance terrorists"... how about cutting those suckers' revenue stream from engine oil in half?



Me, I change my amsoil b/w 7. 5k and 10k. Nearly 100% gets recycled, cause sure as... I end up spilling some.



So do your part... save money, help the environment... and "fight terrorism" too.

 

[DocStressor]

The Brand is Not the Point

Cummins has recommended 15k oil and filter changes for the ISB in all applications EXCEPT the Dodge. The article sort of explains why. Dodge now recommends 7. 5/15K changes for the new engine. The point is that we could always have been going that long between changes even with conventional CH/CI-4 oils.



Has anyone ever seen an oil analysis report from a normally running Cummins that DID NOT say something to the effect of "oil is suitable for continued use"?

 

[RGT]

great info I've been running extended drain in my vehicles glad to see that I'm doing the right thing...

 

[illflem]

Re: The Brand is Not the Point

Originally posted by Lee Weber

Has anyone ever seen an oil analysis report from a normally running Cummins that DID NOT say something to the effect of "oil is suitable for continued use"?

No. In fact since we have oil analysis equipment at work I tested my Delo 15w-40 every thousand miles before I finally decided to change it at 13k. It was still good to go but soot levels were starting to climb.

 

[pdolan]

Lee:



Thanks for a link to a good article.



For those with some time and ambition, you might want to check out the "oil stroage life" tread on this page for my response. I suspect some of the information from which the writer did his research is a little out of date, but generally accurate.



If only for environmental reasons alone, the automotive industry should be terribly embarassed by their drain interval policies. The top priorty of resource conservatiuon is always reduction - which can be done easily in this case.



Before you lump the oil industry in with the rest who would simply pollute for the sake of profit, you should be aware that the used oil return policies of the industry (mostly adopted by governments), and the reclamation programmes operated in many jurisdictions are the creation of the lube manufacturers, not some "tree hugging" group.



Pat