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AMSOIL extended drain intervals means fewer oil changes, long term savings and convenience. Even if you drive only 12,000 miles per year, the cost for AMSOIL motor oil is less than you pay for petroleum oil now! And you still get better wear protection, lower engine temperatures, improved fuel efficiency and easier cold-weather starts. All of these benefits add up to reduced operating costs and longer engine life. Change your oil and filter today and in 12 months change the oil and filter again. That’s it! What could be more convenient and good for your vehicle, too?

AMSOIL and the Extended Drain Interval

AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils are recommended for extended drain intervals in unmodified(1), mechanically sound(2) gasoline fueled vehicles as follows:

Normal Service(3) – Up to 25,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.
Severe Service(4) – Up to 15,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.
Replace AMSOIL Ea full-flow oil filter at the time of oil change up to 25,000 miles or one year service life, whichever comes first (other brands at standard OEM* intervals).
In all other applications, extend the oil change interval according to oil analysis or follow the OEM* drain interval.

*OEM = Original Equipment Manufacturer

(1) Engines operating under modified conditions are excluded from extended drain recommendations. Examples include the use of performance computer chips; non-OEM approved exhaust, fuel or air induction systems; and the use of fuels other than those recommended for normal operation by the manufacturers.

(2) Engines are in good working condition and within the factory design settings. Mechanically sound engines, for example, do not leak oil or consume excessive amounts, are not worn out, do not overheat, do not have internal or external anti-freeze leaks and have properly working emission control systems. AMSOIL recommends repairing malfunctioning engines prior to the installation of AMSOIL synthetic oils.

(3) Personal transportation vehicles frequently traveling greater than 10 miles (16 km) at a time and not operating under severe service.

(4) Turbo/supercharged vehicles, commercial or fleet vehicles, excessive engine idling, use of AMSOIL engine oil in vehicles with over 100,000 miles without prior regular use of AMSOIL engine oil, daily short trip driving (less than 10 miles), frequent towing, plowing, hauling or dusty-condition driving.

AMSOIL Ea full-flow oil filters are designed for extended drain intervals. They stop smaller particles, flow more oil and last longer than regular filters. For best performance, use AMSOIL full-flow oil filters.

3,000-Mile Oil Change Comes Under Fire

The standard 3,000-mile oil change interval is under attack. Promoted for years by most motor oil companies and quick lube businesses as an essential part of proper vehicle maintenance, the public has become much more skeptical in recent years. In fact, searches for “3,000 mile oil change” in top Internet search engines such as Google and Yahoo! Primarily yield articles and blog postings that challenge the practice and refer to it as a “scam” or “myth.”

AMSOIL synthetic motor oil was introduced in 1972 as the only motor oil on the market recommended for 25,000-mile/one year drain intervals, and the company has spent much of the last 36 years as the lone voice promoting the benefits of extended drain intervals. However, AMSOIL has recently welcomed an increasing number of companies and organizations to the party. Although they still don’t recommend drain intervals as long as AMSOIL recommendations, the momentum is growing.

Vehicle manufacturers have mostly recommended oil change intervals exceeding 3,000 miles in recent years. In fact, most recommend intervals of 5,000 miles or more. Ford Motor Company recommends drain intervals of 7,500 miles in its model year 2007 and newer vehicles, while other manufacturers incorporate oil monitoring systems in their newer vehicles that allow motorists to extend drain intervals even further.

In its December 2006 issue, Consumer Reports encourages drivers to follow the longer oil change recommendations of vehicle manufacturers, saying, “Although oil companies and quick-lube shops like to promote this idea [that engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles], it's usually not necessary. Go by the recommended oil-change schedule in your vehicle's owner's manual. Most vehicles driven under normal conditions can go 7,500 miles or more between oil changes. Some models now come with a monitoring system that alerts the driver when the oil needs changing. Depending on driving conditions, these can extend change intervals to 10,000 or 15,000 miles.”

Steve Ritter, senior editor of Chemical & Engineering News, writes, “Conventional wisdom has held that the oil should be changed about every 3,000 miles. This notion has been ingrained into people's heads for decades, in part as a marketing ploy by oil companies. The 3,000-mile interval made sense when engines used single-grade nondetergent oils. But with the latest oils and car designs, it's no longer necessary to change oil that often under normal driving conditions.”

Concerned about the effects of used oil on the environment and responding to research that indicates 73 percent of California drivers change motor oil more often than their vehicle’s manufacturer recommends, the California Environmental Protection Agency and its Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) have emerged as another strong opponent of the 3,000-mile oil change. The group recently launched a public information program and website (www.3000milemyth.org) designed to “bust the 3,000-mile myth” and encourage drivers to reduce used oil volume by following the longer oil drain recommendations of vehicle manufacturers. “Used motor oil poses a great risk to the environment,” said CIWMB Chair Margo Reid Brown. “With better made cars and the rise of synthetic oils, the 3,000-mile standard is not always recommended.” Most recently, General Motors announced its support of the CIWMB program to educate drivers about oil change intervals. According to GM, standard 3,000-mile oil change recommendations are based on outdated engine and oil technology, and the company instead recommends changing oil based on its Oil Life System. Currently included on over 97 percent of all GM vehicles sold in the U.S., the GM Oil Life System typically allows drivers to extend drain intervals up to 10,000 miles through use of a computer-based software algorhythm that measures vehicle operating conditions. With 31 million vehicles on the road equipped with the Oil Life System, GM spokesman Tom Henderson claims following its recommendations rather than the 3,000-mile rule could save 100 million gallons of oil annually.

In addition to the environmental benefits associated with less waste oil, extended drain intervals save consumers money. For example, customers who purchase conventional oil at $3 or more per quart, drive 12,000 miles per year and follow 3,000-mile oil change recommendations spend at least $60 per year on oil alone (assuming a five-quart sump capacity). AMSOIL customers who pay $8.90 per quart under the same conditions pay only $44.50 per year.

“When it comes to oil changes, less is more,” claims the CIWMB. “You’ll have more money in your wallet by changing your oil less, and fewer oil changes mean less oil that needs to be safely managed and recycled.”

Premium AMSOIL synthetic motor oils offer the longest drain intervals on the market, unsurpassed protection and performance that effectively extends equipment life and improved fuel economy, saving customers money at the pump and reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

ExxonMobil Follows AMSOIL into Extended Drain Market

March, 2005

Motor oil technology has gradually progressed since the days of the earliest automobiles. In those days, standard motor oil drain intervals were between 500 and 1000 miles, and motorists had to switch viscosity grades with the changing of the seasons. The development of oil filtration and additive technology in the 1930s allowed drain intervals to increase to 2000 and later 3000 miles, while the development of viscosity modifiers in the 1940s allowed the formulation of multi-grade oils that could be used in both hot and cold temperatures.

According to AMSOIL Vice President Alan Amatuzio, the introduction of ExxonMobil extended drain oil is long overdue. "While AMSOIL INC. has certainly proven that extended drain intervals provide valuable benefits," said Amatuzio, "the fact that ExxonMobil is finally saying the same thing brings the message to even more people. ExxonMobil's move is significant in that more consumers will now recognize AMSOIL as the pioneer in extended drain oils and will benefit from the advanced technology we introduced 33 years ago."

ExxonMobil recently announced a new line of motor oils recommended for extended drain intervals.

It was only a matter of time before another company followed the path forged by AMSOIL over 30 years ago. Some motorists may recall that Mobil also followed AMSOIL into the synthetic motor oil business, introducing its synthetic motor oil several years after AMSOIL. The technology for extended oil drains is obviously available, but until now, the major oil companies have had other agendas. Marc Graham, who is president of Pennzoil-Quaker State-owned Jiffy Lube International, was quoted in a 2001 Lubricants World interview as saying, “At [PQS] we use a number internally that if we [shortened the drain interval] by 100 miles [for each car serviced], it would mean an additional $20 million in revenue for the company.” He also explained that “if we could move our customers to get one more oil change per year, it’s worth $294 million for the oil change alone and $441 million in revenue, when you include the ancillary products and services customers typically buy along with the oil change.”

Mobil backed off 25,000 mile oil change intervals in 1974.

Mobil briefly recommended 25,000 mile oil drains in the 1970’s. It’s not difficult to figure out who they were trying to compete with. AMSOIL was the only other company offering synthetic motor oils and recommended 25,000 mile drain intervals. However, it may be that because vehicle manufacturers weren’t yet comfortable with extended drain intervals, Mobil retracted its extended drain recommendations and simply recommended motorists follow the intervals specified in their vehicle’s owners manual. Of course, traditional oil change recommendations also allow Mobil and other motor oil companies to sell a lot more oil. Everyone wins but the customer.

AMSOIL stands apart from the competition.

AMSOIL has always formulated its products to be the absolute best, continually researching ways to make its already outstanding products even better. Other oil companies, however, are beholden to shareholders, and one could speculate that their incentive is to maximize profit. They formulate oils down to a price, rather than formulating them to be the best they can be. Then, they price their products to maximize profits. In addition, AMSOIL has 33 years of experience blending premium extended drain synthetic oils. That’s 33 years worth of proven performance in the field.

A close look at ExxonMobil’s new long drain motor oil line reveals that two are petroleum based, one is a synthetic blend and only one, Mobil 1 Extended Performance, is a full synthetic. The petroleum based products are recommended for 5000 mile drains, the synthetic blend for 7500 mile drains and Extended Performance for 15,000 mile drains. However, a look at the fine print reveals that ExxonMobil is still recommending drivers follow the oil drain recommendations listed in their owners manuals during the warranty period. AMSOIL synthetic motor oils are recommended for 25,000 mile or one year drain intervals in both new and older vehicles. The AMSOIL warranty stands behind this recommendation.

AMSOIL has recommended 25,000 mile/one year drain intervals since 1972.

AMSOIL delivers the highest quality lubricants on the market. It’s the AMSOIL identity, and it’s what customers expect. Al Amatuzio coined the phrase “extended drain interval,” and from the beginning, AMSOIL synthetic motor oils have been formulated for extended drain intervals.

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Vehicle manufacturers are pushing for extended oil drain intervals.

Vehicle manufacturers in Europe have been recommending extended oil drains for years. In fact, the average drain interval in Europe is 10,000 miles. Vehicle manufacturers in the United States are definitely coming around to extended oil drains as well. Most owners manuals from recent model vehicles recommend 5000 to 7500 mile oil drain intervals. In addition, oil life monitors have become increasingly common on today’s vehicles, allowing and encouraging motorists to increase drain intervals up to 12,000 miles, even when using conventional oil. Vehicles equipped with an oil life monitor no longer recommend oil changes based solely on mileage. The system measures engine operational data such as temperature, revolutions and speed to determine when the oil is nearing the end of its life.

The motor oil industry is faced with the extended oil drain interval issue.

The success of oil life monitors has posed a threat to motor oil companies who insist oil must be changed every 3000 miles. It becomes increasingly difficult to maintain this position when vehicle manufacturers are recommending significantly longer intervals with the use of their oil monitoring systems. This is no doubt one of the reasons ExxonMobil finally introduced a line of long drain motor oils.

AMSOIL products are available for less.

The suggested retail price of the top oil in ExxonMobil’s new line, Mobil 1 Extended Performance, is $7.49 to $7.89 a quart. That’s right in line with AMSOIL 5W-30 and 10W-30, which retail for $8.90 a quart. By registering as an AMSOIL Preferred Customer, customers pay only $6.95 a quart, and even less when purchasing by the case.