amsoil

[Grabber]

I thought the whole point of Amsoil was that you can go 10K between oil changes. Changing synthetic oil that often is just dumping money down the drain.

It is. However, Cars with F/I burn through the oil faster.

After 3K miles, my oil is pitch black, and you can smell it burning. That's how it has been with ever of the 3 Supercharged cars I've owned, and the other 3 N/A cars I've owned. I have gone past 3K miles, however, I just change it to avoid issues and keep the oil fresh as I DD all of my cars, and don't want problems.

I'd love to see a blower/turbo car go 10k+ miles on one oil change, and still have 6+ quarts of oil and the oil still having life left.

 

[Sky Render]

It is. However, Cars with F/I burn through the oil faster.

After 3K miles, my oil is pitch black, and you can smell it burning. That's how it has been with ever of the 3 Supercharged cars I've owned, and the other 3 N/A cars I've owned. I have gone past 3K miles, however, I just change it to avoid issues and keep the oil fresh as I DD all of my cars, and don't want problems.

I'd love to see a blower/turbo car go 10k+ miles on one oil change, and still have 6+ quarts of oil and the oil still having life left.

Could there be something wrong with your PCV system if you're burning through that much oil?

 

[Grabber]

Could there be something wrong with your PCV system if you're burning through that much oil?

In 3-5 different cars? I don't think so.

Same happens with several of my friends cars, etc.

Like I said, I am sure going that long on one oil change can be done. However, on a daily driven blower car, I would not suggest going past 5K miles.

I've gone 7K miles in my Cobra with RP, and it was analyzed and still had positive characteristics and the additives still had life left in them.

Not sure with the Amsoil yet, but, I have not attempted to past that point.

 

[Ken04]

Could there be something wrong with your PCV system if you're burning through that much oil?

sometimes, it's the oil. Some have a higher evaporation rate than others. Mobil 1 was always famous for this. Now that I understand I'm not burning or leaking oil I can deal with it. But some oils just do that.

 

[HellsBells]

All of this is speculation unless you get a used oil analysis.

I generally pick an oil with a good virgin oil analysis, then I run it in increments and get a used oil analysis. It is pretty much the ONLY way to tell if your oil is doing okay inside your motor.

Currently, I'm going through Pennzoil Platinum, which I bought for $3/quart on sale. I've pushed 5xxx miles on it, and it still looks fine. Going for 7,500 next, and then 10,000 hopefully.

 

[Sky Render]

All of this is speculation unless you get a used oil analysis.

I generally pick an oil with a good virgin oil analysis, then I run it in increments and get a used oil analysis. It is pretty much the ONLY way to tell if your oil is doing okay inside your motor.

Currently, I'm going through Pennzoil Platinum, which I bought for $3/quart on sale. I've pushed 5xxx miles on it, and it still looks fine. Going for 7,500 next, and then 10,000 hopefully.

How long do you go between filter changes? Would you go a full 10K miles without changing the filter? (Assuming you'd use a high-quality filter like K&N or Amsoil.)

 

[stkjock]

check out this thread:

http://s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54912&highlight=amsoil

Troy is a dealer and all gaga for the oil.

BTW- I put 10w40 in my Shelby

 

[HellsBells]

How long do you go between filter changes? Would you go a full 10K miles without changing the filter? (Assuming you'd use a high-quality filter like K&N or Amsoil.)

I change the filter when I change my oil. So far, since I don't drive this car much, I've done a 5xxx miles interval where I got a bit of oil for analysis. once the results came back, I went up to 7xxx and changed the oil (no analysis because I ran some Techron additive through the car, it skews the results a bit).

I'm using the motorcraft filters, which I think are perfectly good. I am going to do the 7500 mile interval, get an analysis, and if it looks good, I'm going to push for 10,000 with the same filter. If the filter is a big deal to you, then just change it halfway through with a motorcraft one. I just never understood why people paid $12-$15 for just an oil filter. I've tried those expensive ones (Amsoil quite a few times) on my other vehicles and they showed no better results than the OEM filters I used, using the same oil.

Like wise, switching from Mobil 1 to Amsoil for a while to test it and there were no better results with Amsoil either. These were done on other cars, not the mustang, but to me it's proof enough that it doesn't really make much difference.

I've never tried conventional oil. The "lowest" grade synthetic blend I've used is Mobil 1 (Group III). The "highest" grade synthetic I've used is Motul (Group VI, I think, or V? It's an ether-based oil, supposedly the best of the best--it cost me $29/quart). Did I see any significant differences? Nope.

So in the end, I just buy whatever synthetic is on sale, I keep up with oil analysis when I switch to a new oil that I haven't used, just to make sure it's not doing anything funky inside.

I personally think that Amsoil is kind of a gimmick. Their marketing strategy is terribly shady. They try to give it this flair of exclusivity and they have numerous pages that praise their product while pretending to be third party independent source--when in fact those sites were funded and set up by Amsoil themselves. Sure, their oil is good. Is it better than all the off-the-shelf oils? I don't think so, at least not from what I've seen.

In the end, if you are willing to pay (and can afford it), then I'm all for it. Peace of mind is a great thing to have, even more if it can be purchased. But if you ask me, as long as you run a quality synthetic or even a synthetic blend, you should be golden, provided you keep up with maintenance.

 

[Greg Hazlett]

Not to derail the discussion on Amsoil but....has anyone tried the syn Wal Mart brand? Not sure which oil company makes it but it has to be a big one and their oil has to meet the same criteria of Amsoil, Royal Purple, Mobil, etc....

 

[Sky Render]

I'm using the motorcraft filters, which I think are perfectly good. I am going to do the 7500 mile interval, get an analysis, and if it looks good, I'm going to push for 10,000 with the same filter. If the filter is a big deal to you, then just change it halfway through with a motorcraft one. I just never understood why people paid $12-$15 for just an oil filter. I've tried those expensive ones (Amsoil quite a few times) on my other vehicles and they showed no better results than the OEM filters I used, using the same oil.

If I'm going through all the trouble to get under the car and change the oil filter, I'm changing the oil, too.

The more expensive oil filters (like K&N) have better filtering media, stronger interior construction, and more effective anti-drainback valves.

As for synthetic oil, I buy whatever brand is on sale, as long as its not some generic thing. I've used Castrol Syntec, Mobil 1, and Royal Purple. They all seem about the same, and my car gets whatever brand is on sale when it's time to change the oil.

 

[Grabber]

^ You can get some of the OE 5W20 or 5W30 from Amsoil for about 5 bucks a qt. with a 10 dollar membership.

That is usually cheaper than sale priced oil and such. Not to mention, you CAN go about 10K miles on that oil.

 

[Towelly]

Best place to buy online?

 

[Sky Render]

^ You can get some of the OE 5W20 or 5W30 from Amsoil for about 5 bucks a qt. with a 10 dollar membership.

That is usually cheaper than sale priced oil and such. Not to mention, you CAN go about 10K miles on that oil.

Membership? What do you mean?

 

[Ken04]

check out this thread:

http://s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54912&highlight=amsoil

Troy is a dealer and all gaga for the oil.

BTW- I put 10w40 in my Shelby

am Amsoil dealer who's gaga for Amsoil ? Wow, that's different, haha

 

[HellsBells]

^ You can get some of the OE 5W20 or 5W30 from Amsoil for about 5 bucks a qt. with a 10 dollar membership.

That is usually cheaper than sale priced oil and such. Not to mention, you CAN go about 10K miles on that oil.

I live in CA, where the cost of living is relatively high compared to the other 49, and I regularly will find Mobile 1, Pennzoil, Castrol on sale for $3-$4/quart. The Amsoil membership only makes sense if you are servicing a lot of vehicles frequently.

Not to derail the discussion on Amsoil but....has anyone tried the syn Wal Mart brand? Not sure which oil company makes it but it has to be a big one and their oil has to meet the same criteria of Amsoil, Royal Purple, Mobil, etc....

Greg,

There are varying levels of synthetic oil. Generally, they are classified as Group III, IV, and V. Mobil 1 used to be a Group IV (which is considered a full synthetic) but they have changed their formula. Yes, I know the bottle says "full synthetic" or "fully synthetic" but it's just a marketing misnomer. By the current standards, manufacturers are allowed to call synthetic blends "synthetic" and even "full synthetic". However, be aware that Group III oils are NOT fully synthetic, they are synthetic blends, just like the motorcraft synthetic and many others. There are off-the-shelf Group IV Synthetic (no conventional oil blended in), such as Pennzoil Platinum or Pennzoil Ultra, as well as Royal Purple and the Redline stuff, Amsoil synthetics are also Group IV. Then there are Group V synthetic oils, which are esther and PAO bases Synthetics. These are the highest quality synthetics and are generally super expensive. The only example off the Group V synthetic I can think of right now is Motul 300V series. And when I bought it, it costs about $29/quart--so for a stock 4.6L 3v, you're looking at what... ~$180 ($30x6) for an oil change? It's kind of ridiculous but a lot of sportsbike owners use it and race teams use it.

The other thing I hate about oil comparisons is that people always think "racing" oil is the best for their car. However, as a lot of you surely know, most race cars have their engines torn down and rebuilt on a regular and very frequent basis. Same thing goes with Amsoil's advertising where they say that long haul truckers run amsoil for ridiculously long oil change intervals. Well, the problem with that is that long haul truckers have their motors running for long periods of time over long distances at constant speed, which means that the motor isn't really 'wearing'--unlike our daily drivers that are started and shut off all the time, allowed to cool, then restarted, etc.

 

[Greg Hazlett]

Thanks for the info; are the oil manufacturer's required to label the bottles as such? I have never looked for the grouping on them, just looked to see if they met the different codes/requirements.

 

[HellsBells]

Thanks for the info; are the oil manufacturer's required to label the bottles as such? I have never looked for the grouping on them, just looked to see if they met the different codes/requirements.

Nope. The only consumer labeling thing is the whole SAE standards and the synthetic or not, regardless of the grade of the synthetic.

Most companies will not divulge the info either, most of this comes from end user virgin oil analysis data.

Check your PMs! There's some info you might find really interesting.

 

[BruceH]

Thanks for the info; are the oil manufacturer's required to label the bottles as such? I have never looked for the grouping on them, just looked to see if they met the different codes/requirements.

If you look at your amsoil bottle it doesn't have the api starburst and is not approved by Ford or any other manufacturer. This is why amsoil came out with the OE blends, to have an oil that meets api specs.

A good source of info can be had by looking at msds info. For instance the only synthetic I've ever found that listed pao as the base was Penzoil Platnium. The only one that listed highly refined mineral oil as the base was Castrol Full Synthetic, even the 0-30 "German" Castrol listed it as a base.

If you want to dig further into it there are only two places in the US that manufacture synthetic base. Mobil and Shell. Shell owns Penzoil and Mobil doesn't need an explanation. Any other brand is buying base, blending additives and putting it in their bottle. The last time I checked there were also two syn base plants in China.

In the end I think regular oil changes with an api approved oil are far more important than a specific brand but we all have our opinions on oil don't we. Alot of inaccuarcies are thrown around on the internet.

 

[UnleashedBeast]

Best place to buy online?

Direct from the Amsoil site

Membership? What do you mean?

They are talking about being a Preferred Customer. Details below.

Is it cheaper to buy online with preferred buyer status or through a dealer?

Preferred customer status and Dealer cost is the same price. No difference, so a dealer isn't required to get the hookup on Amsoil.

To buy at dealer cost, add the link below to your cart before checkout at Amsoil. I recommend the one year option, as the 6 month trial is only a one time thing. Once you see the benefits of Amsoil, you will never go back.

Preferred Customer

The Amsoil membership only makes sense if you are servicing a lot of vehicles frequently.

Not true if you are using the signature series oils at the greater oil change intervals they were formulated for. Also, the Amsoil OE line of lubricants are formulated to compete on the same level as Mobil 1 for the price you buy it on sale for, only OE is an everyday sale price for preferred customers. You can buy OE for 3.99 per quart in case quantities every day.

I'd love to see a blower/turbo car go 10k+ miles on one oil change, and still have 6+ quarts of oil and the oil still having life left.

I've gone 7K miles in my Cobra with RP, and it was analyzed and still had positive characteristics and the additives still had life left in them.

Not sure with the Amsoil yet, but, I have not attempted to past that point.

The color of the oil, or smell, isn't the deciding factor on when it's time to change. I have over 4,000 miles on the current fill of Amsoil in my 2009 GT500, and no plans to change it soon. I send in a UOA every 2,000 mile as a check up to prove how superior Amsoil is to anything else recommended for use in the GT500. Read more about it at this link.

Amsoil 10W-40 UOA w/ 4,124 miles

I don't recommend 0W-20 or 5W-20 for use in ANY Ford modular engine. You can read about the reasons as to why not beginning in post #22. Read the entire thread so you can identify the "bad" information as well as the correct information.

Synthetic Oils - Why not 5W-20?

I recommend Amsoil 10W-30 exclusively for the 4.6L modular with supercharged applications, or Turbo. Read post #30 and #31 of this thread to understand why.

Team Shelby - Why 10W-30?

If anyone has more questions, let me know. Although, if you read everything I just gave you, you shouldn't have many.

sometimes, it's the oil. Some have a higher evaporation rate than others. Mobil 1 was always famous for this. Now that I understand I'm not burning or leaking oil I can deal with it. But some oils just do that.

It's called NOACK Volatility (burn off/evaporation %). You will read much about it in post #31 in the Team Shelby link I posted above. Mobil 1 has a NOACK of 10-12%, Amsoil....only 6-8% depending on the formulation you choose from the signature series.

 

[UnleashedBeast]

There are varying levels of synthetic oil. Generally, they are classified as Group III, IV, and V. Mobil 1 used to be a Group IV (which is considered a full synthetic) but they have changed their formula. Yes, I know the bottle says "full synthetic" or "fully synthetic" but it's just a marketing misnomer. By the current standards, manufacturers are allowed to call synthetic blends "synthetic" and even "full synthetic". However, be aware that Group III oils are NOT fully synthetic, they are synthetic blends, just like the motorcraft synthetic and many others.

Mobil 1 is primarily a group III base stock. It's not a blend, it's actually a hydrocracked petroleum base stock or "highly refined petroleum". They refine group II dino to remove many of the impurities, creating group III.

There are off-the-shelf Group IV Synthetic (no conventional oil blended in), such as Pennzoil Platinum or Pennzoil Ultra,

Actually, Pennzoil IS a group III base stock, and was openly admitted by Pennzoil themselves. The quote below os from their Q&A from Bobistheoilguy forums.

Are the base stocks group III, IV, or V?

Pennzoil Ultra™ is blended with Group III base stocks. These give superior solvency performance to Group IV base stocks, which we believe aids our aim to provide oil that delivers as close to “Factory Clean”. Rather than focus on any single component in the formulation, we focus on the end product.

Platinum I'm not 100% sure about, but I'm convinced it's also a group III. The reason is, Pennzoil is more focus on "factory clean" and not base stock long term performance. Since there group III base stock has a NOACK of 10-12%, it will still pass the API SN certifications that will allow a NOACK no higher than 15%.

The only lubricant you can grab off the local parts store shelf that is guaranteed to be a group IV, is Royal Purple. If you want to order through the internet, choose either Red Line or Amsoil.

Be careful though, Amsoil OE and XL lines are group III base stocks. Their signature series and high ZDDP formulations are group IV.

In the end I think regular oil changes with an api approved oil are far more important than a specific brand but we all have our opinions on oil don't we. Alot of inaccuarcies are thrown around on the internet.

API certifications in the USA don't mean diddly squat! It's a money marketing game that's being played against true synthetics to make petroleum base stocks more profitable. Read more about that here.

Why aren't all Amsoil formulations API certified?

I've seen the cheapest oil in America carry the API starburst logo that would tear your engine up in no time at all. The starburst label doesn't guarantee 100% engine lubricant quality. The API establishes "minimum" standards that lubricants must meet to be certified, and a lot of those certifications are due to "petroleum" base stock swapping, not actually testing of THAT lubricant. If the levels of certification were raised up to the levels that Amsoil Signature series lubricants were formulated, many lubricants on the shelf wouldn't carry the certification.

am Amsoil dealer who's gaga for Amsoil ? Wow, that's different, haha

Guru is a better choice of words, as I actually know what's going on behind the scenes, and what the average Joe Consumer has no clue about. I love Red Line lubricants as well, and still use them. So I'm not 100% biased on Amsoil.