Much of my contact with people who are considering the big switch to AMSOIL 100% Synthetic Motor Oil is at trade shows, boat shows, car shows, or similar venues where I can explain, face to face, how AMSOIL can provide superior wear protection and fuel economy, all while allowing for extended drains of 25,000-miles or 12-months. Among the most common question I hear is about the warranty on their car or truck. With owner’s manuals recommending a 3,000 to 7,500 mile oil change, and the advertising deluge of Big Oil and quick lube chains with their stale “Pay me now or pay me later” slogans, the average guy is hesitant to believe they can safely extend drains without voiding their warranty.
First I explain that you cannot “void” your warranty. A manufacturer may try to get out of paying for a warranty claim by whatever means possible, but the act of simply extending drains will not void any warranty.
I have always explained that the General Motors, Fords, Chryslers, etc., of the world must write their specifications to address the “lowest common denominator” in oils, i.e.: the $0.69 per quart oil available at WalMart made from recycled dinosaur bones, that was again recycled back into cheap plastic containers for sale a second or third time. This oil meets the required SAE viscosity grade, and the API Service Category, but is likely to only stay within the specification for 3,000 miles, hence the need to change it often. Big Oil has jumped on this defensive position the manufacturers must take to sell more oil. Like anything dealing with a minimum standard (whether it’s the government or the API), a minimum required standard becomes the maximum target when profits are involved.
I further explain that, should you have a warranty claim with a car manufacturer where they suspect that the oil was the root cause of the failure, the car dealership or the manufacturers representative would not look to a stack of receipts for proof that you changed your oil regularly, but instead take an oil sample and have a laboratory perform an oil analysis to determine if it was within specification. With this in mind, AMSOIL can, and does, guarantee that their premium 100% synthetic motor oils will stay in specification for the extended use period of 25,000-miles or 12-months (for more information on service life in specific applications, click here).
Now I have a degree of proof to what I say!
More than 3,000 owners of Toyotas equipped with two of the automaker’s core engine families – the 1MZ V-6 and the 5SFE inline 4 – found themselves at odds with Toyota. As reported at AutoWeek Online (http://www.autoweek.com), one woman found her engine was choking on a buildup of sludge -- oxidized oil in the form of mucky goo that can seize up an engine. But because the problem can be caused from failure to change the oil regularly, Toyota steadfastly has refused to cover it under its five-year/60,000-mile power train warranty. Her 2000 Sienna minivan has been parked in her front year, undriveable, for a year while she argued unsuccessfully with Toyota.
But finally, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. recently sent a letter to more than 3.3 million owners of vehicles equipped with the two engines saying it will pay repair costs for sludge damage in cases where customers can provide proof of “reasonable efforts” to maintain the vehicle. But the U.S. sales arm refused to veer from its position that negligent owners, not the product, are the source of the problem.
Several owners quoted in the article presented receipts from Jiffy Lube showing regular oil changes every 4,000 to 6,000 miles. The dealer would not accept this proof. Although it is not clear why the two Toyota engines are so susceptible to sludge buildup, Larry Perry, an A.S.E-Certified Master Technical, repair-shop owner and host of a radio talk show in Orlando, Florida, says he has discovered an apparent design flaw in 3.0 V-6s produced between 1999 and 2001. He says he sees a disproportionate number of the engines coming through his shop in 1999 and 2000 Siennas.
"We believe Toyota reduced the size of cooling passages to the cylinder heads in those engines in order to increase combustion temperatures for more of a complete burn to reduce exhaust emissions," Perry said.
Excessive heat makes oil more susceptible to sludge. Perry says he has measured cylinder-head temperatures as high as 260 degrees in those engines - 30 degrees higher than in earlier models.
Perry also points out that this engine series uses a lifter bucket instead of a rocker arm to open and close the valves.
"The lifter sits in the head and gets sludge and debris compacted up underneath it. So when it gets compacted by the camshaft, it's squeezing oil into the combustion chambers," he said. In this case, he said, the solution is to use only 100 percent synthetic motor oil.
Although it is unclear whether or not a defect exists in Toyota engine models, even though many Toyota customers claim to have changed their oil within the recommended drain intervals but still experienced sludging, the situation exposes the significant limitations of conventional motor oils. Higher temperatures lead to the rapid thermal degradation and oxidation of conventional oils, leading to deposits, sludge and varnish. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils are better at withstanding the thermal degradation and oxidation that destroy conventional oils and cause engine problems, such as excessive sludge buildup. Changing an inferior motor oil at 3,000 mile drain intervals, no matter who’s name is on the label, is not the answer. If you want to properly maintain your car or truck, use the synthetic oil that has proven its ability to provide extended drains, and stay within specifications, for 25,000-miles or 12-months. That oil is AMSOIL.
