Gee whizz guys! Do you think amisol has a secret? They get their oil from the same wells everyone else gets theirs from!! For gods sake..it is just OIL.. Theirs don't come from the MOON..now does it?
We have 150K on my wifes Suburban. Changing oil at the JiffyLube every 6 or 7K.. Thats right, the change oil light comes on on her dash about every 6500 miles and when I get the chance I take it to the jiffylube..
I have them put whatever is on sale in the thing.. (do you think they are slipping AMISOL in the thing as a joke?).
With 7 years on the vehicle and 150K I have installed new wires and plugs and a new thermostat. It didn't need them but I did it anyway. And the usual A/C repairs on suburbans.
THAT IS ALL I have done to the vehicle.. It still has the original brakes, tranny filter and fluid.. Fan belt, gear lube and coolant. (when changing the thermostat I drained and replaced the coolant.) She is on her third set of tires and she likes the thing so much she won't allow me to purchase her a new one..
There are no real secrets in the oil business. I'd almost bet that Amisol has their oil mixed at the distributon centers that all the other oil companys use!
I have wondered for years how much Mobil 1 pays Chevrolet to have the oil cap with their name on it.. There has gotta be money changing hands in that deal.
I have never seen a disinterested party test these new oils. All I have seen are the companys themselves saying how good they are. I'd like to see a prominate racer run his car thru the traps with different oils one after another.. I'll bet there are no differences in preformance.

Two old time sayings come to mind..
1. A fool and his money are soon parted.
2. There is a sucker born every minute.
Big Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

Please, do not send your oil samples to me! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

As internal combustion engines for passenger vehicles have been forced to become more fuel efficient, less polluting, smaller, and longer lasting, their lubrication needs have changed dramatically. These changes in the engines have required the development of multi-weight detergent motor oils that are suitable for the tighter clearances, higher heat, and higher RPM of these engines. These oils have additives to reduce wear (especially at start-up), maintain viscosity, and to suspend the soot and contaminants (by-products of combustion) that they wash off the interior engine parts. A side benefit of these oil's ability to maintain viscosity and suspend soot is that the oil change intervals have become longer on most vehicles.

Sludge

The number one reason for oil changes is to prevent the formation of sludge. It's important to understand how sludge forms and how sludge formation is prevented.

How Sludge is Prevented
Additive in the detergent oils 'wash' any contaminant particles off of internal engine parts and hold these particles in suspension until the oil is changed. It's important to understand that these particles are too small to cause engine wear, but they do turn the oil a darker color. The key thing is to change the oil before the oil becomes too saturated with contaminants to hold any more, but color is not an indication of this condition.

How Sludge Forms
As explained above, modern detergent oils suspend contaminants so they do not settle on engine parts and form sludge. When the oil becomes saturated with contaminant particles new particles settle out of the oil onto the internal engine parts and form sludge. This is why it is so critical to perform oil changes before this level of contamination is reached. The only way to know if you're oil needs changing is to have an oil analysis done. Absent this, play it safe and follow the severe service interval specified in the owners manual. Remember that the contaminants come from the combustion process of the gasoline and and the air. Synthetic oil will not prevent these contaminants. Synthetics may be marginally better at suspending more contaminant particles, but not enough to prolong oil changes by much.

Oil Analysis
To determine the optimum oil change frequency for your vehicle requires that you perform several oil analysis during one oil change interval. For example, if your vehicle has 15,000 miles on it and the manufacturer recommends 7500 mile oil changes for normal service and 5000 miles for severe, perform an analysis at 18,750 miles, 20,000 miles, and 22,500 miles (if the first or second test shows a need for an oil change then stop there). Do not exceed the manufacturer's normal service interval even if the analysis shows no need for an oil change at 7500 miles. The oil change industry desperately desires that you NOT perform such an analysis. The almost certain result for most drivers will be that even at 7500 miles the oil will still be fine.

Even after your vehicle is out of warranty it is a good idea to continue to follow the manufacturer's schedule for maintenance. There are frequently special campaigns (not recalls) to fix latent defects after the warranty has expired. Lately we've seen these on some Toyota V6 engines and some Saturn engines. You want the manufacturer to have no excuse to deny coverage. Also you can sometimes get a manufacturer to share the cost of an expensive repair when something fails after the warranty has expired, but this is at their pleasure and it is best to have solid proof that you have followed the maintenance schedules.

Big oil users like bus companies and truck fleets use oil analysis to extend the life of their engines without unnecessary oil changes. The reasons are clear. These big engines can use 3-4 gallons of oil and unnecessary changes are expensive in both time and materials. In some cases they change the filters and put in additives to replace the acid neutralizers and anti-wear agents. A good analogy is swimming pool maintenance. You clean the filters, you remove the debris, you add stabilizers and disinfectants, but you rarely empty the whole pool and refill it.
- source is the same as above

Synthetic oils last forever.
Untrue. Although some "experts" feel that synthetic base stocks themselves can be used forever, it is well known that eventually the additives will falter and cause the oil to require changing. Moisture, fuel dillution, and the by-products of combustion (acids and soot) tend to use up additives in an oil, allowing degradation to occur. -Ed Newman, marketing manager for Amsoil, Inc.


Amsoil engine oil is better than non-synthetics and durablends, but so are the other synthetics that are API certified! I suspect that the major difference in performance between Amsoil and other synthetics is simply the amount of additives Amsoil puts in their product, especially after considering Amsoil's engine oil comparison tests and the Amsoil dealer retail prices. I suggest Amsoil eliminate the middle men and put their products on the auto store shelves, then see if their formulae stay the same and their product tests continue to be better than other major oil brand synthetics. As it is now, there really isn't a significant difference between Amsoil and other synthetic brands ... all exceed or just meet certification limits. The industry is price sensitive, so many major brands skimp on additives to meet guidelines and keep product cost down, and for other reasons, such as environmental guidelines. There are some "synthetics" that are made from petroleum, however, it from the high end of the distillation (gases). Most are just synthetic hydrocarbons designed by organic chemists. BigJim continues to disseminate reckless assumptions that synthetic oils are somehow the same as non-synthetic petroleum-based engine oils.
Exceeding the vehicle manufacturer's engine oil drain frequency is just outrageously imprudent and reckless. Larger vehicles have larger volumes of oil and will suspend larger amounts of engine contaminants to allow safe engine operation for loner periods of time over modern automobile engines. Jeep engines probably shouldn't even use synthetic engine oils except under extreme use in cold regions. Even sythetic oils breakdown due to factors such as heat and shearing; and, its additives are consumed by engine oil contaminants.
Playinthemud, you're probably a great guy, but you have to get over the product hype. almost every engine oil manufacturer has a synthetic oil that is made from the same basic organic compounds and additives that Amsoil is made. People are prone to adopt and promote what they buy, not necessarily based on Science and Economics. -F. Blackstone <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

im done, ive seen what amsoil products have done in all types of motors, transmissions and rear ends from family and friends experiences. by the way, amsoil is the only company that has 100% synthetic oil

playinthemud, I hope I haven't upset you in any way. I just have a passing interest in this issue where I have a lot of time on my hands over the holidays. I'm a chemist and I'm always interested in attempting to determine if these "miracle cures" have any merit for myself.
Like most Americans, I do not trust testimonials from Amsoil users and mechanics. Most of the articles I've read over the past few days were from Amsoil promoters, some were from individuals that rated Amsoil products very highly. All were very positive about Amsoil, except for its price.
I'm not sure what you meant by 100% synthetic oil, but Amsoil does use additives just like the big brand oil companies. Anyone looking at the Amsoil comparison test results with a little engineering, chemical or analytical experience would see that most of Amsoil's tests dealt with issues that were reliant on common engine oil additives. Knowing that only a small amount of each additive is necessary to meet API certification, big brand companies chemists probably only add what is necessary, and is probably dictated by auto manufacturers' own chemists and engineers.
The overall point is that the majority of Jeep engines do not require synthetic oils to keep the engines clean and performing well. Any modern multiweight non-synthetic (or, even durablend) motor oil recommended by the manufacturer is going to protect the engine well and keep it free of sludge as long as the manufacturer's oil change frequency is followed. What's more, is that Amsoil is too expensive for use in an offroad Jeep that will most likely see frequent engine oil changes; economics does not warrant such extravagance. Happy holidays, and have fun playing in the mud! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Hmmm Fred the chemist... Ok Fred i'll give you a testamony. I hereby testify in the positive for whatever jiffyLube has on sale on any given day. That's what is in my stuff and I swear by it. I have a hunnert and fifty thousand miles on an engine with that oil in it..changed every 7,000 miles or so if it needed it or not.
After all those miles the oil level only drops 3/8ths of a quart or so between oil changes. LOOK at all the money I have saved in the last 7 years on that one engine alone.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

BigJim, good morning. Yeah, I'm a chemist. I've mentioned that before. The majority of my career has been in the chemical water treatment industry. My only experiences with oil is breaking oil/water emulsions.
I'm not sure what you're getting at in your post. What's your point? Above I already made the point that for a Jeep engine, the recommended multiweight regular oil is more than adequate to protect the engine if the manufacturer's engine oil drain frequency is followed. From your posts above, you apparently are within most vehicle recommended drain frequencies.
Okay, for fun, I'll bite. Certainly, there are some risks in having any quick oil change shop change any lube oil system, whether it be the engine, tranny, t-case, or differential. If you're like me, you have actually gone back into the pump room and read the drum labels. Apparently, there are dealers and quick change shops that try to fit all the different vehicle oil requirements with only a few oils.
Yeah, I use a local grease monkey shop during the winter months rather than endure the frigid weather in the front driveway. They stopped carrying my valvoline engine oil. I'm going to see what they'll charge if I bring in my own oil for them to pour into my Jeeps, in the next few days. The engine oil gods recommend that the same oil (same brand) should be used. Even when topping off the engine oil ... same brand, same grade. They strongly recommend not using oil additives, and to only upgrade to blended or synthetic engine oils. The oil gods also recommend a flushing treatment between brand changes and upgrades. But, flushings are another scam put on the vheicle owners at quick change and dealer shops. Just getting the normally untrained help at quick change shops to put some grease in the few zerks Jeeps now have, is annoying. Unfortunately, it seems as if the local 4x4 shops are too busy installing lifts or whatever to provide this preventative maintenance service. Too bad! I think they're missing some lucrative business.
There, that should be enough to get your juices flowing, you old fart! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Didn't mean nothing important Fred. Just wanted to give you a testimonial from the "other" side of whatever the truth really is.
As for the "oil gods" I wonder if they were installed in their position when oil came from the various wells the company actually owned.
Yes I remember when the Yankee wells oil burned differently in our engines than the western or the north sea oils did.
Nowadays however the oil is packaged by the same company for all oils.
How I ask can oil be different if it comes from the same processing plant as most other oils? The only difference I can think of would be the additives.. If the oil meets API standards...how can it be different from any other oil coming out of THAT plant?
Sure I can get a grip on the oil having an extremely small amount of a certain additive that others don't have quite that much of, but I cannot see the end user KNOWING that little bit actually DOES anything for his engine.
I have used Wal-Mart and Jiffylube for years and years..always using what was on sale that day..My engines have done as well as any others that I have opened up.

My son borrowed my FX4 Ranger for a couple of months and when he brought it back a week or so ago he announced proudly that he had put Mobil1 in it for me.. Ok when it's time comes back to Jiffylube it will go.

Oil is simply oil as far as I am concerned. ALL of the companies that have their name on the container are liable for what is in the container.. I doubt we, the consumer, have anything to worry about. One oil is just about the same as any other oil.

Gasoline is a good another example. Around here all the stations get their gasoline from the same distributor! The same huge tanker truck stops at all the stations up and down the street.. Putting the SAME gasoline in all the underground tanks.. Yeah you can get the TIGER in your tank from any of the stations in our area.

Here I go testifying again..
Big Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

Wow. This got interesting.

I use regular ole valvoline in all my vehicles. And as far as synthetics go...there is no point in using them IMO. Just a hyped up waste of money, cause my fluids get changed regularly. I could not imagine not doing an oil change for an entire year. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />