Questions

"I was always told to change my oil every 3,000 miles if I wanted to keep my car running well. How is it possible to drive 25,000 miles without an oil change using AMSOIL, and will extending my oil change interval void my warranty?"

AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil, in gas aspirated engines, is RECOMMENDED to run for 25,000 miles or one year (5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40) in a mechanically sound engine, providing of course, the oil is kept free of contaminants by changing the oil filter according to the manufacturer's recommendation or, when using an AMSOIL Oil Filter, changing the filter at six months or 12,500 miles which ever comes first. Amsoil coined the phrase "extended drain interval" and it's been validated by almost 30 years of industry testing and by hundreds of thousands of motorists and millions of over-the-road miles. Based on their results, 25,000 miles is a conservative estimate. Other Amsoil engine oils, 15W40 as an example, carry a recommended change of two to 3 times the normal manufacturer's recommended change interval.
AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil performs so well for so long because it doesn't break down in intense heat as conventional petroleum oils do. It doesn't form performance-robbing deposits, and it doesn't volatize, which can adversely affect lubricant performance by altering viscosity and increasing oil consumption. Finally, AMSOIL's additive package, a key element in a lubricant's ability to function, holds up under engine stresses, remaining serviceable for the full 25,000 miles and when the Amsoil BY-PASS Filter is used with a good oil analysis program the oil change may be extended to 100,000 miles and beyond.
Note also that extending drain intervals, like using AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil in general, does not affect new car warranties. In fact, according to a GM representative, "Warranty applicability is contingent upon the cause of failure and generally covers defects in material and workmanship only." In other words, the only situation in which warranty coverage would change is the case of lubricant-related failure (in which case the AMSOIL Limited Warranty protects the consumer).

Why are AMSOIL synthetic motor oils good for extended drain intervals?

It's all in the formulation. Because AMSOIL is made with synthetic basestocks, it resists thermal and oxidative breakdown, which suits it for extended drain use. AMSOIL pairs top-quality long-life synthetic basestocks with top-quality long-life additives. The fact is, other oil companies don't use the quality additives AMSOIL uses because it simply doesn't pay to pair long-life additives with short-lived conventional basestocks.
Carefully controlled demonstrations conducted jointly between AMSOIL and various car fleets have proven the safety and effectiveness of the 25,000 mile AMSOIL drain interval. In fact, many entities with which AMSOIL has conducted demonstrations have used the oil for significantly longer drain intervals and still been rewarded with lower rates of engine wear than they were with conventional lubricants and conventional oil drain intervals.

Remember -- AMSOIL synthetic lubricants may be used for extended drain intervals, but they don't have to be.

Does extending oil change intervals void new car warranties?

No. Automakers warrant cars against failures or malfunctions due to manufacturing defects for a period defined by time or mileage. No maintenance practice such as extending drain intervals, can render the warranty null and void.

When a failure or malfunction occurs, the car dealer or a representative of the car maker will examine the failed or malfunctioning part to determine the cause of failure or malfunction. If an indisputable cause-and-effect relationship between the failure and the length of the oil drain intervals cannot be established, then the length of the oil drain intervals is immaterial to the warranty claim and the claim may not be refused on the basis of extended oil drain intervals.

In fact, when AMSOIL Dealers notify AMSOIL INC. that car dealers or other businesses are misinforming their customers about warranty issues surrounding synthetic oils and extended drain intervals, AMSOIL INC. sends the following letter to the car dealer or business:

It has come to our attention that a member of your staff (name) has been informing customers that the use of synthetic motor oil, or the practice of extending oil drain intervals, voids manufacturers' warranties. Neither claim is true. Please review the following facts about synthetic motor oil and put an end to these false statements.
Synthetic motor oil was introduced to the automotive public in 1972 by AMSOIL INC, with its introduction of the world's first API (American Petroleum Institute) rated synthetic motor oil. Since then, every major oil manufacturer has followed AMSOIL's lead and has introduced synthetic motor oils of their own. The performance benefits are indisputable, as evidenced by the fact that every jet engine in the world today uses only synthetic oil.
Vehicle manufacturers recommend lubricant according to their viscosity grade and service classification. Any oil, whether it's conventional petroleum motor oil or synthetic, meeting the correct viscosity grade (5W-30 for example) and the current API SH and ILSAC GF-1 North American service classifications, may be used without affecting warranty coverage. In fact, synthetic oils labeled GF-1 are recommended, but in many applications, actually required.
Furthermore, the practice of extending oil drain intervals does not void warranties. Original equipment manufacturers pay or deny warranty claims based on the findings of failure analysis. To affect the vehicle warranty, the lubricant must be directly responsible for the failure. If the oil didn't cause the problem the warranty cannot be voided, regardless of brand or length of time in use.
Note also that a warranty cannot be voided by verbal instruction only. If voiced, it must be done in writing, stating the specific reason.
The fact is, AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils exceed the most demanding worldwide performance standards, including the API SH and ILSAC GF-1 North American standards, and meet all original equipment manufacturer warranty requirements. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils are specifically formulated for long drain service and provide superior performance and protection to that provided by conventional motor oils. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils may be recommended and installed with complete confidence and at no risk to warranty coverage.

We appreciate your attention to this matter and anticipate no further misunderstanding regarding synthetic motor oil.

AMSOIL INC.
Customer Service Division
c.c. legal department

Just a few testimoniials to extended drains

Francis Ormiston's 500,000 mile pickup

Francis's 1969 Cheverolet 1/2 ton pickup with a 396 V8 engine has seen some miles! This is a pickup that Francis used on his large farm in Kansas and during the summer of 1986 one of his farm hands "rolled" the truck. As a result, not wanting to do anything with it (it was totaled) he pulled it behind the barn and let it sit. In August of 1989 he decided to replace a diesel engine with a gas engine in another pick up and decided to use the "69". At that point the 69 had 535,372 miles on it, 442,372 using AMSOIL 10W40. The oil was changed only one time per year (in early spring). He decided that with 535,372 miles on it (never touched by a wrench) that it might be a good idea to rebuild it before installing it in the other truck.
STATEMENT FROM THE MECHANIC
The mechanic who rebuilt the engine before installing it in the other truck had this to say, "When we took this 396 engine apart, it was in the best condition of any engine I have ever seen. It looked like it had about 80,000 miles instead of over 500,000. The bearings were not even worn to the brass and the rings were not worn out and it was clean inside, no sludge or carbon at all.... I was impressed with the wear and cleanliness of this engine and the miles it had on it."

FACT: AMSOIL Saved Duluth Police Department Nearly 40% Per Mile! THE PROOF: Duluth Police Department Demonstration; 4 Police squad cars, 6 months duration, 34,600 miles on the average, equipped with AMSOIL 10W-40 Engine Oil, AMSOIL Full-Depth Oil Filters, AMSOIL BY-Pass Oil Filter, AMSOIL Lifetime Air Filter.Material and maintenance cost for the 4 units with conventional lubricants and filters was $1,052.11. With AMSOIL Lubricants and Filters, the total was only $638.20 - nearly 40% saved per mile! AMSOIL saves in labor and material costs because it can be used many thousands of miles longer than conventional lubes. From: G-394

Semis Have Gone 200,000 Miles Without an Oil Change Danny Howell, Director of Maintenance for Dallas Carriers Corp. in Rockwell, Texas, conducted a demonstration in which semis were installed bumper-to-bumper with AMSOIL LUBRICANTS. AMSOIL 15W-40 Diesel Engine Oil was used in the engines, and AMSOIL Synthetic 85W-140 Gear Lube was installed in the transmissions, rear ends and the power train. Periodic oil analysis determined AMSOIL 15W-40 was serviceable after 200,000 miles and the engines had minimal wear. AMSOIL 85W-140 was also still serviceable in the transmissions after 200,000 miles. Howell reported that both the rear ends and transmissions operated like new with AMSOIL 85W-140.From: Testimonials Volume VIII

Gil Dodgen, Garden Grove, California "I just thought I'd drop you a note to tell you how great AMSOIL has worked for me. I put the 10W-40 in my '79 Honda Civic at 5,000 miles. The car was going 5,000 miles on a quart of oil at that time. I've changed the oil at 25,000 and the filter at 12,500 as recommended (I even got lazy once and changed the oil at almost 30,000 miles.) Now, with 135,000 miles on the car, the little Honda still goes.... and I still get 5,000 miles on a quart of oil! It would appear that the engine has not worn significantly. At this rate I'll get a half million miles out of the car. I just put your oil in my new Toyota at 6,000 miles and the mileage jumped 3 miles per gallon -- a 10% increase.I can't understand why everyone doesn't use this fantastic product."

Dennis Wright, Dennis Wright Farms, Albany, Ga. Dennis was amazed that on his John Deer Irrigation engine (normal oil change every 100 hours) he was able to extend his oil change beyond 600 hours with AMSOIL AME15W-40 and AMSOIL By-Pass Filters. Oil anaylsis taken at 600 hours showed NO BREAK-DOWN of the oil, very low wear metals and 8.6 acidity. His comment was that he was amazed that even in the hottest of our summer (103 degrees) that engine did not overheat!