Amsoil and short trip driving?

[Drew99GT]

What would be a safe drain interval with Amsoil full synthetic (not the 7500) for someone that primarily does all short trip driving? Amsoil does not mention that possibility anywhere that I have seen. Is it still safe to run well beyond 10,000 miles, even with mostly cold weather short trip driving? I just bought a case of 10w-30 ATM cause my neighbor is a dealer...wo hoo!!! Well, it's actually this guys mother and father who started their Amsoil business but their son basically took it over. Hehehe, all I have to do to get any Amsoil product I want is to walk two houses up from mine

 

[Drew99GT]

Oh, the son has a Subaru Legacy wagon with about 240K on the Odo, it's had 20 thousand mile drains with ATM since birth and he said it's clean as a whistle and runs like it's brand new. I thought that was some good advertising!

 

[Pablo]

Basically for short trip driving it's best to stick with the 6 month time frame recommendation. PS It's not that funny that you buy from a non-BITOG supporter

 

[Drew99GT]

Pablo, I just bought it this one time because it was very convinient, and he also gave it to me for 5 bucks a quart for trial purposes. Couldn't pass it up. Didn't mean to give any Amsoil dealers from this site a bad taste in their mouth, but I obviously did.

 

[Dick in Falls Church]

Guess it depends on how many short trip drives you take. Change the filter at 6 months and the oil yearly, and you'll be fine. My mother's car hadd short trip driving, except when my brother or I came home and drove the car. Used AMSOIL 15W-40, and changed oil 3 times in 13 years--filters a couple of times in between when I remembered to bring one with me.

 

[msparks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Drew99GT: I just bought a case of 10w-30 ATM cause my neighbor is a dealer...wo hoo!!! Well, it's actually this guys mother and father who started their Amsoil business but their son basically took it over. Hehehe, all I have to do to get any Amsoil product I want is to walk two houses up from mine

---

Don't take this the wrong way, but why don't you go ask the so called expert dealer neighbor what the drain interval should be.

 

[Drew99GT]

quote:

---

Originally posted by msparks:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Drew99GT: I just bought a case of 10w-30 ATM cause my neighbor is a dealer...wo hoo!!! Well, it's actually this guys mother and father who started their Amsoil business but their son basically took it over. Hehehe, all I have to do to get any Amsoil product I want is to walk two houses up from mine

---

Don't take this the wrong way, but why don't you go ask the so called expert dealer neighbor what the drain interval should be.

---

See, why you got to be sarcastic about it? Don't take this the wrong way. Did I in any way say he was some kind of expert? I think I'll just keep buying Amsoil from him since he's actually a nice guy I try and ask a simple question, and get ripped by the Amsoil people because I didn't buy from them! Amazing

 

[Drew99GT]

Why don't we just leave this thread alone and forget I even posted it. Hell, mods, want to just remove it? It'll just turn into a back and forth argument.

 

[1 BAD 03 MM]

Hey everyone should be happy here. We all use AMSOIL products, and we have a place to go to ask questions, and get answers. Last time I checked this wasn't an AMSOIL dealership site. I love my AMSOIL products.

 

[TooSlick]

The main reason Amsoil puts the one year time limit on drain intervals is to account for variability in the severity of service. If you only drive 10k per year, but it's all short trips, the oil may degrade as much as it would after 20k of highway driving. That's why you don't want to run 25,000 miles if it takes you two years to do so .... I'd also recommend changing the filter and topping off the crankcase after six months and doing a total change after a year. Short trip driving in cold weather is the most stressful type of service you can do. I actually prefer to use one of the gas/diesel rated Amsoil formulations for these applications - either the Series 3000, 5w-30 or the 10w-40. However, I'm sure the 10w-30 will work fine as well. Tooslick Dixie Synthetics

 

[msparks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Drew99GT: [QUOTE]Originally posted by msparks: [qb] [QUOTE]Originally posted by Drew99GT: [See, why you got to be sarcastic about it? Don't take this the wrong way. Did I in any way say he was some kind of expert? I think I'll just keep buying Amsoil from him since he's actually a nice guy I try and ask a simple question, and get ripped by the Amsoil people because I didn't buy from them! Amazing

---

Truly sorry about that. I don't mean to rag on you, I'm sure that your neighor is a nice guy. But he should also be qualified to answer this easy question and if he can't(why is he selling the oil) Anyhow to answer your question. This is Based on personal experience as well as Amsoil Corp Policy. You can extend your drain interval 1 year or 25,000 miles whichever comes first. So in your case the 1 year will come first. Make sure you do a filter change at 6 months to keep your TBN and additives topped up. This oil will easily go the 1 yr. interval. Secondly in my F150 I went 18 months and about 10,000 with no filter changes and the oil was still sound. Though I was using the Series 2000 0w30 the ATM 10w30 would also have done a good job. Hope this answers your question, again I'm sorry about the Rude comment.

 

[Patman]

Wouldn't it be best to recommend that on someone's very first interval with Amsoil, especially when switching from a conventional, that they go no further than about 6 months or 6000 miles? This way they aren't doing any extended intervals until they are at least on their second interval with this oil. That way they don't end up with any of the previous oil still mixed in there, which would shorten it's lifespan and most likely cause the TBN to drop faster too. With some engines holding back as much as a quart of old oil at oil change time, this would probably be the better way to recommend the first interval with Amsoil. Not only that, but if the engine is slightly dirty, the Amsoil will be doing more cleaning on it's first interval too, another reason not to run it too long since it's additive package will get used up quicker the first time around. [ December 08, 2003, 07:40 AM: Message edited by: Patman ]

 

[msparks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Patman: Wouldn't it be best to recommend that on someone's very first interval with Amsoil, especially when switching from a conventional, that they go no further than about 6 months or 6000 miles? Not only that, but if the engine is slightly dirty, the Amsoil will be doing more cleaning on it's first interval too, another reason not to run it too long since it's additive package will get used up quicker the first time around.

---

I agree, but the person should also have done some type of engine flush or Auto-RX run. But I don't think that the 1 yr or 10K run would be that difficult even on the 1st run--as long as you did an engine flush. Would it be the best looking analysis? Probaly not, but it certainly will not hurt the engine.

 

[TooSlick]

I'd recommend using the Amsoil engine flush the first you change over an engine that been run on petroleum oil, even if it has fairly low mileage, ie 20k-40k miles. If nothing else, the flush will thin out the old oil a bit so it drains more completely ....You are always going to have some high temp deposits even with regular oil changes and you want to get the engine as clean as possible before using any synthetic and running long drain intervals. Tooslick Dixie Synthetics

 

[Patman]

quote:

---

Originally posted by msparks:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Patman: Wouldn't it be best to recommend that on someone's very first interval with Amsoil, especially when switching from a conventional, that they go no further than about 6 months or 6000 miles? Not only that, but if the engine is slightly dirty, the Amsoil will be doing more cleaning on it's first interval too, another reason not to run it too long since it's additive package will get used up quicker the first time around.

---

I agree, but the person should also have done some type of engine flush or Auto-RX run. But I don't think that the 1 yr or 10K run would be that difficult even on the 1st run--as long as you did an engine flush. Would it be the best looking analysis? Probaly not, but it certainly will not hurt the engine.

---

That is a good point, I guess my recommendation is more suited for our typical BITOG reader who does UOAs and wants to see good results on his first report. I guess my recommendation is more of a cautious approach to things. I definitely agree with starting with a clean engine, and Auto-rx is the best way to do it, IMHO, since it's not a solvent based cleaner. I really wouldn't want those solvent type flushes in my engine though, especially since you'd still have some of it left behind in your crankcase during that first interval with the new oil.

 

[Drew99GT]

Hey guys, no hard feelings I was a bit testy last night do to a family argument during my birthday party. What a way to celebrate 24 years on this here rock we call Earth As to the oil deal, I've done auto-rx and I will be running two Mobil 1 intervals before the amsoil even goes in. I also had my valve cover off this weekend for invetsigative purposes and it was spotless, not even a hint of sludge. No varnish either, but conventional does leave a nice amber color on the metal. The auto-rx worked and the previous owner took good care of the car, so I think I'm safe for extended drains. I think I will take TooSlicks advice and go series 3000 5w-30. That stuff looks killer. I just hope it doesn't do any harm to the cat or anything like that. And I will have to buy it from either Amsoil directly or someone from this site because my neighbor does not stock it regularly. I would have bought it if he had some. So guys, let the bargaining begin Hehe, just playin

 

[TooSlick]

The Series 3000 and Amsoil 10w-40 have no more ZDDP than the 10w-30 you are going to use first, and only slightly higher levels of sulphated ash. I just find that the SL/CI-4 additive chemistries hold up better and can handle more contamination. This is why they are preferred for Marine and Farm equipment applications, where fuel dilution and moisture accumulation are primary concerns ... TS

 

[msparks]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Drew99GT: Hey guys, no hard feelings I was a bit testy last night do to a family argument during my birthday party. What a way to celebrate 24 years on this here rock we call Earth

---

Now I feel really crappy since I was nasty on your Birthday and you had a bad one to boot . Maybe sometime I will have to make it up to you and buy you a couple of beers. Colorado isnt' too far!!

 

[KW]

Drew99GT, Thanks for asking the Amsoil questions. All the replys have helped to answer some questions I had about my first run of Amsoil in my car that does mostly short trips. I was affraid that one year might be to long, but now I feel better about it.