AMSOIL OEM 5w-20, 2002 TBird, 5,004 miles

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Rat407

Rat407

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This is a friends Tbird. The mileage was put on in a 15 month period. I lost track of time and so did she. The oil filter is a Wix and a Carquest air filter. This thing is a piece of cake to change the oil and filter on. Most of her driving is about a quarter mile from her house to the place she works and in that distance is three stop signs. It might get out on the open road once in a while but not often. It has had three oil changes so far with AMSOIL, the first one was using XL and the last two are with the OE.

Code:
Most wear looks good in the first sample from your Thunderbird. Iron was above average, but with all other

wear reading normally, we don't think it cause for alarm. It's hard to say why it might be high on this first sample, but

since everything else is perfectly fine, let's just see if it's going up or down next time. It might resolve itself. No fuel or

coolant was found and the viscosity read normally for a 5W/20. Insolubles show excellent oil filtration. The TBN read

1.1, so there's just a little active additive left. Use 5K mi again to monitor. Averages are based on 5,400 miles.





OIL OEF5w-30

MILES IN USE 5,004

MILES 28,806

SAMPLE TAKEN 07/20/13



ALUMINUM 4

CHROMIUM 1

IRON 36

COPPER 9

LEAD 0

TIN 4

MOLYBDENUM 77

NICKEL 1

MANGANESE 2

SILVER 0

TITANIUM 0

POTASSIUM 0

BORON 126

SILICON 14

SODIUM 7

CALCIUM 2227

MAGNESIUM 10

PHOSPHORUS 679

ZINC 801

BARIUM 0



INSOLUBLES 0.1

WATER% 0.0

FLASHPOINT ºF 425

SUS VIS 210ºF 53.3

cSt @ 212ºF 8.27

Fuel%
Antifreeze% 0.0

TBN 1.1
 
TBN at 1.1 after 5k miles in just a little over a year ....

If this were a dino UOA at 10k miles, people would be SCREAMING that the lube was used too long, and that the oil was wy past due for a change. But this is Amsoil, so it gets a pass because many will look the other way.


I am NOT saying this is a reason to condem the fluid, just pointing out the brand bias that exists at times.


BTW - running this out this far negates the Amsoil warranty. OE is strictly for OEM intervals, of which it should have been changed long ago to preserve the Amsoil warranty. According to the Ford owner's service guide, this would be a 3mo/3k-mi interval vehicle. (see page 7 of the service guide). Your friend is 5x over that at 15 months; and 66% over in miles. Amsoil would likely not cover any issue lube related. Here is what they state ...
Quoting the Amsoil site:
SERVICE LIFE
In gasoline-fueled vehicles, AMSOIL OE Synthetic Motor Oil is recommended for the intervals stated by the vehicle manufacturer or indicated by the oil life monitoring system. Change oil filter at every oil change.
and their warranty:
WHAT THIS LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER... Failure of equipment due to not following OEM recommendations for warranty coverage, including lubricants, maintenance and drain intervals ...



So what we have here is the dichotomy of the syn-lube bias. If this were a dino oil, folks would harass the OP because it was perceived to be ran way too long, the TBN tanked, and didn't follow an ultra-conservative OCI schedule. But it's Amsoil, so it must be "OK", even though it's way over even Amsoils stated warranty limit.



I'm not saying this oil didn't do OK; I see nothing horrific in the UOA. The Fe wear rate is high, but probably due to use factor; it is not near a condemnation point IMO. I'm just pointing out the incredible hypocrisy that surrounds lubes at times.
 
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Considering she didn't get her oil changed even this much before I started doing it for her. I kind of lapsed on this one myself and am to blame. I usually keep tabs but this one go away from me with all that when on this past year with family members passing. I know there were times she didn't have it changed for almost two years with regular quick lube changes from she has stated. The fact that I pick it up, change the oil and drop it back off is a bonus. She even said so along with a few others in our small town. I don't think the Signature Series would have done any better considering the driving style but at least it would have been covered under the AMSOIL warranty if changed at a year.

I'm sure Super Tech would have done just as well.
 
Rat407 good on you for helping her take care of your friend's car.

0.75 mile commute with 3 stop signs? Help her pick out a sturdy pair of New Balance shoes and/or a bicycle.

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
TBN at 1.1 after 5k miles in just a little over a year ....

If this were a dino UOA at 10k miles, people would be SCREAMING that the lube was used too long, and that the oil was wy past due for a change. But this is Amsoil, so it gets a pass because many will look the other way.


Well I was going to start howling at how poorly the Big A performed in this application!

Ironic, because their website proclaims on the OEM 5w20 page "Its advanced synthetic technology resists chemical breakdown for maximum wear protection (and peace of mind) well beyond the traditional 3,000-mile oil change interval." yet would have to change it at 3k/3 months because that's the factory oil change interval!

If there's ever a car that could use 5w20 mineral oil at 3k/3 months this is it. Hello Super Tech or whatever's on sale bundled with a filter! You could probably stretch it out to twice that without issue and still cost half as much as Amsoil.
 
I know it isn't that far from their house to work. Heck in this town you can drive a golf cart on the roads legally. That is what I would do. It is about the same distance to church for us and I take our golf cart, as well to the the Piggly Wiggly and the Ace hardware store.

I change the oil for a few elderly in our church as well as the Mayors two vehicles. I'm lucky that I can help out and enjoy doing so.
 
Was it low on oil at the time of the OCI? Was any oil every added during the run? How big is the sump? If it uses/leaks a little oil and was a few quarts low, that might explain a few things. 5000 miles and 15 months seems like it should be a piece of cake for cheap dino.
 
Originally Posted By: Rat407
I know it isn't that far from their house to work. Heck in this town you can drive a golf cart on the roads legally. That is what I would do.

I'd do that as well, in a heartbeat! Wish that were an option here... but if I only had a 3/4 mile walk, you could buy PLENTY of US-made New Balance shoes for what a golf cart would cost.
 
Amsoil or not it is trashed IMO. Their OE is fine but nothing special, it is not supposed to be either really so no issues.
 
Originally Posted By: bigt61
Was it low on oil at the time of the OCI? Was any oil every added during the run? How big is the sump? If it uses/leaks a little oil and was a few quarts low, that might explain a few things. 5000 miles and 15 months seems like it should be a piece of cake for cheap dino.


Oil level was full, it takes 6qts, nothing added. It is the very short drive that basically trashed the oil. Plus some times the car sits for a month at a time in the winter when the weather is bad.
 
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