Mobil1 Suggested Oil Change Intervals Different In Canada Why?

[BillyHW]

Hey folks,

So I just noticed that bottles of Mobil1 Extended Performance in the USA are labelled good for 20,000 miles in the USA but for only 25,000 km in Canada.

20,000 miles would be about 32,000 km.

Anyone know why there is this discrepancy?

 

[Rand]

Cold weather + marketing would be my guess.
Of course the 20000 mile interval is
"up to 20000 miles follow owners manual" Which usually means 6000-10000 miles.

 

[k1xv]

My guess is, with lower ambient temperatures, engines in Canada spend more time less than fully warmed up.

 

[BillyHW]

Cold weather + marketing would be my guess.
Of course the 20000 mile interval is
"up to 20000 miles follow owners manual" Which usually means 6000-10000 miles.

If it is cold weather, does Mobil1 have differently labelled bottles up in Alaska?

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Well it must be because that is where they send all their off grade oil! Sarcasm off!

 

[SureshR]

Cold weather + marketing would be my guess.
Of course the 20000 mile interval is
"up to 20000 miles follow owners manual" Which usually means 6000-10000 miles.

Following the owners manual is typically because the oil filter might not last 20k miles regardless of what expensive oil you pour.

It MAY make sense for you to change just the oil filter and top up whatever oil is lost during the filter change, with such an extended performance oil.

On the other hand it may make even more sense to just change at or a bit before the recommended OCI with an oil of reasonable quality that meets your car’s required spec.

 

[ATex7239]

Because the Marketing Dept probably sucks at math… and marketing.

 

[KGMtech]

All about having nice numbers, doesn't need to reflect reality.

 

[Rand]

Following the owners manual is typically because the oil filter might not last 20k miles regardless of what expensive oil you pour.

Do you have a basis for this statement besides opinion?

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

Wondered why also.

Amsoil has the same recommendations in Canada ( They have two warehouses in Canada ).

Honda used to tell owners to change the oil more ( always follow severe service despite possibly living 1/10 mile north of the U.S. border ) often than U.S. owners and I am pretty sure it was because of the lower fuel quality up here in the past ( not anymore ). That's not the case anymore.

 

[SureshR]

Do you have a basis for this statement besides opinion?

For a paper cartridge filter that’s pretty much clogged by 5-6 thousand miles rather than say a filter rated for a longer life?

 

[dubber09]

I think Canadians in general don't obsess with very long OCIs and we are used to paying more for less, it's marketing thing on Mobil part.
On other hand, Pennzoil never marketed their Euro LX oil as 20k miles oil while they could.

 

[tbm5690]

For a paper cartridge filter that’s pretty much clogged by 5-6 thousand miles rather than say a filter rated for a longer life?

If a filter is "clogged" after 5-6k miles your engine isn't too far behind needing replacement itself.

 

[Oro_O]

Because the Marketing Dept probably sucks at math… and marketing.

All about having nice numbers, doesn't need to reflect reality.

Those are the only sensible answers.

 

[ATex7239]

Those are the only sensible answers.

Occam razor. I often joke at work. Don’t assume I did something to be malicious when incompetence makes more sense.

 

[4WD]

Those are the only sensible answers.

Oh yeah - what about 2m of snow - uphill both ways - snow snakes wrapped around the drive shaft …

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

For a paper cartridge filter that’s pretty much clogged by 5-6 thousand miles rather than say a filter rated for a longer life?

For such a wide-*** claim, certainly you have at least one verifiable example of a paper filter that was plugged by 5-6k miles? Would love to see it.

 

[ATex7239]

All about having nice numbers, doesn't need to reflect reality.

This is one of the truest things ever said. I googled why General Motors has been putting the numbers on the back of vehicle 350, 600 etc. It was driving me crazy. It’s the engine displacement… 6.2 L V8 is the 600, 3.6 L V6 is the 350… they literally just rounded to a cooler looking number. 620 and 360 wasn’t cutting it.

 

[SureshR]

For such a wide-*** claim, certainly you have at least one verifiable example of a paper filter that was plugged by 5-6k miles? Would love to see it.

Not offhand, but cars here in India drive in crazy stop and go traffic with gridlock jams that are bad enough to count as severe service. A filter can get quite nasty looking and a car run rather rough if you stretch the typical synthetic blend oil to 10k kilometers of such use.

 

[Slick3914]

Probably because someone from the US would try and run it 32,000 miles.