new study

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New study reveals 7 out of 10 drivers perceive their vehicles run better after an oil change.*

HOUSTON, January 2007--If you feel your car runs better after an oil change, you’re not alone.

Pennzoil has heard drivers say for years that they perceived their vehicles to run better after an oil change, so last year it decided to look into the situation a little more scientifically.

Pennzoil commissioned Harris Interactive, a leading independent market research firm, to survey more than 300 drivers in three major cities (Atlanta, Chicago and Seattle) before and after an oil change involving oil of the same type and viscosity. All the conventional oil users had their oil changed with Pennzoil® Conventional oil. All the full synthetic oil users had their oil changed with Pennzoil Platinum® motor oil.

The study was conducted blind. At no time did the participants know what brand of motor oil was going into their vehicles. In addition, the survey was done online with no interviewer, so that participants felt more comfortable giving candid feedback. Although Pennzoil products were used in the oil changes, the study was neither intended nor designed to compare different brands of motor oil.

To ensure they were familiar enough with their vehicles’ performance to comment, only those who were the sole or co-equal decision maker on their vehicle’s upkeep were accepted into the study. Their vehicle had to be in good operating condition and one they drove four or more times per week.

After the oil change, the participants were asked a series of questions online to determine the exact nature of any change(s) they perceived:

– How the engine sounds when first started.
– How well the vehicle drives.
– How the car feels overall, etc.

So what were the results of the study?

Overall, 7 out of 10 participants perceived their vehicles as running better after an oil change.*
*Drivers surveyed after a Pennzoil oil change.
 
It's all in their head!
LOL.gif
 
It's the difference between being critical of your environment and being critical of your impressions/expectations of your environment
 
I agree. A study like that is begging for placebos to be tossed in to verify the veracity of claims.

Otherwise their conclusions are correct -- "... 7 out of 10 drivers perceive their vehicles run better after an oil change".
 
I do not ever notice any running better but my engine sounds different with fresh oil in it. I can also tell a difference from one brand tothe next by sound. All of my vechiles are kept in good working order so their is no way an oil change could make a difference in how it ran!
 
With "oil of the same type and viscosity" I could not feel any different in all 3 cars. But with lower viscosity such as from Mobil 1 0W40 to Pennzoil Platinum 5w20 in MB E430, my wife said the engine is quieter and after 2500 miles the gas mileage went from 18 MPG to 19 MPG with similar average speed of 27 MPH - 80% city + 20% highway. I'll try 0W20 the next oil change to see if there are differences.
 
I've noticed that my vehicles seemed to run better after using a particular brand of oil. And the funny thing is, is that they seemed to run best on some store brand 5W30's that I purchaced in a pinch only because my oil stash was depleated and these store brands were the only ones on sale/or a good price. When Super Tech oil at W*M was .74c-.88c per qt, I used it when I didn't have any more name brand oil. I once bought 2-12 qt cases of Spectrum Motor Oil 5W30 from SEARS AUTO CENTER for .49c per qt after rebate and my engines loved the stuff(butt dyno only). Otherwise, I don't notice much especially with synthetic.
 
I feel an increase in vibration at idle speed as the engine oil ages, with my car. It becomes apparent after around 10,000 km. But this did not happen with the last run of M 1 0w20. Friction properties of cheaper oil probably change over time, and when you put in fresh oil, it makes a difference.
 
I think new oil does have some small impact. I just put in Mobil 1 5w30 and for all the neg. comments people make about it, I haven't found that to be the case at all in my car. Engine revs very nice on this oil but again it's probably bc it's new oil.
 
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