Synthetics Are Now the Norm
After 15 plus years in the synthetic oil business I have finally seen a shift in the acceptance of extended drain intervals. As older generations move on and younger ones emerge there seems to be a change in attitudes about just how long you can leave oil in your car's engine.
Now that synthetic oils are mentioned at almost every oil change place in America consumers are starting to realize some inherent benefits that come with them. One obvious advantage is the length of time you can go between oil changes. Most manufacturers are now recommending oil change intervals from 5,000-7,500 miles, which is a big improvement over the typical 3,000 miles from just a few years past. In fact GM has recently introduced a new oil spec for all 2011 models. This spec is referred to as dexos1 and is now required if you own a new 2011 GM automobile regardless of model. What most people don't know about this new spec is it comes with a recommended drain interval of 10,000 miles.
Another little known fact is that Europe has been practicing extended drain intervals up to 20,000+ miles for nearly two decades. So as you can see the United States is slowly but surely accepting the concept of longer drain intervals. Did you know that most pickup trucks come with synthetic oil in the differentials with a drain interval of 100,000 miles. When most people don't really know what's in their transmission or differentials they are accepting the longer service life. When it comes to engine oil however most people still can't get past the 3,000 mile recommendation that all the major quick lubes still promote.
Consumers however are getting wiser to the slick marketing of the big oil companies and all their quick lube outlets and have chosen to move up to higher quality synthetics. The average drain interval in the U.S. is around 5,280 miles, which is considerably longer then what the quick lubes are pushing. The bottom line is this; you can't have cheap and high quality in the same product. When have you not payed more for a product and expected more performance? This is what a high quality synthetic oil will do for you.
There's still a long way to go for some people to gain the trust of high quality synthetics and to extend their drain intervals. There are some synthetic oils on the market today that can easily achieve drain intervals from 10,000 to 25,000 miles. Although there is still a long way to go for some people to keep oil in their engines this long it won't be too much longer when 10,000 miles here in the U.S. will be the norm. Just look at what GM has done with their 2011 models with their 10,000 miles intervals and their new dexos1 oils. How long do you think it will be before Ford and Chrysler offer the same intervals in their models?
The last 15 years have gone fast and I can remember debating with some of my very first clients about the flawed 3,000 mile oil change. It appears that prediction has come true and it won't be long before 10,000 miles is all you hear about it. Now is the time to start to evaluating synthetic oils and experimenting with extended drain intervals. Due your research before you go out and buy just any synthetic oil. You don't have to be a chemist, however there are some glaring differences between the top selling brands so do your homework.
About the Author
Author-Steve Tarini has been an authorized Amsoil Dealer since 1996 and has written several articles on the topic of extended drain intervals. Although the topic is gaining acceptance there is still some wide spread confusion on this very subject of extending drain intervals. Take a look at this informative article: http://www.hightechsyntheticoil.com/2011/01/the-truth-about-extended-drain-intervals/
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