Factors Having an Impact on Extended Drainsby Ed Newman AMSOIL Director of Advertising | ||
A few years ago I read a very good book by Andy Grove, president and CEO of Intel, called Only the Paranoid Survive. It’s well known that change is an inevitable part of life and business. Responding properly to change, therefore, is essential for business survival, whether you’re a Fortune 100 giant or a mom and pop storefront in Poughkeepsie. What I liked about Grove’s book was the very direct statement that a measure of fear is actually good. Complacency is one of the biggest enemies of any business, and the proper response to complacency is a modest level of anxiety that keeps us on our toes. Constant vigilance is a key component of success. One of the changes affecting the quick lube industry these past 10 years is the lengthening of oil change intervals. When Ford this spring announced that it was stretching drain intervals for a few key models in 2007 and their entire 2008 line, the news caught peoples’ attention even outside the industry. What’s Going On? There are a variety of factors having an impact on drain intervals. No one can say for sure what will happen when, but things are happening. In this article I want to outline some of the issues that oil companies must take into consideration when making oil change recommendations. Manufacturers’ Recommendations play a role in determining oil drain intervals. Oil change recommendations for American-made cars have run from 5,000 to 10,000 mile intervals in recent years. The longer drains today imply better quality. The ambiguous definitions surrounding “normal” and “severe” service create an atmosphere of uncertainty that makes consumers insecure about extended oil service. Maintenance schedules for other parts of the vehicle have an impact on oil drain recommendations. A service regimen that dovetails oil change intervals with other maintenance checks is sensible. Consumer wants include convenience, cost/value, clean environment, and friendly service. While cost is of high importance to many, others are willing to pay more for convenience and performance. For an increasing number, impact on the environment is a preeminent concern. Lubricant performance capabilities are an important factor when establishing drain intervals. At a certain point in time, depending on the quality of the oil, the oil breaks down and the additives are depleted. It is no good suggesting drain intervals beyond the service life of the lubricant. Basestock supply availability is a factor. Longer lasting synthetic motor oils have become increasingly popular due to their extended life capability. Meanwhile, the basestock supply is limited. Nevertheless, there is plenty of supply to meet demand at current rates of growth, and for this reason synthetics should be promoted to any motorist driving a vehicle with a mechanically sound engine because of the benefits they provide. Filter capabilities must also be evaluated. There is a limit to filter life, though new technologies are extending filter life to significant lengths. Proper filtration is an important facet of extending drain intervals and most major filter manufacturers have established service life standards that exceed the normal oil change recommendation.Government regulations are also a driver in the equation. EPA pressures have pushed auto manufacturers to limit emissions while extending miles per gallon. The oil companies and automakers face serious technical challenges in this arena. As petroleum-based oil performance is beefed up, we’ve seen a shrinking price disparity between petroleum and superior synthetic oils, which more easily achieve the desired goals of regulators.Consumer desire for convenience impacts drain recommendations. This has been a major driver behind the OEM push to lengthen drain intervals as Ford has recently done and GM accomplished with its Oil Life Sensors. Our lives are increasingly complex. Everyone is seeking ways to streamline. Motorists know that neglecting maintenance altogether is not in their best interest.Ironically, the installed oil market found its origin in this desire for convenience on the part of passenger car owners. An increasing number of motorists did not want to change their own oil and an industry was born. Today, many busy motorists no longer see that trip to the lube shop as a convenience. The frequent oil change has become a hassle. Market savvy opportunists who capitalize on this consumer discontent will have an edge on their competitors as we enter the next century. Balancing all these issues and the concerns of special interests has been no small feat. No wonder change is slow when so many factors must be brought into consideration. It would appear that sufficient experience, data and technology now exists to move forward. CLOSING
The 3000 mile oil change interval has been ingrained in the American consciousness for decades. Conventional motor oil companies aggressively push it, oil change centers remind their customers to return when another 3000 miles have accumulated on the odometer and fathers teach their children to change their oil and filter according to a 3000 mile schedule.Vehicle Manufacturers Almost all 2005 and later General Motors vehicles are equipped with its Oil Life System, which makes use of a color-coded system to alert the driver when it’s time to change the oil. A “yellow” condition indicates that it’s time to think about changing the oil, while a “red” condition indicates that the oil is past its service life. According to GM, the typical drain interval for vehicles equipped with the Oil Life System is 8,500 miles, which will result in a savings of 6.6 million gallons of oil and $145 million for 2005 model-year drivers over the lives of their vehicles. General Motors is actively seeking to extend oil drain intervals even further. In fact, the company recently asserted that 20,000 mile oil drain intervals are possible with existing engine technology and synthetic oils meeting current specifications, while 30,000 mile oil change intervals are achievable with appropriate motor oil quality and minor engine modifications. “Drain intervals are a very specific goal for GM, and are being managed in a logical and planned fashion,” says James A Spearot, director of GM’s Chemical & Environmental Sciences Laboratory in Warren, Mich. “Longer drain intervals are desirable to meet customer demands for reduced maintenance and convenience, and for the environmental benefits that come with less oil handling. And, in the end, longer drain intervals will help us with our warranty protection goals.” Motor Oil Companies In fact, Marc Graham, president of Pennzoil-Quaker State-owned Jiffy Lube International, was quoted in a 2001 Lubricants World interview as saying, “At [PQS] we use a number internally that if we [shortened the drain interval] by 100 miles [for each car serviced], it would mean an additional $20 million in revenue for the company.” He also explained that “if we could move our customers to get one more oil change per year, it’s worth $294 million for the oil change alone and $441 million in revenue, when you include the ancillary products and services customers typically buy along with the oil change.” Today, with vehicle manufacturers recommending longer and longer drain intervals and the increasing use of oil monitoring systems, the practice of extending drain intervals has become more mainstream and forced more motor oil companies to take notice. ExxonMobil, for example, recently introduced a line of long drain motor oils, and other motor oil companies will likely follow. As more motor oil companies begin offering extended drain motor oils, the extended drain interval idea pioneered by AMSOIL in 1972 will become increasingly common. According to a special report released last May by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), synthetic motor oils are key to extended drain technology: “Extended drain technology is primarily based on the availability of synthetic oils. While the additives in conventional, non-synthetic oils allow them to function longer than the tradition 3,000 miles, it is primarily the synthetic base stocks that allow the oil to last much longer. Synthetic oil offers many advantages in durability versus conventional petroleum oil and it is all based on the synthetic oil’s superior heat and oxidation resistance. Synthetic oil is more accurately controlled at the molecular level and therefore can be engineered to resist the forces in an engine that work against oil durability.” AMSOIL offers a complete line of premium quality synthetic motor oils formulated for extended drain intervals Amsoil 25,000 Extended Drain Synthetic Motor Oil Amsoil 10,000 Extended Drain Synthetic Motor Oil |
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