Posted: 4/10/2010 6:31:11 PM EDT
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I was looking at it for my new Grand Marquis. 17,500 mile oil and 24,000 mile filters would mean I could get by with oil changes 2x a year instead of every month. I'd like to take really good car of this car because it is new and no mileage so I want to run it till the wheels fall off. It has an oil cooler and a transmission cooler so I should get a lot of life out of the engine... What viscosity would you recommend and why? I hear a lot about 0w-XX, but I've never used it. |
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use whatever weight the owners manual recommends. I don't trust extended oil changes. The oil may be good enough to not break down beyond recommended intervals, but it still contains combustion byproducts which are acidic. I just don't think it's a good idea to go that long between changes. amsoil is supposed to be pretty good, I used it in my motorcycle but was too much of a pita to get. I had to mail order it and it just wasnt worth it to me. |
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Service Life AMSOIL Signature Series 0W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil is recommended for extended drain intervals in unmodified(1), mechanically sound(2) gasoline fueled vehicles as follows: • Normal Service(3) – Up to 35,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first. • Severe Service(4) – Up to 17,500 miles or one year, whichever comes first. • Replace AMSOIL Ea oil filter at the time of oil change up to 25,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first (other brands at standard OEM* intervals). • In all non-gasoline fueled vehicle applications, extend the oil change interval according to oil analysis or follow the OEM* drain interval. Service Life AMSOIL Ea Oil Filters are guaranteed for 25,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first, when used in conjunction with AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil. AMSOIL recommends changing the oil filter at the time of oil change. If used in conjunction with AMSOIL Motor Oil that is being changed at intervals less than 25,000 miles, the EaO Filter should be changed at the same time. AMSOIL EaO Filters are not guaranteed for 25,000 miles when used with any oil other than AMSOIL Motor Oil and should be changed according to vehicle OEM recommendations. |
| I use the Amsoil 10w30 and their extended filter on my S2000. I stretched out the mileage to 10k mi as it still looked pretty new after 5000. I just changed it yesterday along with my tranny oil to Amsoil transmission oil. The engine oil was a bit darker than I would have liked and I won't do it again. |
| I ran Amsoil for a while in all my vehicles and never found it to be very special. The bike didn't like it at all, almost felt too thin for the clutch. The oil looked as dirty as any other oil at 5K miles, no way I would fall into their BS 1 oil change a year deal. I still have my account with them but have switched back to mobil 1 for everything now. |
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I've run Amsoil in 3 different vehicles now with a total of around 130K miles, so far. The first vehicle I ran it in was a 99 Dodge Neon that typically went to 8000 rpm at least 4-5 times a week and was over 7K rpm at least a dozen. I sold the car with around 94K miles on it and the motor was quite strong and running well when I sold it. FWIW, I went a couple times with Amsoil for 25K miles, and each time it took at least 2+ years to get there. Yes, I know they tell you to drain it every year, but when you're only putting 6-10K on it per year, there's no point. I also sent the oil in for analysis a couple times at 20K miles on the oil and each time it came back just fine. Right now I'm running it in a 2007 Chrysler Town & Country. So far the oil has around 18K miles on it and has been in the crankcase for around 2 1/4 years. The 0w-20 does seem to need topped off a little more often than the Neon (I put about a quart in it every 6-8 months), but we only put around 6K miles in it a year. Most of that is back and forth to church and lots of trips to Wal-Mart (about a mile) a week. Every now and then we'll take a trip, but most of the time it just goes back and forth a few miles at a time. I have changed the filter out at around 12K miles (so, at the 2 year or so mark on the oil), but I have no intention of changing it again until it hits the 24K mile mark on the oil. I figure at that point in time I'll have had the oil in the crankcase for 4 years, so I'll go ahead and change out everything at that point. Since the minivan doesn't see *nearly* the hard life the Neon did, I'm sure the engine will live a long and happy life with this oil-changing schedule. |
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It's definately good oil, I don't know if I buy that it's much better than any other major synthetic though.
The filters are fantastic, they have a 1 quart filter that fits in place of the little bitty factory filter on my tundra that raises the oil capacity to an even 7 quarts, with synthetic oil that filter keeps the oil looking like new longer than I'm willing to leave it in the engine. |
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I know amsoil is a great product and they do stand behing their product. However, I just couldnt leave oil in for that long, even if I changed the filter every 5000 miles. I run Mobil 1 or Penzoil Platinum in the wifes car for 5000 miles with a filter change halfway threw. |
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Quoted:
I ran Amsoil for a while in all my vehicles and never found it to be very special. The bike didn't like it at all, almost felt too thin for the clutch. The oil looked as dirty as any other oil at 5K miles, no way I would fall into their BS 1 oil change a year deal. I still have my account with them but have switched back to mobil 1 for everything now. Yeah you shouldn't run synthetic in a bike with a wet clutch, and it won't stay clean if you do, for bikes you're better off with motul or rotella. |
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Quoted: I also sent the oil in for analysis a couple times at 20K miles on the oil and each time it came back just fine. I do 30-40k a year 80% freeway at 70 mph. I get good life out of any oil but I want to A) keep the engine immaculate and B) save time. expense isn't as interesting to me. |
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Doug: Use Mobil 1 synthetic and you're g2g. Frequency of oil and filter changes mean so much more than the label on the bottle. Mobil 1 and Royal Purple have never failed me and I'm at 113,000 miles. ETA: I don't care what the manufacturer claims to be a proprietary service interval.... I know better. 5k per filter, no more than 10k for the oil and thats if its a high quality pure synthetic. Cost isn't your concern so don't worry about the replacement interval. Stick to 5/10 |
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Quoted:
Doug: Use Mobil 1 synthetic and you're g2g. Frequency of oil and filter changes mean so much more than the label on the bottle. Mobil 1 and Royal Purple have never failed me and I'm at 113,000 miles. Wal-Mart blue-container oil hasn't failed me in 25 years. Just buy the SAE minimum specification called for in your owner's manual. You can go 7500 miles wit no problems too. |
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Quoted: Cost isn't your concern so don't worry about the replacement interval. Stick to 5/10 It's time. I never have time to change it myself or take it into a shop. And if I do it's rarely at home so I don't get to have a working relationship with the shop. If I could just do it once every 5-6 months instead of once every month I'd be in a lot better shape. BUT I don't want to hurt the engine either. My current car I wanted to do every 5k, but some times it's slipped to 8 because I'm all tied up. I'm on the road at 5 am sometimes and don't get home till 8 pm and there's not a lot of places with hours like that.  |
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I use Amsoil 10w30 in my S2000. 5k intervals with a new filter. I also use their MTF and Severe Gear Differential fluid.
I would use the recommended weight from the OEM. On the Amsoil site you can put your vehicle in and see what products they recommend. I do think you could safely stretch out your intervals, but 17500 is more than I would personally feel comfortable with. You can always have a used oil analysis done and cut apart the oil filter to see what that looks like. Also, don't go cheap on the oil filter, top-shelf ones are only a few bucks more but there is a huge difference in construction, design, and materials. Especially with long intervals. |
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Quoted: I use the Amsoil 10w30 and their extended filter on my S2000. I stretched out the mileage to 10k mi as it still looked pretty new after 5000. I just changed it yesterday along with my tranny oil to Amsoil transmission oil. The engine oil was a bit darker than I would have liked and I won't do it again. You went to 10K because the oil "looked" new? If engine oil isn't getting darker and more viscous, it is not doing it's one of the primary jobs. Absorbing by products of combustion. Carbon esp. The only way to see how far any combination of oil, filter, car, and driving conditions can stretch out is by lab analysis of the used oil. Period. not by how the oil "looks" |
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I've got 206K miles on a 5.4 liter Ford with Motorcraft synthetic blend oils and Motorcraft filters. Ford calls for 5W20, but a 5W30 or 10W30 won't hurt anything either. I would not recommend oils thicker than that.
I won't comment on the good/bad of Amsoil since I've never used it, but any good oil and filter combination (I strongly recommend Motorcraft filters, or Purolator, I think Purolator makes the Motorcraft filters), changed every 5K or so, and the thing will run almost forever. I promise. 
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everyone has an opinion and here is mine...
What you need to do is run the car for say 5k and then do an used oil analysis.. See what the report says - if it is still good run it to 7500 miles and do another UOA.. then go to 10k and do it again.. Keep going until the analysis says it NEEDS to be replaced.. NOW you have an approximate life of the oil.. but it will cost you about $20 for each UOA - but you will make up for that in the longer oil change frequency afterward.. Personally I think if you use a high quality filter.. Mobil 1 Extended performance (very similar to the K&N), Amsoil or others - changing the filter at 5k is too early.. the Mobil 1 advertise 15k changes i think.. You may want to look at the Fleetguard filters (made by cummins) - tractor trailers go 15k to 25k on an oil change and they dont change filters in between changes. Fleetguards are top filters, just not mainstream for most ppl Brian |
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Been running Amsoil 5w-30 in my Nissan Frontier (V6). I change out the nissan oil filter every 2500 miles and complete oil change and filter every 5K. I feel like the $6 Nissan filter is cheap insurance as it's filtering all the crap out. Then again I could be premature.
Amsoil used to cost $24 for a gallon of the 5w-30. I just did an oil change and the same gallon costs $34. It's getting pricey. For the oil change I used a vacuum pump oil changer and it worked slick. Super quick and no mess. Anyone have any companies to recommend for oil analysis? |
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I switched to amsoil after trying it on my mom's Honda CRV first. I used to change her oil every 3000 miles and her oil level would be down to right about the middle of the full and low marks (I would fill it right to full to begin with).
After switching her car to AMSOIL, I checked her oil level 7000 miles later and it was right on full. AMSOIL just doesn't seem to burn up. She has now been using it for almost 200,000 miles and goes pretty close to or over 35,000 miles between oil changes and doesn't even change her oil filter in between the changes and her car still runs like new. I'm not suggesting you go that long. I believe the oil filter is only good for 25,000 miles. I haven't lived near her for a few years or I would change her oil at 15,000 miles like I used to. Even if you only go 15,000 miles on the oil it's still a good deal. I change my oil once a year and I usually drive between 12,000 and 15,000 miles and I switched to their 0w-30 35,000 mile oil when it came out. I have to say though, when I used their 5w-30 I had to add about half a quart per 3000 miles. Since I've been using 0w-30 I add about half a quart per 2000 miles. Maybe it's a little too thin when it's cold, but I live in AZ where it doesn't get very cold. The 0w-30 is supposed to clean your engine out a little more from what I've heard. I switched to their ATF when my Expedition had 6000 miles on it. When my Expedition was about 2000 miles old I started hearing power steering noise all the time and worse if I turned the steering wheel all the way. I changed out all my power steering fluid to AMSOIL ATF and have never heard a peep out of it since, even when I turn the steering wheel all the way to one side. I use AMSOIL for all of my fluids and I would never use anything else. If you are going to switch all of your fluids (don't forget about the differential), make sure you pay $10 for 6 months of the preferred customer program or you are going to spend alot more money paying full price. |
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Just pulled my 48k mile oil sample on my dodge ram with a Cummins to send to the lab. Change the full flow filter every 5k and I have a bypass filter that I change every 10k, no oil change (only added for to make up for filter changes) in the past 48k and 4 years. Oil comes back good to contiue to use. I use the 15w40 Heavy Duty Diesel and Marine oil which is a 12 TBN (total base number) oil. Last test 5k ago came back with 9TBN still left, all wear metals well with in universal averages and the additive package still well with in acceptable levels.
With a 3 gallon sump capcity in my truck oil changes at 3k gets mighty expensive. J- |