My Civic Test With Amsoil
 

I mentioned in a previous post about synthetics, generally speaking, saving you money in the long run by virtue of fewer engine repairs due to less wear and tear on the engine. For this kind of benefit it's really hard for the average guy (like myself, for instance) to figure out whether he won out. I'm not into tearing down my engine every 100,000K to examine wear scars, or any of that scientific stuff. If I get 400,000 km on my Civic, how do I know it's more than I would have gotten? ... and how much more did I get? Who knows! My point being, some of the benefits are a little inangible, so you just have to believe the test reports, testimonials, etc.

Extended oil change intervals are a potential benefit of using Amsoil Synthetics which some owners will choose to take advantage of, while others will not. Whatever makes you feel good. It does open the door for dollar savings, however, while your engine is still getting the best lubrication possible.

When I started out as an Amsoil Dealer, I wanted to do my own test on the 2005 Civic, just to see what kind of results the average joe (being me) could actually observe and appreciate. This test is NOT scientific, and maybe you could shoot a hole through it (or lots of holes) but I figured if I could see positive and tangible results, then anybody could.

Here goes ....

Last November 2005, I changed over the oil, as well as the tranny to Amsoil. Since I'm a woose, I needed the ATF (automatic transmission fluid), and I selected the TSO Series 2000 0W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil. Gasp!! ... 0W-30 you say? ... when Honda recommends 5W-20?? Yes, according to our Tech. Dept. there are some really good reasons why this works perfectly in this application. I chose the Series 2000 because it offers the longest service life (35,000 miles normal service / 17,000 miles servere service). I usually do about 25,000 km per year, or around 17,000 miles, and consider the driving I do to be severe service, since it's mostly short trips of less than 10km.

I also used an Amsoil EA Oil Filter, which is guaranteed for 25,000 miles. I figured the life of the filter would match the mileage I expected for the year .... so the plan was to have the advantage of only changing my oil and filter once a year.

Here are my results, so far ....

6 months into this oil, and it still looks the same as the day I put it in ... since one of my daughters has moved out, my annual mileage has gone down considerably, so I only have 6,000 km on the oil .... my fuel economy has improved by 3%, and I'll continue to keep track ... when I got the oil, I had it installed at the local garage, with me supplying the oil and filter ... he charged me $20 in labor, and for the sake of this "test" I pretend that I paid full retail price for the oil and filter ... $89.85 my total cost for materials and labour ... I normally paid this same guy $36.00 for a regular dino oil change at 5,000 km intervals ... if I were to run with the Amsoil for just 25,000 km (the severe service limit, including the estimated 57 litres of fuel saved, I would save a total of $93.30 ... and this included the costs of both first and last oil changes.

The $93.30 I would save is enough to buy my next go-round of Amsoil. Not only that ... I saved myself 4 Saturday morning trips which I otherwise might have sacrificed for oil changes. Time saved ... now that's priceless.

Anyway folks, this is a tangible savings for me in both time and dollars. Works for me!

Some folks would say that spending 7 or 8 bucks for a litre of sythetic is just throwing your money away, when you can get the dino for only $3.50 and change it all you want. IMHO, it's an investment that pays for itself again and again in many ways.

Cheers
pickme:
Cam

I started using synthetic about 3 years ago, different brand though.

good product....i use it=)

i stopped using it... b/c i was changing my oil every 5000kms with synthetic and when u compare the dino oil and change it every 5000 kms - thats where i based my pirce from... i was literally saving 14 bucks

but since u did a 6month break down - its also good to know...
thats synthetic is good...

thanks for the info..

I'm all about giving my car the ultimate care I can, even if its just a d16 under the hood. I would love to give amsoil a try, but I just bought a years worth of oil (synthetic :) ) that I need to use up first.

been using honda oil for as long as i remember oil changes every 4500 or so, imo no need for synthetic.

i just go to HONDA to change it, b/c im lazy!

To each his own guys. All I can state is my experience and my thoughts on it, but YOU have to do what makes you feel good, and I can't argue with that. If dino make you feel good and happy, then use it. If Mobil1 or Motul spins your spurs, do it. My bias obviously is toward synthetics, and Amsoil in particular.

But here are a few observations to consider ....

- look at the label on the bottle of any synthetic motor oil, made by ANY manufacturer ... I'll bet you it says something like "outperforms conventional motor oil"

- synthetic motor oils have come a long way in the last 30 years, and are starting to become much more mainstream (just like tattoos??) ... there are a least a dozen cars now that are shipped from the factory with synthetic ....

- car manufacturers are now starting to recommend a) longer drain intervals, like 7,000 km, 8,000 km, or greater, and b) using oil monitoring systems to tell you when to change oil ... Amsoil has been preaching this for years, and the thinking is starting to work it's way into our car culture

- Lubes-n-Greases Automotive Editor David McFall, once with the American Petroleum Institute recently tackled the issue of extended drain intervals in his March column, criticizing the standard 3,000-mile oil change and referring to the American motor oil market as "shackled."

"In Europe the average engine oil drain interval for current gasoline-fueled cars is about 10,000 miles," explains McFall. "In the United States, indicates the Automotive Oil Change Association, the average drain interval followed by most drivers is somewhat less than 5,000 miles—one-half of Europe's."

- if, the next time you went to the Honda dealership for an oil change, and the guy says "Honda just came out with this synthetic especially for Civics, and it's what we're recommending now for all our customers for routine oil changes" ... what would you say? ...."come on man, I want the dino?" .... you'd say "OK" wouldn't you? ... come on now, yes you would :rolleyes:

- if the next generation Civic came from the factory with syn oil, would you swap it out for dino?

Like I said, we all do what makes us comfortable, but my point is that we are all influenced by our environment, and those we trust. We are also creatures of habit, for better or worse. HOWEVER, the 5,000 km oil change mold is starting to crack, AND with the support of the auto industry. Thirty years from now, I'll bet you won't even be able to find dino on the self.

Again, just my opinion, from Planet Cam. Your mileage may vary.

Cheers
pickme:
Cam

Out of curiousity what is the regular service interval for Amsoil 5w30 Synthetic? I am really interested in trying out the product. Also if I ever do intend to switch to another synthetic product will that cause any problems? Should I be worried about my existing gaskets leaking due to the thinner synthetic bland if switch from plain old oil?

The 5W-30 comes in two flavours ....

25,000 miles normal service / 15,000 miles severe service / or one year, whichever comes first ...
for full details go here http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/asl.aspx

7,500 miles normal or severe service / or 6 months, whichever comes first ...
for details on this one, go here http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/xlf.aspx

If you are using a regular oil filter, you will have to change the filter only at OEM recommended intervals. I strongly recommend using the Amsoil EA filter, then with either oil, you're good until your change the oil.

You should not anticipate any problems switching brands, and all Asmoil products are fully compatible with conventional oils as well. Mixing oils will do no harm to your engine, but will compromise the quality and life of the synthetic, and leave you with a bit of an unknown quantity in terms of service life.

In a "mechanically sound" engine, Amsoil (or any other synthetic) will not cause oil leakage. It WILL clean your engine, however, and if the only thing preventing your gaskets from leaking was the sludge build up from conventional oils, then yes, you might get some leakage, and your gaskets should have been replaced anyway. I just changed over my wifes 1991 Pontiac Firefly, and didn't have any leakage or problems. An engine flush is recommended if you are changing over from dino.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
pickme:
Cam

Thanks for the help Cam, for now I think I am going to first switch to a Generic synthetic brand like Mobil 1 just to get the old Dino oil out and make sure I have no leaks for when I switch over to Amsoil. Going to read that site and figure out which oil is best for me and I guess I'll PM you and purchase some oil ASAP

Sounds like a plan.

Cheers
pickme:
Cam

I'm thinking about switching from syn to regular oil again..but damn not changing your oil for 25k!

i just switched to syn from regular honda oil. i flushed it 3 times before i put the synthetic in.

honestly... i haven't really noticed any difference. maybe it's running quieter, better fuel consumption, and better performance... but i cant really tell. the only real benefit i see is the extended service interval.. but that doesnt apply to me because i change my oil every 5000km anyway. im gonna track my car later this summer so maybe i'll notice it then.

i dont think i would have done it if i didnt get motul for dirt cheap.

That's a kicker isn't it! A lot of the advantages are not visible. Is my exhaust cleaner? Is my engine wearing less? Is the performance better? Most of these you couldn't tell unless you had the equipment to measure. If you got an extra 2-3 hp on your Civic, would you notice? Probably not.

The visible examples that I have seen are these. Athough they do not all apply to my application, I assume that the benefits translate univerally.....

- my Civic .... better fuel economy
- my Civic .... awesome cold starts this winter (mind you, wasn't a bad winter anyway)
- my Civic .... with the synthetic ATF the transmission felt loose from the get go on cold days
- a friend of mine has a drag car, which I am sponsoring this season ... with Amsoil he has had to change his shift point down by 125 rpm because his engine is developing the same hp at 125 rpm lower
- my ATV customers report that the cooling fan doesn't come on as often (cooler running)
- my Harley customers report a 10 degree drop in operating temps (cooler running)
- all my motorcycle customers report smoother shifting
- extended oil change intervals ... yep, that's for me!
- it makes me feel good

In spite of what I say, you've got to try it for yourself. If it works for YOU ... then use it.

Cheers
pickme:
Cam