What's the story with Amsoil?

[Philip Procter]

I just bought an '05 Sti and the dealer recommended Amsoil.

He doesn't sell it, so that's not the reason, Subaru makes no such
specific recommendation.

I intend to maintain a strict 3000mi interval, so is there value in
Amsoil vs. Mobil 1?

Philip

 

[Hal Whelply]

That's like asking, "Is the Mac really a better operating system than
Windows?" (or, vice versa). You like to start religious wars or something?
;-)

 

[Henry Paul]

Not too mention 3k miles is wasting your money on synthetic.

 

[Hal Whelply]

True. I just switched to Mobil 1, and I'm going to stretch it to 6,000
miles, which isn't much on synth, but keeps me within the owner's manual
specs, plus saves me a trip to get an oil change, and all at about the same
price as two dino changes at 3,000 miles each.

HW

 

[Rick Courtright]

I intend to maintain a strict 3000mi interval, so is there value in
Amsoil vs. Mobil 1?

Hi,

With 3k change intervals, dino oil should serve you just fine. Google
"high mileage oil" and see if you can find some of the stories from the
Honda guys: a lot of them have 400k miles and more on dino oil. Makes us
Subie guys look like pikers (I've ONLY got 354k miles on mine. Dino oil
with 3k change intervals. )

Now if you're looking for a million mile engine, maybe there would be a
payback? The guy who (still?) holds the No. 2 spot in the Guinness book
had a shade over a mil on a Honda Accord running Castrol Syntec, but I
don't know his change routine.

Amsoil's a good product, as is Mobil 1, but you've gotta look at the
"dollars and sense" of your situation to make a decision between them or
dino.

Rick

 

[Henry Paul]

I just switched to Mobil 1 myself! I am playing a bit of a daredevil though
as my Impreza has 100k miles on it. I figured I have to do the timing belt
anyway and I planned to do the seals soon so it's no big deal if I get
leaks.

 

[Rob Munach]

That's like asking, "Is the Mac really a better operating system than
Windows?" (or, vice versa). You like to start religious wars or something?
;-)

I am an AMSOL dealer myself and have been using it for 20 years. I
chnage it once a year which works out to be about 10k miles. The last
vehicle I sold was a Nissan Hardbody w/ 120k miles. It never used a drop
of oil between changes and the engine looked brand new inside. I use it
for the extra protection and the fact that I don't have time to change
my oil every 6000 miles. And, BTW, the Mac IS much better than a Wintel
box! :>


-Rob

 

[Mickey]

Rob Munach wrote:

I am an AMSOL dealer myself and have been using it for 20 years. I
chnage it once a year which works out to be about 10k miles. The last
vehicle I sold was a Nissan Hardbody w/ 120k miles. It never used a drop
of oil between changes and the engine looked brand new inside. I use it
for the extra protection and the fact that I don't have time to change
my oil every 6000 miles. And, BTW, the Mac IS much better than a Wintel
box! :>


-Rob

Not to put down Amsol but I got rid of an 88 sentra with >250k miles
on the original engine, not burning oil and engine was clean inside as
well. Used dino oil with avg 7k mile chance interval.

Personally I can't justify the cost difference nor see any benefit in
going with syn oil. Weather extremes here just doesn't justify the
syn usage.

Mickey

 

[Rick Courtright]

Amsoil's a good product, as is Mobil 1, but you've gotta look at the

An addendum:

Most of the "syn-dino" and "short-extended change interval" wars don't
show us any numbers, which makes the discussions pretty empty. But
here's a link where some guys ARE trying to do a valid head to head
(courtesy of a virtual clone of this discussion on one of the Toyota
NGs):

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/oil-life.html

It's a work in progress, but interesting nevertheless.

Rick

 

[BlueSTi]

I just bought an '05 Sti and the dealer recommended Amsoil.

He doesn't sell it, so that's not the reason, Subaru makes no such
specific recommendation.

I intend to maintain a strict 3000mi interval, so is there value in
Amsoil vs. Mobil 1?

Philip

If you are changing oil every 3000 miles it doesn't matter much what
you use. I've always used Mobil 1. But, I was specifically told that
synthetics were not nessesary. I'll probably stick with mobile 1
anyway with a 5000 mile change interval.

BlueSTi
"Scary-Fast"

 

[BlueSTi]

I just switched to Mobil 1 myself! I am playing a bit of a daredevil though
as my Impreza has 100k miles on it. I figured I have to do the timing belt
anyway and I planned to do the seals soon so it's no big deal if I get
leaks.

So what would make you think you might get a leak? Just curious.

BlueSTi
"Scary-Fast"

 

[Rob Munach]

Rob Munach wrote:




Not to put down Amsol but I got rid of an 88 sentra with >250k miles on
the original engine, not burning oil and engine was clean inside as
well. Used dino oil with avg 7k mile chance interval.

Personally I can't justify the cost difference nor see any benefit in
going with syn oil. Weather extremes here just doesn't justify the syn
usage.

Mickey

Whatever floats your boat. Part of the problem is that Nissan makes
frickin bulletproof motors (for the most part). If you had one of these
Toyota V6 sludge motors, then you would see the difference.

 

[Rick Courtright]

If you had one of these Toyota V6 sludge motors, then you would see the > difference.

Hi,

I ~might~ have one of 'em (I say "might" cuz mine's at one end of the
scale of engines that "could" be affected.) Previous owner put ~215k
miles on it as a daily commuter. She was religious about maintenance by
the book, including 3k oil changes, at her trusted dealer, who ran it on
regular Pennzoil dino oil (save the flames!) Let's just say the engine's
in a LOT better shape than my Subie was when I got it at 209k with a
"dubious" maintenance program! I doubt running a synthetic would have
made much difference on either car.

Rick

 

[Rob Munach]

Rob Munach wrote:




Hi,

I ~might~ have one of 'em (I say "might" cuz mine's at one end of the
scale of engines that "could" be affected.) Previous owner put ~215k
miles on it as a daily commuter. She was religious about maintenance by
the book, including 3k oil changes, at her trusted dealer, who ran it on
regular Pennzoil dino oil (save the flames!) Let's just say the engine's
in a LOT better shape than my Subie was when I got it at 209k with a
"dubious" maintenance program! I doubt running a synthetic would have
made much difference on either car.

Rick

If it is a sludge motor, she proabably could have more than doubled that
oil change interval without any adverse affects.

 

[TG]

I'm not really sold on some of the claims of synthetics (and Amsoil is a
TRUE synthetic) but in the car I drive 850 miles a week I use Amsoil 2000
0-30 or whatever it's called. I change it every 35,000 miles (that's right,
35 thousand) and 1/2 way in between put on a new filter and top off the oil
level.
With dino or Mobil 1 my interval was 5,000 and I could tell I was due by
the way the engine sounded plus I would be down 3/4 quart. With the Amsoil I
never notice a difference in the way the engine sounds or runs and my outfit
doesn't consume ANY. TG

 

[Henry Paul]

Only that the consensus seems to be high mileage engine conversions to
synthetic can cause leaks. Personally, I think it is worth it. My car seems
to have more power somehow just from changing over.

 

[ceraboy]

Only that the consensus seems to be high mileage engine conversions to
synthetic can cause leaks. Personally, I think it is worth it. My car
seems to have more power somehow just from changing over.

Petroleum based oils cause the polymeric seals to swell, thus
preventing leaking. Originally, synthetics let the seals shrink and
harden thus causing leaks. This was even more problematic with
synthetic ATF. All new synthetics have additives to prevent seals from
hardening, so while it may no longer be a problem with synthetics, some
people are just conditioned to believe so.

 

[Henry Paul]

Which is funny because Subaru oil seals will leak on dino oil as well.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Which is funny because Subaru oil seals will leak on dino oil as well.

Yup...

My dealer parts guy tells me "Subarus were designed to leak, and they
work perfectly according to design."

Rick

 

[Chris Phillipo]

Yup...

My dealer parts guy tells me "Subarus were designed to leak, and they
work perfectly according to design."

Rick

Think of it as a secondary oil filter system. Old out got out the
bottom, new oil come in the top. I know plenty of guys with hondas over
400,000km that just change the filter once a year and keep putting oil
in the top, never opening the drain plug.