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The president of the USA Oil Change Dealer's Association released this informative bulletin today:
MORE MYTHS ABOUT OIL
Myth #1: The 3000-mile oil change interval is okay for "severe service" engines.
You'd better be sure. Recent research has revealed additional categories of severe service: Extra-Severe Service, Super-Severe Service, and Ultra-Severe Service. If your car is often run less than an hour at a time, you may fall into the Extra-Severe category. If you allow your engine to run for extended periods of 45 minutes or longer, you might be in the Super-Severe category. If the vehicle is operated on road surfaces paved with materials containing minerals, it may qualify as Ultra-Severe. Each of these requires more frequent oil changes.
These categories are cumulative, so that you can also have Extra-Super-Severe, Extra-Ultra-Severe, Super-Ultra-Severe, and Extra-Super-Ultra-Severe. If your car is in this last category, we recommend you change your oil after each trip, or daily, whichever comes first.
Myth #2: Oil change requires simply draining the oil and replacing it along with the filter.
This technique, though still commonly practiced, does not remove the harmful "wear particles" still remaining in the "oil film" clinging to engine parts. Allowing these wear particles to remain in the engine could result in sudden, explosive engine failure, probably when you have your little daughter's soccer team in the car.
To ensure the best protection, a proper oil change procedure calls for replacing the oil and filter, running the engine for five minutes, then replacing the oil and filter again, repeating this process until the drained oil is free from impurities when examined under a microscope. Depending on the amount of dirt in the engine, this may take up to twenty drain-and-fill cycles to achieve.
Myth #3: I can change my oil myself.
Don't try it! Modern engines are highly complex and precise machines, far removed from the mere "motors" of yesteryear. This makes the modern oil change an extremely complicated and challenging task, requiring years of intensive training and specialized equipment that is not within the reach of the so-called "shade tree mechanic."
In addition, the advanced additives contained in today's motor oils are highly toxic and carcinogenic, requiring extensive decontamination procedures if even a small amount comes in contact with skin. The new "synthetic" motor oils are even more hazardous; the small amounts of radioactive material they contain benefit your engine by helping to break down impurities, but also make them unsafe to touch or smell.
Qualified oil change technicians have been immunized against these risks, but unskilled individuals attempting to change motor oil are putting their health - and that of their families - in grave jeopardy. To help prevent these tragedies, our association is sponsoring federal legislation requiring all engines to be fitted with locking drain plugs that can only be opened by a duly-qualified association-certified technician.
We at the USA Oil Change Dealers' Association hope this information helps you have a safe and happy motoring experience! If you'd like to know more, we invite you to visit one of our affiliates in your area; for the nearest location, call 1-877-MOREOIL.
Sincerely,
Jack Socket, President
USA Oil Change Dealers' Association
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