Synthetic Motor Oil Gets
All New Semantics
(first published in Nov.,
2000 issue of Car and Driver by Patrick Bedard)
Now that the meaning if
"is" has gotten so slippery you need to grab it with
both hands, we'd better keep an eye on longer words,
too.
One's already got so squirmy
on us- "synthetic," as in synthetic motor oil.
Most guys know two things
about synthetic oils. First, the price is three to four
times that of conventional oils. Second, they're
not real oil, not made from crude.
News flash: Scratch
that second part. Now motor oils derived from
crude may be labeled "synthetic." But they still
cost over four bucks a quart.
Bait and switch? That's
the obvious conclusion. Except in this case the
advertising ethics people have given their approval.
Here's what happened, according
to a detailed account published in the trade magazine
Lubricants World. Late in 1997, Castrol changed
the formula of its Syntec "full synthetic motor oil",
eliminating the polyalphaolefin (PAO) base stock (that's
the "synthetic" part, which makes up about 70% by volume
of what's in the bottle) and replacing it with a "hydroisomerized"
petroleum base stock.
Mobil Oil Corporation, maker
of Mobil 1, "Worlds Leading Synthetic Motor Oil," said
no fair and took its complaint to the National Advertising
Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.
NAD often arbitrates between feuding advertisers on
their conflicting claims.
The notion behind synthetic
motor oils as we've known them is an elegant one. Instead
of relying on the cocktail of hydrocarbons contained
in crude oil, why not go into the laboratory and build
the perfect base stock from scratch, molecule by molecule,
and builds it till it gets 10-carbon molecules, then
combines three of those to form PAO. The result
is a fluid more stable than the usual base oils derived
from crude. It keeps flowing at low temperatures. It's
more resistant to boiling off, and more resistant to
oxidation, which causes thickening with prolonged exposure
to high temperatures.
Still, there's more than
one road to the point B of improved stability. Petroleum
refiners in recent years have learned how to break apart
certain undesirable molecules - wax, for example, which
causes thickening of oil at low temperatures- and transform
them by chemical reaction into helpful molecules.
These new hydroisomerized base oils, in the view of
some industry participants provided properties similar
to PAO's but only cost half as much," Lubricants
World reported.
The argument before NAD
tiptoed around the obvious- does the consumer get four
bucks' worth of value from each quart of synthetic oil?-
and plunged straight into deep semantics. Mobil's
experts said "synthetic" traditionally meant big molecules
built up from small ones. Castrol's side held
out for a looser description, defining "synthetic" as
"the product of an intended chemical reaction."
What do unbiased sources
say? It turns out that the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE) and the American Petroleum Institute
(API) both have technical standards covering motor oils,
and both of these organizations in the '90's backed
away from their old definitions of "synthetic," leaving
lots of room for new interpretations.
In the end, NAD decided
that the evidence constitutes a reasonable basis for
the claim that Castrol Syntec, as currently formulated,
is a synthetic motor oil, said Lubricants World.
The obvious question now:
Has the term "synthetic motor oil" been opened up to
the point that it no longer means anything? Maybe.
But here's a better question: Did synthetic ever
mean what we thought it meant?
"Great oil" is what most
guys think it means. "At that price, it's gotta
be great stuff!"
Okay, but how great?
Your cars manual tells what motor oil you should use,
and with few exceptions, that description will consist
of only two specifications. One is for viscosity,
such as 10W-30; and the other is for the API service
grade, SJ being the current one for gasoline passenger
cars.
The buck-a-quart multi-grades
meet these standards, as do the synthetics.
The synthetics, on the back
label, claim compliance with more standards, but even
if you know what they mean, they seem beside the point
for U.S. passenger cars. For example, should you
care about diesels if you drive a gasoline burner?
API service CF is the oldest of the current specs for
light-duty diesels; some synthetics list that one.
Synthetics may also list ACEA A1 and B1, which are European
specs roughly equivelant to API gasoline and diesel
specs. The Europeans grad their oils by level
of performance, so that A2 and A3 are tougher specs
than A1. Same for diesels. Usually the date
of the spec is omitted, but A1-98 is newer than A1-96.
Completely absent is the
one performance claim that would have some real meaning
for all of us- some indication of longer oil life. (except
for AMSOIL which clearly states 25,000 miles/1-year
or 35,000 miles/1-year for their Severe Service 0W-30
synthetic). Automakers hold synthetics to the same
oil change intervals as conventional oils. And the oil
companies, promise even less. "To give added protection
and life to your engine, change your oil every 3000
miles." This same language appears on the back
of both Penzoil Synthetic and conventional oils.
Valvoline synthetic makes a similar recommendation.
(commentary: Since 1972 AMSOIL is the ONLY synthetic
oil manufacturer in the world to guarantee 25,000 miles
or 35,000 mile oil change intervals and utilizing full
PAO synthetic technology exclusively).
Synthetics do get one unambiguous
endorsement: Corvettes, Porsches, Vipers, and all AMG
models from Mercedes-Benz come with Mobil 1 as the factory
fill.
Most synthetics mention
GM 4718M in their list of claims; that's the unique
spec created by General Motors for Corvette oil.
It's a high-temperature requirement that tolerates less
oxidation (thickening) and volatility (boil-off) on
a standard engine test called Sequence 111E according
to engineer Bob Olree of GM Powertrain. (note: AMSOIL
0W-30 far surpasses GM's 4718M spec).
But don't expect to learn
such details on any label (again, except for AMSOIL
which clearly states test results on the back of every
bottle of Series 2000 0W-30 and 20W-50 synthetic). Mobil
1 at least uses straight forward declarative sentences.
Most of the others read as though they were written
by a lawyer looking for an escape clause. Why
else would the following claim be so rubbery? "Penzoil
Synthetic motor oil is recommended for use in all engines
requiring ILSACGF-1, GF-2, API SJ, SH, or SG, and in
engines requiring oils meeting GM 4718M." Okay, but
does it actually pass those standards?
"Yes" says James Newsom,
Penzoil's motor-oil product manager.
Castrol Syntec, on its label,
"exceeds" every standard it mentions. Hmm. Now that
the meaning of "is" is in play, I have to wonder, does
Syntec meet those standards as well?
"It does" says Castrol's
Julie Ann Oberg. While I have her on the phone, I ask
if there will be a Syntec price reduction now that the
lower-cost base stock has been substituted for the old
synthetic. She says no.
End of article.
Now, after reading that
why would anybody in their right mind want to spend
their hard-earned money on Castrol Syntec, Penzoil Synthetic,
Valvoline Synthetic or any of the other "synthetics"
when what your getting is not even a true 100% full
PAO synthetic? Even Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic uses
multiple base-stock technology by blending other synthetic
molecules with the PAO base-stocks and then they come
up with a catchy name of Tri-Synthetic. Pretty sneaky
huh? AMSOIL moved away from multiple base-stock technology
over 20 years ago!, yet Mobil makes it sound like their
Tri-Synthetic technology is some new earth-shattering
technology. What a joke!
Why not skip all the hype
and deception of these other manufacturers and just
use AMSOIL? AMSOIL uses only 100% full synthetic
PAO technology in each and everyone of its motor
oils and is the undisputed leader in synthetic
engine oil technology as well as the leader in synthetic
gear lubes, transmission fluid, greases, two-cycle oil
and many other lubricants and hydraulic fluids.
Today, virtually every other motor oil manufacturer
has recognized the superiority of synthetic lubricants
and has followed the AMSOIL lead with introductions
of "synthetic" motor oils of their own.
They spend millions of dollars
advertising their "new" and "revolutionary" products.
No one, however, can match AMSOIL experience and technological
know-how. And no one delivers products like AMSOIL.
Accept no substitutes- AMSOIL is the "First in Synthetics."
Other articles:
The Unmeasurable
Benefits of AMSOIL
Chevron 15 Years Behind
AMSOIL
What every Lubricant
Must Do
Components of a Lubricant
and How Are Synthetic Oils Different
Just Say No to Aftermarket
Additives
AMSOIL Proven Best: The History
Behind "First in Synthetics"
AMSOIL is the undisputed leader in synthetics.............
Since 1972, AMSOIL Synthetics have proven to be the BEST.
AMSOIL also engineers and manufactures Super Duty
Oil filters which have a 12,500 mile service life as
well as specialized filtration systems for commercial
and fleet applications in cars and light, medium
and heavy trucks which can filter particles down to
less than one micron ( a standard full flow oil filter
can only filter to 20-25 microns, and at a reduced efficiency)
making oil changes virtually unnecessary and virtually
eliminating engine wear. These filters
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trucks, construction equipment and fleet service.
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saves you time and money.
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- Exceeds the most stringent
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- Provides up to two-times
the wear protection of other motor oils.
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- Diesel oil and filtration
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teams, fleets, police departments, construction firms
and trucking companies.
You too, can join our group when you become an AMSOIL Dealer and
take advantage of all that we offer as you use products
in your own vehicles or begin your own AMSOIL business.
You won't find a more knowledgeable and skilled group
of Dealers anywhere which is very important when you
need support as you build your business.
We possess the skills, desire and knowledge
to answer questions, solve problems, improve efficiency,
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durability and life of all of your vehicles. We
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Read what our satisfied customers have
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or with technical and product assistance to use
AMSOIL products in your own vehicles.
If you would like a FREE comprehensive
packet of technical, information, catalogs, specifications,
retail and wholesale prices, dealer application and
other crucial information regarding AMSOIL Ultra Premium Synthetic
Motor Oils and Filtration products plus much, much more
please e-mail us at info@texassynthetics.com
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