Lubes-n-Greases Automotive Editor Examines the Ethics of Motor Oil Drain Intervals
Lubes-n-Greases Automotive Editor David McFall wrote
an intriguing column on extended drain intervals in
March 2003 in which he openly criticized the American
motor oil market and the standard 3,000-mile oil change.
He pointed to the European market, where drain intervals
are generally twice as long as in the U.S., to demonstrate
his point that the American motor oil market is“shackled,” and he concluded the standard 3,000-mile
oil change is promoted primarily to increase motor oil
sales, at the expense of consumers and the environment.
McFall also took the time to praise AMSOIL INC.
for its extended drain technology.
In the December 2003 issue of Lubes-n-Greases,
McFall posted a follow-up column in which he further
questioned the logic and responsibility behind standard
3,000-mile drain intervals. He quotes the
Environmental Protection Agency as stating, “improperly
disposed used oil is the largest single source of oil
pollution fouling our nation’s waters.”
Considering used motor oil can have long-term negative
effects on the environment, McFall finds it irresponsible
for motor oil companies to continue promoting
shorter drain intervals when the technology exists to
produce higher quality oils capable of extended drains.“While the nuclear power industry would not support the
production of excess uranium fuel,” writes McFall, “it is
not inconceivable that the U.S. oil industry would support,
encourage and skillfully promote excess gasoline
engine oil usage, despite the harmful effects of its
waste product on the environment.”
McFall supports his conclusion with three valid arguments.
First, the average drain interval in Europe is
twice as long as in the U.S. despite similarities in
engines, motor oil and driving patterns. Second, despite
three U.S. motor oil quality upgrades over the past 10
years, drain interval recommendations haven’t budged.
Here, McFall commends AMSOIL again for being the
single company to translate motor oil quality upgrades
into extended drain intervals. Third, although many
American motor oil companies say their products“exceed” oil industry specifications, they still don’t recommend
drain intervals over 3,000 miles.
McFall explains that in today’s business world, some
companies have had to look at their marketing techniques
from an ethical standpoint, often at the expense
of sales. Kraft Foods, for example, voluntarily agreed to
stop selling certain unhealthy food products in schools.
He wonders if the pollution consequences of used
motor oil impose an ethical burden on the motor oil
industry to reduce the harmful effects of this pollution,
even if it results in reduced sales.
An interview with Dr. Michael Hoffman, executive
director of Bentley College’s Center for Business Ethics
in Waltham, Mass., helped McFall answer his question.“Any corporation that makes a product which createsexceptional hazardous effects on the environment
has an increased ethical obligation to find solutions to
decrease those effects,” says Hoffman. “A universal
or absolute business ethics principle is to avoid causing
unjustifiable harm, and to find strategies to reduce
harm, especially that which is self-caused, whenever or
wherever possible to do so.
“These comments certainly apply to used engine oil,
and challenge the oil industry to demonstrate that it is
doing everything possible to meet this ethical standard.
Unfortunately, there is evidence to suggest that
this is not happening.
“Furthermore,” continues Hoffman, “corporate ethical
sensitivity and social responsibility are at a highwater
mark today, and perhaps more than ever before
in the minds of companies’ stakeholders. So much so,
in fact, that companies which demonstrate that they
have developed an ethical edge will gain competitive
edge in the market, which might be called the business
case for business ethics. The oil industry would do well
to grasp this insight and become more transparent and
forthcoming about the information it has and the
progress it’s making toward increasing the drain interval
of engine oil.”
AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils offer unsurpassed protection
and performance, while significantly reducing the
effects of used motor oil on the environment. As the
leader in extended drain technology, AMSOIL offers
motor oils with three different drain interval recommendations.
AMSOIL XL-7500 Synthetic Motor Oils
offer up to 7,500-mile/six-month drain intervals, AMSOIL
Synthetic Motor Oils offer up to 25,000-mile/one-year
drain intervals and AMSOIL Series 2000 0W-30 Motor
Oil offers up to a 35,000-mile/one-year drain interval.
David McFall’s December 2003 column “Motor Oil
Drain Intervals: An Ethical Burden?” is available for
download on the AMSOIL corporate website:
http://www.amsoil.com/lit/lng_article/dec_03_mcfall.pdf.
