Oil Depot Blog -

AMSOIL CJ-4 5W-40 Shines in Competitive Testing

oildepot — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:23:41 +0000

AMSOIL recently put their AMSOIL Premium API CJ-4 5W-40 Synthetic Diesel Oil (DEO) up against four competing 5W-40’s in shear stability testing which was performed by an independent laboratory. AMSOIL put “DEO” up against Mobil Delvac 1 ESP, Shell Rotella T, Chevron Delo 400T and Valvoline Premium Blue Extreme in the Kurt Orbahn (ASTM D-6278) Shear Stability Test as shown in the article AMSOIL CJ-4 5W-40 Outperforms in Shear Stability Test.

As the article explains, 2007 and newer diesel engines offer a multitude of challenges to motor oil and fuel dilution is (by far) the biggest. To show the mettle of AMSOIL DEO 5W-40, the shear test was doubled from the industry standard of 90 cycles to 180 cycles. Then the test was performed with 2% fuel dilution and then 4% fuel dilution.

Extended Car Warranty: Good or Bad Idea?

oildepot — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:26:56 +0000

When purchasing a new or used vehicle, there is often the option of buying an extended warranty that goes beyond the standard manufacturer’s guarantee. Weighing this decision can be a tiresome quandary, especially when a hungry salesperson is pushing hard for you to sign on to one of these expensive plans.

A recent article at Wheels.ca called Should I buy extended car warranty? offers a professional opinion from resident Troubleshooter, Brian Turner. Mr Turner has spent over 35 years behind the service counter and offers an excellent overview of when extended warranties do and do not make good sense. As you’ll see, there are many details and pitfalls that may be unfamiliar to most consumers.

INJEN/AMSOIL Air Intakes Added for Many New Applications

oildepot — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:16:04 +0000

AMSOIL has added 14 new INJEN air intake systems covering several domestic and imported applications. These beautiful, high-quality systems feature aerospace T6 aluminum intake tubes, stainless steel clamps and tig-welded ports. Best of all, they breathe through a dry, serviceable AMSOIL Ea nanofiber filter, so the performance benefits come without compromising engine protection! The following kits are now available:

Acura
SP1432P 2009-10 TSX 2.4L 4 cyl.

GM
PF7010P 2009-10 Camaro 3.6L V6
PF7015P 2009-10 Camaro SS 6.2L V8

Dodge/ Chrysler
PF5061P 2009-10 Dodge Challenger Hemi 5.7L V8, SRT-8 6.1L V8
PF5061P 05-2010 Magnum Hemi 5.7L V8, SRT-8 6.1L V8

Ford
PF9031P 1999-01 F250/F350, 2000-03 Excursion 7.3L V8 DSL

Hyundai
SP1386P 2010 Genesis 2.0L Turbo 4 cyl.
SP1390P 2010 Genesis 3.8L V6
SES1385ICP 2010 Genesis 2.0L Turbo 4 cyl.

Lexus
SP2096P 2008-10 IS-F 5.0L V8

Mitsubishi
SP1838P 2009-10 Lancer GTS 2.4L 4 cyl.
SES1899TT 2008-09 Evo X 2.0L 4cyl.

Nissan
SP1915P 2009 Nissan Cube 1.8L 4 cyl.
SP1989P 2009-10 370Z 3.7L
SP1990P 09-10 370Z Nismo Edition(only) 3.7L V6

Check our product application guide to see if we have a kit for your vehicle. Be sure to contact us about wholesale prices on these kits.

Offshore Racing Team Sees Greats Results With AMSOIL Dominator

oildepot — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:40:57 +0000

Bob Teague’s AMSOIL Offshore Racing Team recently saw firsthand how well AMSOIL products are protecting their engines. During the 2009 season, the team clocked over 3000 miles of racing and testing, using only AMSOIL Dominator Synthetic 15W-50 Racing Oil. In preparation for the 2010 season, the team sent their Mercury 525 EFI V-8 engines off to the Mercury Racing to be torn down and refurbished. Mercury technicians found that wear was “minimal to non-existent and that the engines were extremely clean internally”. They had never seen a set of racing engines in such good condition after full year of racing. Check out the photos and testimonial at Mercury 525 EFI Powerboat Racing Engine Teardown. Over the years we have found that experiences like this are the norm rather than the exception.

Current and Future Trends in Transmission Design

oildepot — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:46:30 +0000

As automobile technology is evolving rapidly, so too is transmission design. AMSOIL Inc. has produced an educational new Voice-over Powerpoint presentation on Future Trends in Transmission Design. The workings of current designs are demonstrated and reviewed. The pros and cons of each design are discussed and based on this, they theorize on which types of transmissions will gain and lose market share going forward.

The types of transmissions discussed are:
Automatic transmission
Manual transmissions
Continuously Variable Transmission or “CVT”
Toroidal Transmissions
Hydrostatic/Hydromechanical
Dual-Clutch Transmission or “DCT”
Hybrid Transmission Designs

AMSOIL offers the finest line of Synthetic Transmission Fluids on the market and will continue to develop new products to meet whatever fluid requirements are needed down the road.

Looking For Discount Tires For Your Sportbike?

oildepot — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:45:21 +0000

If you are looking for the best possible tires for your sport motorcycle at a fraction of the prices charged by dealers, we may have a deal for you. Parts Canada National Superbike racer, Marcel Irnie has started a venture called DOT Takeoffs.

What are DOT (Department of Transportation) takeoffs? These are slightly-used street-legal tires that are designed for the highest level of motorcycle racing. National-class racers change tires almost as often as they change underwear. Irnie typically installs a brand new set after just a couple of practice sessions and single race.

As you’ve probably seen, Superbike racers lean hard into the corners. They lean so far down, that their knees drag on the racetrack. Therefore, the only wear shown on these tires is on the very outside of the tread; a spot rarely used by street sportbike riders. This wear is not serious, but from a safety and performance standpoint, racers simply cannot afford run the tires until they no offer traction. The centres of these tires are like new.

Irnie offers the elite racing models from Dunlop, Michelin, Pirelli and Avon. These companies all have a prestigious racing pedigree and these tires are the result of decades of racing experience and research. Marcel tells us that the performance gains offered by these tires is worlds better than typical off-the-shelf offerings. The racing rubber compound gives you unprecedented traction, handling and stopping power. Expect these units to give you about 5000 KM’s of street service.

Marcel is selling these units at a fraction of his original cost. Front tires sell for $80, rears for $110 and sets sell for $110. This is considerably less than you would pay for run-of-the-mill sportbike tires at the dealer. Irnie takes PayPal and will ship anywhere.

Warning: Check The Age of New Tires Before Buying

oildepot — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:35:12 +0000

When buying new tires, can you be sure that the tires being sold are actually “new”? A couple of years ago, we posted an ABC News story on aged tires. The crux of the report was that tires can remain stocked in tire stores for many years and eventually be sold as new. Tires over six years old can be a significant safety hazard as the tire carcass can dry-out over time and be prone to a catastrophic blowout. This is despite the fact that the tire appears to be in perfect condition.

As an older tire won’t appear any different from a recently manufactured unit, the best aspect of this story is the illustration of the little-known tire “DOT” (Department of Transportation) code (see it below) that shows the date of origin on every tire.

As ABC News as been running this story again on their site, we thought we would pass it along again. Yes the piece is a tad sensationalist, but the knowledge offered is quite valuable.

Here is an excellent demonstration of the tire DOT code, courtesy of Kuhmo Tires USA. The “Date of Manufacturing” code in this case is “3805″ which means the 38th week of 2005.

This story may be more about lawyers and journalists looking for a big score, but nevertheless, look for this code next time you buy tires.

Re-filling Toyota Transmissions Using Aftermarket Shops

oildepot — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:03:58 +0000

Owners of certain 2004 and newer Toyota vehicles requiring the “WS” automatic transmission fluid spec should heed serious warnings about using aftermarket shops to service and refill their transmissions. Toyota has developed a specific, accurate automatic transmission refill system for these applications called the Toyota Transmission Fill System. Aftermarket shops and do-it-your-selfers not using this system may inadvertently under-fill the transmission, leading to erratic shifting and ultimately, catastrophic transmission failure.

AMSOIL has released a Technical Service Bulletin on this issue: Toyota Transmission Fill System and Aftermarket Transmission Shops. Simply put, if you have a late-model Toyota, have your transmission serviced only by a certified Toyota dealer or an approved shop using the Toyota-specific Transmission Fill System. AMSOIL offers an outstanding replacement fluid for Toyota’s requiring the “WS” ATF spec. Toyota owners looking for a synthetic upgrade over the OEM fluid can bring the AMSOIL Synthetic Low-Viscosity Automatic Transmission Fluid to their dealer. This Toyota “WS” compatible product offers outstanding performance and wear protection under even the most severe conditions.

AMSOIL Lowers Prices in Canada

oildepot — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:49:05 +0000

For the past few months, AMSOIL has had an interim discount program in place to compensate Canadian customers for the strong performance of the Canadian dollar versus the US dollar. This discount had been set at 8% off of Canadian list prices.

Effective February 1st, this discount is being bumped up to 11%. This discount will be displayed as a line item titled “Currency Exch. Disc.”

As the long-term trend seems to point a strong Loonie over the foreseeable future, a new Canadian price list will be published for March featuring the lower pricing, thereby eliminating the need for this discount program.

Check out the complete AMSOIL product line at www.oildepot.ca and feel free to contact us for the latest prices.

Toyota’s Latest Accelerator Recall Debacle

oildepot — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:02:02 +0000

Toyota owners are inundating their dealers with calls wondering if their vehicles are safe to drive in light of the latest Mass Recall of Some Toyota Vehicles for Sticking Accelerator Pedals. Toyota is recalling about 2.3 million vehicles and actually halting sales of eight of their most popular models. The issue at hand is the potential for sticky accelerator mechanisms that can be hard to depress, slow to return to the idle position or even stuck in a partially depressed position.

This issue is similar but unrelated to the large ongoing recall undertook by Toyota late last year which was due to accelerator pedals getting wedged under floor mats.

Vehicles subject to this latest recall are:

• Certain 2009-2010 RAV4,
• Certain 2009-2010 Corolla,
• 2009-2010 Matrix,
• 2005-2010 Avalon,
• Certain 2007-2010 Camry,
• Certain 2010 Highlander,
• 2007-2010 Tundra,
• 2008-2010 Sequoia

This is an opportune time to refer back to our post on How to Stop a Car With a Stuck Accelerator. This piece has tips that should be in the back of every driver’s mind regardless of the brand of their vehicle.