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Tag Archive for: motor oil

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Today’s Most Popular Motor Oil Viscosity Rankings

News

Here are our best-selling passenger car engine oil and diesel motor oil viscosities for the past year. These statistics are based on our sales only, so these numbers are not indicative of sales in the overall motor oil market.

Passenger Car/Light-Truck Motor Oil Sales Rankings

One of the first things we looked at is how much market share 5W-30 still holds. Automakers have been steadily moving to 5W-20 and 0W-20 motor oil for several years. If one adds the market share of 0W-20 and 5W-20, they eclipse 5W-30 by 12.59%.

The 0W-16 viscosity was introduced in 2018, but sales literally didn’t move the needle. It was suggested for only a couple of Honda and Toyota models in 2018. It will be interesting to see if 0W-16 starts to make strides in 2019.

Chart Passenger Car Viscosity 2018

Diesel Engine Oil Sales Rankings

The story in the diesel engine oil space over the past few years is 5W-40 replacing 15W-40 as king of the hill. The 5W-40 grade is now a common (and very viable) all-season choice in many diesel engines. Again, these stats are based on our sales and not the overall diesel engine oil market.

Chart Diesel Oil Sales By Viscosity 2018

February 2, 2019/by Marc Roden

What Is The Shelf Life Of An Opened Bottle Of Motor Oil?

Tech Discussion

A reader asks: How long is motor oil usable after the bottle has been opened?

Our answer: Once the seal has been cracked on a bottle of motor oil, the remaining oil should be used up within one year. This guideline also applies to transmission oil and gear oil. Opened bottles of both synthetic and conventional motor oils would have a similar lifespan.

Three Reasons Why Motor Oil Should Be Used Within A Year Of Opening

  1. Condensation- After the seal on the bottle has been broken, the interior is more prone to condensation. Once the oil level in the bottle is lowered, there is more open space for condensation to develop.
  2. Oxidation- As the motor oil becomes exposed to oxygen over time, the chemical makeup of the motor oil changes. Simply put, once the oxidation process has started in motor oil, the capabilities of the oil are severely limited and unpredictable. Therefore, that partial bottle of motor oil that has been sitting on shelf for several years should be used in an oil can or sent to recycling.
  3. Additive Fallout- Over time, the ingredients that make up the motor oil formula can start to degrade. This compromises the capabilities and service life of the motor oil. This process would likely take much longer than a year. This can happen in sealed bottles that have been stored for too long as well.

Motor Oil Storage Tips

  • Store motor oil in dry conditions. Don’t leave motor oil bottles out in the yard or in the back of the truck.
  • Do not store the oil in temperatures below it’s cold-pour-point. If the motor oil freezes and “gels”, this will shorten the lifespan of the motor oil.
  • The ideal storage temperature range for motor oil is between 0°C (32°F) and 29°C (85°F).

Shelf Life Of Unopened Motor Oil Bottles

The shelf life of sealed, unopened motor oil, transmission fluid or gear oil is roughly 5 years. Please note the storage tips above to maximize the shelf life of new motor oil.

June 19, 2018/by Marc Roden

How To Choose The Correct Motor Oil

Tech Discussion

Finding the correct motor oil is a simple task, if you are armed with the correct information. But there are serious pitfalls that you must avoid.

Shopping for motor oil should be a straight forward task, but we see mistakes made all the time and often by people who should know better. We find that even some experienced mechanics will occasionally employ “guesswork” and choose a motor oil that is incorrect for their application. Choosing a premium brand or upgrading to synthetic oil will not gloss over a misapplication.

Examples of mistakes include:

  • Putting gasoline engine oil in diesel engines.
  • Not using the prescribed viscosity or grade.
  • Choosing the wrong motor oil specification for the engine.

While these missteps may not cause instant engine failure, they can lead to problems over time. If you follow the steps below, you will never make a mistake when shopping for a motor oil. HINT: The first 2 steps are the most important. Steps 1 and 2 will get you in the ballpark, while the remaining steps will help you refine your choices.

Step 1. Choose The Correct Engine Oil Specification

This is the most important aspect of choosing an engine oil. Your owners manual will offer the correct industry specification for your car such as those from the API (American Petroleum Institute) and this spec will be clearly marked on the motor oil label. This could be API “SN” for passenger cars or API “CJ-4” for diesel trucks. European cars often have manufacturer specifications such as Volkswagen “502 00” or BMW “LL-04”.

For older vehicles, the engine oil specification may be obsolete and replaced by a newer specification. If your vehicle is a little older, perform an internet search to see if the motor oil spec suggested for your vehicle has been superseded by a newer spec. Often times, newer oil specs are “backward compatible” with older specifications.

Step 2. Choose The Correct Grade

The “grade” refers to the viscosity suggested by the engine manufacturer such as “5W-30” or “0W-20”. Occasionally consumers will choose a viscosity that they feel is best with reasoning such as, “dad always used 10W-30” or “my cars have always used 5W-30, so why go with 5W-20 in my new car?” There is never a good reason to try overruling the engine oil grade suggested by the manufacturer. Just go with the grade listed in your manual and you will not go wrong (we promise).

Step 3. Should I Buy A Cheap Or Expensive Engine Oil?

Like everything else, you get what you pay for when it comes to buying motor oil. Just because two oils meet the same industry specification, doesn’t mean that they are equal in quality. The industry specs tend to be a minimal standard. There are many components that make up a motor oil and some of these additives tend to be very expensive. Motor oil makers can scrimp on some of these components to increase profit margins or lower the price. Or they can go all out and make an expensive, high-end product.

If you value the engine you are servicing, avoid the really cheap route. Many will justify buying cheaper oil by telling themselves that they’ll just change it more often. What this logic may bring is a mediocre performing motor oil throughout its service life. As motor oil is inexpensive relative to overall car maintenance costs, going the el cheapo route is not sound logic.

Step 4. Should I Choose Synthetic, Semi-Synthetic Or Conventional Motor Oil?

If you are confused about these choices, don’t feel bad. Motor oil categorization and labeling is not regulated, so some products that are listed as “synthetic” or “semi-synthetic” may not be any better than a conventional motor oil. We touched on the murky world of motor oil classifications in a recent post.

In most cases, don’t even bother with “semi-synthetic” or “synthetic-blend” motor oils. These so-called blends can contain as little as 10% synthetic oil and this tiny portion may not even be what would be considered a true synthetic oil by purists. Synthetic-blends are generally an excuse to have an inflated price tag and are unlikely to offer much in the way of real-world benefits.

As for full synthetics, the quality of these can vary wildly between brands. Less expensive synthetic oils are generally no better equipped than conventional oils. If you are going to spring for synthetic oil, stick with a reputable brand. The market is littered with over-priced synthetic motor oils that don’t even pretend to offer anything special.

As we are purveyors of ultra-high-quality synthetic motor oils, we are biased to be sure. But in our opinion, there is little reason to use conventional oil in this day and age. Its limitations when dealing with climate extremes, friction reduction and engine deposits pale in comparison to quality synthetic oils. Even for moderate everyday driving, a good synthetic oil offers vastly better engine protection.

Step 5. What About Aftermarket Oil Additives?

They can be called oil additive, oil stabilizer, oil treatment, oil supplement or tune-up-in-a-can and the vast majority are a complete sham. Most do nothing and some can actually be harmful. Most of these products exist to convince you that you are doing some good for your engine, but their real function is to separate you from your money.

Some motorists buy the cheapest motor oil they can find and then add these expensive products thinking that they have created a winning formula for their engine. If you have a good functioning engine, avoid aftermarket oil additives and save your money. Simply choose a good quality motor oil and that is all you will ever need.

The one product that can be effective to add to motor oil is engine flush products. Engine flushes are generally added just before the oil is changed and can be effective at cleaning out harmful engine deposits. Regularly serviced engines would rarely need an engine flush.

February 29, 2016/by Marc Roden

Should I Switch To 10W-30 Motor Oil For Summer?

Tech Discussion
AMSOIL OE Synthetic 10W-30 Motor Oil

Is there any need to switch to 10W-30 engine oil during the summer months?

A reader asks: I use 5W-30 motor oil in my Infinti G35 during the winter and my owner’s manual suggests that it is suitable to use 10W-30 in warmer temperatures. Is there any real benefit to switching to 10W-30 in the summer and back to 5W-30 in the fall?

Answer: There is absolutely no need to switch to 10W-30 motor oil in the summer if 5W-30 is an acceptable grade for your engine. While some car manufacturers still advocate the use of 10W-30 (or even 10W-40) as an appropriate engine oil option for summer use, it is completely unnecessary.

Today’s 5W-30 motor oils provide consistent protection at both extremes of the temperature spectrum. During hot operating conditions, they are resistant to thinning out, breaking down, boiling off and degrading to the point where they might cause deposits. Remember also that a 10W-30 and 5W-30 are essentially the same viscosity at operating temperature, so there is no tangible advantage switching over to 10W-30 for summer driving.

There used to be a time when switching to a heavier motor during the summer was a necessity. Four or five decades ago, engine oil technology was far less advanced and engine tolerances were less precise. Thicker engine oil was needed in summer to combat wear and oil consumption. These thicker grades did not pump well in extreme cold, so a seasonal oil viscosity change was once a common part of regular maintenance. This habit does still linger, but today’s motor oils (especially synthetic oil) negate the need for a seasonal viscosity changeover in either gasoline or diesel engines.

Enjoy the convenience of keeping one engine oil grade on hand and take solace in the fact that using 5W-30 for year round use will not compromise engine protection in the slightest.

April 25, 2015/by Marc Roden

No AMSOIL Motor Oil For The 2014 Ram EcoDiesel Yet!

AMSOIL Product Applications, Tech Discussion

Update August 2016: Chrysler now requires API 5W-40 motor oil for all model years of Ram 1500 with the EcoDiesel engine

Finally someone is offering a diesel engine option for a modern day half-ton, but we can’t offer an engine oil for it just yet. Here’s why…

If you have a 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 equipped with the brand new “EcoDiesel” 3.0L diesel engine and are looking for AMSOIL synthetic engine oil for your truck, please stand by. At the moment, AMSOIL cannot make a definitive motor oil recommendation for this engine and are performing due diligence to see if any of their current products will meet the Dodge spec or require reformulation.

What we do know so far is that these engines require a synthetic 5W-30 with low volumes of sulphated ash, phosphorous and sulphur (also known as “SAPS”). The required engine oil specifications are “ACEA C-3” (from the European Auto Manufacturers’ Association) and Chrysler “MS-11106”.

Why Can’t Just Any Oil Be Used?

Tip: Do not use just any 5W-30 diesel engine oil in this new RAM 3.0L engine. The reason that a low “SAPS” motor oil is required is because this engine is equipped with very sophisticated emissions components that can be fouled when exposed to high volumes of certain motor oil ingredients. For this reason, it is vital to stick to an oil that meets the aforementioned specifications. Dodge is not trying to make your life complicated by suggesting an engine oil that may not be offered at every parts counter. This engine really does require a motor oil with specific fundamentals.

We have seen this situation for years with many European auto brands, so rest assured that eventually product options will expand. The reason that this engine requires an motor oil that could be considered “Eurocentric” may have something to do with the fact that it is manufactured by VM Motori, an Italian engine maker.

Would You Like to Receive Email Notification When We Have an Oil For the EcoDiesel?

We suspect that AMSOIL will have a synthetic motor oil option available for the EcoDiesel engine in the very near future. If you would like to be informed as soon as this happens, contact us using the form on the right of this page and we will email you as soon as an announcement is made. Simply put “EcoDiesel” in the comment section.

We will NOT keep your info on an email list forever or use your email address for any other reason.

While we can’t offer an engine oil for the EcoDiesel Ram just yet, we can offer a host of synthetic options for transmission and differential. Just contact us for more information.

July 21, 2014/by Marc Roden

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