Do You
Change your oil when
the Dipstick looks
dirty?
AMSOIL
Synthetic
Lubricants are
designed and
engineered for
extended drain
interval service.
The color of the
AMSOIL
on your
dipstick (or ANY oil
for that matter) has
absolutely no
bearing on whether
or not the oil is
suitable for
continued use or if
it should be drained
and replaced. Use
the recommended
change intervals for
both the oil and
engine oil filters
as specified by
AMSOIL.
It is a
common misconception
that an oil's color
is an indication of
how dirty it is.
This is
absolutely NOT TRUE.
The color of an oil
does not have any
bearing on its
lubrication ability.
Most oil and
especially diesel
engine oil will turn
black in the first
few hours of
operation due to
contaminates
generated by the
combustion process
and soot particles.
The ONLY way to
accurately determine
an oil's lubricating
value or
contamination level
is through
(spectrographic) oil
analysis. Oil
analysis is common
practice used
regularly in
commercial,
industrial and fleet
operations and can
also be used for
passenger cars,
light trucks or any
other application.
Oil analysis will
determine the exact
pars per million (ppm)
of wear metals in
your oil, which
provides an
indication of any
abnormal wear or
specific components
that need mechanical
inspection, in
addition to checking
for any fuel, water
or glycol
contamination.*
At the end of this
section you will
find a listing of
what oil analysis
testing checks for.
The useful life of
an engine oil is
dependent on several
factors such as the
quality of the oil,
type of fuel,
equipment condition,
type and operating
environment of the
equipment and, most
important, the type
of filtration used.
The filtration
system and the oil
are vital tools for
preserving engine
life. A highly
efficient filter is
essential to protect
an engine by
removing both liquid
abrasive
contaminants held in
suspension by a high
quality premium oil
such as
AMSOIL.
When
using
AMSOIL
Synthetic Lubricants
for extended drain
intervals the
AMSOIL
Super
Duty Filter must be
changed at 12,500
miles or 6 months
for gas engines and
10,000 miles or 6
months for diesel
engines, such as the
Ford Powerstroke or
Dodge Cummins.
If the
AMSOIL
Dual-Gard
or Dual-Remote
By-Pass Filtration
Systems are used
then the
AMSOIL
Super
Duty full flow
engine oil filter
must be changed at
the same intervals
as specified above
and the by-pass
filter(s) changed as
indicated by oil
analysis results.
The oil does not
need to be changed
when using by-pass
filtration unless
oil analysis testing
indicates it is
necessary.
It is not
uncommon to get
several hundred
thousand or more
miles on the
AMSOIL
when using
by-pass filtration.
A
Mack Dealership
recently performed a
teardown inspection
on a 1990 Mack
E7-400 diesel engine
with 630,000 miles
total and 409,000
miles without an oil
change and its parts
were examined by an
engine rater from a
major oil additive
raw materials
manufacturer and
supplier. The engine
showed light to
moderate wear
throughout, just as
an engine in similar
service and
lubricated with
conventional oil
changed at
15,000-20,000 mile
intervals (as is
common with
over-the-road
semi-trucks) would
show. In fact,
according to the
engine rater the
parts examined
-cylinder liners,
pistons, rings,
bearings, valve
train components-
could have been put
right back in the
engine and would
have continued to
provide the good,
dependable service
they had provided
all along after
409,000 miles
without an oil
change!
*Oil
Analysis Report
Items Include:
sample #, date
sampled, date
tested, unit #,
engine make, model,
year, oil brand,
viscosity grade,
sump capacity, make
up oil added, type
of filtration, last
filter change
-
component
miles, oil
miles, last
oil change
miles
-
% presence
of gylcol,
water, fuel
-
viscosity
@40 deg. C.
and at 100
deg. C.
-
% solids
-
soot,
oxidation %,
NOX %, TBN,
TAN
-
% iron,
chromium,
lead,
copper, tin,
aluminum,
nickel,
silver,
manganese,
silicon,
boron,
sodium,
magnesium,
calcium,
barium,
phosphorous,
zinc,
molybdenum,
titanium,
vanadium and
cadmium
-
recommendations
and
additional
test results
You cannot tell by
the color of the oil
on your dipstick
when it is time to
change your oil. If
you want the best
service and
performance from
your oil, whether it
be synthetic or
conventional motor
oil, go by the
recommended
specifications or by
testing analysis.
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