Eco3 Oil Change

DesertBoater

Adventurer
I don't know if anyone else has had experience with these folks, but they just opened up a shop right in downtown Prescott right on Whiskey Row. I haven't taken my truck in there yet, but I'm due for an oil change. Walking in there this afternoon, the guy behind the desk was friendly enough and gave me a bit of a schpeel about how they're "green." I'm mostly wondering about the oil that they use...all AmsOil products...and what y'all think. The guy said that in addition to the all synthetic oil (no crude involved), their filters last way longer than standard paper filters. All of their pamphlets and publications says 15,000 miles or 1 year (whatever happens first) between drains/filter changes, but I'm not so sure. The guy also said that they re-use the used oil in an EPA approved furnace to heat their shop instead of sending elsewhere to get recycled into road-surface tar. Have any of y'all used these folks and/or AmsOil products? Experiences?

Cheers,
West
 
Amsoil makes good synthetic oil. But every engine is different. 15K miles in a Duramax is easy, but Powerstrokes (both DI7.3 and 6.0/6.4) are much harder on oil. It all depends on what kind of engine.
There's something shady about a guy that claims synthetic oil is "greener" than mineral oil. Where does he think the carbon atoms come from? Trees? I don't think so. And where do the btus to polymerize short chains into long chains to make synthetic oil molecules come from? The sun? (Yes, all fossil fuels come from the sun...in the Mesozoic or Paleozoic).
And Prescott must have gotten awfully chilly to require gallons and gallons of waste oil to heat a shop every day. And what is "greener" about burning it as opposed to making pavement?

Charlie

PS it is spelled "spiel"
 

Spur

Adventurer
I like amsoil products. I've used them for the last few years. There are other brands that are just as good, but I like the convenience of being able to order everything I need off their website and have it delivered to my doorstep. I can use their whole line with confidence and not worry about it.

I agree that the "green" claims are suspect. It's not like synthetic oils are made from soybeans and rainbows. In order to really determine oil life, you need to get your oil tested - something I've never done. There are several companies that will test your oil, but you can read about amsoil testing here:

http://www.oaitesting.com/index.htm
 

Pskhaat

2005 Expedition Trophy Champion
Yes, greener in this case may be the color of padding of the owner's wallet. Charlie's dead on everywhere else and had me laughing, how cold is Prescott that would require that much waste oil burn? They're pretty efficient heaters.

For a gasser (sorry don't know what you own) I see no reason not to run a fully synthetic 15k/1yr, I do that on my LCs, and I also re-use my old oil in my beater/commuter car for another ~7k :)
 

DesertBoater

Adventurer
yeah, I'm running an 05 V6 Tacoma. Sounds about like what I was thinking...Another question now, not necessarily 100% in keeping with my OP: is there an issue with switching between different types of motor oil? ie synthetic vs non-synthetic? I've heard some fuzzy claims from friends (much like fuzzy math), but nothing really definite. Any wisdom?

Cheers,
West

P.S. I'll be sure to get my spiel right next time...
 

Pskhaat

2005 Expedition Trophy Champion
I've never heard a single first-hand report of a single issue with switching. Some claim that one may see temporary leakage, but again I've never seen it or heard it first-hand. For your 2005 the $ works itself out IMO.

Since 1999 or so I've run every vehicle I own on synthetic well into the 10k-15k range with lab testing and have always been within spec & range. I'm not kidding when I say I run drained 15k Mobil1 into my commuter car for unknown mileage and even that lab report tested within range (minus cadmium or something like that), truly amazing.
 

CA-RJ

Expo Approved™
I run Amsoil in my Yaris. I run the 0W-30 Signature Series oil and a Mobil 1 oil filter for 10k miles. Since switching, the car is running smoother and MPG's are up 2-3 MPG from before.

I'm getting ready to switch the 4Runner over to the same oil, though I will still do 5k mile oil changes.

Is it greener? I guess you could say there is less oil used because you run the same oil longer. There are fewer filter used.
 

BKCowGod

Automotive ADHD is fun!
Another + for Amsoil. Good stuff.

RE: Synthetic - My Jeep (1980 engine made from a 1950 design) leaked like crazy with synthetic 10-40, but did just fine with dino 10-40. My Porsche leaks with neither, and my Nissan barely has an oil pan gasket so who knows which one leaks out faster. YMMV.
 

Rando

Explorer
I think you hit the nail on the head about why it is "greener". If they are suggesting oil changes every 15,000 miles as opposed to every 3,000 at monkey-lube, they are reducing oil consumption by a factor of 5! This, and the possibility of a slight increase in fuel economy, is one of the reasons I have been using full synthetic oil in my tacoma.

That being said, you could get synthetic oil at monkey-lube, but they would still tell you to change it in 5,000 miles. Unless this new place is 5 times more expensive than the other places, it seems like a good idea.


I run Amsoil in my Yaris. I run the 0W-30 Signature Series oil and a Mobil 1 oil filter for 10k miles. Since switching, the car is running smoother and MPG's are up 2-3 MPG from before.

I'm getting ready to switch the 4Runner over to the same oil, though I will still do 5k mile oil changes.

Is it greener? I guess you could say there is less oil used because you run the same oil longer. There are fewer filter used.
 

chrismc

Adventurer
Recycling the used oil into pavement is a whole lot greener than burning it. Combustion of the oil will release the trapped carbon into the atmosphere, as a greenhouse gas. Keeping it in liquid or solid form will keep the carbon "trapped" and will not contribute to global warming.

That being said, 15k oil changes will just plain use less oil. This is always a good thing, no matter whether its synthetic or not (neither is significantly more "green" than the other). I'd buy your own Amsoil and recycle the old stuff at Autozone or wherever you usually take it. I'm guessing they are using the "green" label to get a nice profit on a simple oil change.
 

R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
I'm pretty skeptical of the longer oil change intervals. Even if your oil can handle it, I'm concerned the filter will reach it's capacity, plug up, the bypass valve will open and now you're no longer filtering. The oil life itself is only one side of the equation, you have to worry about the filter too.
 

corax

Explorer
I'm pretty skeptical of the longer oil change intervals. Even if your oil can handle it, I'm concerned the filter will reach it's capacity, plug up, the bypass valve will open and now you're no longer filtering. The oil life itself is only one side of the equation, you have to worry about the filter too.

I agree, but regardless of what type oil you use, it sounds like a recipe for sludge and accelerated wear. I can't think of any engines that I would want to take to 15k on a single oil change.
 

CA-RJ

Expo Approved™
Check out Bob is the oil guy.com. There are plenty of people who are running extended oil intervals with excellent results. Lab results prove it. Motor oil companies don't want you to know it. Remember when we all changed our oil at 3k miles? Now 5k miles is considered the norm. When 5k was first introduced, everyone scoffed. A quality synthetic oil with a quality oil filter will last 10k miles.
 

Bullseye240

Adventurer
:sombrero:
If I waited for 15,000 miles to change the oil in my 94 diesel Blazer, all I would have to do is spin on a couple of new filters as I would have replaced all eight quarts at least once by then.:sombrero:
250,000 miles on a 6.5 liter means a lil comsumption, a lil leaking and a lil where the hedoublehockeysticks did that go?!?!?!?
I miss driving that truck everyday. But at least it's getting a few years of rest before I get back to it.
As stated above though I have seen over the road trucks go higher than that on drain intervals with no ill affects. Granted these are on very well maintained, documented and regular lab tested samples, trucks. So they know the minute any wear and what is wearing in the engine and just how fast.
 

R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Check out Bob is the oil guy.com. There are plenty of people who are running extended oil intervals with excellent results. Lab results prove it. Motor oil companies don't want you to know it. Remember when we all changed our oil at 3k miles? Now 5k miles is considered the norm. When 5k was first introduced, everyone scoffed. A quality synthetic oil with a quality oil filter will last 10k miles.

Under what conditions? Certainly not the conditions many of us are driving in!

Our Pontiac Montana has the GM oil monitoring system, which seems to show about a 10,000km oil change interval. I'm even leary of that. I did the first change at 5000km, even though it still showed 50% oil life remaining. I think 10,000km on the break in oil is RETARDED. I think I did the second change at 30% remaining, and now I'm going to 10%, out of laziness.

My truck gets fresh synthetic every 5000km on the button, my car is 5000km and/or 2 trackdays, and my Enduro bike every few 100 km's.
 

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