Synthetics Are Now the Norm

In the very near future we are about to witness a shift in a more wide spread acceptance of extended drain intervals. What has been typical in Europe the past two decades is now starting to take hold here in the United States. Drain intervals of up to 25,000 miles are easily being reached.

Using synthetic oils comes with a host of benefits including better fuel mileage, cooler components and extended drain intervals. One obvious advantage is the length of time you can go between oil changes. Most manufacturers are now recommending oil change intervals from 5,000-7,500 miles, which is a big improvement over the typical 3,000 miles from just a few years past. In fact GM has recently introduced a new oil spec for all 2011 models. This spec is referred to as dexos1 and is now required if you own a new 2011 GM automobile regardless of model. What most people don't know about this new spec is it comes with a recommended drain interval of 10,000 miles.

Another little known fact is that Europe has been practicing extended drain intervals up to 20,000+ miles for nearly two decades. So as you can see the United States is slowly but surely accepting the concept of longer drain intervals. Most medium to large pickup trucks today come factory filled with synthetic oil in the differentials and transmission along with extended drain service. Most consumers don't pay much attention to the lubricants in these components and readily accept their longer service life. When it comes to engine oil however most people still can't get past the 3,000 mile recommendation that all the major quick lubes still promote.

Consumers however are getting wiser to the slick marketing of the big oil companies and all their quick lube outlets and have chosen to move up to higher quality synthetics. The average drain interval in the U.S. is around 5,280 miles, which is considerably longer then what the quick lubes are pushing. The bottom line is this; you can't have cheap and high quality in the same product. When have you not payed more for a product and expected more performance? This is what a high quality synthetic oil will do for you.

Most consumers are slowly starting to gain trust in high quality synthetic oils and extending their drain intervals. There are some synthetic oils on the market today that can easily achieve drain intervals from 10,000 to 25,000 miles. It won't be long before your dealer or even the local quick lube operator will start recommending 10,000 mile oil changes.S. will be the norm. Just look at what GM has done with their 2011 models with their 10,000 miles intervals and their new dexos1 oils. How long do you think it will be before Ford and Chrysler offer the same intervals in their models?

Back in 1996 when I first started selling synthetic oil I boldly predicted that the 3,000 mile oil change would be obsolete in less then 10 years. It appears that prediction has come true and it won't be long before 10,000 miles is all you hear about it. Now is the time to start to evaluating synthetic oils and experimenting with extended drain intervals. Due your research before you go out and buy just any synthetic oil. You don't have to be a chemist, however there are some glaring differences between the top selling brands so do your homework.