I was on another forum and they said it is not API SL category. Isn't that a requirement for warranties? Even the $0.79 oil is API SL.

I'm not a fan of synth unless the car came with it, in which case I would stick with it. But I was surprised at the Amsoil bashing because I thought it was highly recommended here.

 

look ont he back of the amsoil bottle it should tell you which requirement it fullfil

 

who says this???

i juss went through all my Amsoil dealer catalogs and AMsoil bottles, everything has marking API SL and others.

 

http://www.amsoil.com/frequent.htm

 

This has been beaten to death a bunch. Amsoil's motor oils surpass the requirements for the API specs, but the company doesn't pay the licensing fees for all their oils. There's more to it than that, but in a nutshell that's it. The topic has been delved into in depth both on the org and numerous other forums if you're looking for more detailed info.

 

As I understand it, the issue is Amsoil's use of extra phosphorous compounds--these can be poisonous to the catalytic converter (if you burn a lot of oil), so other oils use less of them. This compound is one of Amsoil's "secrets" for anti-wear, however it won't pass API certification, so Amsoil didn't even bother going for the certification. That's the gist of the controversy. Alongside this controversy is the way Amsoil has marketed its oil, but I'm not well educated on that side of the argument.

So if you're honestly worried about this, don't use Amsoil if you burn any significant amount of oil, lest your catalytic converter be fouled. Even then who knows how likely it is to actually CAUSE cat failure. But if your engine's in good condition and you want to put some good stuff in there, by all means buy Amsoil.

 

Whoever said that, give him a because he's wrong.

 

Yep, one of the big issues is P. What's interesting is that when you use a high quality synthetic that has a lower volatility, your oil consumption thru the combustion chamber is usually reduced. The API specs are a minimum standard that oils should meet. They do not take into account any of the differences between dino oil and synthetics. Just because an oil passes API SL doesn't mean it's a great oil. Granted API SL oils are much better than the oil's a few years ago, but when you look at all the other tests that oil can be subjected to, you will begin to see the differences between .79 cent oils, 1.79 oils and then the synthetics. It all depends what you're looking for in an oil and how you plan to use it.

One interesting thing to note is that P levels are not regulated in the 40 wt. classes. Since 10W-40 and higher viscosities are the typical weights used on older oil burning motors, I would be interested in hearing how many people have catalytic converter failures attributed to to P poisoning.

Another interesting point is that Amsoil's 10W-30 can survive the brutal Sequence IIIF test without any issues. In fact, their 10W-30 has gone 3 times longer than the test normally is and can still pass it with flying colors. For more information on how brutal this test is and the actual results, you can visit here: http://www.mdvsynthetics.com/actionn...quenceiiif.htm

 

Jeff92se best explains this (Grab a cup of coffee):

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=101531

 

Different AMSOIL lubes meet different requirements.

I seem to recall that one of the AMSOIL common motor oils did not meet the SL requirements, but did meet the SJ ones.

Gerhard

 

What kind of prices are we talking about for Amsoil's motor oil (5W-30) and gear oil (75W-90)?

Is the "X2000" series Amsoil's "best"? How much is it per quart?

 

~$60 a case of 12 w/shipping from talkinghorse on this board for the motor oil. I am not sure on the gear oil but I am sure talkinghorse can ive you a price.


http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=285321

 

My bottle of Amsoil 5W30 (ASL) has a circle on the front reading "API Service SL-CF" and on the back on the back it reads "API Service SL, SJ, CF." It's also ILSAC GF-3, ACEA A3, and MB 229.3, making it specwise, one of the most gee-whiz oils out there.

In my experience sometimes the websites take a looong time to update, and can be very different that what's actually printed on the bottle.