AMSOIL Blog

FAQ: About Synthetics

FAQ: About Synthetics

by Ed Newman
AMSOIL Director of Advertising
This article appeared in National Oil & Lube News, December 2009

If you spend any amount of time on the internet you will sooner or later come across a page called FAQ, which is shorthand for Frequently Asked Questions. The purpose of the FAQ page is to relieve tech support people from having to answer the same questions over and over again, and to make it easy for customers to find answers on their own.

Here are some of the typical questions we’ve received over the years. If you still have more specific questions, I will be happy to answer anything you submit. My email address is listed at the end of this column.

Q: What is the difference between synthetic motor oil and conventional petroleum oil?
A: Synthetic lubricants are composed of select base stocks and special purpose additives chemically assembled with planned, predictable properties. Whereas petroleum oils are pumped from the earth and refined, synthetics are custom-designed in the laboratory, with each phase of their molecular construction programmed to produce, in effect, the ideal lubricant.

Q: What are some of the common misconceptions about synthetic motor oil?
A: It is interesting how some of these myths hang around for so many years. Some of the most common were that synthetics are not compatible with seals (properly formulated synthetics actually extend seal life), that synthetics are too thin to stay in the engine, and that synthetics cause cars to use more oil. Of course there are misconceptions going the other direction, too. Some people think synthetic oil is a super oil that will last forever. It is true that synthetic oils are more impervious to oxidation, but the additives in synthetic formulations do get used up over time. A motor oil’s formulation includes the performance of both the base stock and additive package.

Q: If a car is factory fill conventional petroleum, will switching to synthetic void the warranty?
A: No, it will not. Vehicle manufacturers recommend using motor oils that meet certain viscosity grades and American Petroleum Institute service requirements. Whether the motor oil is petroleum-based or synthetic will not affect warranty coverage. The manufacturer is required to cover all equipment failures it would normally cover as long as the oil was not the cause of the failure.

Q: Is there any truth to the notion that cars should be running petroleum oil during the break in period before switching to synthetic?
A: A premium synthetic motor oil can be used during break-in without any trouble. In fact, dozens of vehicle models come factory-filled with synthetic oil now. Rebuilt engines may still require break in oils that don’t prevent wear as well and will allow rings to seat, but not factory supplied engines.

Since a majority of new vehicles come filled with petroleum oil, it only makes good sense to change to synthetic at the first scheduled oil change interval. New engine components generate high levels of wear metals and can contain contaminants from assembly. By allowing the engine to operate with the petroleum oil until the first oil/filter change interval, the wear metals and contaminants are removed prior to installing the premium product.

Q: Will switching from petroleum to synthetic result in a plugged oil filter when the sludge is cleaned out by the synthetic?
A: This is a common fear, however, switching from petroleum oil to premium synthetics in routinely maintained vehicles will not cause clogged oil filters or passageways, regardless of mileage. Sludge, which is caused by poor quality oil and neglected maintenance practices, would have to be present in significant amounts to plug oil filters and passageways. If there is an excessive amount of sludge present in an engine, it is just a matter of time before oil filters and passageways clog, regardless of the oil you choose.

Q: Will switching to synthetics cause my engine to leak oil?
A: In mechanically sound engines, there’s no risk of synthetic motor oil leaking. In fact, premium synthetic oils are fully compatible with modern seal materials, keeping them pliable to prevent leakage. New engines are built to much tighter tolerances now than they were in the 70’s and 80’s when that notion was promulgated, and is not true anymore.

Q: Is there a recommended procedure for switching to synthetic motor oils?
A: As long as the vehicle has been properly maintained and the vehicle is mechanically sound, there are no special requirements. Some oil manufacturers, however, may indicate specific drain intervals that should be followed for vehicles that have over 100,000 miles and are first time users of their products.

Q: If someone switches to synthetic can they switch back to conventional oil?
A: Yes, they can, but why would anyone want to?

AMSOIL FORMULATES A WIDE SELECTION OF SYNTHETIC LUBRICATING OILS for all types of engine and gear applications, including those for specialized vehicles and severe operating conditions. In addition, AMSOIL has developed sophisticated fuel additives, filtration systems and other companion products that supplement and extend lubricant performance. All are distributed through a worldwide network of independent Dealers. This complete line of quality products is recognized by countless private motorists, fleet managers and industrial administrators as the best and most cost-effective choice for increasing engine performance, reducing maintenance and prolonging vehicle and equipment life.

AMSOIL products are sold through independent Dealers. People like you. People who want extra money, something to do in their spare time, even a full-time business.You can start an independent AMSOIL Dealership for under $50 and put as much -- or as little -- time into it as you want. The outstanding products offered by AMSOIL comprise a rock-solid base upon which to build your business.

Get started today as an AMSOIL Dealer.
Call Michael Sparks--AMSOIL Direct Jobber
www.lube-direct.com/bussops/

Q&A with Peter Haines AMSOIL VP Technical Sales

Q:

Why is the AMSOIL company, products and business so good? What about the future? Are the management and leadership of AMSOIL solid for the future? Why are the AMSOIL company, products and business so good?

A:
This gets us right down to the nitty-gritty of AMSOIL success. The reason the company, products and business are so good is because Al Amatuzio had the foresight and wisdom to launch an MLM-based Dealer program. It was Dealer sales & marketing success that provided AMSOIL the revenue for continued reinvestment into AMSOIL products, 1st-class lubricant technologies, manufacturing excellence and world-class R&D.

· Today, 38 years later, we have successful Dealers that have earned millions of dollars … and we’re still growing!

· We have a company that remains true to its Dealer infra-structure and that has not sold its Dealer network down the road based on the lure of large national retail.

· We have a company that is uniquely positioned to move forward and capture an ever-larger part of the marketplace.

· We have products & programs Dealers can use to develop their very own diverse business base, a business that can withstand economic upheavals and market swings and still come out on top.

What about the future? I sincerely believe the future of AMSOIL is bright indeed. Let me provide you some specific reasons why:

• AMSOIL Dealers can fill a technical void left by the major oil companies when, through mergers and acquisitions, they were forced to reduce and even exit the direct-service sector of the lubricants marketplace. What does this mean to you as AMSOIL Dealers?

• 15-20 years ago big oil had tens of thousands of trained field service representatives who worked directly with major oil company distributors providing unparalleled customer service and support.

Today this dynamic force has been severely reduced to the point where our big oil competition is essentially a bunch of order takers at the distributor level. They don’t have the drive or ambition of AMSOIL Dealers and are not operating at a customer service or support level that is anywhere near where they used to be.

· AMSOIL’s business model for Dealers includes regional distribution – and its expanding. This means AMSOIL Dealers have more product availability at a local level to service their customers than at any time in prior AMSOIL history.

• AMSOIL is also not burdened by multiple tiers of distribution, each tier of which must get their 30% gross margin.

• Instead AMSOIL Dealers are afforded the opportunity to essentially operate as factory-direct distributors only 1-tier removed from the corporate level.

This means your product pricing is competitive and often better than what big oil is offering … and there is no artificial price inflation to cover the costs associated with multi-tier product distribution.

•  Tie in the service factor AMSOIL Dealers can provide and it becomes very obvious that we … you … can tackle any market you desire with a concentrated effort.

•   In addition, AMSOIL recently equalized all the programs so that AMSOIL Dealers can operate in commercial markets, competitively and decisively. AMSOIL Dealers demonstrated their abilities to penetrate and successfully sell into the retail market. So, AMSOIL stepped up to the plate and enhanced the Commercial Program so that AMSOIL Dealers are better positioned than ever to capture an essentially untapped market.

•   And, as intimated at AU, and the DJ Convention, and at the current Commercial Sales Dealer Meetings – there is an entire segment of the commercial market that is lacking in customer service and support.

•   By focusing on small to mid-sized commercial accounts Dealers can not only offer fantastic products at a fair and justifiable price – but Dealers can fill a service void that today is essentially non-existent from big oil.

Lastly you asked; are the management and leadership of AMSOIL solid for the future?
Yes, the management and leadership of AMSOIL are rock-solid for the future.

• Al Amatuzio still comes to work each and every day.

• Alan Amatuzio, my supervisor, continues to provide corporate management, direction and leadership, especially pertaining to his fierce emphasis on providing products of un-paralleled quality and performance.

• And Dean Alexander continues his leadership efforts of providing overall general management and direction.

  AMSOIL also has in place a second management tier of Vice Presidents helping to support this top tier of management:

•   Peter Haines: VP-Technical Sales

•  Kevin McBride: VP – Marketing & Communications

• Scott Davis: VP-Operations

•  Greg Sandbulte: VP- International Business

We are also very fortunate to have a brilliant cross-section of management at the Director level, and overall a dedicated staff that works hard each and every day to help you make the AMSOIL Dealer opportunity a great one.

In short we have created an internal talent pool of management that has as its focus the overall growth and well-being of AMSOIL & the AMSOIL Dealer business opportunity.

Q: What could the AMSOIL business opportunity do for Dealers just getting started today or for veteran Dealers who decided that now is the time to get started? Considering the unstable economic times for the last couple of years, do you think now would be a good time to be in the AMSOIL business for a person who wanted to earn extra income?

A:

This is a very good question and one that deserves great attention because the reality is AMSOIL Dealers, both new and veteran, need to feel good about their AMSOIL business relationship. So you asked:

What could the AMSOIL business opportunity do for Dealers just getting started today or for veteran Dealers who decided that now is the time to get started? Let’s break this question down to its two essential elements or segments; New Dealers just getting started & Veteran Dealers who have finally decided that now is the time to get started.

1. · New Dealers just getting started: What the AMSOIL business opportunity represents for Dealers in this category is financial independence and a degree of freedom the working masses have never enjoyed
2. Veteran Dealers who have finally decided that now is the time to get started: Regardless of whether a Dealer is new or a veteran – the real key to AMSOIL business success is within the heart and soul of each individual AMSOIL Dealer. There is an old saying here that really applies;

“There are people that talk about making things happen … there are people that watch things happen … and there are people that make things happen.”

Everyone participating in tonight’s event should ask themselves RIGHT NOW the very hard, but very real question …

Q. “Do I want to be a talker?”

•   If you keep talking then it means you’re not listening and you’ll never launch your AMSOIL business. Talk is cheap. In the final analysis only action counts.

Q. “Do I want to be watcher?”

• Being a watcher means you lack self-confidence. You’ve overcome the hurdle of talking, and now instead you are watching and looking for something. Look inside yourself. Ask yourself if you want to reward yourself for your efforts … or do you simply want to keep watching other people achieve what you could achieve if you simply started doing instead of watching.

Q. “Do I want to make things happen?”

•  This is the action phase. No success was ever derived by simply talking or watching. You have to take action and “make” things happen for yourself so you can benefit. Each of you has within you the ability to make things happen.

My dad used to tell me:

“Peter, every man has within him the ability to do great things. Your touchstone is challenge. No matter what your field of endeavor you possess within you the ability to do great things. This is the reason men build bridges, climb mountains and do a thousand other things that manifest personal achievement and satisfaction. The trick my son is to DO IT! Don’t’ just talk about doing it. DO IT! Don’t waste your time watching others do what you want to do. Instead take that step, accept the risk eyes wide open, and DO IT!”

This encouragement from my father had a profound impact on me. I have since spent my life doing what I like to do … and giving it my best.

David, the second part of your question was:

Considering the unstable economic times for the last couple of years, do you think now would be a good time to be in the AMSOIL business for a person who wanted to earn extra income?

If you’re making an excuse that these are tough economic times, or making any other excuses for not pursuing your AMSOIL dream … then you should be ashamed of yourself. You’re letting down all our fore-fathers who fought and died to create the free, democratic society that is the free-enterprise system of the United States of America. You don’t have to fight a war to be successful selling AMSOIL. You don’t have any risks other than your own self-doubts. All successful AMSOIL Dealers, be they new to the business or veterans ready to get serious, share one thing in common – they made a conscious decision to cast aside their doubts and fears and just DO IT.

As a Bell Team member you are lucky. You have David & Carol as your personal business coaches. They’ll help you if you’re serious about helping yourself. They have recognized that they can’t help you if you aren’t as interested in you as they are.

So we come full circle back to the simple fact that if you are looking at our tough economic times – and you are scared to take immediate action – recognize that your AMSOIL business is precisely the mechanism you need to engage to roll through the tough times and make them good times. You’ll never regret it.

For more information about the AMSOIL Opportunity contact:

Michael Sparks--AMSOIL Direct Jobber
www.lube-direct.com

MyAMSOILGarage Goes Live

AMSOIL knows today's drivers are focused on vehicle maintenance more than ever before. This includes scheduled oil changes and regular service, which can be difficult to keep track of in your busy life. This past fall AMSOIL introduced a user-friendly feature called MyAMSOILGarage™ to help to change that. Vehicle maintenance can be monitored and scheduled through one easy-to-use source here on the AMSOIL website.

By safely storing vehicle information in a virtual ‘garage’, you can eliminate the need to enter the year, make, model and engine size each time you need product recommendations or capacities. You can also schedule oil change reminder e-mails, keep a vehicle maintenance log, and view recommended AMSOIL lubricants and filters for your specific vehicle all in one central location. These significant improvements to the standard AMSOIL Automotive & Light Truck Lookup save you time, effort and money. Let AMSOIL maintain these records in the MyAMSOILGarage™ feature so you don’t have to.

We’re hoping you’ll park your vehicles here, too, along with the thousands of other motorists we're taking care of. For more information go to MyAMSOILGarage™.

Sometimes, the best things in life really are free.

Let us help you take better care of your vehicles.

Regards,

Michael Sparks--AMSOIL Direct Jobber
www.lube-direct.com