Oil Change

I haven't, yet, but there are several ahead of you. John1701A changed his at 2K miles. MWBueno on the Yahoo board has almost 8K miles and at least one oil change behind him. I'm sure there are others.

I just passed 2k miles yesterday. Still toying with whether or not to go with synthetic. I really want to, but I just haven't seen scientific proof that it will make a difference, the cost is more too. It seems like to good thing to not be using up dino oil, but then I wonder exactly what they make synthetic out of and if I'd ultimately be doing the environment a favor using synthetic or not. If I knew that synth was better for the environment then it would probably be enough to convince me to go that route.
--evan

 

Yea, duh, I knew it was 5k....I've just been planning to do my first change at 3k--but don't really have a good reason for that.

Still, is there no one who knows anything about the environmental impact of synthetic oil?
--evan

 

All articles were found using Google on the main Priuschat page - http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navc...%2C+environment

http://www.ired.com/news/lieberman/010708.htm

Synthetic Motor Oils May Be Good For Your Pocketbook, Car, And Environment
Stuart Lieberman, Esq., [email protected]


Should you use synthetic motor oil in your car? Environmentally speaking, the answer is easy. You should use synthetic oil because it considerably reduces the amount of dirty waste oil that needs to be disposed of. Dirty waste oil has often ended up in landfills or underground waste oil tanks, and leaks from these places have caused soil and groundwater pollution all over the country.

Also, synthetic motor oil is not made from oil. This means that using synthetic motor oil reduces the amount of drilling and refining that needs to take place. Both activities have also added to our nation's pollution problem. So environmentally speaking, synthetic oil seems more appealing.

But, it costs a lot more than regular oil. And, synthetic motor oil may or may not be recommended by your automobile manufacturer. You would not want to use a product that is not recommended by your automobile manufacturer because doing so may alter your rights under your vehicle warranty. Don't do anything until you look into this issue.

That having been said, synthetic motor oil has been on the market for many years now and a lot of people are convinced that it is the right choice for them. It certainly has undergone extensive field testing. For example, when Mobil developed its Mobil 1 product, the company did high-mileage tests in two Oldsmobiles. The cars were placed on a treadmill and run for 200,000 miles. At the end of the treadmill test, the cars' engines were torn down and found to be in perfect condition. The cars were also reported to be much thinner.

Then, the company purchased a BMW 325i and tested it for one million miles. After four years of treadmilling 24 hours a day, often at 85 miles an hour, the engine was taken apart. From this, Mobil learned that its synthetic oil really worked.

Synthetic oils are chemically created just for the purpose of operating automobiles and other engines under real life conditions. This is contrasted with conventional oil, which is at first dirty and has to be refined to serve its purpose. Chemicals are added to conventional oil so as to bolster its natural capabilities. But synthetic oil does not have to be "bolstered," it is manufactured to specifications developed with long term, hot engine use in mind.

And cars are running hotter and hotter. New engines often run hotter than 240° F. Many synthetic oils are chemically engineered to ensure that they continue to function for an extended period under these operating conditions.

Conventional oils tend to not operate as efficiently, for an extended period, under these extreme conditions.

Synthetic oils are capable of providing dependable, long-lasting performance and protection that helps equipment last longer. Many synthetic oils last three times longer than conventional oils. This results in both convenience and savings for do-it-yourselfers, and much less oil that needs to be disposed.

Synthetic oils may also improve fuel econcomy because they have a higher "lubricity" than conventional lubes. This means they provide more lubrication protection, and as a result, there is less friction on moving parts, less heat and less wear. There are also some resulting fuel savings. Finally, these man made oils don't just work well in the heat. While many petroleum oils thicken at temperatures of 25° F, many synthetic oils continue to function at 50 degrees below zero - and sometimes even colder. This allows for more reliable winter starting and faster lubrication for your car's engine parts. Once again, this temperature benefit also provides better fuel economy.

What makes sense for you? If your auto manufacturer's warranty permits the use of synthetic oils, you might want to try them out. While the initial oil change cost will be higher, in the long run, this change may benefit your pocketbook and the environment.

http://www.amsoil.com/articlespr/articleenviro.htm

Synthetic Oils, The Environment
And Your Quick Lube Operation

by Ed Newman
AMSOIL Marketing & Advertising Coordinator

This article appeared in National Oil & Lube News

Are synthetic motor oils safer for the environment than conventional petroleum motor oils?
Environmental issues are far more complex than any brief overview can present. We can begin, however, by recognizing that the Green Movement is not a fad. Environment has grown in importance as a contemporary business issue and will continue growing for a long time.
Jacquelyn Ottman, in her book Green Marketing, states that used motor oil is the largest single source of pollution in our nation's waterways.
A website for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection notes that Pennsylvania Do-It-Yourselfers dispose of 11 million gallons of used oil a year. The authors of this website state that only 14 percent is re-cycled and the rest, 9.5 million gallons, is dumped, either into sewers, on the ground or into the trash. Extrapolate this out and you are looking at some awesomely large numbers nationally.
This is all the more startling when you consider that one quart of oil can create a two-acre sized oil slick, and a gallon of oil can foul a million gallons of freshwater, a year's supply for fifty people.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't always trust statistics. Unless they make sense to me somehow, I tend to be a skeptic. Even so, it is not likely that the figures are arbitrarily pulled from thin air. Yet even if nationally less than half of all D-I-Yers improperly dispose, that is still a huge volume of used motor oil being slopped around.

GREEN MARKETING

Let's combine these two ideas. Premise one: Quick lubes handle used motor oil more responsibly than D-I-Yers. Premise two: The general public is increasingly concerned about environmental issues.
From where I sit, the logical combination of these two premises is this: Quick lube operators are in a position to market themselves as heroes in the battle to preserve our environment. As re-cyclers of used motor oil, we are part of the solution rather than the problem.
In point of fact, Green Consumers may well be your best customers. They are educated, affluent and influential.... and devoted, once they know you are committed to their values.
A recent Gallup survey discovered that 94 percent of all consumers prefer to do business with companies that demonstrate that they care about the environment. Almost 80 percent said they would pay more for environmentally friendly products. In other words it would appear that going Green, and promoting this commitment, can be a profitable marketing strategy.

YES, BUT...

From an environmental point of view, quick lubes have a PR problem. Quick lubes are part of the oil industry, which has a negative perception in many people's minds. The oil and gas industries are perceived by 70 percent of all consumers as environmentally careless. Only the chemical industry has a worse rating, by one percent.
For this reason, it is imperative that we develop an environmental perspective and make a commitment in the direction of Green. The perception is wrong, but we need to find ways to let our local public know it.
Environmental marketing is a market segment poised for growth, says Dave Newport, publisher of Environment 21, a small business marketing magazine. "In a good economy, consumers are making more values-based buying decisions."

ARE SYNLUBES GREENER?

Well, no and yes. It depends. There are really two ways to reduce pollution. One is called recycling. A second means is source reduction.
When it comes to recycling, synthetics are pretty much the same as petroleum. You can't dump used synthetic motor oil in the ground any more than you can petroleum. About a year ago I read an article that indicated synthetics are less polluting than petroleum by a small degree, but it was marginal. Both classes of used motor oil must be taken to re-cycle centers for re-processing.
Source reduction is where synthetics demonstrate their clearest advantage...if you believe in extended drain intervals. If you do not accept the notion of extended drain intervals, then source reduction is likewise a non-issue.
Companies promoting extended drain intervals are quick to point out that the amount of used motor oil can be reduced significantly. There is also an immense reduction in the amount of discarded packaging material.
There is another environmentally friendly feature offered by synthetics. Due to their lower volatility, synthetics do not boil off or vaporize as much as petroleum motor oils, which can lose up to 20 percent of their mass in the high heat conditions of the internal combustion engine. Synthetics lose from four to ten percent. The benefit is clear in the reduction of make-up oil required because vehicles use less oil, however, the emissions factor may be marginal due to the nature of catalytic converters and other components in the dispersion of these vapors.

MISCELLANEOUS ACTION ITEMS

Due to space considerations I'll close with a number of miscellaneous actions for your consideration.

1. Use your local library to find good books on environmental marketing. Jacquelyn Ottman's Green Marketing is one of many excellent volumes on this topic.

2. Make signage that says, "We Re-Cycle 100% of our Oil and Filters." or a sign that says "Bring Your Used Oil and Filters Here." When D-I-Yers bring their used oil and filters, ask, "Have you greased your fittings lately?" or "Would you like a free 10-point check-up?"

3. Consider carrying an extended drain synthetic motor oil for that niche consumer who is wholly dedicated to environmentally friendly lifestyle choices.

4. Use propylene glycol based antifreeze instead of the ethylene glycol antifreeze. Highly toxic, less than one-half cup of ethylene glycol antifreeze is a lethal dose for the average-sized human. Lesser amounts can cause serious kidney damage and central nervous system depression. What's worse, when spilled on driveways and roadsides its sweet smell and taste attracts wildlife and makes it more likely to be consumed.

5. Perform an Enviro-Audit. Examine every facet of your operation for ways to improve the environmental impact of your business.

SUMMARY

Government regulations and rising consumer awareness continue to drive the push for environmental improvements in the auto industry. Quick lube operators do not need to wait for government intervention in order to perform earth friendly car care.
To quote Dave Newport again, "In most sectors of the economy, there are market opportunities for smart businesses that seek to make a good living in a better world."
While the environmental issue is not a hot button motivator for many Americans, there is a growing percentage of consumers who make Green a pre-eminent factor in their decision making. Some are so Green, in fact, that they won't use cars at all because they pollute. Most own vehicles and show favor to businesses that share their values. These may well become your most loyal customers.

 

That's the most informative stuff I've read about the enviro friendliness of synthetics, yet it seems pretty thin. The first article basicly says it's more enviro friendly b/c we don't dig it up out of the ground and ends the argument without addressing the issue of where it comes from and byproducts of that production process or it's impact on disposal.

The second is a little questionable but seems a little more informed. It's clearly an industry marketing article which gives me pause about the 'full story' being told, though it seems balanced and admits that the enviro impact is marginal, even with extended time b/w oil changes.

So I'm still on the fence. I think I'll toy with the idea of going synthetic but extending my oil changes to every 7500 miles--I'm confident that that is quite safe (since it was for the classic prius--seems the only reason it's down to 5000 now is b/c Toyota's not paying for it), but I don't want to void my warranty in doing so.

--evan

 

To those who change early...

The Classic Prius has a 7500 mile change interval, which I've been following on my '02. I've checked the oil in that before taking it in for the free service, and it still appears to be a decent golden brown, certainly not dirty and black like conventional cars could be after 3000 miles. 5000 in the new Prius is a bit more conservative, but given the higher revs, I'll buy into it. I imagine the oil might look even better than what I saw from my '02.

-Rick