Thirty years ago, oil companies and vehicle manufacturers were recommending 2,000 to 3,000 mile oil drain intervals.

Today, the auto manufacturers have increased their drain recommendations significantly. But despite the improvement in motor oils made during these past 30+ years, and despite the fact that the same oils are used in Europe with much longer drain intervals, oil companies here in the U.S. are still promoting 3,000 mile drain intervals.

According to a feature article in Lubes & Greases magazine, that represents the unneeded production of 300 million to 400 million gallons of engine oil every year! Who pays for all the unneeded motor oil? It's the motorists who change oil more often than necessary. And who profits from producing all this unneeded motor oil? The oil companies who continue to recommend frequent oil changes!

The article was written by David McFall, past president of the American Petroleum Institute (API) and Automotive Editor for Lubes & Greases magazine. He minces no words in questioning the motives of oil companies, asking why their oils can be used for 10,000 miles in European vehicles while being recommended for only 3,000 miles here in the United States. Most of us already know the answer to that question. The oil companies don't want to see their market cut by at least half by extending drain intervals. They'll stick to their 3,000 mile drain recommendations as long as American consumers will keep buying into it, at an estimated annual cost of $1.5 billion, according to McFall.

Oil specifications and drain recommendations in Europe are controlled by the vehicle manufacturers, with the oil companies having less influence than here in the U.S.

Because of higher costs, Europeans are careful about wasting energy. They are also very environmentally aware. They would not put with the cost, waste, and environmental effects of changing their oil very 3,000 miles. They are very aware of the improved performance synthetic motor oils provide. To illustrate how the performance of synthetic oils are appreciated, take note of what follows.

Owners of Mercedes-Benz automobiles in the U.S. were recently awarded a $32 million settlement because they were not informed they should use synthetic motor oil. Mercedes utilizes a system designed to help owners lower maintenance costs and reduce the adverse environmental impact of used motor oil. The system extends drain intervals to when the oil actually needs to be changed, rather than at set predetermined intervals. They start with 10,000 mile drains and push them up to 20,000 miles, using synthetic motor oils!

The problem occurred because these U.S. owners were told to use conventional motor oils, which could not stand up to those extended drain intervals. According to the suit, this promoted more engine wear than if they had been using the originally specified synthetic oil. Now if that isn't a testimonial as to the superior performance of synthetic motor oils, I don't know what is. Thirty-two million dollars is a tidy sum to pay for increasing engine wear, but the company did not dispute the fact that the drain intervals determined by their system were too long for conventional oils.

McFall's article singled out AMSOIL as the only oil company actually recommending extended drain intervals. He notes that the other oil companies either don't make drain recommendations or stick with their 3,000 mile recommendation. Consumers must refer to their owners manuals, which almost always recommend more miles between oil changes than 3,000 miles for normal operation, or they can listen to their car dealers or oil change specialists, who push frequent oil changes to keep their cash registers ringing.

Mercedes-Benz should be commended for specifying synthetic lubricants for their superior performance and for extending drains to minimize the adverse effects of used motor oil on the environment. As time goes on, there will be an increasing number of companies who will do the same. But that won't happen if the oil industry can do the same. They are actively working to keep the status quo, promoting many more oil changes than necessary, wasting precious resources, and creating the need to dispose of more pollutants in the form of used motor oil.

This matter certainly deserves some thought and consideration for each, and every motorist. Should you consider using synthetic fluid? Can you extend your drain interval on your current oil? The best way to really know if you should change your oil is by sending it to a lab for analysis. We simply cannot all do that. However don't be afraid to judge if you are due for an oil change or not simply by looking at your oil. If it is not very dirty, and you have already driven your "3,000 miles" it's still good oil. Don't waste your time or money changing it until it's life it close to the end. If enough people consider this we may make a difference in oil consumption enough to bring down oil prices a bit. You never know.