FYI: Re: Consumer Reports on Oil (kinda long) (fwd)

[kawo@www.internetizen.com]

According to the email below, it seems that we can change our motor oil 
every 7,500 miles.
Any comments???? is it safe to do it???

Kawo
A4Q


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 10:42:08 -0400
From: George Economou <economou@tiac.net>
To: kawo@www.internetizen.com
Subject: FYI: Re: Consumer Reports on Oil (kinda long)

>X-Authentication-Warning: coimbra.ans.net: majordom set sender to
owner-quattro using -f
>From: gregsj@mail.imm.com
>Date: Sun, 23 Jun 1996 10:17:28 -0800
>Subject: Consumer Reports on Oil (kinda long)
>To: quattro@coimbra.ans.net
>Sender: owner-quattro@coimbra.ans.net
>
>Fellow Audians: for what it's worth, the following oil report appeared 
>in our Saturday paper.
>
>Report Says Motor Oil is Motor Oil. Test by consumer watchdog reveal 
>only minor differences.
>
>AP--New York--Premium Motor oil and fancy additives are nothing more 
>than slick sales Consumer Reports says. The consumer watchdog tested 
>20 types of motor oils under the most grueling conditions--in a fleet 
>of 75 NYC taxi cabs--for nearly two years. The results: there is 
>little difference among brands as long as the container carries the 
>starburst symbol--a standard set by the American Petroleum Institute 
>for additives needed to keep modern engines running. The study also 
>found:
>
>For normal service, changing a car's oil every 7,500 miles, or at the 
>automaker's suggested interval is sufficient. Although some mechanics 
>recommend oil changes every 3,000 miles, it only wastes money and adds 
>to the nation's oil disposal problems. Consumer Reports cautions, 
>however that no oil, synthetic or conventional, should be used for 
>more than 7,500 miles or the maximum interval recommended by the 
>automaker.
>
>Expensive synthetic oils worked no better than conventional motor oil 
>in the taxis, which drove 4.5 million miles in stop-and-go traffic. 
>But synthetic oils may be worthwhile for cars in extreme driving 
>conditions.
>
>Additives such as Slick 50, STP Engine Treatment and STP Oil Treatment 
>failed to show a significant reduction in friction and engine wear 
>compared with engines using the same oil without the additives. 
>Consumer Reports said additives are unnecessary as long as the oil 
>used meets the API standard
>
>When using a quick-lube center, tell the mechanic what grade of oil 
>the owners manual recommends. Consumer Reports found that unless told, 
>the quick-lube shops failed to use the proper grade about half the 
>time.
>
>In addition to the tests in the Chevrolet Caprice taxicabs, the survey 
>analyzed the characteristics of each oil in determining its findings. 
>Motor oil should be thin enough to flow easily when the engine is cold 
>and remain thick enough to provide protection when the engine is warm.
>
>