AMSOIL API
Licensing
Q. Why aren't
all AMSOIL motor oils API licensed
A. Good
question. AMSOIL staffers have recently read some message boards with misinformation
regarding this issue. Let us address API licensing in depth, as well as the issue of
warranties. Some AMSOIL motor oils are API licensed, some are not. If you're concerned
about your warranty and feel pressures to use an API licensed oil, even after reading this
answer, then the 5W-30 (XLF), 5W-20 (XLM) or 10W-30 (XLT) XL-7500 or our 15W-40 (PCO) API
licensed oils should be your choice. If you are looking for an alternative to frequent oil
changes or just want the best performing oil for your car, then one of our top tier
non-API licensed synthetic oils are for you. Read on, and decide for yourself.
API Licensing
- Passenger Cars - What is it?
An API (American Petroleum
Institute) license indicates that a specific motor oil formulation has passed the minimum performance standards as defined by a series
of laboratory bench, physical, chemical and engine tests. These tests were selected and
minimum performance standards were set by the API Lubricants Committee to address specific
areas such as engine wear, deposits, fuel economy, emissions, etc. The committee is
comprised of representatives from automobile, oil and additive companies. The current
specification is SJ/GF-2, and in July 2001 the first use of SL/GF-3 will begin.
Costs
The cost for running a test
program for a single passenger car motor oil formulation is from $125,000 to $300,000,
depending on if the formula passes the tests the first time through or requires multiple
test runs or formula modifications to achieve a passing average. (That amount goes to
$275,000 to $500,000 for a Heavy Duty Diesel licensing program on a specific formula.)
Once that testing is complete and the formula has passed all of the minimum requirements,
it can be licensed for $825 per year for non-members and $625 per year for members. There
is also a small royalty fee per gallon sold for all gallons over one million. The length
of time between new specifications is now approximately 2 to 3 years, which does not allow
a great deal of time to recover testing costs.
Who Licenses
What Formulas?
Additive companies, such as
Lubrizol, Ethyl,, Infinium and Oronite, develop licensed formulas that they offer to oil
companies to re-license. It is inexpensive to re-license one of these formulas, and the
majority of oil companies choose to do this to avoid the costs associated with testing.
This, however, tends to commoditize the market. The same chemistry is being sold under
many brand names. Most of the major oil companies do have their own proprietary formulas
developed, tested and licensed. All of AMSOIL INC.'s lubricant formulas are unique and
proprietary.
Flexibility In
Manufacturing An API Licensed Formula
API licensing was originally
developed for mineral based oils, and it affords these oils more flexibility than
synthetic oils.
Mineral oils comprised of group I
and Group II petroleum basestocks may use a simple program called basestock interchange
for added flexibility in manufacturing and purchasing. Interchange means that by
completing the proper paperwork and running a few minor engine tests an oil company can
choose to buy these petroleum basestocks from many different suppliers. This ensures
adequate supply and competitive pricing. However, basestock interchange for Group III and
V synthetic basestocks is not allowed. For example, if a formula was tested with an ester
(Group V) basestock from a specific supplier, then anyone blending that formula must buy
only that supplier's ester. Complete engine testing would need to be performed on the
formula using another supplier's ester before an oil company could buy it from that
alternative supplier. This additional testing is normally not performed because of the
associated costs. This inflexibility makes it very difficult for synthetic lubricant
manufacturers to negotiate prices with synthetic basestock suppliers.
There is also something called
viscosity grade read-across. Fortunately, this applies to both petroleum and synthetic
basestocks although the better cold temperature performance of synthetics makes it more
difficult to achieve in some situations. (That's another whole story.) What this means is
that if you properly formulate the lubricant for which you have run all of the API tests,
there are guidelines that allow you to use that same formula to make 0W-30, 5W-30, 10W-30,
etc. viscosity motor oil.
Finally, there is a rule for
substitutions in the CMA (Chemical Manufacturers Association) code of practice that allows
a small degree of flexibility for all
formulas. It allows a company to change the percentages of components in the formula by
varying amounts from the original formula with limited testing and paperwork requirements.
For example, if the licensed formula used 10% of a certain V.I. improver, you would have
the ability to utilize from 9% to 11% of the same V.I. improver for your formula.
Key
Limitations For API Licensed Formulas
Phosphorous
content - .10% maximum
(API SL; 0W-20, 5W-20, 0W-30, 5W-30, 10W-30 viscosity grades, only)
NOACK volatility -
15% maximum
The prevalent sources of
phosphorous in motor oils are additives called zinc dithiophosphates (ZDTPs). Currently,
these versatile additives act as oxidation/corrosion inhibitors and aid in the ability of
a lubricant to reduce wear. The automobile manufacturers, however, have demanded that
lubricants contain a maximum of only .10% phosphorous. Their reason is that some
manufacturers believe that higher phosphorous content levels will poison the catalytic
converters on their cars before they reach 150,000 miles, which is the number of miles
that their vehicles will be required to pass EPA emission standards. There has not been
total agreement within the automotive and lubrication industry about whether phosphorous
levels over .10% actually do harm catalytic converters in the long run. What they have
failed to make allowances for is the NOACK volatility of an oil.
The maximum allowable NOACK
volatility percentage for the new SL/GF-3 passenger car motor oil specification is 15%.
Most of AMSOIL motor oils are in the 5% to 8% NOACK volatility range. Studies have shown
there is a correlation between NOACK volatility, oil consumption and the amount of
phosphorous from motor oil that will end up in the exhaust gasses. Therefore, oils with
higher levels of phosphorous but with low volatility, such as AMSOIL motor oils, present
no more risk to catalytic converters than low phosphorous oils with higher NOACK
volatility. This has also been demonstrated for years in actual application through state
mandated exhaust gas testing on our Dealers' and customers' high mileage vehicles using
AMSOIL synthetic motor oils. State inspectors are continually amazed at the low emissions
levels generated by vehicles using AMSOIL products. So much for poisoning catalytic
converters.
AMSOIL INC. has determined that
the reduced wear and extended drain intervals achievable with phosphorous levels higher
than the API limit of .10% are real benefits for the consumer, and pose no risk to
catalytic converters. AMSOIL motor oils, except for the API licensed XL-7500 5W-30, 5W-20
and 10W-30 viscosity grades, all have greater than .10% phosphorous levels, and therefore,
cannot be API licensed.
Why
Some AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils Are API Licensed And Some Are Not
1. Full API licensing puts AMSOIL
INC. in an inflexible position. Not only would we find it necessary to buy formula
components from specific vendors and be at the mercy of their pricing, we would not be
able to make any major improvements to the lubricant formulas for 2 to 3 years, without
new testing and the associated costs. To solve this problem, the API must establish
basestock interchange guidelines for synthetic basestocks just as they have for other
basestocks, as well as develop interchange guidelines for other components too.
2. Full API licensing would
impose strict phosphorous limitations on our motor oils. This limitation is the main
reason most AMSOIL motor oils are not API licensed. AMSOIL INC. currently disagrees with
this limitation and feels strongly that the reduced wear and longer oil and additive life
achieved through higher levels of properly balanced phosphorous content is more important
than the arbitrary API phosphorous limit that does not give any consideration to the NOACK
volatility level of an oil. When chemistry is developed that will provide superior engine
wear protection with reduced phosphorous levels, or Noack volatility considerations are
put in place, then the phosphorous level will become a non-issue.
Warranties
And API Licensed Motor Oils
Fortunately, the law does
not allow manufacturers to "void your warranty" simply because of the brand of
oil you use, the specifications it meets or the miles you drive between oil changes. To be
specific, they cannot deny to fix your broken radio, faulty valve or cracked piston
because you used an AMSOIL non-API licensed motor oil, or because you've gone more than
3000 miles since your last oil change. Denial of warranty coverage must be specifically
due to an oil related failure. All courts of law will find against any manufacturer or
dealership that tries these warranty shenanigans. If any automobile dealership insinuates
that your warranty will be void if you use AMSOIL products or utilize extended drain
intervals, let AMSOIL INC. know the name of the Dealership, the address, the owner's name
and the name of the employee that made this statement. Mail to:
AMSOIL INC.
Attention: Technical Services Department
AMSOIL Building
Superior, WI 54880
(715) 392-7101
or e-mail to tech@amsoil.com.
They will almost never put it in
writing, but if they do, please send us a copy of that, too. Either way, we will send them
a letter informing them cease the intimidation of our customers.
Only if the oil is determined to
be the direct cause of the engine problem can a manufacturer or dealership deny warranty
coverage for that specific problem. In this situation the AMSOIL warranty would apply, and
the AMSOIL Technical Services Department would assist you in processing your claim and in
getting the vehicle repaired. That's our pledge to you. AMSOIL INC. sells millions of
gallons of oil per year and warranty claims are a rare occurrence. If you ever have a
warranty problem with an automobile manufacturer or dealership, AMSOIL will assist you by
analyzing the problem and providing data supporting the fact that repairs should be made
under the vehicle manufacturer's warranty. If this does not resolve the problem, AMSOIL
will submit a claim with our insurance company and request that an adjuster have the
vehicle repaired and pursue legal settlement later if necessary. The fact is there never
has been an engine failure attributed to the non-performance of AMSOIL products, and we do
not expect there ever will be. If it ever did, both AMSOIL and our insurance company would
make certain your problem was resolved.
Click
HERE to see the AMSOIL Limited Warranty.
How
Does AMSOIL INC. Ensure Their Products Meet Or Exceed The Minimum Specifications Of The
Tests Required For API Licensing?
First, AMSOIL INC. works closely
with major additive companies to select the top performing, and usually most expensive,
passenger car and heavy duty diesel motor oil additives. These additives have already
passed all of the API licensing requirements in a petroleum or synthetic based
formulation. Then we work with the additive company to maximize
the amount of additive used and to boost the additive package in selected performance
areas to achieve an optimum performing additive package for reduced wear and extended
drain intervals. This is unlike the vast majority of companies who, because additives are
expensive, use the minimum amount of the
least expensive additives required to meet the minimum API requirements.
We then utilize a blend of
synthetic basestocks with known performance characteristics as a replacement for the
petroleum basestocks to optimize performance in areas of lubricity, volatility, viscosity
index, oxidation and nitration resistance, pour points, flash points, deposit control,
soot handling, emissions, etc. We also will utilize a highly shear stable V.I. improver to
ensure viscosity retention throughout extended drain intervals. This replaces the
inexpensive and less shear stable V.I. improver used in the API licensed petroleum
formula. We do laboratory bench tests before running field tests to verify the superiority
of the synthetic formula in actual use. We also continue to monitor the performance of the
oil through close scrutiny of tens of thousands of oil analysis tests per year across a
wide variety of vehicles all around North America and the World. AMSOIL INC. has been
collecting used synthetic oil samples from passenger cars since 1982. No other oil company
has such a vast data base of the performance of synthetic lubricants over extended drain
intervals.
AMSOIL INC.'s products and
formulations outperform API licensed oils. They're engineered that way. Period.
Conclusion
AMSOIL INC. takes pride in never
having conformed to industry norms or standards when those standards are contrary to peak
performance. We introduced synthetics to the automotive world in 1972 with the first
synthetic motor oil to exceed API performance specifications. At that time other
manufacturers refused to recognize the superior performance of synthetic motor oils. Now,
however, most companies sell synthetic lubricants, vehicles are factory filled with
synthetic motor oils and gear lubes, and some manufacturers even offer extended warranties
if you use synthetics. AMSOIL has always offered extended drain intervals because the oil
was capable of performing for extended drains, and it was the right thing to do for the
consumer. Now the entire industry is moving in that direction. Ironically, it was recently
published that automotive manufacturers will be recommending extended drain intervals of
up to 15,000 miles in the near future because that's what consumers want.
AMSOIL is a company of firsts. That doesn't happen by
always conforming to industry norms and standards.
API licensing of lubricants is
voluntary, and it ensures automobile manufacturers and consumers that the product meets a
set of minimum standards. Should these
standards, in the future, be raised to a level consistent with AMSOIL's standards for
motor oil performance, AMSOIL will consider licensing all oils. For those that feel
pressured to use an API licensed product, we have them and encourage you to use them (XLT,
XLM, XLF and PCO). AMSOIL does offer better performing motor oils that are not API
licensed for all of the reasons explained in this response. They provide our customers
with alternatives to the commodity products typically available in the market today. If
you want the convenience of extended drain intervals or the top performance from your
vehicle, AMSOIL has taken time to engineer the very best money can buy.
