Virtually
all automobile manufacturers warrant their vehicles to remain
free of defect in manufacture or workmanship for a certain
mileage or time period. Whether an automaker will honor a
warranty claim depends on the vehicle owner providing proper
maintanance for the vehicle. For this reason, it is important
for vehicle owners to maintain maintenance records. Proper
maintenance includes installing appropriate oil and filters.
Automakers
cannot deny warranty claims soley on the basis of using synthetic
motor oil, and they cannot specify a certain oil brand to
be used in their vehicles. Instead, they require the oil meets
the appropriate API performance classification and SAE viscosity
grade specified in the owners manual.
"Installation
or the use of special materials does not, in and of itself,
void the New Vehicle Limited Warranties."
Service and Parts
Operations,
Chrysler Corporation
Many
high performance vehicles are factory filled with synthetic
motor oils and the manufacturers encourage continued use of
synthetic motor oils in order to achieve maximum performance,
including Cadillac, Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Viper. Many
other automobile manufactures neither recommend or discourage
the use of synthetic motor oils, requiring only that the oil
meets a certain viscosity grade and performance classification.
Automakers
may not void warranties based solely on an owner's practice
of extending oil drain intervals. Dealership personnel and
district managers may be unaware of the serviceability of
synthetic motor oils over an extended period, but they may
not summarily dismiss a warranty claim based on the owner's
practice of changing oil at extended intervals. To do so does
not disprove a defect in manufacture or workmanship as the
immediate cause of failure. Vehicle owners may appeal to a
factory representative if the dealership and district manager
do not satisfactorily settle the warranty claim. Factory representatives
appreciate the value of used oil analysis and do consider
preventive maintenance oil analysis reports in their evaluation
of warranty claims, while post failure oil analysis is critically
important to the disposition of a warranty claim. Their findings
pull more weight than the opinions of dealerships or district
managers.
"If
engine damage otherwise covered by warranty was found to be
unrelated to the engine lubricant, then the consumer's practice
with regard to oil change intervals would not be a relevant
consideration, and the warranty claim would be honored."
Fuels and Lubricants
Division,
General Motors Research Laboratories
If
used engine oil is discarded without an independent analysis,
the dealership and vehicle manufacturer lose their evidence
to support a claim that the oil, and not a mechanical problem,
caused the failure. For example, sludge may be formed through
several avenues, not all related to the oil's performance.
Antifreeze contamination or nitration due to poor electronic
sensor performance may cause sludge, and both may be directly
related to a defect in vehicle manufacture or workmanship,
but clearly neither may be blamed on oil.
"The
New Vehicle Warranty would not be void simply because an owner
failed to use proper engine oils or did not perform maintenance
at the prescribed intervals. Warranty applicability is contingent
upon the cause of failure."
Service Policies
and Procedures Department,
General Motors Corporation
Vehicle
manufacturers base their owner's manual maintenance recommendations
on their own research and to best protect their equipment
based upon lubricants of varying quality, reliability and
value in the marketplace. A move toward extended drain intervals
is in progress now.
Ford recently
extended its recommended drain interval to 7,500 miles in
normal service conditions, while GM has been recommending
increased intervals when indicated by its oil monitoring system.
AMSOIL
offers superior synthetic motor oils fully capable of providing
extended drain service. AMSOIL is committed to backing its
products, as well as protecting the interests of its customers.
Therefore, AMSOIL INC. offers its customers a warranty.
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Premium AMSOIL
Synthetic Motor Oils offer the longest drain intervals
on the market, unsurpassed protection and performance that
effectively extends equipment life and improved fuel economy,
saving customers money at the pump and reducing the nation's
dependence on foreign oil.
"AMSOIL INC. warrants that the use of its lubricants will not cause mechanical damage to any mechanically sound equipment when AMSOIL INC. products are used in full compliance with the company's recommendations and instructions."
AMSOIL
synthetic motor oils are formulated to surpass engine test
specifications, offering protection far greater than competing
motor oils for extended drain intervals. Most synthetic oil
manufacturers make no claim to extended drain intervals, deferring
to the maintenance schedule provided by the vehicle manufacturer.
With its unparalleled oil and warranty program, AMSOIL offers
consumers unprecedented protection and economics.
Warranty Specifics
Any lubricant
meeting viscosity and performance specifications may be used.
Vehicle manufacturers describe lubricants by their viscosity
grade and service classification, which are defined by the
Tripartite Committee, composed of the American Petroleum Institute
(API), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). All AMSOIL synthetic
motor oils state their SAE viscosity grade and API performance
classification on the product container, and all are recommended
for the highest performance classification for their application.
If personnel at
a vehicle dealership claim that a vehicle warranty is void
simply by using AMSOIL synthetic motor oil, obtain this statement
in writing and send a copy to AMSOIL INC. AMSOIL INC. will
follow up with the dealership.
The vehicle
manufacturer may not specify by brand name the products you
may use in your vehicle.
The Magnuson-Moss Act is a federal law which states that a
manufacturer may not require the use of a specific brand of
aftermarket product, including lubricants, unless that part
is provided by the manufacturer free of charge. To do otherwise
constitutes an infringement upon free trade.
If any representative
of the vehicle dealership or manufacturer informs you that
you must use a specific brand of lubricant or filter, obtain
a written statement to that effect and send a copy to AMSOIL
INC. AMSOIL INC. will follow-up.
Cause of
failure is paramount to warranty claim payment.
Vehicle manufacturers warrant their products to be free of
defect in manufacturer or workmanship. In order to avoid paying
a warranty claim, a vehicle manufacturer must show a failure
is not due to a defect in the manufacture or workmanship of
the vehicle. The manufacturer may not arbitrarily blame a
failure on the consumer's practice of changing oil at extended
intervals.
Verbal
notification of refusal to honor a claim is insufficient.
The refusal must be in writing and must state the specific
reason a claim has been refused. If you still think a failure
is due to a defect in vehicle manufacture or workmanship,
contact the dealership, district manager, manufacturer or
arbitrator.
The AMSOIL
warranty assumes protection where the vehicle warranty stops.
AMSOIL offers complete protection to its customers through
the finest line of lubricants and filters available and through
the unique AMSOIL warranty. Customers following AMSOIL recommendations
are protected by the AMSOIL warranty if they experience a
failure caused by an AMSOIL product and the vehicle manufacturer
won't honor it's warranty.
Customers
are covered
As long as customers maintain their vehicles properly and
follow either the vehicle manufacturer recommendations or
AMSOIL recommendations, their vehicles are warranted against
failure by either the vehicle manufacturer or AMSOIL INC.
AMSOIL has had minimal warranty issues and virtually no issues
with dealerships.
Another
AMSOIL First
More than 20 years
ago, AMSOIL began using the NOACK volatility test as a comparison
tool and measurement of quality. Back then, nearly every oil
tested side-by-side with AMSOIL synthetic motor oils failed,
and those that passed barely squeaked by. Other oil companies
paid no attention to NOACK results until Ford Motor Company
made it a requirement for service fill oils, validating what
AMSOIL had said all along.
THE
NOACK Volatility Test
The NOACK
Volatility Test determines the evaporation loss
of lubricants in high temperature service. The more
motor oils vaporize, the thicker and heavier they become,
contributing to poor circulation, reduced fuel economy
and increased oil consumption, wear and emissions. AMSOIL
Synthetic Motor Oil resists high temperature volatization
better than other motor oils. AMSOIL Synthetic Motor
Oil maintains peak fuel efficiency and reduces oil consumption
and emissions.
AMSOIL Now An ISO Certified
Manufacturer
AMSOIL recently
received ISO 9001:2000 certification of our Quality Management
System (QMS). NSF International Strategic Registrations is
the registrar that has verified our QMS meets the requirements
of the ISO 9001:2000 standard, the most widely utilized quality
standard throughout the world for quality management systems.
ISO standards are used by over 300,000 companies worldwide
setting rigorous standards for businesses, government and
industry.
ISO 9001:2000
is applicable to any manufacturing and service organization
providing a framework for system development that focuses
on the customer, quality system performance and ongoing improvement.
AMSOIL received ISO 9001:2000 registration under the scope:
synthetic lubricants blending, packaging, and other fulfillment
directly associated with lubricant product.
The ISO
certification puts AMSOIL in line with some of the most efficient
companies in the world. It is further assurance that the products
and services AMSOIL provides will continue to maintain the
high level of quality the company always demanded.
AMSOIL Product Information
Use This
Form to Get Exclusive Technical Articles and Information
on AMSOIL Products.
Receive valuable
weekly newsletter by email - please complete this form.
Personal contact information
will only be used to provide requested information or
assistance. You will not be enrolled in advertising
or marketing programs and your information will not
be sold.
I welcome the opportunity
to work with you personally as your servicing AMSOIL Dealer.
Use the information on this website to contact me. You may
also check out the AMSOIL
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