Originally Posted By: pitzel
Has anyone actually collected on one of these "warranties"? I would think that they would demand not only the huge documentation trail, basically unblemished, but also proof that the whole plethora of other engine, but non-oil-related maintenance was performed (ie: oxygen sensors, etc.).
I personally don't see the point of synthetics in cars that don't otherwise spec them, unless one is going for extended drain intervals. Like the ~40k miles I have on my latest oil change. And besides, 10 years from now, what are the chances they're still going to be marketing the same brand-name of oil and honouring the warranty on the successor oil? Its a gimmick, plain and simple, with a minimal payoff. Figure out extended drains, and run with that if you want to save money.
I think this is the case also. However, I like the fact that Quaker State UD seems to make my upper engine run quieter, it's priced right, and it meets Dexos specs. Plus, win or lose, this program only required OEM oil change intervals. So, I think it's win/win basically. I was a M1 only guy until I had my last truck's oil changed at a dealer once years ago (it's the only time in the past 15 years I paid somebody to change my oil) and my passenger commented that it ran smoother (I felt it also). At the time they had put Syntec in instead of my normal M1. I continued to use M1 despite this event, however, with UD having a better VI than M1 5w30 plus the quiet/smooth thing I had to switch.