Mobil 1 EP different change intervals!...

[dino33]

Anyone like to guess on the significant difference between the recommended change intervals between Mobil USA and Mobil Canada in regards to Mobil 1 extended performance??? Is it climate difference? If so, should Yanks in the Northern States cut short their change intervals, and Canucks on the West Coast lengthen theirs?....

A difference of 2 573 miles, or nearly twenty per cent! Sorry if this has already been discussed but I couldn't find anything in the search.

Mobil Canada.... 20 000 km or 12 427 miles:

http://www.mobil.ca/Canada-English-LCW/carengineoils_products_mobil-1_ep-5w30.aspx


Mobil US.... 15 000 miles or 24 140 km:

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Oils/Mobil_1_Extended_Performance.aspx

 

[tudorart]

It may be founded based on different conditions and smaller/different engines or just not researched enough (in Canada field conditions) to have the confidence to recommend it.

FYI Amsoil does that with their long drain oils. Outside the US they recommend OEM intervals or six months/10,000 miles...even when using their synthetic oil filters.

 

[Ibrahim]

On top of that we pay more!!!

 

[Garak]

Well, there may be some explanation based upon expected conditions, but I bet it's something simpler than that. 15,000 miles (U.S.) and 20,000 km (Canada) are nice, easy round figures. Of course, we do spend more on synthetic, so I'm sure they want us to spend more, and more often.

I wonder how many actually take the product out to either the U.S. or the Canadian limit, though.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Well, there may be some explanation based upon expected conditions, but I bet it's something simpler than that. 15,000 miles (U.S.) and 20,000 km (Canada) are nice, easy round figures. Of course, we do spend more on synthetic, so I'm sure they want us to spend more, and more often.

I wonder how many actually take the product out to either the U.S. or the Canadian limit, though.


They could have done 25,000km for Canada...

 

[Garak]

Yes, but that would put us longer than the U.S., and who do you want mad at you, Canucks or Americans?

Given you guys have ten times the population, you probably have ten times the Mobil 1 users, and XOM doesn't want ten times the complaints!

 

[tudorart]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Yes, but that would put us longer than the U.S., and who do you want mad at you, Canucks or Americans?

Given you guys have ten times the population, you probably have ten times the Mobil 1 users, and XOM doesn't want ten times the complaints!

Nevermind the population, suffice to say Chuck Norris is American

 

[Capa]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Well, there may be some explanation based upon expected conditions, but I bet it's something simpler than that. 15,000 miles (U.S.) and 20,000 km (Canada) are nice, easy round figures.

+2 almost undoubtedly the real reason. As someone just mentioned, they could have and should have rounded it to 25,000 km.

 

[salv]

The majority of the US has a warmer climate, less fuel dilution in winter months. I live 65 miles south of Montreal in northern NY, and I would be inclined to abide by the Canadian interval as opposed to the US interval.

 

[Garak]

True, but I bet statistically speaking, the difference is irrelevant. The EP mileage guarantee covers a pile of different vehicles in different climates (in both countries) in totally different operating conditions. If the average Canadian went a little over the Canadian limit into the American limit, I doubt it would be an issue. I'm sure XOM has a bit of a fudge factor into both warranty limits, assuming the vehicle is a good candidate for extended drains in the first place.

 

[FZ1]

Those #s are just advertising. You have to tailor the oci to your,unique,driving circumstance. Your results may vary.

 

[surfstar]

OP: shoot an email to mobil canuck and mobil usa and see what their responses are!

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: surfstar
OP: shoot an email to mobil canuck and mobil usa and see what their responses are!

Are you trying to snowball this into a giant mess?

 

[KitaCam]

Divide both by 2 and you'll have 1/2 the difference and the better OCI...for both...

 

[jrustles]

Does it even matter, like when does this mileage 'guarantee' ever become valid, in the absence of mfg recommendations? Is there an engine out there without a factory specified OCI?!

EDIT: found it

"What the Period of Coverage Is
The Mobil 1 Extended Performance limited warranty is valid for 15,000 miles or your vehicle’s OEM recommended oil change interval, whichever is longer.

Additional requirements for Mobil 1 Extended Performance include:

1. Oils must be put in service not later than five (5) years from the date of purchase; and
2. an oil change must be completed every twelve (12) months."

That is interesting, though the rest of the guarantee leaves a lot of room to evade any claims.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: jrustles
That is interesting, though the rest of the guarantee leaves a lot of room to evade any claims.

All warranties do that, but I think XOM is actually quite reasonable about it. Valvoline and Shell like to put mileage limits and require exclusive use for their warranties, and that's merely to build loyalty, which isn't a bad thing, but a backhanded way to do it.

The only way a claim is going to be paid from any of them is if the oil is used in a proper application and used as directed and actually causes the failure. Everything else is window dressing for good or for bad, and that includes Valvoline's and Shell's desire for exclusivity or their mileage limit. Realistically, if their oil could actually be proven to have caused damage when used as directed, it's not going to matter how many miles are on the engine or what the last fill was.

Then again, the odds of properly formulated oil from the majors causing a failure when used as directed is slim to none. That's why I call the warranty window dressing.

Failures are going to be because of design flaws or lack of maintenance. The oil itself is rather unlikely to be the weak link.

 

[virginoil]

Most vehicles with long drain have larger capacity oil sumps.

There is no mention of extended drain OCI in relation to:
1. older vehicles with smaller sumps which were not designed for it.
2. extreme driving conditions and OEM recommendations
3. UOA's to help assess condition of the oil

 

[Garak]

Well, some of those matters are addressed. If it's an older vehicle with a smaller sump, it had better be in good condition, since XOM won't cover pre-existing issues. Also, if you have an older, out of warranty vehicle and you're beginning to sense something is wrong, you either decide to look into it deeper if it's a keeper, or, more likely, you prepare to dump it on the next, unsuspecting soul, who might even be a dealer.

For extreme driving conditions, well, I guess they're relying on the product and the one year maximum. If it's the little old lady who amasses her 15,000 miles in ten years, she's still going to have to change once per year.

In both cases, I suspect that XOM receives less calls per day from consumers trying to make non-frivolous warranty claims than does a single large dealership. Even anecdotally, look at the forums here. We have all kinds of stories about this and that going in for manufacturer's warranty, or this being covered by the dealer and that not being covered. How many stories have we heard in here about someone trying to make a warranty claim from the oil company? I only recall one since I started lurking years ago.

 

[virginoil]

Well I trust the new members on BITOG understand its not just about warranty claims as here we have an Oil Company trying to promote a product for vehicles that perhaps never designed for extended OCI's.

There are many variables affecting OCI's as those that were here on BITOG at the time would know that when GM were developing the Oil Life Monitor (OLM) the variables, parameters and OEM extreme conditions etc were discussed at depth. GM spent lots of funds and time to get the formula, real world testing, programming and reliability of the OLM correct to cover the various scenarios and conditions of vehicle use etc

I recall from the discussions that appeared just after the GM OLM was released there was also some distrust about following its recommendations, so how it can an Oil be adopted for extended OCI without some serious considerations taken into account by the end user.