Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: Danh
Originally Posted By: addyguy
You want to use the M1 0W-20, as it is API-certified, and that will most likely be required for your warranty.
Amsoil has 2 0W-20's that are API-certified, the 'XL' and 'OE' 0W-20. IF you want to go with Amsoil, maybe choose one of those.
I'm not an Amsoil user, but Amsoil fans seem to react pretty violently when the possible warranty implications of using Signature Series are brought up. Is this a theoretical complication or have warranty claims actually been denied because it isn't API-certified?
It's been brought up constantly here. It really comes down to exactly what the WRITTEN warranty says. SS meets the requirements of API, so it's not automatically a warranty violation to use it. No one here or anyone I have ever known or seen has a warranty issue with Amsoil SS.
Now back to the original question. I say use Amsoil XL, pocket the savings and enjoy the better UOA than M1.
The AMSOIL warranty problem has been reported previously on forum by several people, myself included.
I installed Amzoil differential lubricant in a nearly new VW 412 in the middle 70's. In about 5,000 miles, the teeth wore completely off the ring and pinion..... gone, just plain worn out like maybe a 400,000 mile differential might look. VW dutifully replaced it, and it was refilled with Amsoil. I had also installed Mobil 1 in the engine (5W20, it was one size fits all)
5,000 miles more and the teeth wore completely off. By now the local Sports car club had members working as mechanics at VW and new about the Amsoil.
It soon became a war of accusations: VW pointing out that it was a non certified lubricant. The local (also SCCA affiliated) Amsoil sales people decided the car was being severely abused and not maintained at all. In any case the differential was rebuilt at my expense and ran forever on regular lubricant.
Severely abused: The original tires lasted way past 50 k miles. 76 HP would not squeal them.... and this vehicle was mostly used at a commuter car by my wife, a university professor.
Never did wear out the original brakes.
Under Maintained: 2 differential changes, 3 complete differential fluid changes in 25,000 miles is not enough??
The next summer at Elhart Lake - Road America... I was crewing on a formula car..... Amsoil reps had literature claiming the Differential Lube now had a 4x higher ep number with their new additive pack. Quizzing those there indicated that they were now adding the EP agents that other oils used to get "even better" results.
My take: It was massively undertested, they were hoping the superiority of "synthetic oil" would not need the EP agents. And the lengthy SAE tests for certification tests were skipped
Mistake number two: Buying from Multi-Level_Marketing sales people. This system develops "true believers" who will grasp at every straw and accept every good claim and poo-pah every failure of their product. When a customer had a failure they went into all out assault mode on the customer, even taking the abuse claim to the dealer, leading them to believe that the car was being abused. IF it is the customers fault then nobody (Amsoil?) has to pay!!
All my cars have had long, reliable lives and my driving would be described as sedate, not aggressive. Perhaps the abuse was putting Amsoil in it!!
Not meaning to beat up on Pablo, but I and others have reported Amsoil problems on this forum that seem forgotten.
And, maybe someday someone will fess up what the factory knew about this. Why the sudden upgrade to the 4X better product, with large amounts of literature laying around proclaiming it.
