They Say Nothing Outperforms Mobil 1? Wrong!

Amsoil is the Best Synthetic Motor Oil!

A Message from Al Amatuzio, President and Founder of AMSOIL

 Mobil 1 was introduced after AMSOIL had paved the way for synthetic motor oils back in the '70s. When it was introduced, it caused great concern among many of our Dealers. But in my President's Message at the time, I assured everyone that having Mobil 1 on the market would only help us sell more oil. Mobil confirmed everything we had been saying about synthetic oils, and our products and claims instantly became more credible. Since then, we have always been compared to Mobil 1.

When people think of synthetic motor oil, they think of AMSOIL and Mobil 1, not the other Johnny-come-latelys that have come onthe market more recently. I have always said that Mobil 1 is a good motor oil, because compared to the run-of-the-mill motor oils on the market, it is. I have also always said that AMSOIL motor oil is better, again, because it is. Mobil makes their oils to run at normal drain intervals while we make ours for extended drain intervals, and therein lies the difference. Their oils don't have to be as good as ours, so they are not. To prove that point, we ran a number of comparative tests on our 5W-30 (ASL) and Mobil 1 Super Syn 5W-30.

The test results confirm what I have said all along, "AMSOIL makes better motor oil." These test results show significant differences between our oils. Look at the results of the NOACK Volatility Test. Which oil is going to last longer in service? Look at the difference in total base numbers. Again, which oil is going to provide the longest lasting protection? Look at the Four Ball Wear Test. Which oil will protect against engine wear better? In every category we tested, AMSOIL proved superior. Lower pour point, higher flash and fire points, AMSOIL tested best. So when I hear the claims that nothing outperforms Mobil 1, I have to say, "WRONG!" They may have good slogans and marketing hype, but when it comes to superior performance, I say nothing beats AMSOIL! Once again, you always get more value when you buy AMSOIL lubricants. These and many other tests prove it!

AMSOIL INC. set out to examine the specifics of the overly broad “Nothing Outperforms...” Mobil claim. AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil (ASL) and Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil were analyzed in five key bench tests measuring motor oil performance: NOACK volatility, flash/fire point, pour point, four ball wear and total base number (TBN). As shown in the charts below, AMSOIL outperformed Mobil 1 in all five areas.

NOACK Volatility 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, increased oil consumption and excessive wear and emissions. A maximum of 15 percent evaporation loss is allowable to meet the API SL and ILSAC GF-3 specifications. As shown in the graph, AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil lost an extremely low 4.9 percent of its original weight during high-temperature service, maintaining its superior protective and performance qualities,while Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil lost 9.17 percent of its original weight.

Four Ball Wear The Four Ball Wear Test determines the wear protection properties of a lubricant by measuring the wear scars produced by four metal balls in sliding contact under the test parameters. The smaller the average wear scar, the better the wear protection provided by the lubricant. As shown in the graph, AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil completed the Four Ball Wear Test producing a smaller wear scar than the Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil.

Flash/Fire Point The Flash/Fire Point Test determines the lowest temperatures at which application of a flame will cause lubricant vapors to ignite (flash point) and sustain burning for five seconds (fire point). Lubricants with higher flash and fire points exhibit more stable volatility characteristics and are safer to use and transport. As shown in the graph, AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil has higher flash and fire points than does Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil.

Pour Point The Pour Point Test determines the lowest temperature at which a lubricant flows.The lower a lubricant’s pour point,the better protection it provides in low-temperature service.As shown in the graph, AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil has a lower pour point than Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil.

Total Base Number Total Base Number (TBN) is the measurement of a lubricant’s reserve alkalinity. The higher a motor oil’s TBN, the more effective it is in handling contaminants and reducing the corrosive effects of acids for an extended period of time. As shown in the graph, AMSOIL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil has a higher TBN than Mobil 1 SuperSyn 5W-30 Motor Oil.