Short supplies and ever-increasing demand have pushed crude oil barrel prices to record highs over the summer, and motorists have been directly affected. Gasoline is one of the primary products pro­duced from crude oil, and pump prices are directly affected by the prices refiners pay for crude oil. In fact, the average price per gallon of gasoline reached levels over 50 cents higher than last summer, causing motorists to alter their driving habits and look for every and any way to get the most for their fuel dollar.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the price of crude oil represented an average of 42.6 percent of retail gasoline prices between 2000 and 2003, with refinery pro­cessing costs, marketing and distribution costs and gasoline station costs and taxes comprising the balance. It is the volatility of crude oil prices that is most responsible for fluctuating gasoline prices.

AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oils have been shown to yield signif­icant increases in fuel economy over conventional motor oils. Petroleum-based lubricants are composed of irregular molecules of various sizes that create excess friction, in addition to the friction generated between moving parts. The vehicle’s engine must burn extra fuel to overcome this friction, decreasing fuel economy.

AMSOIL synthetic lubricants, on the other hand, contain only smooth, uniform molecules that effectively reduce friction and improve fuel efficiency. Conventional lubricants are also very susceptible to volatility. When the oil’s lighter molecules volatize during hot operating conditions, viscosity increases and the oil becomes more difficult to pump, consuming more energy and reducing fuel economy. Because AMSOIL synthetic lubricants contain uniformly sized molecules, they resist volatization, maintain their vis­cosity and allow more fuel to be used for vehicle propul­sion, improving fuel economy.

The use of AMSOIL synthetic motor oils, gear lubes and drivetrain fluids can have a profound impact on fuel economy. Industry tests demonstrate that an average passenger car can conservatively decrease its fuel consumption by two to five percent by switching to syn­thetic lubricants, while independent testing shows that trucks can decrease fuel consumption by 8.2 percent. Many AMSOIL customers report even larger gains in fuel economy.

According to the U.S. Federal Highway Admini­stration, total U.S. fuel consumption was 162.3 billion gallons in the year 2000. Consider the savings if every American vehicle converted to AMSOIL synthetic lubri­cants and gained a five percent increase in fuel econ­omy. It would equate to a savings of 8.115 billion gallons of fuel each year, at a price savings of $16.23 billion (at $2 a gallon).

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average passenger vehicle burned 587 gallons of gasoline in 2002. At a price of $2 a gallon, the average vehicle owner spends $1174 on gasoline each year. With a five percent fuel economy improvement afforded with AMSOIL synthetic lubricants, the motorist saves $58.70 a year in fuel expenses. That’s enough to cover the price of a year’s supply of AMSOIL Synthetic Motor Oil and Super Duty Oil Filters, with money left over.

In addition to fuel savings, AMSOIL synthetic lubri­cants also allow motorists to reduce oil usage through extended drain intervals, all while significantly reducing friction and wear, improving engine performance and extending equipment life.