Switching To Synthetics; Prejudices and Biases.
Tom
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Every so often, ok all the time, folks are stuck in their childhood, or in most cases, their father’s childhood. When they ask me about synthetics this comes out loud and clear. There really are some very strong, deep-seated, kinds of biases and prejudices when considering the subject. It still floors me.
So I ask this: with all the self-evident benefits of synthetic motor oils, why after 35 years are so many Americans still using conventional petroleum? Here are a few points of light which we can try to connect like dots and make a picture.
1. Motor oil companies historically treated oil like a commodity. Like milk or gasoline, the average consumer was led to believe all oil is pretty much the same, just different color labels. As a result, there was a perception that oil had little value. The oil companies perpetuated this idea by selling on price.
2. The oil companies had a lack of interest in educating the public. The only educational message was this one: “Change your oil. Change it often. What else is there to know?”
3. Change raises questions and creates insecurity. If I change to synthetic oil will it be compatible with what was in there before? What if it leaks out? Is it too slippery to stay in the engine? If something goes wrong, can I change it back to regular petroleum? (Answers: yes; it won’t; no; and yes.)
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