The Extended Drain Interval Debate

Motor oil, the lifeblood of the automobile, is also the lifeblood of the automotive aftermarket industry. The impact of engine oil on the aftermarket far surpasses its more than $5 billion in annual sales. The traditional oil change serves as a prompt for performing other automotive maintenance tasks, whether the vehicle owner is a do-it-yourselfer or a do-it-for-me consumer, generating billions of dollars in sales for retailers, and service providers.

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However, the importance of oil to the economic health of the aftermarket gets taken for granted. This may indeed change in the coming years. Growing public misperception about the value of frequent oil changes, and confusion over severe vs. normal driving habits have moved the average oil change interval to 5,200 miles a long way from the recommended 3,000 miles.

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Oil Change as a Trigger

"The oil change, whether performed by a technician at a service facility or done by the consumer at home, triggers other maintenance tasks that increase retail and service sales," said Alfred L. Gaspar, AAIA president and CEO. "The extended drain interval issue is definitely about more than just motor oil. The oil change is a catalyst; it gets consumers into service centers and retail auto parts stores. The more often consumers change their oil, the more profitable our industry will be throughout the distribution channel."

Today the debate over extended drain intervals rages on with 60 percent of consumers who believe they should change their oil every 3,000 miles and 40 percent of consumers who don't see a reason to change their oil sooner than 5,000 miles or more.

DIFMers who have their oil changed typically have other procedures performed by technicians, including replacing wipers and blades, adding engine/fuel additives, tune-up services, brake service, replacing shocks and struts, draining and refilling radiators, differential services and other services. "Assuming that the current oil change interval for DIFMers is approximately 5,200 miles, every 100-mile reduction in fast lube customers' oil change intervals delivers $105 million in sales for the industry," said Marc Graham, president, Jiffy Lube International, and chairman of AAIA. "If consumers had their oil changed at 4,200 miles, the aftermarket would realize an additional $1.1 billion."

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The Consumer First!

Whether it's the changes to consumer demand for oil changes or the oil itself, the category is too important to the future of the industry to take a back seat. Instead, the industry must look to take an aggressive role in educating consumers on the importance of oil to their vehicle. Such action will pay major dividends beyond the category, increasing sales to a vast array of other items. . . . Strong oil product sales mean everyone wins, from the consumer all the way up to the parts manufacturers.