What is Dexos 1 oil? Is it an oil additive? Do I have to go to the GM dealer to get Dexos oil?

These questions and more will be answered in this post. The 2011 vehicles have been out for a few months now and GM owners are finding out that their new cars and trucks require a new oil.

From the GM website:

General Motors is committed to designing, building, and selling cars that perform well and last a long time – and to making the experience of owning a GM vehicle highly rewarding. GM is also working to make its vehicles more fuel efficient and emit fewer pollutants. A critical component of performance, longevity, and environmental sensitivity is the quality of the oil that goes into the car. The right oil will help your engine run well for a longer time; substandard oil will cause your engine to run poorly and may even damage it. Yet, in today’s market it’s not always possible to determine the quality of the oil you buy.
That’s why GM Powertrain engineers developed the dexos™ engine oil specification. The result is engine oil designed specifically for your GM engine, with added performance in areas important to its operation. dexos™ represents a high quality, robust oil formulated to some of the most rigorous specifications in the industry. And just like GM, dexos™ is global.  GM wants to make sure that every GM car anywhere in the world has access to the highest quality oil formulated exclusively for GM engines.
dexos™ is designed to increase fuel efficiency, extend the life of your emissions system, require fewer oil changes, and produce fewer emissions. You save time and money, and your car performs the way it was designed to.
dexos™ is the best oil for any GM car. It’s that simple.

To this end, new GM owners must use a dexos™ rated oil for best operation of their vehicles. dexos™ is not an engine oil additive, but a specification developed by GM that contains the proper base oils and additive components to pass the tests put out by GM for the specification. dexos 1™ is designed for gasoline engines and dexos 2™ is designed for diesel applications in GM automobiles and trucks.

“Do 2011 GM vehicle owners have to use a dexos-licensed product?” No. You can use any product that meets dexos specifications. They are not required to use a GM-licensed product. GM has chosen to grant licenses only to companies that pay them a substantial fee. Some oil companies have chosen to make a product that meets the same standards as a licensed product without adding an unnecessary administrative cost to the product that consumers would be forced to pay. So long as the oil manufacturer warrants that the motor oil meets dexos specifications, it’s acceptable to use it.

Federal law prohibits a manufacturer from requiring the use of a specific brand in order to maintain warranty coverage. The FTC recently issued a consumer alert to remind consumers that the automaker or dealer must prove a given product caused the need for repairs rather than denying warranty coverage on the basis of the product simply being used.

It is also worth noting that GM itself has acknowledged alternative engine oils may be used if dexos is unavailable. Owners manuals for 2011 GM cars state: “In the event that dexos-approved engine oil is not available at an oil change or for maintaining proper oil level, you may use substitute engine oil displaying the API Starburst symbol and of SAE 5W30 viscosity grade. Use of oils that do not meet the dexos specification, however, may result in reduced performance under certain circumstances.”

In accordance with the dexos 1™ specification AMSOIL Inc has redesigned their products to meet and exceed dexos 1™ requirements.

Currently the recommended viscosity for dexos 1™ is 5w30 grade. This multi-viscosity oil is designed to perform over a wide temperature range. 5w30 motor oils have been produced since the 1980′s to help increase fuel economy in passenger cars and trucks. AMSOIL has been a leader in fuel saving performance synthetic oils since 1972.

The current recommended AMSOIL oils for dexos 1 are:

Signature Series 100% Synthetic 5W-30 Motor Oil (ASL)

 

AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil delivers extraordinary lubrication in all types of automotive gasoline engines.

5W-30 (ASL): API SN (Resource Conserving), SM…; ILSAC GF-5, GF-4…; ACEA A5/B5, A1/B1; Ford WSS-M2C946-A, WSS-M2C929-A; Chrysler MS-6395N; GM dexos1™ (supersedes LL-A-025, 6094M and 4718M) Fortified with detergents that exceed dexos1™ sulfated ash specifications.

AMSOIL Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil is recommended for extended drain intervals in unmodified(1), mechanically sound(2) gasoline-fueled vehicles as follows: • Normal Service – Up to 25,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.• Severe Service – Up to 15,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.

Next we have:

Extended Life 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil (XLF) with Extended-Drain Boost Technology

 

AMSOIL XL Extended Life Synthetic Motor Oils provide better wear control, high- and low-temperature protection and increased fuel economy compared to conventional oils.

Oil Specifications include: API SN, SM… ILSAC GF-5, GF-4… ACEA A1/B1, Ford WSS-M2C929-A, Chrysler MS-6395N, GM dexos1™ (supersedes LL-A-025, 6094M and 4718M)

• Fortified with detergents that exceed dexos1™ sulfated ash specifications.

 

 

 

 

Lastly in our line of performance synthetic oils AMSOIL Offers:

OE 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil (OEF) Formulated for Excellent Engine Protection and Performance

 

AMSOIL OE Synthetic Motor Oils help provide better wear control, high- and low-temperature protection and increased fuel economy compared to conventional oils.

Oil Specifications include: API SN, SM… ILSAC GF-5, GF-4… ACEA A1/B1, Ford WSS-M2C929-A, Chrysler MS-6395N, GM dexos1™ (supersedes LL-A-025, 6094M and 4718M)

• Fortified with detergents that exceed dexos1™ sulfated ash specifications.

 

 

 

 

For those outside of warranty or that would like to squeeze ever horse power and mile per gallon out of their vehicles,

AMSOIL offers the Signature Series 0w30.

 

 

 

While this isn’t the exact grade of oil called for in the dexos requirement. The 0w30 (AZO) oil specifications include: API SN (Resource Conserving), SM…; ILSAC GF-5, GF-4…; ACEA A5/B5, A1/B1; Ford WSS-M2C946-A, WSS-M2C929-A; Chrysler MS-6395N; Suitable as a replacement for GM dexos1™ (supersedes LL-A-025, 6094M and 4718M)

By combining industry-premier synthetic technology with AMSOIL premium additives, Signature Series Synthetic Motor Oil exceeds the higher performance demands of modern engines. It withstands the stress of higher horsepower, higher heat and complicated emissions control systems.

Federal law prohibits a manufacturer from requiring the use of a specific brand in order to maintain warranty coverage. The FTC recently issued a consumer alert to remind consumers that the automaker or dealer must prove a given product caused the need for repairs rather than denying warranty coverage on the basis of the product simply being used. It is also worth noting that GM itself has acknowledged alternative engine oils may be used if dexos is unavailable. Owners manuals for 2011 GM cars state: “In the event that dexos-approved engine oil is not available at an oil change or for maintaining proper oil level, you may use substitute engine oil displaying the API Starburst symbol and of SAE 5W30 viscosity grade. Use of oils that do not meet the dexos specification, however, may result in reduced performance under certain circumstances.”

 

 

Feel free to leave your comment if you have question I would be glad to answer them.

 

Michael Sparks-AMSOIL Dealer / Direct Jobber
www.lube-direct.com
931-801-9401 or 877-464-8798