IRECT JOBBERS JOHN AND LEAH KAHRS of Hudson, Iowa know the savings potential of AMSOIL products; they also know that in these tough economic times, school districts need to save money as much as anyone.

Kahrs set his sights on making a customer of the Hudson Community School system back in 2006. There were a couple superintendent changes, but eventually Kahrs got an appointment and gave a third presentation to new superintendent, Roark Horn. Kahrs made the presentation on the benefits and cost savings potential of AMSOIL. Horn was intrigued and agreed to register as a commercial account.

Kahrs first performed an oil analysis on all the buses to ensure they were mechanically sound and to get a baseline on the performance of the conventional oils they had been using.

In February 2008, Kahrs began converting the fleet of eight buses to AMSOIL Series 3000 Synthetic 5W-30 Heavy Duty Diesel Oil and AMSOIL Ea or Donaldson Oil Filters.

Before making the switch to AMSOIL, the school had a local school bus service shop perform oil changes based on recommended 3,000 to 4,000 mile intervals. The buses hold between 18 and 20 quarts of oil each. Combined, they are driven 64,000 miles annually, which equated to 16 conventional oil changes.

Since the conversion in 2008, only one bus has had the oil changed based on oil analysis results. This bus is running a C7 Caterpillar and the oil was changed after 20 months of service, 18,961 miles and 871 hours of engine operation.

“While the mileage may not seem significant, the results were pleasing,” Kahrs said. “These buses are severe service, driving mainly rural gravel roads that are soft, muddy and dusty.”

The other buses in the fleet still are running on the first AMSOIL oil change. Oil filter changes and oil analysis are performed annually or based on hours.

The school was spending $1,034 a year on conventional oil and filter changes, not including the costs of oil change labor or the driver’s time to take the buses in for oil changes.

“The AMSOIL conversion was a one-time cost of $1,238 and does not include oil change labor,” Kahrs said. “No driver time is required as oil changes were performed at the school bus shop after hours. This is a $1,034 annual savings in oil and filters alone. The savings to the environment is 80 gallons of used motor oil and 16 used oil filters.”

The district’s three vans, automobile and pickup also use AMSOIL products. “AMSOIL allows the vehicles to run through the school year without needing an oil change,” Kahrs said.

The buses and vehicles all use AMSOIL fuel treatments. AMSOIL diesel fuel treatments keep the buses running even in the cold of winter in northeast Iowa.

“Two years ago when neighboring school districts could not get their buses started in the 34-degrees-below- zero weather, Hudson’s buses all started and ran their routes,” Kahrs said. “All during the cold winter, no fuel-related or starting issues were experienced.