#Oil

Stroll down the oil aisle of a typical auto-parts store and you’ll be confronted with a literal wall of lubricant.

It’s a crazy world we live in where gasoline costs less than milk or even bottled water, but this isn’t something out of a Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale, it’s reality in America today.

Gasoline prices continue to drop across the country due to the plummeting price of oil. 

Fossil fuels are dirty business, from exploration to consumption and every step in between, but one Massachusetts-based company is looking to revolutionize the energy industry by pioneering a new way to farm sustainable fuel.

Low gas prices could save American consumers as much as $80 billion in 2015.

To quickly answer the inquiry posed in this article’s title, NO! Modern vehicles do not need to have their crankcase lubricant exchanged every 3,000 miles. However, there are caveats and you need to be aware of them. We’ll explore these in greater detail after the jump so go ahead and click the link. We’ll wait for you.

Despite a growing population, global fuel use is projected to decline after the year 2021. By 2035 overall consumption is expected to dip by 4 percent.

BP estimates that there is enough oil left in the world to keep motorists supplied for another 53.3 years.

Gulf Oil CEO, Joe Petrowski, expects oil prices to drop by half by year’s end, but that doesn’t mean gasoline prices will be cut in half.

Every week Ask AutoGuide provides iron-clad vehicle-shopping advice to distressed, confused or otherwise bewildered consumers. Whether they’re in the market for a family-friendly crossover or something that’s good in winter weather, the Oracles of all things automotive have been there to lend some helping hands. But this week they’re taking a slightly different approach.

Front-wheel drive dominates today’s automotive landscape, powering everything from subcompact hatchbacks to full-size SUVs. However, it wasn’t always this way. Back in the day rear-wheel drive was king, but over the last 30-odd years carmakers have made a dramatic shift from back to front. Why the flip-flop? No, they weren’t impersonating John Kerry; in reality, they didn’t have a choice.

Last week we explained the basics of motor oil, from viscosity to additives and everything in between. Now it’s time to tackle a much more contentious issue: synthetic versus conventional. Which lubricant should you use in your vehicle? Is the extra protection afforded by man-made oil worth the added expense?

It’s a cliché analogy, but oil really is the lifeblood of a vehicle’s powertrain. Without its friction-cutting properties engines would literally grind to a halt, failing in spectacular fashion. Connecting rods would punch holes in blocks, camshafts would pulverize themselves and bearing inserts would spin like the blades of a jet turbine.

What’s old is new again. It seems like every clever idea or radical invention has already been thought of, existing in government patent archives or a 15th century sketch from Leonardo da Vinci. Retro design is a prime automotive example of this, but it’s not the only one. Ethanol is a promising transportation fuel of the future, just as it was a century ago.

With a heavy heart the staff of AutoGuide.com say goodbye to 2012, along with its triumphs and tragedies. We await the New Year with open arms, and welcome its promise of a better world.