Castrol Has Invented A New Way To Change Oil. And It Takes Less Than A Minute.

Changing engine oil is a critical part of a car’s life and for many car enthusiast it’s another opportunity to bond with their cherished rides. Changing the oil typically involves raising the car on jack stands, draining the old oil, replacing the filter, and refilling with fresh new oil. These steps are fairly straightforward and not so labor intensive that it typically costs the average commuter car around $30-$50 for the entire job, cheap and quick enough that many prefer to let other people do it.

Now there seems to be a new method of changing oil from the folks at Castrol called Nexcel, and it looks to be revolutionary.

Confining the new engine oil and filter within one canister or cell may just be the next generation of oil changes. The technology looks like it will make oil changes be as easy as changing the batteries in your flashlight or remote control. Not only does this technology reduces maintenance time but it also reduces potential maintenance errors such as, cross-threading your oil’s drain plug, forgetting to change the filter, or even putting the wrong type of oil in. As described in the video below, the technology has several other benefits:

The technology does raise several questions. Given that we typically have to top off the oil in between changes, does having a closed oil and filtration system mean that we’d have to change out the entire cell altogether? Additionally, the technology presumably operates on a dry sump system which precludes retrofitting it into many existing economy cars, therefore will this technology raise the retail costs of newer cars given the significant cost difference between wet and dry sump systems? Finally, what will this technology mean for the enthusiasts and modders who want to use other types of oil besides the brand that the car came equipped with?