Trying to foster cooperation between the lubricant industry and powertrain designers, SAE International has retooled its former Fall Fuels and Lubricants Meeting and Exhibition to create the Powertrain and Fluid Systems Conference and Exhibition. The new event will be held Oct. 21-24 in San Diego. The fall fuels and lubricants meeting was cancelled last year in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. SAE said the powertrain and fluid systems meeting was organized to bring together powerplant...

The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association is looking for a new executive director after the abrupt departure last week of Michael C. Metallo. ILMA President Stan Ziemski, chairman and president of American Oil & Supply Co., declined to say whether Metallo had resigned or been fired, or to otherwise discuss the nature of his departure. During a telephone interview, Ziemski said Metallo did a very fine job at some things, but added, Part of his problem was that he didnt have any (lub...

Toyota Motor Sales USA has made a one-time offer to cover repair of customer vehicles that have been damaged by engine oil gelation. Toyota emphasized that the action is based on a small number of cases and maintained that customers encountering gelation are not changing oil often enough for their driving habits. Still, the company said it will pay for repairs as a goodwill gesture. The offer is available for one year on a case-by-case basis to Toyota and Lexus owners able to show reasonable evi...