I'm in the group that believes in changing the oil and filter based on the oil life % indicated on the DIC. I estimate I should get about 8000 miles by the time the oil life % reaches 0. I'm not worried about the oil lasting that long, but I am concerned about the filter doing its job for that many miles. What's your opinions on changing just the oil filter at say 50% oil life remaining? Is this a good idea?

 

I've never understood how people will go through all the work of changing the filter, and NOT drain the oil. It doesn't take more than 5 minutes more. Even cab companies do both.

 

waste of frickin time an energy IMO....but hey both are yours to waste

 

Nah...if GM felt it was a problem ALL there vehicles would be required to change the filter between oil changes. With high detergent unleaded fuel there isn't significant deposit build up to get by the rings and with synthetic oil there aren't the concerns it might breakdown. I'm **** and run all 5 of our vehicles with Mobil 1 and do 5,000 mile oil/flter changeouts. My highest miler has 115,000 run at prolonged interstate speeds and uses no oil.

 

hell no...change the oil and filter at the same time....if you get 8K between oil changes you must drive like an old lady

NFW I get more than between 3-4.5K between oil changes and for all the work to lift the car I ain't doing it just to change a filter

 

Many motorists today are confused.

For several years General Motors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been installing monitors on their dashboards that light up to indicate when its time to change oil. GM monitors have frequently allowed motorists to drive 5,000 miles and as much as 7,000 miles or more before signaling that it's time to change oil. The Mercedes-Benz service system indicates 10,000-20,000-mile oil change intervals.

Naturally, this flies in the face of the 3,000-mile drain recommendation.

What's a Car Owner to Do?
Petroleum oil companies have insisted their oil needs to be changed every 3,000 miles, even for vehicles with the dashboard light. But the world's largest automaker, General Motors, states that oil change intervals should not be based on miles driven, but rather on driving style. In a feature story titled, "Supersize Me! GM moves to extend drain intervals," (May 2004 Lubes N Greases, vol. 10 issue 5), David McFall unveils the latest move in GM's strategic plan to cut loose drain intervals.

The GM solution is for motorists to depend on its patented Oil Life System (OLS). The owner's manuals in today's GM fleet no longer make specific mileage recommendations. Instead, the GM Oil Life System analyzes the engine's operational data including temperature, revolutions, speed, to calculate the rate of engine oil degradation and determine when an oil is nearing the end of its life. At this point a message on the dashboard signals that it is time to change oil.

Each OLS computer model is engine-specific because GM believes each engine behaves differently under the various driving situations and conditions. For this reason GM is on record as stating there can be no standard oil change interval. Both cars and driving styles vary. The OLS allegedly calculates all factors pertaining to the engine and the driver and thereby makes its oil change recommendations.

GM senior project engineer Robert Stockwell has been studying analyzed oil samples from vehicles with OLS.

"In all cases where the OLS signaled for an oil change it was before the oil was worn out," according to Stockwell. "Many of these samples were from vehicles with greater than 10,000 miles on the oil, a few with more than 14,000 miles and at least one with 16,000 miles. These intervals were recorded in vehicles using regular mineral oil. Synthetic oil gets even longer oil change intervals."

Despite the clear environmental benefits of extending drain intervals, the major oil companies continue to send the message of regular, frequent oil changes to consumers and the mechanics who service their vehicles. Millions, if not billions, of dollars have been spent on advertising and training to reinforce this "change your oil every 3,000 miles" mantra.


In recent years, industry analysts, who have questioned the 3,000-mile oil change, have begun to speak out against them.

GM has unshackled its oil change indicator and soon there will be 24 million cars on the road relying on the Oil Life System.

 

Dude????? How much $$$$$$$$ did you spend on your vette? Change the oil and filter at the same time. That is: if you want to protect your baby if not your investment.

 

The Mobil 1 High Efficiency Oil Filter is the most advanced oil filter available for consumers today, offering unsurpassed filter durability and exceptional filtration capability. When used with Mobil 1 Synthetic Engine Oil, this filter provides the ultimate in engine wear and cleanliness protection. Removes more contaminants via a substantial improvement in multiple pass filter efficiency (95% vs. 80% for conventional filters) by using a synthetic fiber media. It also offers significant improvements in filter durability, both in hydrostatic pressure testing (steadily increasing pressures) and in cyclic pressure impulse testing. The Mobil 1 High Efficiency Oil Filter outperforms conventional filters by 2.5 to 1 in hydrostatic testing, and by 3 to 1 in cyclic pressure impulse testing. Reduces resistance to oil flow while improving filter efficiency. Easier removal of the filter at the end of its useful life (less straining with the oil filter wrench) based on use of a special gasket that requires less torque at installation. The Mobil 1 High Efficiency Oil Filter is available in a wide variety of sizes to accommodate a broad range of consumer automobiles and light trucks.

Just my two cents!

The filters will handle the miles!

 

 

Like I said its your car.....FWIW I have owned my 99 since day 1 and of this date I have almost 62K on the clock..it is my daily driver and I change my oil at least 3 times a year...so lets see thats like 12k a year or about 4k between changes....all according to the DIC....at the average cost of $30 oil and filter....I buy the 5qt bottles at Walmart for ~$20 and filters avg about $4-5.....so over the 6 years...I have spent ~ $450-500 in oil changes

365 x 6 =2190 days

about .23 a day for oil based on $500

I can deal with that

 

Living up in the north, I routinely change my oil and filter with 80% left on the DIC. The reason for this is because of storing the car for winter.

One way to cut through the fog is to perform oil sampling on your car (I do) and there is no “opinion” in the data findings.
When you get the oil sample results, as they say in NASCAR “it is what it is”. I use Black Stone Labs, they have a great turn around time and even provide you a sampling kit free (but you do have to pay for the analysis). Additionally they will e-mail you the results in a well-formatted PDF document.

 

glad to hear it...

 

Yall have way too much time on your hands.

 

its all that time they save by just replacing teh filter

 

 

well if you spent more than 5 minutes.....

 

I don't think you are going to find one answer that meets all conditions... maybe as the responses on this thread indicate. Most filter manufacturers won't give a mileage/time estimate on their filters. But, to give you a data point, the AMSOIL SDF filters, which have very good efficiency and capacity are rated by AMSOIL for 12,500 miles or six months of normal use:
AMSOIL SDF Oil Filter

Based on this, I'd say you are safe using any decent filter for 8k miles as long as you change it at least annually and/or per the oil life monitoring system.

 

Oh, I understood your question as well as everyone else. And like I said it's your car and your money. For me it just seems to be alot of work to just change the filter. I simply stated that for what it costs it just makes sense (to me) to do both at the same time. I wouldn't say I disagree with you on the point that teh filter isn't doing as good a job X number of miles down the road as it was brand new, you are probably right. In my case I am changing both at about the same time you are changing the filter based on my driving and DIC readings compared to what yours says.

 

ok, like I said...your car..never did I say you were wrong....


geez 19 posts and half arguing with me.....

take my advice....stay out of OT or PR&C for awhile

 

blkvett01 that was a nice write up, you know your stuff! I've said for years that the 3000 mile oil change that the oil companies recommend is really just for them to sell you more oil and nothing else!