03 Z-oh-6

I'm coming up on 4K miles since my last oil change. Oil life monitor is at 50%. Car is a daily driver, do I *need* to change the oil?

Wayne O

No, you do not "need" to change the oil.

That said, many Corvette owners do change their motor oil sooner than the remaining oil life indicator says (changing at the 50% point may be somewhat extreme though).

I change my own oil and I would change it around the 50% point. It doesn't cost much to do and I believe fresh, clean oil is preferable to older, dirtier oil. I also track my car and I find the engine will run slightly cooler with fresh motor oil.

Again, for a daily driver there is likely no real need to change it at 50%. Your call.

ROC OUT

with Wayne O.

cclive

If anything, I would say that a DD would need the oil changed more often than a weekend car. This is because the weekend car is going to be driven on fewer but longer trips probably. And not many people take their weekend car out to go get in some bumper to bumper traffic. The DD may be driven for shorter distances, not warming up completely, and possibly more heavy traffic, both of which are harder on the oil.

carpe dm

Sounds like it is right on to me. I change more often than necessary (synthetics can easily go 15K) but there really is no need to change before the car "tells" you. GM engineers are very conservative too.

SanDiegoBert

It's OK to rely on your DIC.

photoguy

Your oil is your "blood" to your engine! Get a transfusion every 3-5K. It doesn't hurt and its less expensive than an engine repair.

NXTFAZE

I have always changed my oil at 3k miles in all my vettes....

What do you all recommend for the C6? 5k miles?

iridelow

Unless you race your car, you are waisting your money by changing your oil every 3-5K miles. Technology explains it. Look at the C6 vette compaired to a C3 or even C4. Well oils are the same. Your new synthetic oils like mobile one are 2-3 times better than oils years ago. It used be "change oil every 3k miles regardless...My dad lived by it and I did too, until now. YOU DON'T NEED TO CHANGE YOUR OIL EVERY 3-5K MILES ANYMORE. I change mine at 25% on the computer, that equals out to about 7-10 k miles....

C6ToGo

I would think that the computer algorythm for the oil life monitor would be able to distinguish whether driven long or short distances and at what speeds and adjust the life remaining accordingly.

I'm fully comfortable waiting for about 10% or less because experienced (hopefully) GM automotive engineers say I can. I'm just a business major, for crying out loud.

keyplyr

I don't put a lot of miles on my vette, so my table is to change oil/filter every 5k miles or once a year,
whichever comes first.

jkreis

Unless you track your car the DIC is an acceptable tool to use

MADinAK

You didn't say when your last oil change was. I believe the manual says to change it at least once per year.

dvilin

CessnaDriver

Yep.
And keep tabs on the oil life monitor from time to time to make sure it wasn't inadvertantly reset. Check your oil level too. The monitor cannot tell what the level is.

I am a broken record on this...

I have not seen any data at all that supports a benefit to changing oil/filter early on a normally operated and functioning engine.

And I would be happy to alter my views if high confidence data were to be generated in a proper study that supports changing early.

It is pure science for me and my view on the matter.

So I put my trust in GM engineers and their decades of research and recommendations.

Mike's LS3

At least once a year or when the DIC says it time, whichever comes first.

03 Z-oh-6

Thanks guys! I was planning on changing at ~25%, so I'll wait until then.

RogerC6

Synthetics are superior oil in providing protection under extreme conditions, but it gets contaminated the same as regular oil there for reducing its qualities, and should be change the same as regular oil, BMW started that long mile trend because they give you free oil changes, but every 15k, you should see what comes out after so many miles,looks like tar, no thank you.

Mad*Max

I did my car's first one at 1000 miles, can follow your DIC thereafter.

Tahoe Dave

Absolutely! If you change the oil and filter every 3K to 5K miles you will definitely extend the life of the motor. Motor oil does not "wear out" it's the additive pack which consists of viscosity extenders, anti-foaming ingredients etc. (to mention a few) that wear out do to shearing. In addition the combustion process contaminates the oil which results in the build up of acids that lead to sludge. I was in the fluid maintenance business for quite sometime. As such, I would pull up our data base of customers that had in excess of 250,000 miles on their vehicles. These customers all had one thing in common, they serviced their vehicles every 3,000 miles religiously. The manufacturer uses the concept of "less frequent" oil change to tout their commitment to the environment, less cost to run the car as well as their internal goal of calculated obsolescence.