Please help!
I have 48 k miles.
I always get my oil change every 3,000. My dealer sent me a VERY long list of maint work that I should have done at 50k. I do not race my vette. But... I am in a lot of stop an go Los Angeles traffic.
I do not see most of the suggested maint work the dealer wants to do, in my manual.
Please advise what is needed to keep my vette in top shape
Thanks much

 

What's in the manual unless you have specific symptoms.

 

These are the only things I see in your 2005 owner's manual for 50K miles.

Ask him if he's going to pay for any other services not shown in the owner's manual.

 

BTW, if you're getting the oil changed every 3K you're throwing money away.

 

Why would you change oil every 3k miles?

 

Agreed.


The evidence is simply overwhelming and conclusive.





Mobil 1 Test Results
http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html

"what have we learned so far? Here are a few points to ponder, based on our experience with the Mobil 1 phase.


Getting just one oil analysis only tells a tiny piece of the picture. It essentially would serve only as a pass/fail mechanism; without a trend to monitor, the most interesting parts of the analysis would be impossible to see.
Total base number is a moving target. There are multiple methods for testing it, which makes comparisons between laboratories worthless, and none of the methods have repeatability rates worth getting excited about. While TBN is worth considering as part of the larger picture, as a singular measure it is too flawed to rely on.
Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it.
Topping up the crankcase is a critical component of extended oil change intervals, and frequent filter changes are most likely the key to extreme-length intervals. The cumulative effect of even minor top-ups, let alone a filter change, substantially increases the longevity of the oil.
Based on the results we've got here, we'd recommend 8,000 miles between oil changes on an engine that uses no oil at all, perhaps 10,000 miles on an engine that uses some oil, and 15,000 miles or beyond with a filter change every 5,000 miles. This, of course, isn't any kind of guarantee, and you must evaluate for yourself what your engine requires. One thing we're pretty sure about though: 3,000-mile intervals is a huge waste of resources."


GM Oil Life System & Simplified Maintenance
Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.gm.com/corporate/responsi..._qa_040104.jsp

GM engineers have been studying oil life for decades and they've learned that oil tends to degrade in a predictable pattern.



GM Engineer States that Oil Change Intervals Average 8,500 Miles with Oil Life Monitors...........

http://www.performancemotoroil.com/G..._Monitors.html

Typical drain intervals with General Motors’ Oil Life System, the onboard computer algorithm that tells drivers when it’s time to change their motor oil, are 8,500 miles, versus 5,000 for GM’s competitors, a GM executive told last week’s World Tribology Congress. Drain intervals over 30,000 miles are achievable with minor engine modifications and appropriate oil quality.

“We cannot say exactly when it will happen, but drain intervals will be lengthened,” James A. Spearot, director of GM’s Chemical & Environmental Sciences Laboratory in Warren, Mich



Personal test done by a BMW owner with data sheet...

How often do you change your oil? Maybe too often... | ted serbinski
http://tedserbinski.com/2006/04/03/h...aybe_too_often

"The verdict, for those who don’t care to look at all those numbers: After 15,600 of my abuse, there was nothing wrong with the oil."



NY Taxi experiment........

Consumer Reports Article
The surprising truth about motor oils
July 1996, pp 10-13
http://www.moneybluebook.com/article....oilchange.php

On the basis of our test results, we think that the commonly recommended 3,000-mile oil-change interval is conservative. For "normal" service, 7,500-mile intervals (or the recommendation in your owner's manual) should be fine.

 

Still changing mine every 3,000 miles no matter what anybody says the actual life of the oil is. 5,000 miles, 8,500 miles, 12,000 miles,,,, no siree, No need to take it to the limit before changing. Its cheap insurance/ peace of mind. I prefer fresh oil in the engine of my $ 40,000 car.

 

The post from GM was interesting. I change my C6 every 5,000 mi but I work on a lot of construction equipment and the Company I work for got a fleet of new Dodgr diesel pick ups and they are trying 15,000 mile oil changes and 7,500 filter changes. They are using synthetic oil.I thought they were nuts but we will see. Save the wave..Gerry

 

It makes no difference how much your car cost....doing the right thing does. A 3000 mile oil change is a waste of money...IMO

 

I change mine at 4500 miles that is as far as I go

 

I have used M1 for 15,000 mi and change filter every 7,500 mi for my suv smooth as silk. As far as my vette goes, I change around 6,000 mi.

That "3,000 mile" thing has been around since I can remember but the grade/quality of oil keeps on getting better. Why stay with standards that were developed with cheap lower grade dino oil decades ago?

 

I have to agree. Please! Even in stop and go LA traffic, you've got a sophisticated system using synthetic oil. At least stretch it out to 5K mile oil changes. 3K miles is really a waste of time, money and oil.

As to the other things, if this is all your dealer is doing for you, I think he's doing things to you---your wallet. You need a new dealer, one that's more honest with you about your car.

From Jim's post, if there's anything I would change a bit more frequently than recommended, it would be that auto trans fluid if that's what you have. I'd drop it down to 30K miles, but of course, you're beyond that now.

 

When the DIC is around 40% I change the oil.

 

It's based on irrational emotions and not one bit of evidence.

Things have come a long way since the bad old days.

 

Some of you folks are trapped in the seventies.

Don't use that microwave, might make your food radioactive.

Snap out of it.

Or produce hard evidence that changing oil sooner then normal on a stock engine has any benefit at all other then in your head.

It's rather shameful actually.

Come on,

Science, facts, data, evidence. Engineers at GM are not fools. The oil life monitor if anything is on the conservative side.

The myths about oil border on the religious fanatic at times.

And never, ever does anyone produce any verifiable and convincing evidence.


Yeah it bugs me, because it is such a foolish WASTE.

 

Stick to the book on this one.

 

changed last week @ 12%

 

Mine was at 20% when I last changed it. The old oil was very clean, almost the same color as the new oil I put in. Next time I'm waiting until the DIC says to change it.

 

The oil change was not my question
Dealer said I should change ALL fluids now???
Also
My fan comes on as soon as my engine is 220o
It stays on when I turn off my car
I probably sound really stupid about now but
I do not remember hearing this before
I am just consirned because I now have so many miles
I had soooo many troubles with my last car
1996 trans AM RAM Air
I did keep it for 10 years but every month something terrabke
So I am very perinoid about any GM
But.... I assume my vette is a lot more improved ruN any 1996 car????

 

On the Vette I change mine twice a year. Once at the beginning of the driving season (which I had changed yesterday) and after 7.5k from that oil change if I drive a lot. Other cars I change when it is below 10%.

3k is definitely too often and just wastes oil, something we shouldn't do these days. It also lets the dealer know that you are willing to waste money so they start to offer BS services. There is a time when 3k is a good idea such as you only drive that many miles per year.

The manual also says to change the auto tranny fluid if you drive it under high stress conditions every 50k.. Heavy city traffic is one of those. Manual trannies don't require a change at all but I would change it every 50k.

Rear axle is in there for life but I usually change mine every 25k. This is usually the weak link of a GM drivertrain.

I wouldn't change the power steering fluid unless I replace a part in that system.

Brake fluid does collect moisture. Germans change their brake fluid every year which seems extreme. I'll change mine every 3-4 years.

Coolant is good for 150k miles or 10 yrs per GM. I would say 100k is fine.

Dealer will recommend a bunch of services but most are big profit makers such as fuel system service. Why pay $200 to do do what your good premium gas is doing anyway? I will add a bottle of techron every 10k or so but that is about it.

Tires should NEVER go beyond 6 years old.

I will do more than what the owner's manual says because I believe the manufacturers use extended intervals in the manual to show their car is cheaper to maintain