Oil changes ??
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 892
Likes: 0
From: Ca.
Oil changes ??
A while ago I posted a question about oil changes, because OnStar notified me "it's Time". When I checked my oil life it was at 50% left, so they're wrong 
.
Anyway the input I got was just change it in another couple thousand miles or so or when you have 5000 miles on the oil life, Okay makes sence
.
Now I go to my Chevy dealer to look around the spoke to my service rider who I deal with. I asked him "when was the last time I changed my oil ? " He looked it up and said a 15 months ago therefore you should get it changed either once a year OR 5000 miles. ( Keep in mind I've only driven maybe 3500 miles )
So the question is................ Is that true
or can I wait, and how much longer ? If it matters the car is only driven maybe 100 miles a week.
.Anyway the input I got was just change it in another couple thousand miles or so or when you have 5000 miles on the oil life, Okay makes sence
.Now I go to my Chevy dealer to look around the spoke to my service rider who I deal with. I asked him "when was the last time I changed my oil ? " He looked it up and said a 15 months ago therefore you should get it changed either once a year OR 5000 miles. ( Keep in mind I've only driven maybe 3500 miles )
So the question is................ Is that true
or can I wait, and how much longer ? If it matters the car is only driven maybe 100 miles a week.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,802
Likes: 38
From: A galaxy far, far away...
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '26
Go by the % on the DIC or once a year, which ever is shorter. OnStar told me to change my oil after a year in their monthly email also. I also have a short commute & didn't realize it had been that long, so I changed it. My DIC was at 25% so I knew I was getting close anyway.
On the other hand, don't change it tell your ready, it's your car...
On the other hand, don't change it tell your ready, it's your car...
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 408
From: Greer, SC
I typically change the oil in my vette once per year even though I put very few miles on it. On the cars I drive a lot I typically will go 7500 miles on an oil change as I use synthetic oil and have my oil tested at each change. The oil tests always come back that I could go further on the oil but I hesitate to go more than 7500.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,617
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Tech Contributor
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St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'10
You should change the oil in the car when the oil life monitor tells you via a message in the DIC or at least once per year as recommended in the owners manual. If it in fact has been 15 months since you last changed the oil. Change it now. Reset the oil life monitor and follow it's recommendations. If you have not gone past the useful life of the oil according to the monitor inside of 12 months, change it once each 12 months.
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,549
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From: Cambridge Illinois
The owner's manual says 5,000 miles or one year which ever comes first.
Why would anyone want contaminated oil setting in their motor?
And why pay someone to do a task that on the scale of one to ten in difficulty doesn't even rate a one. Oil drain plug - lefty loosey righty tighty. Same for the oil filter and oil fill hole.
And WHY don't owners read the manual? RTFM
Why would anyone want contaminated oil setting in their motor?
And why pay someone to do a task that on the scale of one to ten in difficulty doesn't even rate a one. Oil drain plug - lefty loosey righty tighty. Same for the oil filter and oil fill hole.
And WHY don't owners read the manual? RTFM
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 14,083
Likes: 1,593
From: Edmond Oklahoma
Go by the % on the DIC or once a year, which ever is shorter. OnStar told me to change my oil after a year in their monthly email also. I also have a short commute & didn't realize it had been that long, so I changed it. My DIC was at 25% so I knew I was getting close anyway.
On the other hand, don't change it tell your ready, it's your car...
On the other hand, don't change it tell your ready, it's your car...
I would never go below 10% on the DIC, worst case.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,364
Likes: 408
From: Greer, SC
The owner's manual says 5,000 miles or one year which ever comes first.
Why would anyone want contaminated oil setting in their motor?
And why pay someone to do a task that on the scale of one to ten in difficulty doesn't even rate a one. Oil drain plug - lefty loosey righty tighty. Same for the oil filter and oil fill hole.
And WHY don't owners read the manual? RTFM
Why would anyone want contaminated oil setting in their motor?
And why pay someone to do a task that on the scale of one to ten in difficulty doesn't even rate a one. Oil drain plug - lefty loosey righty tighty. Same for the oil filter and oil fill hole.
And WHY don't owners read the manual? RTFM
1.) So you just blindly trust everything GM says? Changing your oil at 5k just because GM says so probably has a lot more to do with a dealer making money then it does with contaminated oil. I prefer to use objective test results rather than a bankrupt company for when I should change my oil. Every test I have had done shows that I can go 7500+ with no adverse impact on my engine.
2.) Some people have never worked on a car and while it may seem like a very simple thing to many of us if you have never worked on a car and are not comfortable doing so I'd say they are probably better off leaving it to the pros. What may seem like a difficulty of "1" to you may not be to someone else. Thinking everyone should feel the same way as you do about this is naive at best.
3.) I agree everyone should read their manual but sometimes we humans don't retain 100% of everything we read especially something like an owners manual. That is what is so great about the forum. You SHOULD be able to ask a simple question and get a simple answer.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,100
Likes: 277
The owner's manual says 5,000 miles or one year which ever comes first.
Why would anyone want contaminated oil setting in their motor?
And why pay someone to do a task that on the scale of one to ten in difficulty doesn't even rate a one. Oil drain plug - lefty loosey righty tighty. Same for the oil filter and oil fill hole.
And WHY don't owners read the manual? RTFM
Why would anyone want contaminated oil setting in their motor?
And why pay someone to do a task that on the scale of one to ten in difficulty doesn't even rate a one. Oil drain plug - lefty loosey righty tighty. Same for the oil filter and oil fill hole.
And WHY don't owners read the manual? RTFM
And just what owner's manual says that?Peace, out.
BTW, I read the manual...and look at the DIC.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,617
Likes: 167
Tech Contributor
Cruise-In 11 Veteran
NCM Ambassador
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'10
The owner's manual says 5,000 miles or one year which ever comes first.
Why would anyone want contaminated oil setting in their motor?
And why pay someone to do a task that on the scale of one to ten in difficulty doesn't even rate a one. Oil drain plug - lefty loosey righty tighty. Same for the oil filter and oil fill hole.
And WHY don't owners read the manual? RTFM
Why would anyone want contaminated oil setting in their motor?
And why pay someone to do a task that on the scale of one to ten in difficulty doesn't even rate a one. Oil drain plug - lefty loosey righty tighty. Same for the oil filter and oil fill hole.
And WHY don't owners read the manual? RTFM
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
Your vehicle has a computer that lets you know when to
change the engine oil and filter. This is based on
engine revolutions and engine temperature, and not on
mileage. Based on driving conditions, the mileage at
which an oil change will be indicated can vary
considerably. For the oil life system to work properly,
you must reset the system every time the oil is changed.
Z06 models have a racetrack-ready dry sump engine
lubrication system. This high-performance system
operates differently than a standard engine lubrication
system and requires a special procedure when changing
the engine oil and filter. See Engine Oil on page 5-17.
When the system has calculated that oil life has
been diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL message will come
on. Change the oil as soon as possible within the
next 600 miles (1 000 km). It is possible that, if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system
might not indicate that an oil change is necessary for
over a year. However, the engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year and at this time
the system must be reset. Your dealer/retailer has
trained service people who will perform this work using
genuine parts and reset the system. It is also important
to check the oil regularly and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change the oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your last
oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
5-23
When to Change Engine Oil
Your vehicle has a computer that lets you know when to
change the engine oil and filter. This is based on
engine revolutions and engine temperature, and not on
mileage. Based on driving conditions, the mileage at
which an oil change will be indicated can vary
considerably. For the oil life system to work properly,
you must reset the system every time the oil is changed.
Z06 models have a racetrack-ready dry sump engine
lubrication system. This high-performance system
operates differently than a standard engine lubrication
system and requires a special procedure when changing
the engine oil and filter. See Engine Oil on page 5-17.
When the system has calculated that oil life has
been diminished, it will indicate that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OIL message will come
on. Change the oil as soon as possible within the
next 600 miles (1 000 km). It is possible that, if you are
driving under the best conditions, the oil life system
might not indicate that an oil change is necessary for
over a year. However, the engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year and at this time
the system must be reset. Your dealer/retailer has
trained service people who will perform this work using
genuine parts and reset the system. It is also important
to check the oil regularly and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset accidentally, you must
change the oil at 3,000 miles (5 000 km) since your last
oil change. Remember to reset the oil life system
whenever the oil is changed.
5-23
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,011
Likes: 6
Onstar reads the status of various sensors about once a month.
One sensor it reads is the oil %.
When, from one month to the next month, the oil % changes to a higher number, Onstar assumes the indicator has been reset, and the oil has been changed. It saves the date it sees such a change.
One year later, if the oil % indicater has not been reset, it will remind you in the monthly email that the oil needs to be changed, no matter what the current Oil % is.
Read the manual. It says the oil should be changed at least one a year. And this is what the Onstar email is prompting you about.
One sensor it reads is the oil %.
When, from one month to the next month, the oil % changes to a higher number, Onstar assumes the indicator has been reset, and the oil has been changed. It saves the date it sees such a change.
One year later, if the oil % indicater has not been reset, it will remind you in the monthly email that the oil needs to be changed, no matter what the current Oil % is.
Read the manual. It says the oil should be changed at least one a year. And this is what the Onstar email is prompting you about.
