Whats the reasoning for oil change every 3-5K with Mobile 1?
08-31-2011, 10:19 PM
#41
Instructor
I quess i'm just old school, I change oil & filter every 1500 miles in my 2009 vert. With just a little over 3000 miles on the vehicle i'm still close to once a year.
08-31-2011, 10:30 PM
#42
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Mar 2002
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If you have a Corvette and you dont drive it like a Buick, changing the oil and filter every 5000 miles is cheap insurance.
Spending 50 bucks a year to maintain a 50K car is very cheap piece of mind.
If your one of the many Corvette owners who wears clear nail polish and doesn't have any idea what a time slip is,. well then waiting for 0% on the oil life indicator is just fine.
Spending 50 bucks a year to maintain a 50K car is very cheap piece of mind.
If your one of the many Corvette owners who wears clear nail polish and doesn't have any idea what a time slip is,. well then waiting for 0% on the oil life indicator is just fine.
Last edited by warren s; 08-31-2011 at 10:33 PM.
09-01-2011, 12:17 AM
#43
Team Owner
09-01-2011, 12:17 AM
#44
Team Owner
If you have a Corvette and you dont drive it like a Buick, changing the oil and filter every 5000 miles is cheap insurance.
Spending 50 bucks a year to maintain a 50K car is very cheap piece of mind.
If your one of the many Corvette owners who wears clear nail polish and doesn't have any idea what a time slip is,. well then waiting for 0% on the oil life indicator is just fine.
Spending 50 bucks a year to maintain a 50K car is very cheap piece of mind.
If your one of the many Corvette owners who wears clear nail polish and doesn't have any idea what a time slip is,. well then waiting for 0% on the oil life indicator is just fine.
09-01-2011, 12:47 AM
#45
Drifting
I know what the manual says, and what some people do, some change it every 3000 others change it when the DIC or 1 yr...
Being that I run my car very HARD (Drag Race) it will make 10-15 (1/4 mile runs) on any given weekend.. I change the oil & filter every 5000 miles.. (the DIC usually says 50%) but I'm taking the engine to 6500 rpm 10 - 15 times a week maybe 3 weeks a month...
I think its good insurance to do it a little sooner then later..
To be honest if I were only driving it on long road trips at 2000-2500 RPM with no short trips or no stop & go I would let it go longer between oil changes... I average 2-3 oil changes a yr.
Being that I run my car very HARD (Drag Race) it will make 10-15 (1/4 mile runs) on any given weekend.. I change the oil & filter every 5000 miles.. (the DIC usually says 50%) but I'm taking the engine to 6500 rpm 10 - 15 times a week maybe 3 weeks a month...
I think its good insurance to do it a little sooner then later..
To be honest if I were only driving it on long road trips at 2000-2500 RPM with no short trips or no stop & go I would let it go longer between oil changes... I average 2-3 oil changes a yr.
I'll change mine between 3-4k just because it get's run hard.
09-01-2011, 01:33 AM
#46
Race Director
can you elaborate on this for me. I was glad someone else asked cause i wanted to know myself - however im still not clear on what i should be doing. I have an 06 supercharged (self contained), Z which prob will see about 3k a year. whats best in regards to oil changes for me. thanks!!!
09-01-2011, 06:42 AM
#47
C'mon Racer, it's only $35 extra every 10K miles or so and I take the oil to the local recycle center where it will get used again someday. With the Vette it still only amounts to once a year. It's not like spending hundreds of dollars on 28 coats of Zaino. 
BTW, thats one fine avatar again.
BTW, thats one fine avatar again.
09-01-2011, 07:29 AM
#48
Burning Brakes
A little off topic but my ford truck i ran it 12000 miles when i got it used before my first oil change the oil was still golden .I couldn't believe it .It had 70000 miles on it. I now have 120000 and the opil has only been changed like 3 times. My grand sport has 12700 miles i got it with 6900 it had an oil change i have 26% left.
09-01-2011, 10:19 AM
#49
Burning Brakes
Changing the oil every year is only necessary if you see cold temperatures. If your Corvette is in a heated garage and never sees freezing temperatures, always goes for long trips, you can go very far between oil changes.
On a winter driven car that sees about 15 000 miles per year, you can go by with an oil change in the fall if you use Mobile 1 synthetic.
For example, my Miata is a winter driven car, track car and auto cross car. I had Mobile 1 0w30 in it, did 18000 km on it. I sent the oil for analysis and it was still very good. Not a Corvette, different engines use oil differently.
On a winter driven car that sees about 15 000 miles per year, you can go by with an oil change in the fall if you use Mobile 1 synthetic.
For example, my Miata is a winter driven car, track car and auto cross car. I had Mobile 1 0w30 in it, did 18000 km on it. I sent the oil for analysis and it was still very good. Not a Corvette, different engines use oil differently.
09-01-2011, 10:59 AM
#51
NCM Member
We are really some fickle car owners here. Half of us change their oil way before Chevy recommends it and the other half will spend hours on how to safe $5.00 on a part for their car because of the Corvette Tax. Personally I always try to listen to the DIC but usually wind up caving in and changing it long before its needs to be. I'm really going to try to wait this time. Especially since it costs me $90 to get it changed here in Northern Jersey.
09-01-2011, 11:35 AM
#52
Racer
The common notion is oil is changed every 3-5K using Mobile 1 on the vettes yet we just picked up my wife's ML350 and the service manage said the maintenance (oil included - Mobile 1 as well) is every 10K or once per year.
Both vehicles use Mobile 1, why is Chevrolet preaching ever 3-5K when Mercedes is saying every 10K or once a year?
Both vehicles use Mobile 1, why is Chevrolet preaching ever 3-5K when Mercedes is saying every 10K or once a year?
09-01-2011, 11:57 AM
#53
Safety Car
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I think a lot of this has to do with the manufacture's marketing lower maintenance costs...and the "green" mentality too. Although I do believe oil does last longer now, they are pushing it to the edge of its limit. BMW started this out back in '04 (or close) by paying for all of the maintenance; sure oil change every 10K doesn't amount to very much but the perceived value does.
09-01-2011, 12:05 PM
#54
Team Owner
Oil today will not likely wear out unless you are in extreme conditions. Oil gets contaminated by outside sources before it wears out in most cases. The biggest culprit is condensation in the engine from sitting and/or being drive short distances without completely warming up.
The DIC basically looks at how many times the engine is started. It paints a little bit of the picture, but not all of it. Keep this in mind when determining how often you change your oil.
The DIC basically looks at how many times the engine is started. It paints a little bit of the picture, but not all of it. Keep this in mind when determining how often you change your oil.
09-01-2011, 12:07 PM
#55
Safety Car
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Oil today will not likely wear out unless you are in extreme conditions. Oil gets contaminated by outside sources before it wears out in most cases. The biggest culprit is condensation in the engine from sitting and/or being drive short distances without completely warming up.
The DIC basically looks at how many times the engine is started. It paints a little bit of the picture, but not all of it. Keep this in mind when determining how often you change your oil.
The DIC basically looks at how many times the engine is started. It paints a little bit of the picture, but not all of it. Keep this in mind when determining how often you change your oil.
100%
09-01-2011, 12:08 PM
#56
Team Owner
I wish you could see the windows of my house most days during the summer. When I get up in the morning the temperature is typically 80 degrees out, and my windows are covered with condensation. Same thing can happen to the inside of an engine, particularly if the engine has not been driven in a while and the oil coating the inside of the engine has settled.
09-01-2011, 12:16 PM
#57
Heel & Toe
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I wish you could see the windows of my house most days during the summer. When I get up in the morning the temperature is typically 80 degrees out, and my windows are covered with condensation. Same thing can happen to the inside of an engine, particularly if the engine has not been driven in a while and the oil coating the inside of the engine has settled.
Big difference between the inside and outside of your house and the inside of your oil pan
09-01-2011, 12:20 PM
#58
Team Owner
I change my oil every 100 miles or every week. With the savings I realize($50 doing it myself vs $90 at the dealer) I will get my 4-post lift paid off much quicker then you guys that drive several years between each oil change.
09-01-2011, 12:26 PM
#59
Team Owner
The condensation of the windows is on the outside, not the inside. But you do make a valid point. But I can tell you that living in Houston where our humidity is extremely high, we see exaggerated levels of condensation. It doesn't happen a lot, but from time to time everything in my garage that is "raw" steel will flash rust. It's totally bizarre how it happens so quickly.
