Are you sure the oil life monitor was reset to 100% at the last oil change?
What the hell could be wrong?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 829
Likes: 3
From: Maryland
What the hell could be wrong?
I have alomst 2k miles left before my oil change, or it's due in August.
My car tells me my oil life remaining is 2% and to change the oil.
I've been on some pretty sh!tty paved roads lately... not sure if that has anything to do with it.
How well can I trust the car's oil diagnostics? Before when my oil changes were a few hundred miles overdue, the car would tell me my oil life was still 50+ percent.
I'd hate to have a mechanic (even if I brought it to the chevy dealer) check it out and then try to BS me with what was wrong with my car.
My car tells me my oil life remaining is 2% and to change the oil.
I've been on some pretty sh!tty paved roads lately... not sure if that has anything to do with it.
How well can I trust the car's oil diagnostics? Before when my oil changes were a few hundred miles overdue, the car would tell me my oil life was still 50+ percent.
I'd hate to have a mechanic (even if I brought it to the chevy dealer) check it out and then try to BS me with what was wrong with my car.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 829
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From: Maryland
:Looks like rain is in the forecast this weekend so I guess I'll just have to drop it by Chevy.
I went down a few minutes ago to the garage, pulled out the dipstick, and the oil is looking kinda black. Maybe the car is right. Maybe I drove it too hard or something...
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2008
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From: Howell Michigan
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
The oil life monitor works, trust it. Change your oil or have it changed if it is not your thing... For about $50 or less you can have everything needed to change it yourself. Ramps, oil catch tray, and a few hand tools and 20 minutes or less your done. Really not a big deal.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
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From: Maryland
Pro
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Last edited by eboggs_jkvl; May 20, 2010 at 12:20 PM.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 255
Likes: 55
From: Jacksonville Florida
Oil Life has little to do with mileage
The oil life monitor is, and does, exactly what the name indicates.
With the introduction of synthetic oil the method of changing the oil every 3,000 miles no longer applies. Mobil-1 claims a life of 15,000 miles.
The owners manual suggests different intervals for different driving conditions.
The oil life monitor determines how much "life" by factoring miles, heat, rpm, and ingested dirt. The miles between changes can differ depending on these conditions. Trust the monitor! don't reset the monitor until after you change your oil. Be sure to log your oil change in your owners manual.
LOL, flag
:
With the introduction of synthetic oil the method of changing the oil every 3,000 miles no longer applies. Mobil-1 claims a life of 15,000 miles.
The owners manual suggests different intervals for different driving conditions.
The oil life monitor determines how much "life" by factoring miles, heat, rpm, and ingested dirt. The miles between changes can differ depending on these conditions. Trust the monitor! don't reset the monitor until after you change your oil. Be sure to log your oil change in your owners manual.
LOL, flag
:
SUBVETTE
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,841
Likes: 93
From: San Diego CA
Believe the DIC. The oil life monitor is correct. You say you have 2000 miles to go before you are due for a change. How do you know that? If the dealer is talking you into a routine change every X miles, you're throwing money away. Do what the monitor says and reset it yourself every change. 
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 829
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From: Maryland
Either way its still cheaper than using the oil from the dealer since Costco is one of those bulk value stores.
Last edited by ls2kev; May 21, 2010 at 09:23 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,328
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The oil life monitor is, and does, exactly what the name indicates.
With the introduction of synthetic oil the method of changing the oil every 3,000 miles no longer applies. Mobil-1 claims a life of 15,000 miles.
The owners manual suggests different intervals for different driving conditions.
The oil life monitor determines how much "life" by factoring miles, heat, rpm, and ingested dirt. The miles between changes can differ depending on these conditions. Trust the monitor! don't reset the monitor until after you change your oil. Be sure to log your oil change in your owners manual.
LOL, flag:
With the introduction of synthetic oil the method of changing the oil every 3,000 miles no longer applies. Mobil-1 claims a life of 15,000 miles.
The owners manual suggests different intervals for different driving conditions.
The oil life monitor determines how much "life" by factoring miles, heat, rpm, and ingested dirt. The miles between changes can differ depending on these conditions. Trust the monitor! don't reset the monitor until after you change your oil. Be sure to log your oil change in your owners manual.
LOL, flag
:You're correct about the miles differing depending on conditions...I've had my change oil light come on in less than 1500 miles (when I had a lot of race miles on it from my daughter and I autocrossing) while my daughter's '99 coupe has gone 10K miles before wanting its oil change. I agree with you, just trust the monitor...GM is comfortable giving a 100K mile warranty on new Corvettes with oil changes done in accordance with the OLM. My daughter's Corvette has almost 150K mile following the OLM with no problems.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,860
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From: Tampa FL
Nah never done it myself yet. :
Looks like rain is in the forecast this weekend so I guess I'll just have to drop it by Chevy.
I went down a few minutes ago to the garage, pulled out the dipstick, and the oil is looking kinda black. Maybe the car is right. Maybe I drove it too hard or something...
:Looks like rain is in the forecast this weekend so I guess I'll just have to drop it by Chevy.
I went down a few minutes ago to the garage, pulled out the dipstick, and the oil is looking kinda black. Maybe the car is right. Maybe I drove it too hard or something...
case closed.