I figured I would pass on a few observations on my first oil change. My car is a 2011 GS with manual trans so it has the dry sump oil system. I figured I would go with the cars computer oil change intervals. So at 8,855 miles the computer goes from 5% oil life to Change Oil. No big deal as I had the necessary supplies on hand.

I backed the car onto my slopped driveway and jacked up the front end. It only required 3 2" think concrete stepping squares under each front tire to give me enough room to crawl under and nearly leveled the car.

The oil drain plugs came out of the pan without a hitch and so surprisingly did the factory oil filter. It had a orange line on the drivers side of the case but I don't know if it was an inspection mark or one used for reference while spinning on the oil filter for one turn past contact. Once the fluids were drained I filled the oil filter and spun it on. I then added my oil to the oil tank, 10 1/2 quarts including the oil that was used to fill the filter.

After getting it back on the ground I fired it up and proceeded to drive it around to warm up the oil. Before taking off I reset the oil life in the computer and noted two things. First it was still at 4% oil life left and once reset it only showed 99% life left. I guess the 4% oil life left represented the 600 miles the computer figured were left in the oil. Why it reset to 99% instead of 100% I don't know.

Once the oil reached 160 degree I returned home and pulled it back in the drive and shut it down. I waited the 5 minutes before checking the oil level and sure enough it was at the top of the full mark on the dip stick.

Nothing hard about the change. 15 mm socket and 3/8" drive wrench, 3/8" drive torque wrench for the pan bolts (18 lb. ft.), strap wrench to get the old filter off and back on, 1 turn past contact, since I didn't have a filter wrench the correct size to torque it.

I also wrote the date and mileage on the new oil filter for future reference since I have a tendency to lose notes.

Now I just need to order or figure out which shop is going to do my tire work because the fronts are past the wear bars on the outside edges and just about at the wear bars on the inside groves. Rears are doing slightly better and seem to have more wear on the inside than outside but near the bars as well.

Hope this may be useful to those contemplating their first oil change.

Later,

 

Good news. DIY is the only way to know if it's done right.

If we knew what part of Southern California your in maybe someone could help with tire and alignment issue.

 

This should help get your oil life monitor to reset to 100%:

Gotta love this forum!

 

I was just gonna re-post that...

 

Byron - Nice write up. PM sent on tire mounting and alignment suggestions.

 

Thanks!


With regard to the alignment and tires this is what I was thinking: I want to get the current settings recorded so I can compare to how the tires are currently wearing. I then want to install the Pfadt Camber Kit and then take it to a shop for new tires and alignment. Installing the kit myself will allow the thread lock to cure the 24 hours before messing with the alignment. If the shop I select for the alignment can't handle the tires then it means one more stop before hitting the alignment rack.


Keith, we'll talk soon!

 

I "interviewed" tire stores/dealerships and found a lot of places can't/won't mount wide lopro tires. One guy even said he did not have certification to mount runflats!
I found Discount Tire (in my area) to be super...very professional and handled the tires and rims with care.
Just sayin...

 

8k on the oil? I hope it was the second oil change and not the first

 

Why do you make that statement? Is it your car? He changed the oil before the OLM said to, are you saying the OLM should not be followed? Do you know more than GM engineers do? Do you go by mileage only? I changed my daughter's 2011 GS oil at 10,000 miles based on the OLM but I have changed the oil in my '93 ZR-1 as early as 1500 miles...again based on the OLM. If you choose not to follow the OLM with your car, that's your choice...no need to belittle others. Just because I think it's stupid to change oil every 3000 miles doesn't mean I'll tell anybody they're stupid for doing it. I may tell them they're wasting money but that's their problem, not mine.

 

wow, you're a bit touchy on this subject. no i am not a GM engineer, but i do know 8k on the first change is way to long, should have been done at 1500-2000 miles then every 5k at best depending on your driving style and habbits, the OLM is a joke if you ask me, i would love to inspect the bearings in your daughters car after 10k miles on the oil.

 

Thank you Byron for the great notes.

I just picked up a 2012 GS and when I get ready to change the oil I will be referring to your notes.

Thanks again. Z

 

Not at all touchy on the subject although you felt the need to make a snide comment (based on zero fact) to crap on somebody's thread. I will admit I'm touchy when it comes to clueless people crapping on a legitimate thread. If you post crap in the tech section, you should expect a harsh response to encourage you to think before your next post.

Well it seems you're at least qualified to reset the OLM but quite frankly, nobody cares what you think about the OLM...especially since you have zero credentials to give an opinion. For the following questions, I want you to give a detailed response based on facts or empirical testing, no opinions like you gave above.
1) How do you know 8000 miles is too long for the first oil change?
2) What is the basis for the first oil change at 1500-2000 miles?
3) Why should oil be changed every 5000 miles?
4) What makes you think the bearings in my daughter's car are bad?
5) GM engineers developed the OLM system in the late '80s/early '90s and it has been tweaked several times since then to reflect improvements in engine controls and in the oil itself...what makes you think you know more than them?
6) Do you have any idea why oil is changed?

The first iteration of GM's OLM allowed a maximum of 7500 miles between oil changes. The next change bumped that to 10000 miles with the change to ILSAC 3, then 12000 miles with the change to ILSAC 4. We now have dexos 1® and while I haven't seen the exact number, I would say it's probably 15000 miles. In the near future, like within 5 years, we'll see 30000 mile oil change intervals followed quickly by 40000 mile intervals...that probably blows your mind just thinking about it. Seriously, it's ok to leave the '60s and join us in the 21st Century.

Nowhere in the owner's manual does it say to make the first oil change at any mileage, you follow the OLM from the beginning. The '99 Corvette she had before was done strictly by the OLM with many oil changes done at 10000 miles, the engine had fantastic oil pressure and performance when she traded it in with 160000 miles on it. I had an '83 Cavalier I took to 225000 miles with 7500 mile oil changes from day one using non-synthetic oil and the engine was running just as strong the day I drove it to the junkyard as it was when I drove it off the lot new and the engine was never opened. My '94 Cavalier 3.1L V6 has 216000 miles and still going strong with excellent oil pressure and performance strong enough for people to ask "what have I done to it?" and I've been using 10000 mile oil changes since 2004. A '95 Cadillac Concours with 180000 miles when it was totaled, a '91 Lumina with 160000 miles when given away. Plenty of cases refuting your assertions plus GM warranties the engine for 100000 miles using the OLM. Do you think they would take that liability if they thought for an instant the engine might not make it? You're obviously in the service end of the automotive world, drop the sales pitch/Chicken Little "the sky's falling" routine they give to unsuspecting customers and deal in facts.

 

I could go and did go 7500 miles on oil change intervals on my 06Z which is all the OLM would let me go. Interestingly dexos-1 was introduced for MY2011 with the intent of extending the OLM on GM cars to 10k or maybe more. However, I am finding out with my 2011 ZR1 that the OLM is still holding me to a 7500 mile interval. The wife's 2010 CTS Wagon goes 10k on the OLM. Both the 06Z and ZR1 are DD commuter cars and get mostly 60-75 mph operating on the freeways for about 80% of my commuting journey each day. The remaining 20% is on urban avenues. Perhaps the Texas summer temps are not letting me see a longer interval on the ZR1.

 

I see cars all day long that do 7500 mile intervals and the oil is black as tar and completely used up, and testing at blackstone proves it's not cool to do 8-10k on an oil change. Main reason to reset the is to rid the light telling you to change the oil, does not mean you have to do what it says.

 

Glass, sorry this turned into something very touchy for you, let's end it, I'll change my oil every 3k and you do yours at 10k and we'll see who's engine holds up longer.

 

Guys, lets just agree to disagree on topic of when to change the oil.

I purposely didn't mention which oil I used or which fiter because those topics have been covered to death in other threads.

I just wanted to post some info on what it takes to change your own oil so that those who have never done it before might feel a little more comfortable about doing it if they choose to.

 

well said.

 

First, you can't tell whether oil is "completely used up" by the color or looking at it so there's the first

Second, give links to Blackstone tests that "proves it's not cool to do 8-10k on an oil change". No links equals second
There are plenty of Blackstone tests proving the opposite, here's one showing 18k oil still had some life in it.
http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html

From the report:
"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."

Again, it was you who felt "touchy" enough to make a snide comment about people who change their oil based on the OLM, I'm just responding. For every action, there is a potential reaction...I'm just taking the opportunity to educate you so you'll be more informed. As for who's engine holds up longer, I've already proven my cars have no problem lasting past 200k miles while you offered no personal experiences...third

Isn't it funny how if you had just agreed to disagree before you made your first post, this exchange would not have occurred...something you might want to consider next time you want to post an opinion based on zero facts. But by all means, let's agree to disagree.

 

Color ain't got nothing to do with it. I have seen oil turn black within hundreds of miles on personal vehicles that were being changed every few thousands and few months many years ago with conventional motor mineral oil.

 

maybe the extended range is due to the difference in quantity of oil in the 2011 vs the earlier models...at any rate never in the 13 years I have owned by 99 or the 5+ years of my 07 Z have I come close to that many miles even going to 5% or less on the DIC.