Oil Change Frequency

[EnvoyCruzer]

So with my old SUV, I used to change my oil every 3000- 4000 miles. Because of the Oil Life indicator on the Envoy, I'm not sure what to do. It states that the computer uses temp, driving/air conditions and engine characteristics to determine oil life. I just got an Onstar update for maintenance, and it estimated that I wouldn't need to change my oil till 8900 miles:eek: !! Does anybody actually follow the Oil Life indicator or do you guys stick to the normal frequency? Or maybe a mix of both Oil Life percentage and time?

[Kelly_PCMforless]

Little bit of both. Generally I change it every 3,000 miles, whether it 'needs' it or not. It is a good excuse to get up under the vehicle & make sure nothing is wrong...check all the other fluids, just give it a once over. :)

[kendico]

The oil viscosity doesn't break down for many miles, but lubrication is only one of your oils jobs. Cleaning and carrying debris to the filter is another. I'm still a believer of changing oil and filter every 3000-4000 miles. Carbon sludge, metal shavings, and just plain dirt/sand can reduce engine life if you don't change your oil often enough. The oil reminder doesn't take in consideration many things. Synthetic oil doesn't break down as quickly as regular oil, but again the cleaning aspect can't be ignored and it should be changed just as often as regular oil. GM states that if your oil life system gets reset by accident between oil changes or fails to be reset at oil change time, not to drive more than 3000 miles before your next change. Go figure.

[bullethole]

I am using the oil life monitor on my 03 TB. With my style of driving 1% of oil life equals about 110 miles. I am using Mobil 1 and Wix filters. I have still only let it go to about 9000 though. I used to be a every 3000 guy but decided to quit wasting the money. In over 40 years of vehicle ownership I have never had an internal parts failure except once and that was a defective camshaft. Soft lobe failed at 11,000 miles. I typically drive all my vehicles to 150k+. Mine currently has 95k on the clock. My wifes Honda Accord has 201k. I wished everything I owned worked as well as my wife's Honda. There could be a Pilot in our future. So, whatever you can afford and makes you feel better.

[Bearcat]

I'm using Mobil 1 5W30 and changing at 5,000 miles. Oil life indicator never below 67%.

[ChromeHead]

i also go about 5000-6000 on synthetic ... when i usually drain it ..it still has plenty life to go .. but i can go past that 6g mark ...

[MTPockets]

There's a million other posts on this, but you could follow the GM OLM without worries provided you keep up on other maintenance, crawl under, check for leaks, etc.. GM calibrated the OLM on conventional 5w-30 with an AC delco filter. Me personally? I just have the oil change dash light on my LS. Depending on my ambition level, I change my oil around 4-5K+mi. I dont bother with full synthetic engine oil at that interval. Often we dont even put 1Kmi/mo on our TB. If I ever lost my ability or desire to change oil all together, I'd run a synthetic oil and quality filter out to 12Kmi/1yr.

Joel

[rsnow46]

Lots of opinions on this one! Like I said in a previous post, with the technology of oils and engines nowadays there is no reason not to consider what GM recommends, or a least close to it. Don'tcha think they did lots of research on this one? Personally I use synthetic for long trips, but conventional otherwise for cost reasons. And always a quality filter.

[Stan]

I am currently following the oil life monitor. I believe in its technology. One thing to be aware of; the monitor system has no indicator for dirt, so if you drive in a dusty area, then a more frequent change is mandated. If I were to run a K&N I would change more frequently.
I do a Blackstone Labs oil analysis every other change. Even after my last change (11,900 miles) the oil came back fine in all areas. Viscosity had not changed. Tody's oils do not wear out, they just get dirty.
I do run Mobil-1 synthetic with a Mobil-1 filter. As with the above posts, oil related failures are something that you just don't hear about.
I know that 11,900 miles sounds like a lot, my BMW ususally goes about 19,000 miles before a change. It has just a tad over 98,000 miles, runs like the day I bought it.

[kendico]

GM has no interest in your vehicle running forever. The worry is not engine failure, it is engine wear. Viscosity break down with today's oils isn't a big concern, but the cleanliness of the oil and filter that can still be a worry. Oil not only lubricates but cleans the internal parts of an engine and that dirt/sludge goes somewhere. Those of us living in dusty areas have more to worry about than others. The air filter can't stop all the dust and some of that will cycle through the engine with your oil until it is changed. Silica is extremely hard, like diamond dust, and it wears rings, cylinder walls, and bearings.

[OurZoo]

If this is going to be you're first oil change, then I would already go and have it done. I wouldn't even wait for the first 3K mark. There's been many posts here by the gurus that there are already metal shavings due to breaking in. I would switch to Mobil 1 and plan on getting an oil change at least every 5K.

[MTPockets]

With proper air filtering, dirt injestion is a non-issue. Any time you see 'dirt' in a used oil analysis, it was due to an improperly seated air filter element, loose, cracked or misaligned ducting, or the use of a non-OEM style airfilter. Re-usable, oiled and cone stye filters can let in more dirt. With proper oil filtering, any particle that gets past the media is soooo small, it passes right thru the bearing clearances like flushing a tic-tac down the toilet!

Joel

[Rob]

I follow the oil change indicator and use Mobil 1. 3000 mile change intervals is a relic of the '50s that some guys just can't seem to let go of. Oil related engine failures or even excessive wear is practically unheard of nowadays. Even a poorly maintained engine will travel past 200K.

[kendico]

I follow the oil change indicator and use Mobil 1. 3000 mile change intervals is a relic of the '50s that some guys just can't seem to let go of. Oil related engine failures or even excessive wear is practically unheard of nowadays. Even a poorly maintained engine will travel past 200K.


:dielaugh: :dielaugh: :dielaugh:

[MTPockets]

Rob, you are right on the money. The 3/3 oil change 'rule' is a waste of time and resources. If it makes you happy, it certainly is cheap entertainment! :yes: Lube related failures are rare with reasonable care. IMO, what gets me the most is the amount of people who think their vehicle has been meticulously maintained because they followed 3/3 oil changes.:rolleyes: There are sooooo many other things equally as important. Cooling system, driveline lubes, etc.... $1/qt oil and a $2 oil filter changed at OLM intervals will make your engine outlive your trailblazer. After 10yrs these trucks would be so expensive to fix you wont want it anymore anyway!

Joel

[Dave]

People would also change their mind about 3/3k if they had to pay $100 for regular oil changes like they do in Europe. They frequently go around 10-15k between changes (Porshe is one). I'm pretty sure that the Porshe driver in Europe drives their car a little bit harder then we do here.

[hfd121]

I have a friend at chevy and he said not to go by the oil change lite he said if you plain on keeping your ride change the oil every 3000-4000 mile its your ride not GM.

[mbtransam]

I work for mercedes benz, and the oil changes are set at around 13000 miles. But that number is affected by many different measured values and only applies to vehicles run on mobil 1 full synthetic. The total mileage can be greatly reduced by the way the vehicle is driven. I cant tell you how many engines we tear down because of people who run 10000 miles on non-synthetic oil. The entire oiling system will cake with thick sludge. Ive seen oil pans filled solid with sludge. For me it synthetic in all my vehicles, and I change my oil every 4-5000 miles. German manufacturers get by with longer oil intervals due to high quality filters and large oil capacities (most hold between 8-10quarts).

[kendico]

I have a friend at chevy and he said not to go by the oil change lite he said if you plain on keeping your ride change the oil every 3000-4000 mile its your ride not GM.

Virtually everyone at GM will tell you this very thing. The oil life system is based only on temperature and RPM's, not on mileage or driving conditions. Its a marketing tool (low maintenance) that helps sell cars. The suggested air filter change is 50,000 miles, but we get cars that have to have the filter changed every 10,000 miles because it so full of sand that the engine can barely run. Little 70 year old ladies that live on dirt (sand around here) roads, not someone abusing their car.

While air filters do a good job of keeping the incoming air clean, they cannot keep everything out. It a cumulation of wear over a long period of time that does the damage. It isn't a sudden engine failure you have to worry about.

If it was only viscosity that you need to worry about you could possibly drive 30,000 miles with synthetic oil, but it is the cleaning effect of high detergent oil that prevents this.

[EnvoyCruzer]

If this is going to be you're first oil change, then I would already go and have it done. I wouldn't even wait for the first 3K mark. There's been many posts here by the gurus that there are already metal shavings due to breaking in. I would switch to Mobil 1 and plan on getting an oil change at least every 5K.

Thanks for all the posts. I have almost 800mi, should I change it now because of the break-in? Or should I wait a little bit longer? After this initial break-in, I think I'll use the OLM as a guide, but probably not wait the 8900mi that was estimated.

[Rob]

This is my favorite recurring subject. It just gets people so riled up. Of course I've yet to see anybody provide any facts or proof of any kind that 3000 mile oil change intervals are still a good idea. All I see is "my friend at Chevy", or "everyone at GM", etc. Also, the GM oil change indicator is not based on temperature history and RPMs, it's based on temperature history and total number of revolutions. If you spend all your time on the interstate (like much of mine), the number of engine revolutions per mile is much lower than if you do a lot of stop and go driving. It's the number of engine revolutions that cause wear, not the number of miles.

[rbarrios]

id agree with Rob...
travel 60 miles on the freeway doing 60 mph and youre RPMs are at about 1800 constant and your temperature at a nice 210....

travel 60 miles in the city, with lights, and youll be doing anywhere from 600 to 4000 rpms as you stop and go constantly AND with a hotter running engine.

it also subtracts more if the engine is cold (as in early morning startup) and short drives (where moisture isnt burned off )

[gresch]

If this is going to be you're first oil change, then I would already go and have it done. I wouldn't even wait for the first 3K mark. There's been many posts here by the gurus that there are already metal shavings due to breaking in. I would switch to Mobil 1 and plan on getting an oil change at least every 5K.


If there are metal shavings in your oil pan from day 1, then the engine has a lot bigger problem than oil change interval.... absolutley incredible the b.s. that appears on the internet :)

[gresch]

I have a friend at chevy and he said not to go by the oil change lite he said if you plain on keeping your ride change the oil every 3000-4000 mile its your ride not GM.

Is your friend at Chevy is the receptionist? :) Because there is no universal answer to this topic.

[gresch]

I work for mercedes benz, and the oil changes are set at around 13000 miles. But that number is affected by many different measured values and only applies to vehicles run on mobil 1 full synthetic. The total mileage can be greatly reduced by the way the vehicle is driven. I cant tell you how many engines we tear down because of people who run 10000 miles on non-synthetic oil. The entire oiling system will cake with thick sludge. Ive seen oil pans filled solid with sludge. For me it synthetic in all my vehicles, and I change my oil every 4-5000 miles. German manufacturers get by with longer oil intervals due to high quality filters and large oil capacities (most hold between 8-10quarts).


Which "german manufacturer's" engines hold 8-10 quarts of oil? A diesel? Surely not a BMW.

[RichKotite]

There are a lot of posts on this subject. Spong is the one that has it right.
I think he posted his schedule, but its best to go with conventional oil for the first few thousand miles. I did my first change at 1K, the second change will be at 3K, then I will go with Mobil 1 or Royal Purple and a K&N filter. Spong goes one more dino oil change before he goes synthetic.
It has to do with valve seating. Royal Purple wants you to have atleast 2K miles before you switch on a new engine.

[MTPockets]

..It has to do with valve seating. Royal Purple wants you to have atleast 2K miles before you switch on a new engine.

Do you mean piston ring seating? Engine oil has nothing to do with valve seating. Even with the ring seating thing, you can go round & round all day long on that subject...:crazy: Reality is tho- she's broke-in from a ring standpoint before you burn thru your first tank of gas.

Joel

[jay boy]

Went 4k miles on the factory oil then put in M1. Now I go 6-7k with an M1 filter. On all my other cars I go 6k but the TB holds 7qt of oil so I figure I can go alittle longer. Keep in mind that the truck goes on very short trips or is towing a 3000lb boat most of the time. The truck can also sit in the garage for days at a time. Jay

[mbtransam]

Which "german manufacturer's" engines hold 8-10 quarts of oil? A diesel? Surely not a BMW.

I thought it would have been obvious that I was refering to Mercedes Benz. Almost every vehicle we service takes 8 quarts of oil. The only exception are the four cyls, and engines that hold more than 8 qts. As for metal shavings from day one, I think he was refering to bits of metal and debris that are present from when the engine was assembled. It isnt necessary, but any engine builder would recommend it. It seems to me that your b.s. is as good as anyone elses master tech gresch :) .

[Dave]

Please keep the topic respectful.

Of course someone from GM would want you to change the oil more. It means more business for them.

I'll use the oil life indicator with my Denali because the dealer is covering my engine for 10/250k providing the oil changes are done through them according to GM specs.

How many of us actually keep their new cars for over 100k anyways? Changing the oil 2-3x as often also means you pay 2-3x more to maintain the vehicle.

European engines do hold a lot of oil. I also saw tons of Bimmers and Mercs with 300-400,000 km on their odometers and they were still flying at around 100mph.

[gresch]

Which "german manufacturer's" engines hold 8-10 quarts of oil? A diesel? Surely not a BMW.

I thought it would have been obvious that I was refering to Mercedes Benz. Almost every vehicle we service takes 8 quarts of oil. The only exception are the four cyls, and engines that hold more than 8 qts. As for metal shavings from day one, I think he was refering to bits of metal and debris that are present from when the engine was assembled. It isnt necessary, but any engine builder would recommend it. It seems to me that your b.s. is as good as anyone elses master tech gresch :) .


Are you seriously agreeing that there are bits of metal in an engine after it's manufactured? Did the Chrysler boys teach the Daimler boys how to do that? :)

[mbtransam]

Yep. Maybe your thinking on a larger scale than we are. The bits of metal are from the machining process and are very small. Its not like there are giant chunks of metal floating around in your engine.