Do You Wait For The Oil Change Reminder In Your GM?

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
10/26/2015

GM-Trucks.com wonders if you wait for the car to remind you to change your oil, or if you change it more proactively. Our own Zane Merva is not the type of guy to wait for instructions. He recently drained the oil in his family's new Buick Encore and felt glad he did. Zane tells us that the oil maintenance reminder said there was still 43% remaining in the factory oil's life. However when he drained it, it was "very dark." The good news is that at least on the Encore, changing the oil at home is easy and took only fifteen minutes start to finish. He filled it up with Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic motor oil.

 

What is your view? Should oil in a vehicle you plan to keep beyond the warranty be changed sooner than the vehicle says? Or do you think it is better to only do what is required when the vehicle's algorithm says the time is right? If you do change your oil yourself, tell us why. Is it to save money, be involved in caring for something you value, or for convenience?

[Tony Bianco]

Nope.

I go ahead and change it @ 30%.

[RyanbabZ71]

No

 

Oil is cheap insurance

 

I also run oil analysis in my vehicles.

 

 

Ryan

[sahls01gmc]

I do. I figure they programmed it to operate with their engine, so it must work ok. I've got 600,000 miles on the 3 GM's in my driveway, all with the original powertrain. Lucky? maybe. But it ain't broke, so I don't plan on fixing it anytime soon.

[SleeperZ71]

No, I tend to overkill maintenance. it's so easy to change the oil and its the life blood of your engine. Time management plays a factor too....if I'm getting close and have a couple of free days, I do it early.

[jimbrown1]

I use the OLM or change it between 5-6,000 miles, whichever comes first. Oh, and I run Amsoil OE 5W30 in the 2011 truck and 2004 Tahoe. I run Amsoil ZROD 10W30 in the 2012 Camaro SS (modified) and change it once a year because I never reach 3,000 miles in a year.

[Rufusmagoo]

Using Amsoil full synthetic oil in my 2008 GMC Sierra for the first 100k miles, I changed my oil every 25k miles. That's right, only 4 times in 100k miles. Then switched to Mobil One full synthetic high mileage for every 15k miles. It's still running strong at 199,282 miles today and has never been in the shop.

[Killain]

I'm a short run type of user, which hard is on oil. So I change it 2x a year. When I was in the service, all of the technicians in the motor pool always said " You can't have too of clean oil in an engine." So I change it in the fall and again in spring. But I only drive 7K-9K miles a year.

Edited October 27, 2015 by Killain

[ambro_52]

I change mine every 3000 miles. And since i change it so often i only use plain jane 5w30. Never had a problem. Its just cheap insurance.

[Captain Awesome]

I'm a short run type of user, which hard on oil. So I change it 2x a year. When I was in the service, all of the technicians in the motor pool always said " You can't have too of clean oil in an engine." So I change it in the fall and again in spring. But I only drive 7K-9K miles a year.

 

I'm a short run type of user, which hard on oil. So I change it 2x a year. When I was in the service, all of the technicians in the motor pool always said " You can't have too of clean oil in an engine." So I change it in the fall and again in spring. But I only drive 7K-9K miles a year.

 

When you were in the service, did you work in the Department of Redundancy Department? :-)

 

I tend not to trust the OLM - I guess I'm set in my ways - but after reading this thread I may try to resist the urge to change the oil sooner.

[wnettles]

No. I do not wait to be told by my truck when to change oil and filter. I change it every 5000 miles, when the odometer rolls over another 5000, the oil and filter get changed. Every 10000 miles, I change the air filter. Fluids are checked monthly. All lubrication is done on an annual basis (I drive less than 12000 miles a year).

 

Take good care of your truck and your truck will take good care of you.

 

Last truck lasted me about 300,000 miles and it is still running with a new owner. Looks and works as good as when it was new. New owner takes care of it like I did. Glad to see my old ride of 20+ years still going......

[ShelKol]

I wait for 5-10% on the OLM and change it. I usually do it myself as it is cheaper, I can do it when I want to, and don't have to sit around waiting for someone else to do it.

 

I have a '13 2500HD - dealer did the first change, A station in Utah (I was on a trip) changed it the second time ($90 - I almost had a heart attack). Third time I did it myself - found grease fittings on the ball joints and tie rods that had never been greased . I greased them - that's why I like to do things myself

[okfoz]

I usually change my oil between 40 & 50% point. My 05 Rainier V8 at the end of its life (my wife totaled it) would run great at 200,000 miles BUT it burned about a quart of oil every month, so on the 20'th of every month I would check and add a quart. I really suspect it had more to do with the valve stem leaking than everything because every now and then it would create this cloud of smoke on startup, but not all the time.

 

My 07 Tahoe is similar, it goes through a quart of oil every 2000 miles, apparently that is within the acceptable range. GM will not fix oil consumption until it is 2 quarts per 1000 miles.

[Tattooo]

No I dont.....usually at 30% ish

[Killain]

 

When you were in the service, did you work in the Department of Redundancy Department? :-)

 

I tend not to trust the OLM - I guess I'm set in my ways - but after reading this thread I may try to resist the urge to change the oil sooner.

OK, 1970 to 1974. I was in a group of Naval Ground forces.

Edited October 27, 2015 by Killain