Diy Oil Changes

[kdrchuck]

I've done my own oil changes in the past, and I think i know how. But it seems liek things might be a little more complicated with the new trucks.

 

Bought the truck new, and it has about 10k miles on it. It has had 2 "quik lube" oil changes. IDK what oil they used cost me less than $30 for the job. These guys have always done well with my other/older vehicles. Something that killed me last time i was in: the fender had a greasy jacket print on it and you could read the guys name badge on the fender. Never been an issue before.

 

This is what I need:

 

Oil types or brands?

Change intervals 3/4/5000?

Is Synthetic worth it?

Are there better filters?

 

 

Thanks and sorry for not searching.

[Stevens03]

Mobil 1 full synthetic and Acdelco oil filter. Change the oil when the DIC says so

 

And yes, I believe the full synthetic's are worth it. Better lubrication and lower operating temps.

[kdrchuck]

Mobil 1 full synthetic and Acdelco oil filter. Change the oil when the DIC says so

 

And yes, I believe the full synthetic's are worth it. Better lubrication and lower operating temps.

 

Great answer, thanks. Do models all of these trucks have oil change alerts? My truck doesn't have Fuel mileage in the DIC. (LS Crew Cab)

[Black02Silverado]

Just use a good 5w-30 brand name like Valvoline, Pennzoil, Castrol and you will be fine. Most go by the oil life monitor that tells you when to change your oil. Otherwise 5k is a good mileage to go by.

 

Filters have come a long way. If you just stick with 5k oil changes then an AC filter will work just fine. If you want a better filter then Purolator's Pure One is a great filter.

 

If you don't mind spending the extra money for synthetic it has it's advantages, mainly in the way of extreme cold temps for better oil flow and in the extreme hot temps since it doesn't break down like conventional oil. It will keep the inside of your engine cleaner and help it run cooler. Also with synthetic you can go longer on oil changes. Depending on the oil you can go 10k miles or longer on an oil change.

 

Synthetic oils to choose from would be, Mobil 1, Redline, Royal Purple and AMSOIL. Pennzoil Platinum, Castrol Edge, Valvoline SynPower are a few of the others.

 

That is pretty much it. I'm sure others will chime in with suggestions.

[donjames911]

I'm old enuf to have seen the recommended oil change interval go from 10K down to 3K. I'm also a Chemical Engineer, and wonder why, with all the advances in oil technology, the interval is decreasing. I recently met an old mechanic who serviced tanks in Korea during the war. He said that due to the scarcity of oil, he would measure viscosity using his thumb and index finger: If oil there would stretch 1/8 to 1/4 inch, he would only change the filter. He also said that is how he treats his personal vehicles, and has never had a problem.

 

Food for thought, and I believe in synthetic.

[700 sportsman]

I highly reccomend Amsoil, I switched over last year. It is cheaper to go 5k with synthetic than 3k on conventional oil. My choice of filter is a Napa Gold, which is a rebranded wix filter.

[RyanbabZ71]

But it seems liek things might be a little more complicated with the new trucks

 

What? I dont think it could be easier (unless it did it itself) Take a 15mm wrench, loosening the oil drain plug, taking an oil filter wrench removing the oil filter and repeating this the opposite way, add new oil and dispose of your old oil properly. Dont even need to jack up either vehicle

[scrapdaddy]

stick to changing your oil every 3000 miles or 5000 kms...... twice i changed my oil when the oil life monitor told me to each time i switched it up... once i was running a top brand synthetic and the other just a top brand 5w30.... both times my oil life monitor told me to change my oil after 15000kms or 12500 miles... too me that was way to long...... my truck does 95% hiway driving at 80mph plus... i am not easy on my truck.... hard on the throttle hard on the brake.....stick to old school 5000km oil change intervals.......an oil change is one of the cheapest maintence things you can do,,,,,so why cheap out on it...... change your oil on a regular basis your truck will love you for it.......just my 2 cents...

[shaungeorge]

A lot of the oils are similar with the exceptions of the cleaners and chemicals that they place into them.  There are some differences and braggin rights when you switch between synth and conven oils. If you are going to change your oil on a regular 3K-5K mile basis then conven oil will do you just as good as a synth oil.  If you intend to do a lot of towing, hauling or many miles in between oil changes then a synth might be your better options.  Many oils will advertise that they are 10K+ oils, but you will not find many filters that can support that.  I have seen many people swear by pure one, A/C, wix, boshe..etc and they are all good filters.  Purolator is the company that started it all with oil filters (or at leaast thats what they train and advertise) and everyone else is just improving on their technology.  Pure one filters are great and hold up really well, but they are not rated for 10K mile oil changes.  Neither is Wix, A/C or even castrol or Mobile 1 filters.  I attended a presentation by mobil 1 and castrol about a year ago and both companies showed data indicating the performance of their oils and how well they performed (this was on the mobile 1 and castrol edge brands).  Both did great and both groups admitted that they did not have a filter on the market that they recommended to run the entire time of the oil rating.  In fact, if I remember correctly, the castrol rep said that they actually used a mobile or a purolator filter (I could be wrong...been a year or better).<BR><BR>Anyway long story short.  Every oil/filter has is pro's and it all depends on how you drive and more importantly, what you are comfortable with.  I am not comfortable driving 8-10K miles between oil changes.  I do not care if the label says that it is ok.  I will change my oil at 5K intervals or even before if I feel like there is a need for it.  <BR>

[kdrchuck]

Are all of the synthetics rated/approved for what the new trucks need (dexo)?

[foghorn23]

Are all of the synthetics rated/approved for what the new trucks need (dexo)?

 

Mobil 1 (both regular and extended), Pennzoil Platinum, and Quaker State Ultimate Durability. All top tier. Used oil anaysis on Bob Is the Oil Guy recently seems to look favorably on Pennzoil Platinum, but none of these choices could be a bad one. You may or may not see packaging with the Dexos symbol on it yet, but all three brands currently are dexos approved.

 

Wix, Napa Gold, Purolator Pure One, or just a good old AC Delco PF48 (can be had for not much $$$ at Wally World) will do a good job for you filter wise.

 

List of dexos approved oils

 

As for me I used Pennzoil Platinum on my first change. I plan on changing every 5000 miles. I may look at the Quaker State Ultimate Durability in the future as it is also, like Pennzoil, a Shell Oil Product and has great used oil analysis numbers on bobistheoilguy. It's also a bargain at Wally World for $19 for a 5 qt. jug. I wouldn't hesitate to do Mobil 1 either as I've used that in previous trucks....great oil. Again don't think you'd go wrong with any of these.

[tanked_darren]

This topic really opens a can of worms!!!

 

 

 

Penzoil Platinum and delco or napa fiters, whatevers cheapest.

[kdrchuck]

thanks guys.

[gnet158]

DIY Oil changes are the best. What's better than working on your truck? Don't forget to buy a grease gun for the two zerk fittings (one on each controller arm). Those should be checked every oil change too. And for the love of god buy a good floor jack and jack stands.

 

My DIY syn oil changes cost me:

$24 - 5 quart jug of Pennzoil Ultra

$6 (ouch) - 1 quart of Pennzoil Ultra

$6 - Wix oil filter

 

Total = $36 (not bad)

[jtstacy77]

Mobil 1 full synthetic and Acdelco oil filter. Change the oil when the DIC says so

 

And yes, I believe the full synthetic's are worth it. Better lubrication and lower operating temps.

 

Great answer, thanks. Do models all of these trucks have oil change alerts? My truck doesn't have Fuel mileage in the DIC. (LS Crew Cab)

 

 

Your truck should have the oil change reminder. With the truck off turn the key to on and pump your gas pedal 3 times. You should see Oil Life Reset start flashing in the area where you normally see the odometer.