I purchased a 2014 GMC Sierra with free scheduled maintenance.

[2017SierraSLT]

Thing is that the oil that they're using for the K2s are full synthetic which doesn't break down as fast as conventional so it can go up to 10,000 miles without needing to be changed.

 

Not all of it is full synthetic....GM offers a blend, which I am sure is a fine oil, but at the end of the day, it isn't fully synthetic.

 

 

[hurricanoday]

I have always wondered why people try so hard not to follow what the manufactorer suggests? As others have mentioned why not just read the manual or follow the oil meter?

 

This is even with a 50k truck that is under warranty with free maintence, just do what they say. Do you really think GM or any other manufactorer gives out bonus recommendations? When the truck is out of warranty in 5 years you can change the oil every day cause you "think" it is better

 

right in the fine print "according to your new vehicle’s recommended maintenance schedule" not what your grampys grampy told him he had been doing his whole life

[2017SierraSLT]

I don't trust the local dealers as much as I could throw them, that's why. There have been several cases where they install 5W30 oil and the incorrect amount to these K2XX wonder trucks. How would you feel if your engine was damaged due to incompetence?

[Ventilator]

 

I let mine get down to 3% and it was around 7,600 miles. Thing is that the oil that they're using for the K2s are full synthetic which doesn't break down as fast as conventional so it can go up to 10,000 miles without needing to be changed. I don't see the point in changing full synthetic at only 3,000 miles. That's an old # from decades ago with older vehicles and old oil for conventional, conventional can last 5,000 now. I say wait until 5% or less oil life to get the most out of the oil and it won't hurt anything.

 

 

Synthetic BLEND, not full synthetic. Big difference!

 

I worry more about the hours, than I do the miles.

[ShotgunZ71]

I change, or have the dealer change, my oil when the OLM says to change it. In my older vehicles that use regular conventional oil, it's still around 7000 miles or so. One vehicle has 104,000 the other has 102,000 and no issues. Everyone has different opinions on when to change their oil and whatever makes them happy, so be it.

[redwngr]

Dexos1 is an oil specification. It's available from lots of brands.

 

Link to list of oils approved to the Dexos1 spec:

 

http://www.centerforqa.com/gm/dexos1-brands

 

List contains 0w20's and 5w30's.

 

Both viscosities have synthetic and synthetic blend options.

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

 

Not all of it is full synthetic....GM offers a blend, which I am sure is a fine oil, but at the end of the day, it isn't fully synthetic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synthetic BLEND, not full synthetic. Big difference!

 

I worry more about the hours, than I do the miles.

 

 

I said full synthetic because I looked some of the major brands. Especially the one I intend to keep using which is Mobil 1 which is full synthetic.

[AZGMCZ71Leveled]

 

got the first oil done and waxed her for the second time in 3 months. Looking good.

[Ventilator]

 

 

 

 

I said full synthetic because I looked some of the major brands. Especially the one I intend to keep using which is Mobil 1 which is full synthetic.

 

 

Let me remind you what you said.

 

 

 

 

I let mine get down to 3% and it was around 7,600 miles. Thing is that the oil that they're using for the K2s are full synthetic which doesn't break down as fast as conventional so it can go up to 10,000 miles without needing to be changed. I don't see the point in changing full synthetic at only 3,000 miles. That's an old # from decades ago with older vehicles and old oil for conventional, conventional can last 5,000 now. I say wait until 5% or less oil life to get the most out of the oil and it won't hurt anything.

 

Not true.

 

They, as in GM Dealerships, are using synthetic blend for the oil changes that come with the maintenance plan. If you want full synthetic, most will let you upgrade for the difference in price, but you will pay the difference. The only exception to that would be if the dealership offered a full synthetic upgrade as an incentive at the time of purchase.

 

Synthetic blend, is a conventional oil, with synthetic blended in.

 

When you put 250,000 or 300,000 miles on a few vehicles, let me know how those oil change intervals work out for you. Full synthetic, yes, but that is not what the dealer will install, unless you request it and pay the upcharge.

[Ventilator]

I change, or have the dealer change, my oil when the OLM says to change it. In my older vehicles that use regular conventional oil, it's still around 7000 miles or so. One vehicle has 104,000 the other has 102,000 and no issues. Everyone has different opinions on when to change their oil and whatever makes them happy, so be it.

 

 

How many vehicles have you ran for 250,000 or 300,000 miles? I've ran several to those numbers, and I know guys that try your 7000 mile interval, and are burning oil at half that. Try running one of those vehicles to 300,000, or even 200,000 on conventional oil, and let me know how those intervals work for you. Good luck!

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

 

 

Let me remind you what you said.

 

 

 

 

Not true.

 

They, as in GM Dealerships, are using synthetic blend for the oil changes that come with the maintenance plan. If you want full synthetic, most will let you upgrade for the difference in price, but you will pay the difference. The only exception to that would be if the dealership offered a full synthetic upgrade as an incentive at the time of purchase.

 

Synthetic blend, is a conventional oil, with synthetic blended in.

 

When you put 250,000 or 300,000 miles on a few vehicles, let me know how those oil change intervals work out for you. Full synthetic, yes, but that is not what the dealer will install, unless you request it and pay the upcharge.

 

I know what I said. I was wrong, but what I meant in the 2nd comment was that since all of the main brands that offer 0w-20 is full synthetic I just assumed that GM used full synthetic and assumed that all 0w-20 was full synthetic because of what I looked up with the other oil brands.

 

In the manual it recommends the GM synthetic blend and since the manual also has routine maintenance (with oil change at every interval) to be every 7,500 miles then I can assume any synthetic blend is 7,500 miles while full synthetic can go 10,000 miles while conventional can go 5,000. This is with present oil and all city driving. The 3,000 # is from decades ago with old oils. So changing oil that is synthetic blend or full synthetic at only 3,000 miles is wasting money. Even when I start changing it myself with full synthetic I'll just go by the 7,500 mile interval that's in the manual and also the oil life. I know it would be able to go a couple more thousand but it's just to keep everything together so I won't be spreading all of the maintenance which would make it harder for me to remember, even after writing it down.

[KARNUT]

Ive been in the equipment field for 40 years the only reason I go by manual is the warranty, after that its synthetic. Ive done the oil testing, used the different oils and their all about the same and you get what you pay for just like every thing else. I have many customers with fleets of trucks that go through abuse daily that most people with 4x4s wouldn't touch. These are work trucks not pretty play trucks that are task with the duty to get their driver to equipment that make them thousands daily. Do they change their oil every 7500 miles, not a chance, the equipment comes first. Do they last 200 or 300 thousand miles, yes. most of these trucks start at 5:30 in the morning run all day and shut off at dark at the hotel room. These trucks average oil changes are 15 to 20 thousand miles when there is a rain out. You want to change your oil at 3000 miles go ahead, its your truck is it needed no.

[ShotgunZ71]

 

 

How many vehicles have you ran for 250,000 or 300,000 miles? I've ran several to those numbers, and I know guys that try your 7000 mile interval, and are burning oil at half that. Try running one of those vehicles to 300,000, or even 200,000 on conventional oil, and let me know how those intervals work for you. Good luck!

If you want to change your oil more often, go ahead. I'll do what works for me. I've not had any oil related issues so far, and don't anticipate any in the future due to following the OLM, whether it's conventional or synthetic.

[jamin87ss]

I gotta a question,

 

 

If the same motor could run blend and full would the oil life moniter be different on the full syn? Or would it just go based on hours, miles, and rpms? If it would read the same then I think the oil life monitor us a scam because its not actually reading the oil, which in turn points me back to 3/4000 mile intervals

[KARNUT]

I gotta a question,

 

 

If the same motor could run blend and full would the oil life moniter be different on the full syn? Or would it just go based on hours, miles, and rpms? If it would read the same then I think the oil life monitor us a scam because its not actually reading the oil, which in turn points me back to 3/4000 mile intervals

Come on really? Waaay back in 06 I had a trailblazer SS, came with mobil one. The manual said oil changes between 12 and 15,000 mile depending on driving habits. Sure enough if I did lots of HWY driving it would go almost 15k, if I did lots of stop and go or it was in the heat of summer closer to 12k. It was set up for syn and the warranty was based on that. If I was foolish enough to run regular oil it would do the same, it doesn't test the oil it monitors habits, speed, etc. So if you get passed warranty and want to run syn, go thru one reset cycle you would be covered, Ive been doing that since they added monitors, but I do it x3. No engine fails yet.