Could this be right?

[flyboyron]

I have once or twice checked the oil in my truck between changes since I got it new.

I now have about 66,500 miles on my 09 Silverado with the 5.3L V8.

 

I checked the oil the other day and it was a quart low. So I added a quart and recorded the mileage so I can keep track of this.

 

Wow, adding oil to my truck for the first time between oil changes since I bought it.

 

The oil life remaining was at 50%, and when I got home and looked up my last service record, it indicates I went 4,298 miles since I had it changed.

 

This is not good, if at only 66,000 miles I am using a quart every 4,000 miles. I am real easy on this truck and have not noticed any leaks anywhere.

 

My next thought is...did the college boys at the dealer actually fill the truck full with oil.

 

And with my memory these days....I can't remember if I checked it after they did the job. (Which I will do at the dealer when I pick it up from now on.)

 

My wife's car had an oil change and it uses oil, it has got over 140,000 miles on it so that is ok. It uses about a quart every 3,000 miles.

 

I checked her oil about a month after having it serviced and it was a quart overfull. WOW!

 

I called the dealer and they said their machine that pumps the oil in the vehicles may be calibrated wrong.

 

WTF! Don't they check the dipstick before closing the hood? That is what I was taught when I took Auto Mechanics in the 70's?

 

So I will have to wait and see how it goes over the next few months to see if my truck actually uses oil, or if those college boys didn't put the right amount of oil in it and it could have been a quart low all this time.

[fondupot]

And that's why I change the oil myself.

[flyboyron]

I wish I could. I used to do all the work on my own vehicles and others too. I broke my back in 1997 and did recover really well, at that time I was in the midst of becoming a smog tech and A/C tech, (Took all kinds of Auto classes I could find, and passed 2 ASE written tests) and was in the process of applying for a mechanic job when I broke my back. I just can't lay on my back or do much bending anymore.

[intheburbs]

Very simple. I go to the local oil change place with my own oil and filter. I get out, watch them hit all the grease zerks, drain the pan, and replace the filter. I watch them pour six bottles of oil into the engine, they show me the dipstick, and charge me $20. I drive away. Elapsed time: 10-15 minutes

[flyboyron]

Very simple. I go to the local oil change place with my own oil and filter. I get out, watch them hit all the grease zerks, drain the pan, and replace the filter. I watch them pour six bottles of oil into the engine, they show me the dipstick, and charge me $20. I drive away. Elapsed time: 10-15 minutes

Wow. That's not bad. I usually go to the local Chevy dealer where they have the $39.95 oil change and tire rotation along with a 24 point inspection. That means they look for more things they can charge you for! LOL

I did notice that even though they rotate the tires, over the years, they never get rebalanced. I had to take my truck to costco for $20 to have them rebalanced at 60,000 miles.

It will be almost time to replace the original tires by September or October this year. I think I should have close to 70,000 miles on them by the time the will be replaced. Not bad for stock Goodyear 20" tires.

[Mikeb52r]

I use about a quart every 4000 - 5000 miles also, no oil leaks and mine is turning 80K this week.

 

As for no checking the dipstick, I always did when I worked at Firestone. But a lot of the other guys didn't and relied on the machine counter sine it registered in 10ths of a quart. Saved them a little time sine they were on paid by the job. I was hourly so I didn't mind checking it.