Oil Change Cost

KARNUT · February 25, 2017

I always break them in hard and fast and I've bought a few old ladies cars since the seventies. One of my favorites was a 66 396 impala ss, owned by an old lady. It's an estate car the daughter I bought it from say her dad always bought the biggest engine he could get even in the wife's car. More than of few of those cars never left town or saw any high speeds till I got them. Never had a smoker or oil user in any one. I've own over a hundred new and used far more used and mostly performance vehicles. Let them warm up a bit keep them maintained never rev them up without a load they'll last.

GDI Tech · February 26, 2017

A note to all, we should have data to release before long of almost 2 years of oil analysis on a fleet of new GDI vehicles that shows you ONLY want to use a FULL synthetic oil as the dealer free oil changes of the Dexos rated blend results in as much as 3 times the rate and severity of coking deposits forming on the valves! And, use of the Elite E2-X and E2-X Ultra systems will allow you to extend oil change intervals as it removes much of the contaminates that overwhelm the engine oil reducing it's ability to protect. Wear is also reduced by removing the raw fuel and other damaging particulate matter entering as blow-by. And fuel economy improvement from reducing knock retard. Also, do NOT baby that engine during the first few hundred miles! Follow this procedure from GM to properly seat rings to avoid oil consumption issues:

Hey GDI Tech. When can we expect to see your data? And was any of your testing done on the K2's truck,car, SUV engines or done on other test mules or imports? Thanks

Scott

Waiting for final report, and yes, a LT based 6.2 Suburban is among the fleet tested. No imports in this mix but have several individual results from them.

Here is just one of the tests:

This is all done with a premium full synthetic oil on late model Ford Ecoboost 3.5L F150. Truck was run for 6k miles with no devices installed to improve crankcase evacuation. The test is an in depth analysis and the main points are as follows:

Fuel dilution was 4.5 Viscosity@40 was 45.71 and Viscosity@100 8.76. The rest of the elements tested for were inline with averages on this vehicle. Then a E2-X Ultra system was installed and the truck run another 5k miles and sample extracted and analyzed. I am just focusing on the main effects on the engine oil here until we can release the 2 year compilation of the entire fleet. Fuel dilution reduced to 3.86 (even though oil now has 5k more miles on it) and viscosity, which normally would have dropped significantly actually improved to 46.98@40 and 8.82@100. The rest of the wear indicators, etc. were at levels less than would normally be seen on this vehicle as well.

What this shows is several things, first is fuel dilution is a huge issue on GDI engines as a rule as far more is forced past the rings due to the intense pressures the fuel is introduced under. This is taxing on any motor oil, especially of running a "blend" vs a full synthetic. The second is how the improved evacuation functions of the E2 or E2-X Elite systems that continues evacuation when under acceleration and at WOT when the OEM PCV stops evacuating and contaminates then have a chance to settle and mix with the oil, and more importantly, the system does remove a good portion of the volatile compounds already mixed with the engine oil. Now, this was done with a premium full synthetic oil, but imagine how a cheap blend like the dealer uses would be degraded even further as they do not absorb and deal with the contaminates as well as a good full synthetic does. They break down faster and provide less protection.

Now the average make-up of what is caught in one of these effective separation systems is as follows:

app. 70% is water and sulfuric acid. 23% is raw fuel (one of the biggest contributors to the premature wear of all GDI engines no matter the make), and only 7% is oil and a concentration of abrasive particulate matter (ash/soot/carbon) as the deposits that form on the intake valves are a hard baked on crystalline make up and very abrasive vs the old "soft carbon" of past port injection engines. This also demonstrates how beneficial a system like the E2-X is to extend engine life and reduce wear from these contaminates. If these are not evacuated (sucked out) of the crankcase as soon as they enter as blow-by, they quickly settle and mix with the engine oil. Now these systems cannot remove the abrasive particulate matter once it settles in the oil as it can with fuel and water based contaminates, so the added evacuation provided during acceleration and at wide open throttle prevents much of these from ever having a chance to settle and mix. Once in the oil, most of it is there to stay as the oil filter does not trap down to the micron size of the particulates so they continue to be circulated through the engine contributing to wear.

Hope that helps. Much more is being done, but this fleet testing has concluded and only waiting for the lab to sort through it all and prepare the final report.

scott19677 · February 26, 2017

Wow, thanks for the work you're putting into this subject. Sounds like these DI engines are going to be a pain in the ass as they age. I think my next truck just might be a 70's Chevy with a modern crate motor with a decent EFI sitting on top of a good 'old duel plane intake. A lot less drama.

Thanks again

Scott

Nanotech Environmental · February 27, 2017

Waiting for final report, and yes, a LT based 6.2 Suburban is among the fleet tested. No imports in this mix but have several individual results from them.

Here is just one of the tests:

This is all done with a premium full synthetic oil on late model Ford Ecoboost 3.5L F150. Truck was run for 6k miles with no devices installed to improve crankcase evacuation. The test is an in depth analysis and the main points are as follows:

Fuel dilution was 4.5 Viscosity@40 was 45.71 and Viscosity@100 8.76. The rest of the elements tested for were inline with averages on this vehicle. Then a E2-X Ultra system was installed and the truck run another 5k miles and sample extracted and analyzed. I am just focusing on the main effects on the engine oil here until we can release the 2 year compilation of the entire fleet. Fuel dilution reduced to 3.86 (even though oil now has 5k more miles on it) and viscosity, which normally would have dropped significantly actually improved to 46.98@40 and 8.82@100. The rest of the wear indicators, etc. were at levels less than would normally be seen on this vehicle as well.

What this shows is several things, first is fuel dilution is a huge issue on GDI engines as a rule as far more is forced past the rings due to the intense pressures the fuel is introduced under. This is taxing on any motor oil, especially of running a "blend" vs a full synthetic. The second is how the improved evacuation functions of the E2 or E2-X Elite systems that continues evacuation when under acceleration and at WOT when the OEM PCV stops evacuating and contaminates then have a chance to settle and mix with the oil, and more importantly, the system does remove a good portion of the volatile compounds already mixed with the engine oil. Now, this was done with a premium full synthetic oil, but imagine how a cheap blend like the dealer uses would be degraded even further as they do not absorb and deal with the contaminates as well as a good full synthetic does. They break down faster and provide less protection.

Now the average make-up of what is caught in one of these effective separation systems is as follows:

app. 70% is water and sulfuric acid. 23% is raw fuel (one of the biggest contributors to the premature wear of all GDI engines no matter the make), and only 7% is oil and a concentration of abrasive particulate matter (ash/soot/carbon) as the deposits that form on the intake valves are a hard baked on crystalline make up and very abrasive vs the old "soft carbon" of past port injection engines. This also demonstrates how beneficial a system like the E2-X is to extend engine life and reduce wear from these contaminates. If these are not evacuated (sucked out) of the crankcase as soon as they enter as blow-by, they quickly settle and mix with the engine oil. Now these systems cannot remove the abrasive particulate matter once it settles in the oil as it can with fuel and water based contaminates, so the added evacuation provided during acceleration and at wide open throttle prevents much of these from ever having a chance to settle and mix. Once in the oil, most of it is there to stay as the oil filter does not trap down to the micron size of the particulates so they continue to be circulated through the engine contributing to wear.

Hope that helps. Much more is being done, but this fleet testing has concluded and only waiting for the lab to sort through it all and prepare the final report.

I wonder if one of those bypass filtration systems from Amsoil would help with some of these issues?

sdeeter19555 · February 27, 2017

I wonder if one of those bypass filtration systems from Amsoil would help with some of these issues?

Won't help with fuel dilution...

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

Cowpie · February 27, 2017

Waiting for final report, and yes, a LT based 6.2 Suburban is among the fleet tested. No imports in this mix but have several individual results from them.

Here is just one of the tests:

This is all done with a premium full synthetic oil on late model Ford Ecoboost 3.5L F150. Truck was run for 6k miles with no devices installed to improve crankcase evacuation. The test is an in depth analysis and the main points are as follows:

Fuel dilution was 4.5 Viscosity@40 was 45.71 and Viscosity@100 8.76. The rest of the elements tested for were inline with averages on this vehicle. Then a E2-X Ultra system was installed and the truck run another 5k miles and sample extracted and analyzed. I am just focusing on the main effects on the engine oil here until we can release the 2 year compilation of the entire fleet. Fuel dilution reduced to 3.86 (even though oil now has 5k more miles on it) and viscosity, which normally would have dropped significantly actually improved to 46.98@40 and 8.82@100. The rest of the wear indicators, etc. were at levels less than would normally be seen on this vehicle as well.

What this shows is several things, first is fuel dilution is a huge issue on GDI engines as a rule as far more is forced past the rings due to the intense pressures the fuel is introduced under. This is taxing on any motor oil, especially of running a "blend" vs a full synthetic. The second is how the improved evacuation functions of the E2 or E2-X Elite systems that continues evacuation when under acceleration and at WOT when the OEM PCV stops evacuating and contaminates then have a chance to settle and mix with the oil, and more importantly, the system does remove a good portion of the volatile compounds already mixed with the engine oil. Now, this was done with a premium full synthetic oil, but imagine how a cheap blend like the dealer uses would be degraded even further as they do not absorb and deal with the contaminates as well as a good full synthetic does. They break down faster and provide less protection.

Now the average make-up of what is caught in one of these effective separation systems is as follows:

app. 70% is water and sulfuric acid. 23% is raw fuel (one of the biggest contributors to the premature wear of all GDI engines no matter the make), and only 7% is oil and a concentration of abrasive particulate matter (ash/soot/carbon) as the deposits that form on the intake valves are a hard baked on crystalline make up and very abrasive vs the old "soft carbon" of past port injection engines. This also demonstrates how beneficial a system like the E2-X is to extend engine life and reduce wear from these contaminates. If these are not evacuated (sucked out) of the crankcase as soon as they enter as blow-by, they quickly settle and mix with the engine oil. Now these systems cannot remove the abrasive particulate matter once it settles in the oil as it can with fuel and water based contaminates, so the added evacuation provided during acceleration and at wide open throttle prevents much of these from ever having a chance to settle and mix. Once in the oil, most of it is there to stay as the oil filter does not trap down to the micron size of the particulates so they continue to be circulated through the engine contributing to wear.

Hope that helps. Much more is being done, but this fleet testing has concluded and only waiting for the lab to sort through it all and prepare the final report.

Most everything you mention is more a function of the additive package of an oil and not the base oil itself. The only appreciable thing that synthetic base oil offers over conventional is the ability to flow better at extreme cold temps, better able to resist thermal breakdown under extreme high temps, a lower NOACK or burn off rate which tends to affect viscosity and take the motor oil out of grade. The catch can, which is not a function of the oil, helped considerably, as it should. And that had more to do with reducing fuel dilution buildup in the oil. Irregardless of base oil, fuel dilution will degrade any oil's ability to perform as it should.

Contaminates, keeping particulates in suspension and prevent them from bonding, acids, oxidation, extreme pressure and friction modifiers, and such are all addressed by the additive package in an oil, not the base oil itself. The best synthetic on the planet will grenade an engine just the same if it doesn't have a strong add pack combined with it.

Your fleet contention is interesting , but there are fleets running heavy commercial trucks on conventional oils, doing up to 50,000 mile oil changes, and getting stellar performance from the oil. There are a lot of factors that go into a great motor oil, but 20% of any motor oil is additive package. Folks get all caught up in the conventional vs blend vs full syn debate and almost never even take into account the add pack that makes any base oil good, better, or best.

Example: My 2006 Cadillac CTS, the OEM called for a spec of 6094M for the oil. At the time, M1 5w30. But in the last few years, Pennzoil Conventional has met the 6094M standard. How can that be? It is a conventional oil? It all centers around the add pack. Pennz conventional meets the API SN / ILSAC GF-5 standard which exceeds GM's 6094M standard now. And to satisfy any curiosity, yes, I am using the Pennzoil conventional in that car. Engine is in great shape and doing well for an almost 12 year old car.

The whole dexos thing centers around the add pack of an oil, with the ability to meet a NOACK below 12%. The latter being the chief reason dexos has been a blend or full syn proposition. The other aspects of dexos1 standards are all addressed by the additive package of a motor oil. The gen 2 dexos1 standard revolves more around full syn, but that is primarily due to the higher use of turbocharging in GM's small gas engines. Again, it is a thermal breakdown situation which a syn is better able to handle.

mookdoc6 · February 27, 2017

Waiting for final report, and yes, a LT based 6.2 Suburban is among the fleet tested. No imports in this mix but have several individual results from them.

Here is just one of the tests:

This is all done with a premium full synthetic oil on late model Ford Ecoboost 3.5L F150. Truck was run for 6k miles with no devices installed to improve crankcase evacuation. The test is an in depth analysis and the main points are as follows:

Fuel dilution was 4.5 Viscosity@40 was 45.71 and Viscosity@100 8.76. The rest of the elements tested for were inline with averages on this vehicle. Then a E2-X Ultra system was installed and the truck run another 5k miles and sample extracted and analyzed. I am just focusing on the main effects on the engine oil here until we can release the 2 year compilation of the entire fleet. Fuel dilution reduced to 3.86 (even though oil now has 5k more miles on it) and viscosity, which normally would have dropped significantly actually improved to 46.98@40 and 8.82@100. The rest of the wear indicators, etc. were at levels less than would normally be seen on this vehicle as well.

What this shows is several things, first is fuel dilution is a huge issue on GDI engines as a rule as far more is forced past the rings due to the intense pressures the fuel is introduced under. This is taxing on any motor oil, especially of running a "blend" vs a full synthetic. The second is how the improved evacuation functions of the E2 or E2-X Elite systems that continues evacuation when under acceleration and at WOT when the OEM PCV stops evacuating and contaminates then have a chance to settle and mix with the oil, and more importantly, the system does remove a good portion of the volatile compounds already mixed with the engine oil. Now, this was done with a premium full synthetic oil, but imagine how a cheap blend like the dealer uses would be degraded even further as they do not absorb and deal with the contaminates as well as a good full synthetic does. They break down faster and provide less protection.

Now the average make-up of what is caught in one of these effective separation systems is as follows:

app. 70% is water and sulfuric acid. 23% is raw fuel (one of the biggest contributors to the premature wear of all GDI engines no matter the make), and only 7% is oil and a concentration of abrasive particulate matter (ash/soot/carbon) as the deposits that form on the intake valves are a hard baked on crystalline make up and very abrasive vs the old "soft carbon" of past port injection engines. This also demonstrates how beneficial a system like the E2-X is to extend engine life and reduce wear from these contaminates. If these are not evacuated (sucked out) of the crankcase as soon as they enter as blow-by, they quickly settle and mix with the engine oil. Now these systems cannot remove the abrasive particulate matter once it settles in the oil as it can with fuel and water based contaminates, so the added evacuation provided during acceleration and at wide open throttle prevents much of these from ever having a chance to settle and mix. Once in the oil, most of it is there to stay as the oil filter does not trap down to the micron size of the particulates so they continue to be circulated through the engine contributing to wear.

Hope that helps. Much more is being done, but this fleet testing has concluded and only waiting for the lab to sort through it all and prepare the final report.

This is all good stuff and more evidence about the GDI/ Fuel Dilution etc. Actually, I am glad you used a 3.5L Ecoboost I myself believe that their design inherently results in far more fuel dilution than most understand. GM added the 2 extra quarts obviously to maintain their crankcase oil at appropriate quality levels for GDI/ Fuel Dilution and Oil Change Intervals.......It has always been the add-pack to the base oil which is why Shell Rotella T could always go the distance in OTR Diesels? Cowpie would probably know more about that...All Truckers I knew even back in the 90's only used Rotella T and they would always say use this OIL ONLY IN DIESEL......

As for Dexos it is a GM forward initiative to keep those smaller displacement/crankcase sizes/ AFM systems/ Coking Valves to turning into nightmare scenarios for owners................I am firm believer in the high quality installation of "Catch Can" to prolong the operating results of these newer GDI's/Turbo engines......

GDI Tech · February 27, 2017

Most everything you mention is more a function of the additive package of an oil and not the base oil itself. The only appreciable thing that synthetic base oil offers over conventional is the ability to flow better at extreme cold temps, better able to resist thermal breakdown under extreme high temps, a lower NOACK or burn off rate which tends to affect viscosity and take the motor oil out of grade. The catch can, which is not a function of the oil, helped considerably, as it should. And that had more to do with reducing fuel dilution buildup in the oil. Irregardless of base oil, fuel dilution will degrade any oil's ability to perform as it should.

Contaminates, keeping particulates in suspension and prevent them from bonding, acids, oxidation, extreme pressure and friction modifiers, and such are all addressed by the additive package in an oil, not the base oil itself. The best synthetic on the planet will grenade an engine just the same if it doesn't have a strong add pack combined with it.

Your fleet contention is interesting , but there are fleets running heavy commercial trucks on conventional oils, doing up to 50,000 mile oil changes, and getting stellar performance from the oil. There are a lot of factors that go into a great motor oil, but 20% of any motor oil is additive package. Folks get all caught up in the conventional vs blend vs full syn debate and almost never even take into account the add pack that makes any base oil good, better, or best.

The whole dexos thing centers around the add pack of an oil, with the ability to meet a NOACK below 12%. The latter being the chief reason dexos has been a blend or full syn proposition. The other aspects of dexos1 standards are all addressed by the additive package of a motor oil. The gen 2 dexos1 standard revolves more around full syn, but that is primarily due to the higher use of turbocharging in GM's small gas engines. Again, it is a thermal breakdown situation which a syn is better able to handle.

Excellent contribution!!! And very specific in details. The only area you missed is the residue or matter left when burned at high temps that results in most of the intake valve coking formation. Take a cap full of a Dexos1 blend and burn in a frying pan and see the resulting residue left. The use a good full synthetic Dexos2 rated oil and see almost nothing is left once burned. This is beneficial to both the reduction in coking formation rate as well as reduction of coking issues in turbo chargers due to the heat. Your knowledge of oils is a huge contribution to this discussion, very impressed! And most don't realize Dexos is a standard that goes further than most oil standards and is not the oil brand. It is the intense heat the intake valves now operate under that is resulting in the deposit formation on the backsides of the valves with fuel no longer cooling and keeping them clean from the near constant spraying on the valves in port injection application that no longer takes place in GDI engines. Also the TBN properties of the oil are more critical with greater blow-by as well.

Your more versed on oil properties than I am. Glad your in this thread!

I wonder if one of those bypass filtration systems from Amsoil would help with some of these issues?

Absolutely. They have the ability to trap down to 2 microns eliminating most all of the abrasive particulate matter. But as sdeeter correctly states, the fuel dilution still occurs.

Most everything you mention is more a function of the additive package of an oil and not the base oil itself. The only appreciable thing that synthetic base oil offers over conventional is the ability to flow better at extreme cold temps, better able to resist thermal breakdown under extreme high temps, a lower NOACK or burn off rate which tends to affect viscosity and take the motor oil out of grade. The catch can, which is not a function of the oil, helped considerably, as it should. And that had more to do with reducing fuel dilution buildup in the oil. Irregardless of base oil, fuel dilution will degrade any oil's ability to perform as it should.

Contaminates, keeping particulates in suspension and prevent them from bonding, acids, oxidation, extreme pressure and friction modifiers, and such are all addressed by the additive package in an oil, not the base oil itself. The best synthetic on the planet will grenade an engine just the same if it doesn't have a strong add pack combined with it.

Your fleet contention is interesting , but there are fleets running heavy commercial trucks on conventional oils, doing up to 50,000 mile oil changes, and getting stellar performance from the oil. There are a lot of factors that go into a great motor oil, but 20% of any motor oil is additive package. Folks get all caught up in the conventional vs blend vs full syn debate and almost never even take into account the add pack that makes any base oil good, better, or best.

The whole dexos thing centers around the add pack of an oil, with the ability to meet a NOACK below 12%. The latter being the chief reason dexos has been a blend or full syn proposition. The other aspects of dexos1 standards are all addressed by the additive package of a motor oil. The gen 2 dexos1 standard revolves more around full syn, but that is primarily due to the higher use of turbocharging in GM's small gas engines. Again, it is a thermal breakdown situation which a syn is better able to handle.

Excellent contribution!!! And very specific in details. The only area you missed is the residue or matter left when burned at high temps that results in most of the intake valve coking formation. Take a cap full of a Dexos1 blend and burn in a frying pan and see the resulting residue left. The use a good full synthetic Dexos2 rated oil and see almost nothing is left once burned. This is beneficial to both the reduction in coking formation rate as well as reduction of coking issues in turbo chargers due to the heat. Your knowledge of oils is a huge contribution to this discussion, very impressed! And most don't realize Dexos is a standard that goes further than most oil standards and is not the oil brand. It is the intense heat the intake valves now operate under that is resulting in the deposit formation on the backsides of the valves with fuel no longer cooling and keeping them clean from the near constant spraying on the valves in port injection application that no longer takes place in GDI engines. Also the TBN properties of the oil are more critical with greater blow-by as well.

Your more versed on oil properties than I am. Glad your in this thread!

I wonder if one of those bypass filtration systems from Amsoil would help with some of these issues?

Absolutely. They have the ability to trap down to 2 microns eliminating most all of the abrasive particulate matter. But as sdeeter correctly states, the fuel dilution still occurs.

Cowpie · February 27, 2017

One detail.... dexos2 is diesel rated oil while decos1 is gasoline rated. I think you meant 2nd generation dexos1. Nothing new and exciting there. Many dexos1 rated synthetic oils already met or beat the gen2 spec before it came out. And that thermal breakdown is better met with a full syn. But what brought the need for 2gen decos1? Primarily failures in GM's small displacement turbocharged engines.

mookdoc6 · February 27, 2017

Great post GDI about mentioning......I hear people say it all the time, "GM is marketing Dexos for money and marketing purposes etc" They have little knowledge about what DEXOS is intended for? Cowpie, has decades of knowledge and experience it's obvious!

There are many areas of GM that people have no idea or given any credit too! Dexos being one!

Cowpie · February 27, 2017

Well, GM did make a deal about charging some pretty hefty fees for an oil to get on their "approved" listings. So they are not as pure as the wind driven snow. But dexos1 is a very good spec. Just how GM chose to deal with oil companies and approvals is a little slimy. This is why one can find oils that meet the spec but are not on the list.

Cowpie · February 27, 2017

A bypass filter does indeed help controlling particulate build up. But it cannot address acid buildup, fuel dilution, or viscosity changes due to oil experiencing lower viscosity due to fuel dilution or thermal breakdown, or higher viscosity due to NOACK burn off rates. A bypass is limited in what it can do, and may not mean an oil can be used longer. Only oil analysis can show if that is possible.

Not denigrating the use or usefulness of bypass filtration. I use bypass on my commercial stuff. One just needs to have a grip on what it can or cannot do.

mookdoc6 · February 27, 2017

Well, GM did make a deal about charging some pretty hefty fees for an oil to get on their "approved" listings. So they are not as pure as the wind driven snow. But dexos1 is a very good spec. Just how GM chose to deal with oil companies and approvals is a little slimy. This is why one can find oils that meet the spec but are not on the list.

Yeah, I see what your saying......thanks!

GDI Tech · February 27, 2017

One detail.... dexos2 is diesel rated oil while decos1 is gasoline rated. I think you meant 2nd generation dexos1. Nothing new and exciting there. Many dexos1 rated synthetic oils already met or beat the gen2 spec before it came out. And that thermal breakdown is better met with a full syn. But what brought the need for 2gen decos1? Primarily failures in GM's small displacement turbocharged engines.

Your correct. There are oils that are blends that meet and have the dexos1 designation, and full synthetics. I am not an expert on oils, but spend time in the labs, etc. and pick this up from the engineers that are. You I suspect are one of those engineers with your knowledge...your right up to date on all of this. What we have done is extensive long term inspection of the rate of coking on late model GDI engines the owners religiously used the dealer supplied dexos blend, and then they few same year, same (similar) miles, but used a premium full synthetic like say Amsoil, and the severity is always far worse on the valves that the owners used the dealer supplied blend. When you look at the drain results when analyzed just what these few models of catchcans trap, that is really eye opening.

Chance Neel · February 27, 2017

I have a new LTZ 5.3 on the way and never thought to take cost of oil changes into account - not that it would have factored in to my decision. Anyway, what are others seeing as far as cost of oil changes given the 0W-20 requirements? And, how many here subscribe to the view that the initial oil change should come soon after the break-in period? Dealers always have a special they tout but that's always for 5 qts of dino. Thanks.

I have the 6.2L and just changed it myself at 800 miles. If anything for piece of mind. I did a hard as hell break-in on it and didn't want semi synthetic. I also am extremely anal when it comes to maintenance, not to mention I think it's fun in a way. Just traded in a 16yr old outboard motor off the boat that ran like it was new. I like knowing I'm keeping something healthy.

My past two silverado's were a learning curve. I learned not to really trust the dash board because it doesn't know what oil, filter, or conditions were used. Driving in Houston during 104 degree heat then heading out to the country or west Texas I've learned that for me it's about timing and not about mileage per se. I also wanted to A) Tinker with my new pickup B) Put on a very premium filter and C) use the QSUD 5w20 oil which is very highly rated not to mention pretty cheap.

Not only do I want to trend monitor my engine like I do our jets, do oil sampling etc, but I also like to change my oil at specific times of year. This way when one is due they're all due. Pickup, boat motor, lawn mower, tools, etc. Not everything is about $$$ either. If you have a $50k+ vehicle you shouldn't complain about the cost of changing oil. To be honest I've never actually had an oil related issue with any vehicle. Some appear to run a little smoother and sound better but the reality is most of it is in our heads now days.

Go to wally world and get you Quaker State Ultimate Durability for $20 a 5qt jug. The rat blog had a film psi rating of it at 124,000psi which was the highest of any oil. Now I know there's plenty of other things that matter too but as a full synthetic you'll be great with this and the motors seem to be quieter on it compared to mobil 1 (this is just based on my two previous 5.3ls). EIther way just grab you any full synthetic you like and grab the absolute best filter you can. The oil will retain it's properties plenty long so get a good filter. For this time around I'm going with the MicroGreen bypass filter. It's a little bigger and heavier and very well built with a 2 micron bypass.