JohnnyG Posted May 13, 2004 Report Share Posted May 13, 2004 Some comments on service. I had a unique opportunity today to discuss oil change practices at our biggest(only) hometown Caddy dealership. The fellow I was talking with works at the Chevron service station that does my oil changes for my company vehicles. This young man proudly announced the he used to work at the Cadillac dealership. They sell Chevy trucks, Caddys, and maybe one foreign brand. So I figure this guy must know his stuff about Northstars. So I really put him to the test, "How much oil do you put in a Northstar" I asked. The response came back quickly and assuredly " 8 quarts"! Wrong. I then explained the things that I have learned on this board to him. I then asked him "Have you ever had a Northstar that used oil?" "EVERY one of them from that dealership" was the reply. I explained why that might be true. But then I REALLY put him on the spot. "Do you know why there is 7.5 quarts of oil in a Northstar engine?" I asked. He proudly came back with the reply " It's so the Northstar system will work!" It kinda makes me wonder what the "Northstar System" really is. So where does that leave us? What kind of training are these guys getting? It appears to be up to the dealership, and appears also to be "0" training. Doesn't GM even offer "tailgate meetings" or anything to support the dealers? How can GM put so much effort into supplying a well engineered vehicle, then let all of their customers down at routine service time? Now I must temper these comments with another observation. I had my 1999 4X4 2500 (co. truck) back to that same dealership for a 60,000 mile service. Repair fuel guage, change coolant, change transmission fluid, service transfer case. $1100.00 but well worth it, the truck is better than new! No leaks, clean work, no errors. Seems the mechanics are gettin at least some training. But in the case of the "Lube Jockeys" for lack of a better term, zilcho! For an engine that appears to be so sensitive to oil type, brand, and amount, you would think a little effort would be made to ensure proper service. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANADIANCADDY Posted May 13, 2004 Report Share Posted May 13, 2004 Like many other Caddy dealers yours' probably puts in 7 1/2 quarts and charges you for 8 ------ rounding up is the norm eh! Insofar as Northstar engines are concerned I have always used about a quart every 5000km in all three I have operated and was told by GM Canada that this is to be expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prop_Washer2 Posted May 13, 2004 Report Share Posted May 13, 2004 $1100.00 bucks for fluid changes and fuel gauge repair?? Man I hope you got kissed...jeez...just got all of my fluids on my 4x4 changed, Front & Rear Differentials, transfer case, tranny flush, and an oil change and filter for $140.00...man must be that $960.00 fuel gauge repair... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL T Posted May 13, 2004 Report Share Posted May 13, 2004 $1100.00 bucks for fluid changes and fuel gauge repair?? Man I hope you got kissed...jeez...just got all of my fluids on my 4x4 changed, Front & Rear Differentials, transfer case, tranny flush, and an oil change and filter for $140.00...man must be that $960.00 fuel gauge repair... TRANNY FLUSH!!!! Be prepared to pay more than $1100 for your tranny repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted May 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 TRANNY FLUSH!!!! Be prepared to pay more than $1100 for your tranny repair OH, I forgot about the dreaded "FLUSH" word, but where in my original post did you see the word flush? They dropped the pan, replaced the filter and refilled the trans with fluid, adjusted linkage, etc. Anyway the fuel sender was $350.00 or so, plus about a gazillion dollars for labor. Everybody's gotta eat I suppose. Like I said, the truck is better than new, shifts smoother, etc. This is an oil company's truck, and a lease, I figure what goes around comes around. One thing is for certain, after belonging to this board for the last couple of years, I was NOT going to take the car to WailMart for service! Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted May 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 Like many other Caddy dealers yours' probably puts in 7 1/2 quarts and charges you for 8 ------ rounding up is the norm eh! Insofar as Northstar engines are concerned I have always used about a quart every 5000km in all three I have operated and was told by GM Canada that this is to be expected. I didn't say I got my oil changed at the Cadillac dealer. When I'm spending my OWN money, I do things myself. I'm quoting what the man that changes the oil, you know, the guy that gets the hot oil running up to his elbow, told me that he was TOLD to put in it. He didn't mention rounding up, probably couldn't "round up" anything unless it was a cat stampede anyway. What is 5000 km? About 500 miles or so? Just kidding. I use about a quart in 6000 miles now, up from a quart in 600 when I first bought the car (and found this board). Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted May 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 Sorry PaulT, I thought you were raggin' on me for a moment there. No wonder he got such a GREAT deal. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyChris Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 its not so bad to put in 8 quarts if it burns that half a quart anyway. Plus, some goes into the oil filter. So really, 8 quarts would only be slightly more than 1/4 quart overfilled which is irrelevant with such a large capacity. Christopher Petro 94 sts 67 coupe de Ville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiden_kai Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 TRANNY FLUSH!!!! Be prepared to pay more than $1100 for your tranny repair. Why? We do transmission "flushes" (really nothing more then fluid exchanges), and we don't have any transmissions failing afterwards. The machines we use are approved by GM. You are listening to old wives tales on the internet. We've used these type of machines in our dealership for years. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted May 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 cpetro45, I'd say you're pretty new to this board. Of course a lot may have been lost in the changeover. Anyway, do a search on oil consumption, and post back in about a month. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyChris Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 Johnny, Why dont you clarify for me then? Chris Christopher Petro 94 sts 67 coupe de Ville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Hank Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 I think your putting too much stock into this 7.5 vs. 8.0 quart thing. I just about always top it off at 8 quarts (just because it gets me to the top of the dipstick line), and rarely add oil in between changes. My oil change algorithm allows about 4000 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyChris Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 Willie, That's all I'm saying, who analyzes 1/2 of a quart? Christopher Petro 94 sts 67 coupe de Ville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Hank Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 Willie, That's all I'm saying, who analyzes 1/2 of a quart? About 90% of this site's community ...... (LOLOLOL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyer Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 What gets me about this whole thread (as well as this site in general) is how non-performance minded everyone seems to be. Who cares about 1/2 quart of oil? But when I post a thread about running an M3 in my SLS, I think I initially got 1 or 2 responses. 1/2 quart of oil has 14!! --Flyer '99 'Vert 'Vette 45k '97 SLS 55k Deceased: <'68 Mustang 200+k>, <'86 GMC S-10 180+k>, <'86 VW GTI 180+k>, <'86 Seville 195+k>, <'93 Seville 175+k> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgr7 Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 My .02c I just put in 7 and let it go untill the check oil light comes on on the DIC then add 1 qt. no need for the dipstick Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazbo Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 The 7.5 includes the filter volume too. 7.5 is correct and since I started doing 7.5 instead of the 8, oil consumption is about 1/2 quart in 3000 to 3500 miles instead of 1/2 every 1000 or 1500. However, I suspect that if you are doing 8, it might not be the end of the world. An extra quart maybe, but the + 1/2 may not really cause a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CadiKing Posted May 14, 2004 Report Share Posted May 14, 2004 Hey Flyer, Any good races lately? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted May 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2004 The issue of oil level came up about a year ago, maybe a year and a half. This was back before bbobynski was bbobynski and actually was trying to teach people about oil levels, grades, and amounts used in the Northstar engines. And why some of them tend to use oil. I have wondered lately why he has been strangely quiet on some issues (WTF is an M3?) but I just realized that he is just tired. Grasshopper, just do what I told you. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted May 15, 2004 Report Share Posted May 15, 2004 My .02c I just put in 7 and let it go untill the check oil light comes on on the DIC then add 1 qt. no need for the dipstick Jeff The dipstick is a secondary check for me also. And I use 7 quarts for an oil/filter change. The CHECK OIL LEVEL message is my primary indicator and I do not even think about adding oil until I see the message during a "hot" engine start. Seeing the message on a "cold" start does not cause me to open the hood. Even down two quarts, there is plenty of oil in there for normal/average public highway driving conditions. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted May 15, 2004 Report Share Posted May 15, 2004 Johnny G, My oldest son has a BMW M3. Nice enough car, but little small - and those goofy red dash lights <_< I drove it a bit and got tired of the 5-speed. I was not real impressed, but I think they can have several power plants. His may not have the top end 360hp or so. Unless cars are at a dragstrip with decent drivers, street races will always be very subjective (and basically, a function of testosterone). What I mean is: the overall situation (traffic, etc) and a given driver's awareness, ability and determination make much more of a differance on the street. Trust me, I've been there and will probably (hopefully) be there again. It is fun, exciting, etc - but like numerous posts will show - not smart. Now, how about an open (I mean 3-4 cars every hour - OPEN) highway road race! That's a bit differant. Sorry about drifting from the oily thread. Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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