oil change frequency

[Eddie]

Hi all,

Prior discussions on the subject of oil change frequency have debated or touted 3,000 mile interval as opposed to waiting for the vehicle's computer to anaylze and recommend change (I have always changed my vehicles' oil and filter at 3k, usually never exceeding 4k). I don't remember if any mileage examples were posted for those relying on computer generated changes.

Anyway, I favored the argument made to wait for the computer to tell me (environmental and $ factors swayed me). Well, my 1996 5.7L finally gave me the awaited oil change message- but 8,000 miles had clocked since the last!

My question is, is this a typical interval for a computer generated oil change recommendation? (annual mileage is approx, 15k, typical suburban driving- in florida).

Thanks in advance of your feedback.

[Romey-Rome]

Umm...I believe mine just counts the miles, you reset it and it's good for 3k more. I don't think it actually "monitors" the oil. If it went 8k before it popped the message, I wouldn't trust it anymore... Are you sure that nobody reset it a cople of times? Disconnecting the battery doesn't count...

At 2700 miles it says "Change Engine Oil Soon" (might me "Change Oil Soon")

At 3000+ "Change Engine Oil"

[Maximln]

I wouldn't say that 8000 miles is atypical. The computer bases the oil change on several factors including temperature, and speed.

Max

[Bob D]

Hi all,

Prior discussions on the subject of oil change frequency have debated or touted 3,000 mile interval as opposed to waiting for the vehicle's computer to anaylze and recommend change (I have always changed my vehicles' oil and filter at 3k, usually never exceeding 4k). I don't remember if any mileage examples were posted for those relying on computer generated changes. 

Anyway, I favored the argument made to wait for the computer to tell me (environmental and $ factors swayed me).  Well, my 1996 5.7L finally gave me the awaited oil change message- but 8,000 miles had clocked since the last!

My question is, is this a typical interval for a computer generated oil change recommendation?  (annual mileage is approx, 15k, typical suburban driving- in florida).

Thanks in advance of your feedback.

From the archives here, composed by a bonafide GM powetrian engineer, with 30+ years on the job:

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:Use your oil life indicator. There is NO WAY to provide an oil

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:change interval for each driver. With current GFII and SJ grade

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:oils a 1993-1999 Northstar can easily go 7500 miles between

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:changes if the driving schedule is mostly long trips and the

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:engine is always warmed up. A 2000 or later Northstar can easily

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:go 10,000 miles under these conditions.

::

:

::

:The oil life monitor will tailor the oil change interval to the

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:owners specific driving schedule. Everyone looses sight of the

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:fact that 2000 or 3000 may be way to long if the vehicle is used

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:only for short trips in the winter. The oil never has time to

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:rid itself of moisture and gasoline form cold blowby and

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:deteriorates very quickly. The oil life monitor takes all this

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:into acoount.

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:

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:The oil life monitor counts engine revolutions as a basis for

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:establishing a deterioration rate and adds factors to take into

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:account engine rpm,oil temperature (modeled), coolant

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:temperature, air temperature, soak times, run times, engine load

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:while operating, etc. It is a very complex algorithm in the

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:computer that then models the predicted oil life. It can tell

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:based on engine load and rpm whether the vehicle is towing and

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:decrements the oil life accordingly.

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:

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:As I've stated before, I personally helped develop and validate

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:the oil life indicator and KNOW that it works and that it is

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:accurate. There is plenty of safety factor built into the

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:algorithm. If it makes y'all feel better understand that the oil

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:life indicator was developed originally by GM Research. The

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:Northstar engine group "volunteered" to take it into production

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:so the bulk of the testing and validation of the oil life

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:indicator for all of GM was done on the Northstar. IT WORKS !!!

::

:

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:If you want to change the oil sooner than the oil life monitor

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:indicates that's OK but it is absolutely unnecessary.

[Romey-Rome]

I stand corrected. Learn something new everyday. I could of swore myne is always dead on 3k when it ticks on.

[Poobah]

Mine went about 6500 mi. on the last oil change. If you periodically press the "INFORMATION" button until it gives "% OIL LIFE LEFT", you can keep an eye on it. If the percent doesn't work its way down to zero, something is wrong. Otherwise I would trust it.

[JasonA]

Even if you don't go by the monitor, verbatim, you can still use it to help you match your change intervals to your driving style. For instance, I usually change my oil at my convenience anytime south of about 30%. That's usually around 5000 miles, but can vary greatly. I just put 3000 miles on this change, but it was pretty much 100% interstate, and my oil life monitor is only down to about 81%. I'll probably get at least 6000 miles from this change, and that'll only be 30%. If I waited until it petered ALL the way down, I might see a 7500 mile max.

But this is the summertime. Short trips in the winter would produce much shorter change intervals. I similarly change it at about 30% or less in the winter, and that might only be 2-3k miles since the last change. The oil life monitor works...it's not just a mileage counter (as has been said above).

[Ranger]

I too used to live by the 3K oil changes. Guru has convinced me otherwise. I now go by the monitor and get 7000-7500 ('97 is capped at 7500), but I do mostly highway driving. There is no "typical interval" as the OLM tailors the oil change interval to your specific driving style ( engine temp, rpm, ambient temp, etc). In other words it knows if you are doing long road trips during the summer or short shopping trips during the winter. Pretty smart machine.

[Prop_Washer2]

I change mine everyday...err..just to be safe of course, or 6 blocks, whichever comes first! NOT! Go by the computer, mine goes betweeh 7000 and 8000 miles..

[Arash]

Dear all members

Living in Vancouver,I always use the oil life index and I've never gone longer than 3000 miles, even in the summer. I do very short trips to work (30 kilometers daily,15 kilometers each way), all inside the city. I change mine whenever it says change oil which occurs when it's below 10%.

Hope this helps.

94 STS with 90,000 miles

[KHE]

Hi all,

Prior discussions on the subject of oil change frequency have debated or touted 3,000 mile interval as opposed to waiting for the vehicle's computer to anaylze and recommend change (I have always changed my vehicles' oil and filter at 3k, usually never exceeding 4k). I don't remember if any mileage examples were posted for those relying on computer generated changes.

Anyway, I favored the argument made to wait for the computer to tell me (environmental and $ factors swayed me). Well, my 1996 5.7L finally gave me the awaited oil change message- but 8,000 miles had clocked since the last!

My question is, is this a typical interval for a computer generated oil change recommendation? (annual mileage is approx, 15k, typical suburban driving- in florida).

Thanks in advance of your feedback.

Eddie,

My '93 Fleetwood's "Change Oil" light usually illuminates between 3500 and 4000 miles but understand that it is based on the type of driving that I do.