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First oil change?


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OK, the manual/warranty info on the new 2004 CTS actual says just change the oil whenever the oil life monitor says. The CTS gets Mobil 1 as a factory fill.

My inclination is to follow the manual (!), but of course one reads all the time

how it's better to change at 3k no matter. BUT, on the third hand, I have

read of some engines that actually did WORSE if the oil was changed too soon -- that they did not wear in as well? Anyone think the manual's advice to follow the oil life indicator is bad?

Bruce

2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

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Owner's manual will not lead you wrong. You might consider changing the filter only at 3,000, though.

Enjoy that new ride.

Jim

Drive your car.

Use your cell phone.

CHOOSE ONE !

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I have read the same Bruce, but for motorcycles. Apparently the guys that ran the bikes low in the rev range didn't dyno so great. This is a topic that is covered indept on bike sites.

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Guess what I would do? LOL I follow the dash, and I got from July to Dec on my last oil. No add during that time. And that included the trip to SC in Aug towing the trailer! It WAS in the body shop for a month.

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I was told by both a chevy mechanic friend and my cadillac service guy to change every 3k-5k no matter what the monitor says. They both told me that the monitoring system can go as far as 12k before it indicates time for an oil change. I'm just sticking to 3k.

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I was told by both a chevy mechanic friend and my cadillac service guy to change every 3k-5k no matter what the monitor says. They both told me that the monitoring system can go as far as 12k before it indicates time for an oil change. I'm just sticking to 3k.

Yeah, that's exactly the point. Don't change your oil at the Jiffy Lube-recommended 3k miles when the oil is plenty good well past that. The mechanics at your dealership must really have no idea how the system works, and how many parameters it considers when it makes the change recommendation. They probably also don't realize that 3k miles might be too LONG a change interval under some circumstances in cold weather.

All they know is 3k mile changes get more customers in through their shop...and that's what Jiffy Lube recommends, so by-gum, that's going to be their recommendation too!! <_>

Follow the oil life monitor and you can't go wrong. It works and it works very well.

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

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Why leave the oil in your engine until it is all used up?  Change it sooner and always have the knowledge that your oil is still good and protecting your engine well.

The oil life monitor doesn't report 0% when the effective life of the oil is 0%. There's a big buffer designed into the system as bill has explained before.

I, too, depend on my engines to last a long time. The difference between us is that I spend 10% and dispose 25% of the waste oil that you do. I can assure you that following the oil life monitor and even using conventional oil will protect your engine for longer than the car will hold up. The odometer on mine is getting on to 130k miles now. Looking for another 100,000 easy. But obviously, your money isn't mine, and we choose to spend ours differently, and that's what's great about America! :D

I equate it to brushing your teeth 10 times per day rather than 2 or 3. Do those people who brush 10 times each day firmly believe that to be cavity-free they've gotta brush that often? Sure they do, otherwise they wouldn't do it. Do the rest of us who brush our teeth "only" 2 or 3 times per day know that that interval is well often enough to skate in and out of the dentist's chair in record time? Sure we do, otherwise we'd change our habits!

But at the same time, are you gonna convince those who have been doing it their way for ever to change...probably not. ;)

Cheers,

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

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Auto manufacturers are in business to make profit....no other reason.  If they made a product that lasted forever, sales would dwindle.  Parts sold by dealers to fix cars are also sold for profit.  If cars lasted forever, warranties would last longer.  Why would it be a big deal to have a powertrain warranty for 100,000+ miles if problems were few and far between?  Even if the warranty only covered internal lubricated parts failure after 50,000 miles.

If it was good maintenance to go 10,000-12,500 miles, engines would still last way too long and parts would not sell.

Adrian,

I'm not trying to change your mind. I know this has been agrued before and will again but there are many people on this board who follow the OLI and have WELL over 100K on their cars.

I used to think like you so I understand where you are coming from but consider

this. If the manufacturers recommended 10-12K oil changes and the engines took a dive leaving the consumer with a $3000-$4000 bill to replace the engines, do you think that would help or hurt them? It might make money for the dealers, in the short term but they might as well surrender to Japan and make it easy by avoiding all the class action law suits. Remember the diesel?

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Call me a nut who still believes in conspiracies......I admit it. :wacko:

Yes, oils have become better. Engine designs have gotten better as well and last longer than they used to. An engine can last 50,000 miles with even poor maintenance.

I do not go by the oil life monitor and never will no matter what anyone says. I change my oil every 3-4,000 miles. It is peace of mind for me. I depend on my engines to go well past 100,000 miles. I also use synthetic and will continue to do so.

Auto manufacturers are in business to make profit....no other reason. If they made a product that lasted forever, sales would dwindle. Parts sold by dealers to fix cars are also sold for profit. If cars lasted forever, warranties would last longer. Why would it be a big deal to have a powertrain warranty for 100,000+ miles if problems were few and far between? Even if the warranty only covered internal lubricated parts failure after 50,000 miles.

If it was good maintenance to go 10,000-12,500 miles, engines would still last way too long and parts would not sell.

Why leave the oil in your engine until it is all used up? Change it sooner and always have the knowledge that your oil is still good and protecting your engine well.

You are going to continue to use Mobil 1 aren't you Bruce?

There are times where the oil life indicator will indicate that the oil should be changed more frequently than 3000 miles.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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Is there no more trust in America? I myself go by the oil life indicator. Adding a few quarts in between. As far as brushing my teeth....... twice a day.Morning and night. (Most days) Teeth still good. NorthStar still good. LOL :D

2001 STS Mettalic Otter Grey, Black Leather, 213,000 kilometers - miles - ? Still running strong!

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B) '95 etc

If bbobynski says the olm works, it works. I have been using its recommendation since I bought my car 4+ yrs and 70k miles ago. It gets frequent (as in daily) wot's to redline, has 135k on it and worst case, I will sometimes need to add a qt between changes. Olm's have been around for a while, I remember reading about it being introduced in 5 series bmw's back in the 80's.

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As far as the 3k between oil changes. I had an 87 Voyager as a hand me down car, from my dad, that got oil changes every 3k all the way up to 389,000 miles. I also had a 99 Saturn which got oil changes every 3k all the way up to 172,000 miles. The saturn 1.9 liter 4 banger nor the voyager's 3.0 liter V6 cost anywhere near a 4.6 Northstar. So when I was told to stick with the 3k thing I listened. And as far as either the voyager or saturn i never had any engine problems from either. However the van did burn a little oil toward the end.

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I have yet to see this. It has been below 0 here for days now. My oil has about 3,100 miles on it and still shows 48%. I am also the kind of person who gives the engine at least one good redline shift every time I drive it. What would you have to do to get it to get to 0% in less than 3,000 miles?

Drive very short trips during very cold weather. I once saw the OLM show less than 10% after 3500 miles one winter. Not quite 3000 miles, but close. We lived less than a mile from work and we had sold my wife's Saturn but hadn't bought the next vehicle yet, so the Cadillac was our only car for a short period. It never rarely got fully warmed up and many of our trips in it were less than 5 miles.

About your comment about not following the flock -- 6 one way, half a dozen the other. You're not following the OLM flock, but you're following the Jiffy Lube flock -- "change the oil every 3000 miles or else" -- hardly a new idea. Neither philosophy is wrong, it's just that one's been around since the time of very inferior oils (compared to today) when you had to change your oil that often...and one is a direct result of a lot of R&D and development in the engine design and oil manufacture arenas.

In my truck, I change mine about every 3000 miles. That vehicle doesn't have an OLM, and I can't begin to estimate what my driving habits have been over the past months and miles. But my Cadillac has the technology and I make a conscious decision to take advantage of the R&D I paid for (indirectly -- I bought the car used).

In the end, though, no one's ever going to say that anyone can do harm to the car by changing the oil too often. In fact, we all know what our Northstars like BEST, and that's a constant dose of W I D E O P E N T H R O T T L E!!! :)

Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond)

"When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?"

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