0w-30! this isn't recommended or approved for the HHR is it?

 

Amsoil recommends it. It has all the proper certification and will not void warranty.

 

I'm going to be really stubborn and hard headed about this, UNTIL SOMEONE PROVES DIFFERENT !!

Use whatever oil you believe will benefit YOU. It's your choice. But don't lie or mislead car owners with false statements, regarding a multi-level sales product.

AMSOIL DOES NOT MEET OR EXCEED GM OIL SPECIFICATION 4718M. Look closely at Amsoil's own advertising. It DOES NOT say "meets or exceeds". It says Amsoil RECOMMENDs this oil for these applications. That is a BIG DIFFERENCE in the legal advertising world and provides an "exit" for Amsoil in any challenge by GM.

Amsoil refused to supply GM with samples for the above mentioned certification, after GM provided the necessary written content to meet that requirement. The testing, for confirmation of that certification, is done "in house" by GM and is propriatary......so Amsoil is making statements that are somewhat disquised to allude the fact.

Amsoil PROBABLY makes a good product and MAY be perfectly acceptable for use in GM products........and MAY even be better than oils that do meet the certification. BUT, at this point, they do not meet it....if that is one of your considerations in selecting an oil, look elsewhere.

Besides wouldn't an owner want an oil product that is "checked" twice for valid content? Once by the oil manufacturer AND once by the cerification requirer to confirm.

Again, use whatever you wish....but don't continue to mislead people. Give them VALID infomation and allow a choice.

 

Hold on there partner! I said AMSOIL RECOMMENDS IT. I didn't say Chevy does, but I wouldn't expect them to when they are promoting Mobil 1. Amsoil does not have "meet or exceed" Chevy's specs, but Chevy must meet SAE specifications. Weather it does meet or exceed GM's spec, who knows, wasn't tested. Does it meet the SAE specs, you bet. Will it violate your warranty? Only if GM violates the Magnusun Act, then your problem is GM's compliance. That's why these laws are in place. If they wanted to quite specific about what oil to use, they would have to supply you with the oil for the life of the warraty.

 

Speaking of Amsoil I have done quite a bit of research regarding oils but I have yet to find a study that includes Amsoil that was not conducted by Amsoil. Just a bunch of sites of resellers that point the the same study. What I am looking for is a comparison done by a completely independent source that has no affiliation with any oil manufacture.

Anybody have a link?

 

Maybe I misunderstood something in this statement ^^^^^^^

It DOES NOT have the proper certification to be used in a GM vehicle.

The M-M Law is only as good as the amount of money YOU want to pay to contest GM's denial of warranty claim. GM has dozens of attorneys on staff plus many firms nationwide on retainers. You're not going to win when you take a blown engine (or whatever and related to oil) in to the dealer and the dealer samples and sends the oil to GM for analysis and that analysis indicates it does NOT meet GM 4718M which is mandated as a requirement in your Owners Book. And about 6-8 different manufacturers meet that requirement....NOT JUST MOBIL 1 and that information is posted, more than once, elsewhere on this forum.

You will be up the preverbial creek and will need to turn to Amsoil for the coverage. That is a big hassle, which you can easily avoid, by using a certified oil meeting the required standard. It's as simple as that.

I've seen and represented GM in these kinds of situations. If the GM "powers" wish to set an example or just have a bad day, you are "S" out of luck.

Again, I'm not opposed to Amsoil. It may be a wonderful product. By while under warranty be aware of an outcome they may cut into your lifestyle. Or as some others have stated.....assume the responsibility of doing something other than what is accepted by the manufacturer.

Read the section on proper oils in your Owners Book for more information.

 

LAWYERS

 

I've used synthetic in vehicles for years and from being a mechanic I know when I changed the oil it was always as slippery as it was when I put it in.

In my MINIs the oil change interval was 15k w/ Castrol Synthetic so I am going to follow the DIC for my Mobil 1 and change it at 10k ish when it reaches the oil change. There is no benifit to change your synthetic oil at 3-5k unless you just have a bunch of money you want to waste.

Follow the reccomendations, no use in changing your fluids or anything else for that matter more often than reccomended. I for one do not keep my cars much past the warranty period so about 40k there is a new HHR in my future.

 

I can't tell you when but there are a number of GM vehicles that comes from the factory with synthetic oil already in them. One for example is the Corvette and whatever the Caddy version is, and my wife's STS came that way too.
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I switched my Impals SS (Supercharged V6) to Mobil 1 at 500 miles and get
9K miles on oil changes. DIC still shows 10% oil life remaining.

When I purchased the HHR it had around 7500 miles on it +/- and just had an oil change performed. I'm going to wait till the DIC shows about 10% oil life remaining and then switch it over to Mobil 1.