Ok I am close to the 3000 miles mark on the car. Has anyone let the info center tell them to change the oil or is everyone going on the old 3 month 3000 mile rule?
I did a search but did not find anything about the this, unless I over looked it. Sorry if I did

 

At 5000 mi, the DIC for oil was at 39%.

 

I go by the ol' 3000 mile/3 mth rule. It's the way I was taught when I was a wee lad. So I've done it ever since.

 

I changed my "factory" oil at 1000mi, then changed to Mobil 1 synthetic at 3000mi. In addition to offering additional protection and providing a little more horsepower from reduced friction, most modern synthetics can hold a 7,500mi interval easily.

I plan on changing my oil every 5,000miles now, and using what money I save on Mobil 1 synthetic. I drive my HHR hard (at times), and it deserves the increased protection synthetics provide. With AZ's brutal summers, you might consider running synthetic as well - over the long run it pays for itself!

 

Many years ago, when I was setting up my Suzi for the 1/4 mile, I had switched to Mobil 1. After I switched, I was told that I could never switch back to conventional oil. Not that I was, but is there any truth to this?

 

Went to my dealer the other day about this very thing. My HHR is only showing 67% at 3000 miles. Service rep at dealer says the computer monitors driving habits, determines oil life. "Said has seen it read change oil as high as 16,000 miles". Think I'll try 5,000. seems to be middle of GM's Standard recommendation and what i'm used to, GM(7500), me (3000). The computer has been fairly close on the gas milage calculations, but I like fresh oil better. Oh he says they haven't changed oil in a HHR yet, and definately not the inside fresh air filter in any GM vehicle equipped with this.
til later.




Traded 99 Astro
Hers 03 Impala
The daughter's 96 Monte Carlo

 

For years it has been drilled in to our heads that we need to change our oil every 3000 miles or 3 months, which ever occurs first.

Think about who has been telling us that…..

GM has done a lot of work in developing the algorithm that calculates oil life which saves us money. I’ve had other GM vehicles with the oil life system, a 2001 Buick being the first, and noticed that in the summer months, I get less miles between oil changes as opposed to driving in the winter months.

Trust the oil life system, GM does, they are the ones that offer the warranty.

As my own rule, I change the oil when the oil life system reports around 30% oil life left. When I change, I record the date, oil life percentage remaining, type of oil used (M1), oil filter brand (NAPA), and the mileage.

 

Can't remember where I heard this but I was under the impression that it should be changed when your DIC is around 10%. Personally I had it changed at the dealer around 29%, they put their little sticker that tells me to come back in 3K miles. I left the sticker there because I want to see what my DIC says then. So we shall see.

 

I also change my oil when it says 30% but I have been using Royal Purple. I had a Uncle that in all his cars he never changed the oil at 3000 miles he took off the filter and change that and then put in 1 qt of oil. He had a 87 ranger that had over 200,000 miles on it with no engine problems. But i would never do that, I have heard of pepole that use mobil 1 just changing the filter 1 or 2 times before they change the oil.

 

I've been in the automotive business for most of my 56 years and have never subscribed to the ridiculous 3k oil change interval as is / was recommended by the oil industry. This interval only serves to make the oil companies pockets fat as if they aren't already getting fatter by the day.

As a mechanic turned fleet manager (now retired), we had a fleet of over 170,000 vehicles world wide and have been using the 7500 mile / 12 month interval for many years, and not once have we lost an engine due to this practice, and we didn't even use synthetics and often used re-refined oil. Although I'm retired I'm still in contact with many of my former colleagues and this practice is still followed and the fleet is growing.

The only exception to this rule was for severe use vehicles such as our police and security and those types of vehicles. In those we DID use the 3000 mile / 3 month interval. This was because these vehicles would sit running for hours at a time with the AC running to keep the passengers cool as well as battery charged up. These vehicles would clock a ton of hours on the engine but often didn't rack up a bunch of miles.

For me personally, I have and always use M1 synthetics in my cars and use the 7500 / 12 month interval. And like my fleet experience I too have never lost an engine due to an oil related cause.

On new cars I've always replace the original oil/filter at 500 miles using dino oil, then at 1500 miles I again do an oil/filter change, this time switching to M1 Synthetic. From this point on I follow the 7500/12 interval as stated above.

Someone already mentioned the oil monitor system GM has developed. It is a very good system. They've spent a ton of money developing this system and wouldn't use it if it risked their bottom line due to oil related engine failure. As a fleet manager we used to meet with the top dogs of all the various manufactures to discuss these kinds of things and believe me, these people aren't going to do anything if it is going to cost them $$$ down the road.

just my $0.02 -Dan