As a Toyota mechanic speaking, DO NOT FLUSH YOUR ENGINE!!! Don't know how else to say it...It might be ok, but it's not necassary, plus you can cause a big chunk of harmless sludge to break loose, giving you problems

Now, regarding my work experience with oil change intervals..In my opinion it depends on the situation..I have some cars come in regularly that go 7-10k..If you drive on the highway a good deal, put 20k plus on a year, keep other maintenance items up to date, etc. There will probably be no problems..The problems seem to be grandma who only drives to church, or the soccer mom bumming around town and doesn't put a lot of miles on or let the vehicle warm up completely. i am sure you guys have heard of the Toyota sludged engines, and EVERY ONE of them was somebody going beyond 5k miles. I did not do one that had changed it every 3k....I see 50 cars a week that last 200k plus miles on nothing more than valvoline $9.95 oil changes every 3k......I'll take the odds with that, and invest the extra $$ you throw out everytime you put in Scamsoil or whatever else the quick lube sells you...My $.05

 

When I made my HHR purchase, I found a Pemiere Edition on the lot, but didn't like the leather interior. I wanted Cloth...
The dealer wanting a sale, found a Cloth model in NC, and drove there vehicle to NC, and drove back the Cloth model to GA for me to purchase.
During the Dealer Prep, they went ahead and changed the oil and put Mobile-1 in it. At the time, it had about 325 miles on it. So I don't think the dealers care what you run in them during break in.

 

Thank you EVERYONE for your responses and the link to popular mechanics.

I will take all of this information into consideration. Mobil 1 seems to be the general consenses for being the most reliable and efficient.

 

I'd go with Pennzoil Platinum or Q-Horsepower but that's just me.

 

Wonder if those two choices would really make a difference, since Pennzoil and Quaker State are both simply acquired name brands owned by Shell?

 

Oil questions generate huge threads on any forum because there is so much misinformation and DISinformation out there about oil.

As for when to change to synthetic in an Ecotec 2.2 or 2.4...from the standpoint of "break-in" and engine oil type (ie: petroleum-based or synthetic), there is virtually no difference. The engines are factory-filled with a petro-based 5W30. "Break-in" (and in this context we actually mean "ring seating") occurs very quickly. In addition modern ring faces and cylinder wall finishing makes the type of oil used early in the engine's life much less of an issue than it was 20 years ago.

What I recommend is, if you're going to choose a synthetic, a change to a 10W30 synthetic oil at the first oil change.

Now, the key here is when that first change should occur. In the last 20 years, all the new engines I've put in service have gotten this treatment:

1) Oil filter change at 250-500 miles
2) Moniter oil level closely in the first 1000 mi.
3) First oil change and a filter at 1000 miles with a swtich to Red Line 10W30 Synthetic.

After that, adopt the oil change interval per the Owner's or Service Manual but change the filter at 50% oil life. That is, you're using two filters for each oil drain. If you use an ester-based synthetic you can go to an extended drain interval if you wish.

As to which synthetic product to use? First, avoid any "blended" or "semisynthetic" products. They are not cost effective.

Some Mobil 1 products are synthesized hydrocarbon-based which is better than petro-base oils but not as good as ester-based synthetics. Premium synthetic oils are all ester-based.

The best engine oils are ester-based synthetics but, on the downside, they are also the most expensive. Does the normally aspirated Ecotec in most HHR's need an ester-based synthetic? Probably not. Can it benefit from it? Well, maybe if you drive your engine hard, live in a warm climate and plan to keep the car for a long, long time, it may make a significant difference.

Now, the turbocharged engine in the SS model will probably see a greater benefit from a 10W30 synthetic. In fact, GM may be specifying a synthetic in that engine but I'm not sure about that.

 

Shell (SOPUS) took them over, but each child company and it's products are different (i.e. the additive package in PP is not the same as in the QS synthetics).

 

Another oil question:

Is it really necessary to change oil based upon a certain timeframe, even if your mileage isn't to the limit yet? Oil change places push you for every three months or three thousand miles, whichever comes first. Is that really needed, though, if your miles are under three thousand in three months? I drive a mere seven thousand a year or so, so with regular oil, in a regular car, should I be doing an oil change only twice a year, or should I still be doing it four times a year? (And with my HHR, which is six months old, I have only 2,700 miles on it so far!)

Basically the question is this: does time degrade engine oil too, once you start using it, or is it only/primarily the mileage that does it?

 

I think it says in the owners manual to go no longer than 1 year.

Oil change places say 3 month/3000 miles to make money...nothing more.

 

I think your best bet would be to run a couple of search on google or somewhere on oil degredation and factors that affect and see what is written. You'll find a lot of material, some put together by more credible sources than others. You should be able to find the answers out there somewhere. By asking us non-experts in this field you may get some misleading information or whatever.

I personally am in a similar situation to yours. I drive very little. My HHR was purchased in Sept 2005 and has some 32000 KM (20000 miles) on it. I use Mobil 1 and I typically change my oil twice a year, sometimes three if I've used the HHR in some harsh conditions (a lot of stop and go, city driving.)