1969 Pontiac Owner's Manual

[Rhymingmechanic]

I went down an Internet rabbit hole and found myself reading the model year 1969 Pontiac owner's manual. I thought the oil specs might be of interest.

Old Car Manual Project

Oil and ATF change intervals are on the previous and next pages.

Oil: 4 months/6000 miles, whichever is first. 2/3000 for severe service.
ATF: 2 years/24,000. 12,000 miles for severe service.

 

[clinebarger]

Original Dexron always had a 24,000 mile normal service interval, Though people rarely ever followed that. I can certainly smell old Dexron from a mile away.....It's a foul/sweet odor is about the best I can describe.

 

[hank2]

I had a '68 GTO for a couple of years in the mid 70's. The link to the owner's manual shows a recommendation of 10W20 for Winter use in HO engines. I'm sure I had never heard of that weight at the time. I was a fool that used straight Quaker State or Pennzoil 40 wt. racing oil much of the year (was that oil even detergent?) and 10W40 Quaker State in Winter. I know that I stuck to 3k mi. OCI's.

 

[Number_35]

I went down an Internet rabbit hole and found myself reading the model year 1969 Pontiac owner's manual. I thought the oil specs might be of interest.

Old Car Manual Project

Oil and ATF change intervals are on the previous and next pages.

Oil: 4 months/6000 miles, whichever is first. 2/3000 for severe service.
ATF: 2 years/24,000. 12,000 miles for severe service.

That 5W recommendation freaked me out.

 

[CleanSump]

Back in the mid '70s, my first car was a '69 Lemans convertible. Engine was the 350HO. I think I just used 10W-40.

 

[wtd]

I think the owner's manual for my 70 Monte Carlo says something similar. It's been a while since I've looked at it but that info sounds familiar.

 

[paulo57509]

The owner's manual for my '63 Bonneville had similar oil recommendations. I think I still have the manual someplace. The 10W and 20W stands out....

 

[124via126]

That 5W recommendation freaked me out.

Why?


If you live in a cold climate, it would definitely need it, especially conventional motor oil as it thickens (increases viscosity) due to wax content.

 

[Number_35]

Why?


If you live in a cold climate, it would definitely need it, especially conventional motor oil as it thickens (increases viscosity) due to wax content.

I was fine with the 5W-20 and 5W-30; it was the straight 5W that got me. Even though it was only to be used at 20°F and below, the thought still makes me cringe.

 

[JunkdrawerDog]

Manual also recommends changing the oil filter at the first oil change and every other oil change afterward.

 

[fdcg27]

and to think that we have folks who still think drain intervals recommended for the oils of more than fifty years ago are appropriate to the oils of today.

 

[PontiacHO]

Cars that were in extreme cold climates and parked outside needed the really light viscosity oil. The nylon timing gears that shucked off were a true testament to that. (Especially Pontiacs).

 

[CleanSump]

Cars that were in extreme cold climates and parked outside needed the really light viscosity oil. The nylon timing gears that shucked off were a true testament to that. (Especially Pontiacs).

Back in the '70s/'80s when my sister had a Catalina, my brother a GTO, and I had a LeMans, I changed all the timing chain sets with steel. It was easy to remove the HB and timing cover on those.