Chevy Volt Oil Change Intervals

[Urshurak776]

I don't understand why people don't just follow the manual? This whole forum is full of people that don't even bother to read it. It's baffling.

 

[nascarnation]

The Volt OLM allows up to 2 years and no mileage limit, while other GM cars are limited to 1 year or 7500 miles, whichever comes first. Since the Volt is a PHEV "extended range EV" you can probably guess why GM allows a longer max interval in it than other cars they make. The hard limits started about 10 years ago when dexos was first introduced. Before that, GM's OLM systems never had any hard limit, but suggested you not exceed 12k or a year.

So for your Volt, change the oil when the light comes on, or if it doesn't come on after 2 years, change it then

That sounds right. My Blazer was just at 4% remaining at 7200 miles.

 

[BrianApp]

What I'm referring to is when an oil manufacturer 'guarantees' their oil can be run to 20,000 miles, but the owner's manual for your car says change your oil at 7,500 miles, maximum. I'm not advising against more conservative, I'm advising against stretching beyond your car manufacturer's recommendations because your oil manufacturer says you can. It's bad advice, and they won't be there to pick up the pieces when you wear out a cam, or spin a bearing and are standing there with a $12,000 engine invoice in your hand.

If the oil maker says 20,000 or 1 year on the oil and the car says 7,500 or two years I would go with 7,500 miles or one year. My standby house generator sees about 10 hours, 200 recommended, a year but the generator make recommends changing the oil every year no matter what the time. I don't understand why in this one particular car people are standing by leaving not new oil in the car for two years when asked in any other context the overwheling response would be to change it every year if it has seen any use at all.

 

[Spector]

Son in law is a 2013 model, OCI every 2 years. He plugs it in every day.

 

[turnbowm]

More than 90% of driving in our 2015 Volt is in full electric mode. Have always gone by the OLM which times out after 2 years. The Volt is too low for my ramps so I have the local Chevy dealer do the oil/oil filter changes (Dexos Service) and I take care of everything else.

 

[cfromc]

Its actually more common that it would seem.

If you live and stay in a 20 mile circle you could never use gas.

The engine will burn off gasoline at some point on its own to prevent it from going bad.

I drive under 7,500 miles a year and use about 2 tanks of gas per year. The gas I use is mainly due to low temps and the mandatory cycling of old fuel.

 

[kohnen]

I don't understand why people don't just follow the manual? This whole forum is full of people that don't even bother to read it. It's baffling.

The car's manual says trust the OLM. The OLM says two years is fine. The oil manufacturer says change at one year (at most).

I've bothered to read the car's manual. I've bothered to read the oil's documentation. They disagree. THAT'S why I've asked the question.

 

[Urshurak776]

The car's manual says trust the OLM. The OLM says two years is fine. The oil manufacturer says change at one year (at most).

I've bothered to read the car's manual. I've bothered to read the oil's documentation. They disagree. THAT'S why I've asked the question.

Then I would go the Service department and talk to the manager.