Dealership recommendation or go by the OLM

[Durango]

Good Evening to you all,

Usually I go by using my OLM monitor on my 08' Impala SS but my last service was last year in October around the 11K mileage interval. The dealership little plastic sticker indicated to have another service due in December around the 14K mileage. Currently my milage only indicates about 15K BUT my OLM monitor tells me I'm only at 39%.

My question I want to toss around is....should I continue to go by my OLM monitor and change out my Mobil 1 when the indicator tells me OR do you all think I should take it in for a service now and have fresh Mobil 1 put in????? Do you guys believe the M1 will go the distance???? I figure I should have about another 1500K to go.

If I take it in now it'll be about 7 months since the last service.


Durango

 

[Lead Shoes]

Go by the OLM they are very accurate in the newer Gm cars, and for the record, they only make more money if you come in every 3000 miles vs 7500 miles

A UOA is the best way to determine when you should change the oil.

 

[HTSS_TR]

The Impala OLM was calibrated with dino, you're using M1 therefore you can easily go beyond OLM by few thousands miles. Dealer want you and all other customers to do 3k miles OCI so they can have more profit.

 

[johnachak]

Am I wrong or were you looking for Kendall GT1 a while back?

 

[crazyoildude]

i use the olm and change it at the 5%-10% mark.. The olm is very reliable..... That comes up a lot at our engine rebuilding seminars and the gm guys and an independant oil testing company agrees and says go by what the olm says the only other thing is some of them say not to go over a year on conventional..
As for the stealers use what they say ONLY as a guide but don't take what they say to heart Look in your owners and maintenance manuals for the truth and what the warranty requires, the stealers like you to spend cash!

 

[zyxelenator]

Just had a thought, most syntech oils easily go 6k miles, some can go up to 30k miles or 2 year oci (manufature info). What if you just reset OLM and wait till it flashes again, and then change oil. In theory you should be fine. How many miles did you drive till it turned on? Or note how many it will be total since last oil change. As I know OLM makes calculations for conventional oil, unless they added option to choose syntec.

 

[geissjr]

OLM is fine especially with M1. I personally do not go past 5k when using dino.

 

[zyxelenator]

Originally Posted By: geissjr
OLM is fine especially with M1. I personally do not go past 5k when using dino.
Does OLM can sense type of oil now? As I remember it calculates by rpms, time and temp readings. And oci interval would be specific for every car and style of driving plus conditions.

 

[zyxelenator]

it would ne nice if GM will add function, which will switch OLM to different set of formulas to calculate for syntech oils...

 

[zyxelenator]

it would ne nice if GM will add function, which will switch OLM to different set of formulas to calculate for syntech oils...

 

[wallyuwl]

With that engine, I'd take the OLM down to about 5% and then change it out.

With our 2010 Equinox with the 2.4L DI engine, I change the oil at about 6500 miles (regardless of dino or synthetic - it has seen both because I get free dino for one more oil change from GM but have paid the $30 difference on two occasions to get M1 - it will see Synpower once the free dino changes are exhausted). OLM still says 30% or so at that point. But I like changing it sooner on the DI engine because of the fuel dilution.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: Durango
Good Evening to you all,

Usually I go by using my OLM monitor on my 08' Impala SS but my last service was last year in October around the 11K mileage interval. The dealership little plastic sticker indicated to have another service due in December around the 14K mileage. Currently my milage only indicates about 15K BUT my OLM monitor tells me I'm only at 39%.

My question I want to toss around is....should I continue to go by my OLM monitor and change out my Mobil 1 when the indicator tells me OR do you all think I should take it in for a service now and have fresh Mobil 1 put in????? Do you guys believe the M1 will go the distance???? I figure I should have about another 1500K to go.

If I take it in now it'll be about 7 months since the last service.


Durango


Most dealers still use 3/3K even when the car mfg allows for longer OCI's which is ridiculous. The car mfg(GM) is the one who ultimately provides your warranty and they say to use the OLM with no mention of 3/3K. That is the dealer and they are stuck in the past and/or just trying to get more work.

I would ignore that and go by your OLM. However, seeing as you have a 2008 you should still at least have your 5/100K power train warranty so you want to follow GM's requirements. They tell you in the manual to go by the OLM -OR- one year if it doesn't trip by then.

So in a nutshell follow the OLM up to a year if it does not trip and then you must do an OC even if the OLM shows life still remains. IMO this is sound advice even if you are out of warranty = OLM/1 Year.

 

[aussiek2000]

All you guys saying that they are just trying to make more money are absolutely wrong. I work in an independent shop and we lose money on every oil change. The 3k/3mo thing is more to cover the shop's butt than anything. Most of our customers run over the oil change quite a bit. So if we put 7500/ 1 year stickers in them, it might not be until 12,000 miles until we see that customer again. I don't thing I want to push GTX that far.


The local GM dealership gives free lifetime oil changes with the purchases of any car. So they are really loosing money suggesting 3mo/3k. Again, it is more to cover their butt than anything.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: aussiek2000
All you guys saying that they are just trying to make more money are absolutely wrong. I work in an independent shop and we lose money on every oil change. The 3k/3mo thing is more to cover the shop's butt than anything. Most of our customers run over the oil change quite a bit. So if we put 7500/ 1 year stickers in them, it might not be until 12,000 miles until we see that customer again. I don't thing I want to push GTX that far.


The local GM dealership gives free lifetime oil changes with the purchases of any car. So they are really loosing money suggesting 3mo/3k. Again, it is more to cover their butt than anything.


Sorry but 3/3K is a money making gimmick and/or old school thinking. It also gets customer's into the shop more often where "other" issues can be found and upsold to them( needed or not ). It is nice that you care about your customer and use that as your reason for 3/3K but most shops, dealer or otherwise, could care less. NO shop or dealer is going to offer a service that costs them money just to protect the customer from themselves and survive long term. If it costs them money for that service they are making it up elsewhere based on that service.

They do so because it specifically makes them money or it leads to other ways they make money. Period! Remember, I worked in the business too before you tell me again I don't know anything. A dealer/shop can make money on a $19.99 OC service.

 

[Durango]

Originally Posted By: johnachak
Am I wrong or were you looking for Kendall GT1 a while back?


johnachak,

I am currently trting Kendall synthetic in my 01' Dodge Durango right now and have found it to be a good oil to use since it's only priced at $4.99/quart.

For my other issue since it's opinion is to wait until my OLM tells me to change out my M1 synthetic at the 5% indicator interval I'll do so and save a few bucks. It's current OLM reading is now 38% and so a few more months won't hurt it.

Thank you all for your suggestions...it's greatly appreciated.

Durango