From GM PowerTrain in relation to the 3.6L in the CAdillac CTS
GM Oil Life Monitor
- Thread starter Mike_dup1
- Start date
- Status
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
I pretend mine's not even there. Who really knows if yours or mine are working properly????
I won't chance/gamble on the terrific condition my motor is in. My motor odometer is now at 7K & I changed the factory-fill at 3.5K. When & if the monitor lights up on the dash, I'll reset it however the owner manual stipulates & ignore it further.
I won't chance/gamble on the terrific condition my motor is in. My motor odometer is now at 7K & I changed the factory-fill at 3.5K. When & if the monitor lights up on the dash, I'll reset it however the owner manual stipulates & ignore it further.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
There are a couple of Havoline users here with over 250K on their odometers - with no engine issues relating to oil.
Personally speaking, I would swap one of those dino quarts for a quart of Havoline synthetic for a little better heat & shearing protection. That will make a synthetic blend similar in synthetic/dino percentages to what you buy in auto stores.
Personally speaking, I would swap one of those dino quarts for a quart of Havoline synthetic for a little better heat & shearing protection. That will make a synthetic blend similar in synthetic/dino percentages to what you buy in auto stores.
Lots of good info on the GM oil life monitor in this message thread from a GM engineer:
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010523
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010523
I have yet to see a UOA that showed an oil deficient in any way when GM's OLM system was followed. Will the OLM alert you of a coolant leak? Of course not. But if you don't do a UOA you probably wouldn't be aware of it either.
Short of unusual operating conditions, such as all out racing, tractor pulls, etc, I would use a quality oil and trust GM's OLM system. I would also do a yearly UOA just to check on anything the OLM isn't designed to pick up, like a coolant leak or a failing part, etc.
Short of unusual operating conditions, such as all out racing, tractor pulls, etc, I would use a quality oil and trust GM's OLM system. I would also do a yearly UOA just to check on anything the OLM isn't designed to pick up, like a coolant leak or a failing part, etc.
3,800 miles on the original factory Mobil 1 in my 2005 Cadillac CTS, OLM shows 69% oil life remaining as of today, 500 mile trip to Iola, WI this weekend used up 1%.
I am not the least bit worried about the oil life, lets just see how far it will go.
I am not the least bit worried about the oil life, lets just see how far it will go.
I have a '04 Monte and a '05 Trailblazer. On the monte I cahnged to Valve AC at 700 miles. Ran it 3k and just now switched to M1ss 5/30. Also just finished the first 1k oci on the wifes Trailblazer and switched it to the same M1ss 5/30. I will use the OLM on both unless it gets ridicules. The wifes truck had 1k miles and was at 90%. COrrect me if I am wrong but thats about a 10k OCI? On Dino I think not!
Thanks for the link. Fascinating information. I'm going to stay with the OLM.
I have an 03 Tahoe and an 04 Suburban with the oil life monitor in each. I know there are several variables it considers, because the OCI has varied each time.
Does anyone here know how many variables does it take into account and what are they?
I have heard that the following are used:
-engine revolutions
-engine starts
-oil temperature
-engine hours
I also had a '99 Silverado with the same 5.3 engine, and I started out with 3,000 mile OCIs. Later, I started going with the oil life monitor, which had OCIs ranging from 3000 up to 7500 miles. My understanding is that with the newer vehicles, it can go as far as 12,000 miles. I think the longest it has gone is with the Tahoe, at about 8,000 miles.
Any info on this system would be greatly appreciated. I've run Mobil 1 5w30 in all of them, except I switched to Pennzoil Platinum on my Suburban. Theyv'e run as well at the end of an oil cycle as at the beginning. (with Mobil 1. We'll see with the Pennzoil. I only have about 1,000 miles on it so far.)
Does anyone here know how many variables does it take into account and what are they?
I have heard that the following are used:
-engine revolutions
-engine starts
-oil temperature
-engine hours
I also had a '99 Silverado with the same 5.3 engine, and I started out with 3,000 mile OCIs. Later, I started going with the oil life monitor, which had OCIs ranging from 3000 up to 7500 miles. My understanding is that with the newer vehicles, it can go as far as 12,000 miles. I think the longest it has gone is with the Tahoe, at about 8,000 miles.
Any info on this system would be greatly appreciated. I've run Mobil 1 5w30 in all of them, except I switched to Pennzoil Platinum on my Suburban. Theyv'e run as well at the end of an oil cycle as at the beginning. (with Mobil 1. We'll see with the Pennzoil. I only have about 1,000 miles on it so far.)
When you sober up, please repost. We really do care and want to help.
There was a thread here addressing this.
Honda owners reported that the Honda system only tracks mileage.
Not so sure about that, I believe at least one Honda model (and several Acura models) have a more sophisticated OLM.
From the descriptions I've seen of the GM system, I'd trust it even if I were racing a vehicle. It tracks enough parameters it should be able to account for that.
Patman of one of the other guys with the system who race their cars might have an idea of how the system works with that kind of usage. I'll bet it works just fine.
I think GM "did good."
Honda is more sophisticated?
I don't know how you would know this? Just surmising or going by word of mouth?
They only way that could be was if there was a sampling of the oil, tested and then a warning message on the intrument cluster, all done automatically.
The GM one is the property of GM. Its a computer program that monitors all the engine sensors and oprating conditions.
I don't know how you would know this? Just surmising or going by word of mouth?
They only way that could be was if there was a sampling of the oil, tested and then a warning message on the intrument cluster, all done automatically.
The GM one is the property of GM. Its a computer program that monitors all the engine sensors and oprating conditions.
Sorry, I wasn't clear with my response. What I meant to say, was that I think Honda has two types of OLM:
1) A "simple" one that is really nothing more than a mileage counter.
2) A more "sophisticated" one that is similar to the GM OLM that takes a number of different parameters into consideration to determine the remaining oil-life.
There have been several good examples of the GM OLM giving a good indication of oil life.
One example was someone who made numerous shorts trips and the GM OLM indicated about a 3K OCI. Patman usually gets a much longer OCI from his GM OLM, but his driving style is much different.
I would trust the GM OLM and/or set a maximum mileage for your OCI that you are comfortable with (5K, 6K, ???). The OLM seems to be a good resource. I have the same 5.3L, but I have been changing oil between 4-6K before the OLM tells me to change it. I do some towing and drive a lot of highway.
One example was someone who made numerous shorts trips and the GM OLM indicated about a 3K OCI. Patman usually gets a much longer OCI from his GM OLM, but his driving style is much different.
I would trust the GM OLM and/or set a maximum mileage for your OCI that you are comfortable with (5K, 6K, ???). The OLM seems to be a good resource. I have the same 5.3L, but I have been changing oil between 4-6K before the OLM tells me to change it. I do some towing and drive a lot of highway.
I think GM's oil life monitor is a wonderful feature. However I'd guess that very few drivers actually use it and instead they rely on old fashioned methods to determine oil change intervals. (ex: Like grandpa's color method, or the Jiffy Lube commercial).
If you want to be conservative just pick a "% oil life remaining" > 0%. I choose about 20% but rely on the OM to tell me when that point is reached.
If you want to be conservative just pick a "% oil life remaining" > 0%. I choose about 20% but rely on the OM to tell me when that point is reached.
Patman
Staff member
My OLM counted down to zero at almost exactly the 7000 mile mark on my current interval. I reset it and am running it to 8000 miles though. The 98 Corvette uses a different algorithm since the specified OCI for that model year was 10k. But in 2001 they changed it to 15k, so they recalibrated the OLM to take that into account. But the engine is the same, so in reality I could run my OLM down to zero, reset it and run it to 50% and it would simulate the OLM in the 2001-2004 Corvette.
So in other words I'm completely safe to trust my oil life monitor.
My girlfriend has a 2004 Saturn, How do you reset the oil life monitor ?
- Status
Similar threads
