Long trip, OLM on 55% change oil or not?

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Guys im going to be driving my Silverado 4x4 5.3l from Kentuckiana (southern Indiana) to Whitefish Montana right after Christmas. The Trip is 2000 miles one way. I expect to put 5000 miles on the truck in the next 3 weeks.

My Current fill is with Valvoline Synpower and an Ac/Delco filter. OLM is at 55% with around 3500 miles on the oil. Truck has 27k miles on it. Should i change it before the trip or trust the Synpower for an almost 9k mile run? I won't have a place to change the oil there, and i really don't trust quick lubes.
 
Don't change it. 9K mile run will be fine with synthetic. Highway runs are very easy on oil.
 
Originally Posted By: brentalan
Don't change it. 9K mile run will be fine with synthetic. Highway runs are very easy on oil.

+1
 
Being so much highway, i'd leave it. You'd be wasting synthetic to drain it at 3500. If you want to really feel good, do a uoa on this oil when you get back!
 
2000 highway miles on clean oil would be good therapy for the engine; think of it that way.
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IF it were my truck, I'd change the oil and filter .... and ensure all the other fluids / maintenance hasn't been neglected as well.
 
Originally Posted By: Bud_One
Originally Posted By: brentalan
Don't change it. 9K mile run will be fine with synthetic. Highway runs are very easy on oil.

+1


+2
 
If you know its going to go over the manufacturer interval (or oil monitor) then change it now. If not your good!
 
There's no better way of going over the recommended OCI than doing it on the highway...just drive and change after.
 
That is kind of a tough call. If it has used 45% of the oil, and that equals 3500 miles. it won't make it to 9000, will it? Well, it's not a simple linear relationship so the OLM might 'slow down' on the highway miles. Still, it could be close or it might call for you to change the oil before you return. Would you be able to do that?
 
Originally Posted By: datech
That is kind of a tough call. If it has used 45% of the oil, and that equals 3500 miles. it won't make it to 9000, will it? Well, it's not a simple linear relationship so the OLM might 'slow down' on the highway miles. Still, it could be close or it might call for you to change the oil before you return. Would you be able to do that?


The OLM would be past due i think. I do 90% highway driving now, with all trips longer than 25 miles so it would likely be at 0% around 7500 if i had to guess. I bought the truck with 23k miles on it so ive yet to run the OLM out. This Truck also has AFM.

Transmission and both differentials were serviced at 25k miles so all other fluids are golden for a while.

I thought about changing it there, but changing oil outside in January in northern Montana would be way to cold and snowy im going to assume. I don't trust quick lube shops either lol
 
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I often get over 10k on my Cobalt, even over 12k and there is still some 10% left on the OLM. I normally use M1 5w-30 so I guess it holds up pretty good.

I agree about quick lube shops. If you can't find a halfway decent place to change while you're out on the road it might be better to do it before you leave and chalk it up to a cleaner engine overall.
 
All you need to do is make sure it is topped off. Yes? Good to go. Highway miles/trip will be easy on the oil.

I'd be more concerned with tires/pressure, coolant overflow, hoses, and battery voltage check.
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Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
IF it were my truck, I'd change the oil and filter .... and ensure all the other fluids / maintenance hasn't been neglected as well.


+1

That's what I do before any long trip. If they feel the need to brag about how many miles they can put on their oil and filter then go ahead without the change but I feel better knowing the oil & filter is fresh and not worn.
 
The OLM will slow down if you're doing a really long trip on the highway with few engine cooldowns/stops. Just bring some oil with you, and keep her topped up. Change the oil when you get back.
 
Originally Posted By: berniedd
The OLM will slow down if you're doing a really long trip on the highway with few engine cooldowns/stops. Just bring some oil with you, and keep her topped up. Change the oil when you get back.

Agree. Changing the oil early is a waste of oil....and money.
 
If you're already doing mostly highway miles with trips of over 25 miles, then I think you'll get to around 8K at OLM zero.
Oil used may matter in that Synpower does not seem to be the TBN retention champ, although it is at least a Grp III oil and the OLM is calibrated for any API spec conventional 5W-30.
You're right in that an outdoor oil change in Montana in January doesn't seem like fun.
OTOH, strictly highway miles are easy on every part of the vehicle, including the engine and its oil, so going 12% or so past OLM zero shouldn't cause any harm.
A certain Indianan mod has shown that oils have reserve capacity well beyond the intervals that most of us use and that manufacturer's recommended OCIs, OLM or not, are conservative.
Having written the above, if it were mine, I think I'd change the oil before the trip.
It'll need to be changed when you get home anyway and the weather now is likely better than what you'll see at home upon your return.
Either way, you'll be able to observe the OLM decline rate under long trip highway conditions, so you'll kick yourself either for having changed the oil or for not having changed it.
 
you might get stuck in a snow storm and have to idle for several days.

Better change it, then you won't worry about it.

On the other hand, if it doesn't get done, your truck will survive the trip anyway.

The filter is proabbly OK though.
 
I am sure no damage would be done by not changing it, however with such low miles im guessing your under warranty still, so I would change it. Waste of money....possibly. A warranty claim being denied would be a lot more expensive than one oil change done early.
 
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