Oil Change Too Soon?

[FZ1]

Change this fill out in Oct-Nov. Use PP with a one year max and change it out every Fall.

 

[RoGuE]

It is at 50% now. I will be changing it sometime in November. Hopefully there will be a good sale on some semi synthetic or synthetic oil by then. I just don't know if I feel comfortable putting in conventional with all my short trips.

 

[RoGuE]

Currently at 38%. I will probably let it go to 30% and change it. It could be a year by then. I really wish I could get a UOA but I couldn't justify doing spending the money. lol

 

[StevieC]

Spending that money provides you with valuable information... Its money well spent in the grand scheme of things...

 

[7055]

Originally Posted By: Bulli
i would say keep it in there possibly a full year but every week go on the free way for about 30 minutes


Why? What does this do?

 

[RoGuE]

To clear condensation in the engine and oil. I never drive freeway though. I give it a good WOT now and then.

 

[berlyn]

Even oil that has been used for only a two digit number
of miles has a slight gasoline odour,so I don't
think this is a criterion. This is very subjective.

 

[chet2]

i would change it in feb...i dont think there is a lot of cold weather in Ga which is hard on oil

 

[RoGuE]

While we don't have cold, we sure make up for it in heat during the summer.

 

[zulu]

If you have an OLM and are using synthetic, take it all the way to 0% (or ever year, which ever comes first according to GM owners manual). Take any arbitrary mileage in your head and throw it out the window...

 

[RoGuE]

I will be changing it within the next two weeks now. It currently says it is at 28%.

 

[RoGuE]

I changed it today with conventional Pennzoil yellow bottle. It was at 25% which I found interesting. It dropped 3 percent in one week which is faster than usual so it proves that the GM OLM varies how fast it drops.

The engine runs smoother now with fresh oil. I will be doing 6 month changes from now on since I am not very comfortable going a year like I did.

I also grabbed an oil sample into the Blackstone kit in case I decide to send it in after all. I'm not sure how long it could sit but I figured I would collect it anyway.

 

[dishdude]

I'll be very interested in seeing the results if you do send that in. I have an Aura with the Ecotec and stick to a 5k miles oci, which usually works out to about 45% on the OLM. I posted my UOA from my last change back in November.

 

[RoGuE]

Wow, after a longer drive today, the engine feels like it has so much more power. There is this one incline it would strain to get up while in overdrive, today it had no problem. Is this all in my head? Does fresh oil actually contribute to engine performance?

 

[hate2work]

Originally Posted By: RoGuE
Wow, after a longer drive today, the engine feels like it has so much more power. There is this one incline it would strain to get up while in overdrive, today it had no problem. Is this all in my head? Does fresh oil actually contribute to engine performance?


That's a good question. I've never seen a definitive answer about that, but my personal belief is that it does, at least to an extent.

I don't know of any lab results or double blind studies that prove it, but I have read several times on this forum where someone will change the oil in their spouse's car without saying anything, and the spouse will mention that the car ran better.

Is it just your butt dyno? Maybe

 

[ZZman]

Use OLM and take it down to zero. I am sure there is a small safety margin on those. (Like your gas tank reading empty when it really isn't) The Syn oil can take the miles and one year.

 

[RoGuE]

Well the owners manual stipulates that either you take the OLM to 0% or one year, whichever comes first. Well one year is up, so I changed it. I'm sure it could have been fine if left in longer, as far as protection goes, but I'm not messing around with a warranty. (Assuming Gm is around to honor it if need be.)

 

[ZZman]

One oil change a year wouldn't break anyone. Sounds like a winner.

 

[RoGuE]

Tonight when I left work it was below freezing. Normally the engine made quite a racket, almost a knocking sound, and you could tell performance was reduced until the oil warmed up. But with this oil, there was no noise, and the engine felt perfect. I experienced the knocking sort of noise even when the Pennzoil Platinum was freshly put in last winter...