seheduled OCI but the indicator say different

Pennzoil motor oil
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Durango

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Hello to all,

I have something that been on my back for a while. I just bought a new 08' Chevy "Impala" SS and the dealership wants me to bring it in for a 3K OCI service BUT the oil change indicator tells me that the oil life is still at 50% life left.
They went on telling me that the engines scheduled maintenance is every 3K so I'm wondering why the engine has such a schedule and it has a built in monitor that tells me different. Perhaps one department isn't telling the other what's going on. Is this a Chevy goof? What happens if I have the oil changed before the monitor tells me it's time??If I do have it done I want to start using a synthetic. Too soon??

Durango
 
Durango,

It's because the dealership wants to make money... Take it to another Chevy dealer and see what they tell you and hopefully the other dealership will be looking out for your interest and not theirs.

If it were my vehicle, I would go by the OLM and not the standard 3K OCI.

I would use a quality syn like a GRP-III (Pennzoil Platinum) or step up to Mobil 1. Change as per the OLM which in your case looks like 6K miles.

The OLM is calibrate for Dino, so using a Syn will give you a nice cushion.

cheers3.gif


Steve
 
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Originally Posted By: Durango
Hello to all,

I have something that been on my back for a while. I just bought a new 08' Chevy "Impala" SS and the dealership wants me to bring it in for a 3K OCI service BUT the oil change indicator tells me that the oil life is still at 50% life left.

What does the owner's manual say? If it says to follow the OLM, then that's what you should do.
 
Steve,

Thanks for your fast reply. I have an extended service contract with this Chevy dealership and want to give em a try just for the [censored] of it. Besides I not a dino person anyway and want to swap it our for a synthetic like you said. This dealership claims to use/prefer NOT Mobil 1 but Chevron own brand of synthetic and from what I've been told it's a good synthetic oil to try/use. I had thought the best thing was that they would have just used Mobil 1 since they service the Corvettes but I guess those engines don't mind either. If it doesn't work out then I can take it somewhere else as all GM dealerships claim to service ANY GM car/truck no matter what the division. MY brothers Cadillac dealership uses Castrol "Syntec" instead of Mobil 1. Again I wonder???

Take care and thanks again,

Durango
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Durango
Hello to all,

I have something that been on my back for a while. I just bought a new 08' Chevy "Impala" SS and the dealership wants me to bring it in for a 3K OCI service BUT the oil change indicator tells me that the oil life is still at 50% life left.

What does the owner's manual say? If it says to follow the OLM, then that's what you should do.


the manual on my 06 Ion says to go by the OLM and doesn't have a service schedule listed otherwise. Been running about 7200 miles OCI and I'm closing in on 60K miles. When the car was still under warranty, I would bring it into the dealer and everytime they'd slap the 3,000 mile/ 3 month reminder sticker in the top corner of the windshield

Ignore it and go by the OLM
 
Chevron makes a very good synthetic and I would use it without hesitation... I just recommended those other brands as a sample...

Read your owners manual like QP said and see what the wording is. If it says go by the OLM, then go by the OLM. I don't think in the US they can void your warranty going by the manufacturers sugguestion and not the dealerships regardless of an extended warranty.

Someone from the US would be better to comment on this as I'm a crazy Canuck.
grin2.gif
canada-flag-small.GIF
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Chevron makes a very good synthetic and I would use it without hesitation... I just recommended those other brands as a sample...

Read your owners manual like QP said and see what the wording is. If it says go by the OLM, then go by the OLM. I don't think in the US they can void your warranty going by the manufacturers sugguestion and not the dealerships regardless of an extended warranty.

Someone from the US would be better to comment on this as I'm a crazy Canuck.
grin2.gif
canada-flag-small.GIF



Good information about vehicle warranties is the Magnussen-Moss Act (I believe I have it correct).
 
Yes I'm aware of the MM act in the US, but he said he has an extended warranty beyond the dealerships warranty and the terms of that warranty might specify oil changes at a certain interval. I'm not sure if this extended warranty is underwritten by the manufacturer or specifically the dealer and if the MM act applies to it as well.

That is what I was getting at...
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Yes I'm aware of the MM act in the US, but he said he has an extended warranty beyond the dealerships warranty and the terms of that warranty might specify oil changes at a certain interval. I'm not sure if this extended warranty is underwritten by the manufacturer or specifically the dealer and if the MM act applies to it as well.

That is what I was getting at...
grin2.gif



gotcha. I guess I missed that part.

if it were an extended warranty bought thru the dealer then it could actually be an extended GM factory warranty. If not, I do not know if extended warranties specify their own service intervals or if they require you to adhere to the manufacturer's maintenance schedule, which in this case would still be the OLM. I don't think I have any of the warranty paperwork on my old car to look back at. I only traded it in 2007, so the paperwork on it isn't that old. If I get a chance I will look thru my files and see if that one has any wordage pertaining to maintenance.
 
It's all good... I'm probablly not at clear as I could be... Got the FLU, not H1N1 I don't think, but it's something nasty and I feel like Karp.
 
Durango

Read the fine print in your extended service contract. That is binding on you regarding this. Whatever it says you have to do, you gott'a do it to keep the extended service contract in force.

These are not warranties and not subject to warranty law. They are contracts and subject to contract law where the consumer has much less legal protection.

If the extended service contract permits, go by the OLM. GM knew what they were doing when they invented it. I'd stay away, far away, from that sleazy dealership that wants to pick your pocket every 3k miles. By the way, you do not need to have the service done at a dealership...unless the extended service contract requires it. The underwriter of the extended service contract does not have to comply with the terms of the contract if you don't comply with the terms that put requirements on you.
 
It does sound kind of sleazy. My preferred GM dealership's oil change window sticker has the normal change at [miles/date] and it also has a check box that says something like "This vehicle is equipped with an oil life monitor. The OLM will indicate when it is time for an oil change".

They obviously check that box for OLM equipped cars. I thought it was nice that they weren't pulling that old 3k miles 5k km's Bull Scat.
 
Your warranty for at least the first 36000 miles is with GM. Call the GM service center that is listed in your owners manual and ask them when to change the oil.
 
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No I have had food poisoning before a few times, so I'm well versed in what its effects are and this is definitely the flu.

I was helping an owner do some interviews the other day and one of the candidates seemed to be recovering from some illness. I shook his hand before/after the interview and I think I got it from him. I always wash my hands before/after interviews but I guess it got to me first. (if it came from him)

If one of my restaurants was making people sick, I would know about it because I'm heck-bent on Food Safety and relentless in my followups. No one gets away with anything food safety related, no if's/and's/but's about it!

No one going to get sick under my watch... Guaranteed!
 
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Well guys it might not make any difference now! After having dinner with my brother he had noticed that the dealership sign didn't say Chevrolet, Buick GMC anymore. Indications are for now that Power Chevrolet has gone out of business and that they'll sell Nissans in the future. I guess I don't have to worry about them hassleing me about the 3K oil changes.

Now I gotta find another Chevy place to service my Impala. My brothers Cadillac dealership told him they can take me. They service allGM cars/truck now.

Durango
 
I know eh, probably because they were bailing out the water as fast as they could and letters weren't on the forefront of their minds.
whistle.gif
 
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