Hey guys. I'm new to this site and i have a question. I have a 07 cobalt with a couple grand worth of bolt on performance modifications. I do some highway, city, and high rpm race driving. As you can see I use my car for everything. I ran dino oil in it until it was broken in. I switched to valvoline synthetic at 5500 miles on the odometer. I now have 10,469 miles on the car with the first synthetic oil change currently in the motor, therefore i have about 5000 miles on the oil. Considering my driving conditions, do I still change my oil every 7500 miles with synthetic? or because I do a fair amt of racing, should i be looking to dump it at a earlier interval? Not sure what to do. P.S. I use purolator pure one filters which is currently in the car as well and i also give the car about 2 min. warm up time every time I start it. Opinions welcome thanks
Valvoline syn power intervals
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Does your car have one of those oil change reminder lights, like the 06 Ion does? I know on my dad's Ion it'll pop-up saying when to get your oil change. From what I understand, it calculates it the same way it does with their OLM system. I would just follow that, since it would take your spirited driving into consideration. Otherwise, does your manual have a recommendation for severe service? I'd follow that since you seem to be in the severe category because of the racing...
If you look at alot of the UOA's here the oils even Synthetic ones barely make it to the manufacturers recommended change intervals. For warranty purposes I would change it within what the manual says or earlier as ThirdeYe says.
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5k is fine for otc synth oils if you care more about your car then getting the most out of the $20 worth of oil. I'm dumping at 5k bcause I have too much oil stashed.
As far as idle warm-up, not needed above freezing. Below freezing, idle for 1sec for ever degree below freezing. That is +22f means 10 sec at idle. Then drive carefully until oil temps come up.
my manual says to follow my oil calculator. But sometimes I just dont trust those things. so you guys think I should dump it at 6000 or 5000, or do some of you still feel i should wait till 7500?
5K if it was mine. AND
no more 2 minute idling to warm it up-you are just causing fuel dilution of the oil cause it' l take longer to warm up idling
no more 2 minute idling to warm it up-you are just causing fuel dilution of the oil cause it' l take longer to warm up idling
Just curious, why are you guys recommending such a short OCI for a synthetic (OTC) oil? Is it solely because of his driving conditions? Or is it more because it's Valvoline Synpower? I often see recommendations of 10,000 OCI for PP.
Do yourself and US a favor and take a sample of the oil at before 6K. Blackstone will send you a container to send the oil in to them for testing. The SynPower should be able to go 7.5K, but spending the $$$'s at least for one UOA "used oil analysis" will verify the oil can go the distance. This will also give you peace of mind.
i only plan on having it for like 4-5 years. and i thought warming an engine up prevented the gas from seeping past the rings into the oil. This is why i was told to warm up my vehicles especially in the cold. I figured if i always let my car warm up then the oil would be in better shape for the long OCI. Is my logic somehow wrong?
Your logic was perfect for carburated engines of 20 or 30 years ago when the inefficient choke systems flooded engines with fuel during warm up.
This just isn't the case with today's electronic fuel injected engines.
This just isn't the case with today's electronic fuel injected engines.
It will actually warm up more quickly if you drive it easy those first 2 minutes. Not to mention, saving fuel.
I'm with a previous suggestion, go the 6000 miles (with all the conditions you mentioned earlier) and invest in the UOA. Then go from there. Otherwise, go with the Oil Life Monitor.
Heres a pdf from GM on the oil life monitor and expected mileage.
Trailer towing shows 5-7K miles with conventional oil. That you tell you something.
I'm with a previous suggestion, go the 6000 miles (with all the conditions you mentioned earlier) and invest in the UOA. Then go from there. Otherwise, go with the Oil Life Monitor.
Heres a pdf from GM on the oil life monitor and expected mileage.
Trailer towing shows 5-7K miles with conventional oil. That you tell you something.
Originally Posted By: 07LS_sport
I do some highway, city, and high rpm race driving. . . . do I still change my oil every 7500 miles with synthetic? or because I do a fair amt of racing, should i be looking to dump it at a earlier interval?
More than shear-down, what "destroys" oil is piston blow-by. The higher the pressure in the cylinders, the more the blow-by. Highway cruising is typically the easiest on engine oil with minimal blow-by. Racing, OTOH, will result in maximum blow-by. Any "stressing" of an engine will result in higher amounts of blow-by. Depending on how much racing you're doing as a percentage of the miles being put on, you should be changing your oil more frequently, perhaps even less than 3000 miles.
Synthetics don't handle contaminants any better than conventional oil. So, if contamination is the main issue, synthetic or otherwise, you should swap out the oil sooner rather than later.
Regards, Gary in Sandy Eggo
I do some highway, city, and high rpm race driving. . . . do I still change my oil every 7500 miles with synthetic? or because I do a fair amt of racing, should i be looking to dump it at a earlier interval?
More than shear-down, what "destroys" oil is piston blow-by. The higher the pressure in the cylinders, the more the blow-by. Highway cruising is typically the easiest on engine oil with minimal blow-by. Racing, OTOH, will result in maximum blow-by. Any "stressing" of an engine will result in higher amounts of blow-by. Depending on how much racing you're doing as a percentage of the miles being put on, you should be changing your oil more frequently, perhaps even less than 3000 miles.
Synthetics don't handle contaminants any better than conventional oil. So, if contamination is the main issue, synthetic or otherwise, you should swap out the oil sooner rather than later.
Regards, Gary in Sandy Eggo
Originally Posted By: 07LS_sport
Hey guys. I'm new to this site and i have a question. I have a 07 cobalt with a couple grand worth of bolt on performance modifications. I do some highway, city, and high rpm race driving. As you can see I use my car for everything. I ran dino oil in it until it was broken in. I switched to valvoline synthetic at 5500 miles on the odometer. I now have 10,469 miles on the car with the first synthetic oil change currently in the motor, therefore i have about 5000 miles on the oil. Considering my driving conditions, do I still change my oil every 7500 miles with synthetic? or because I do a fair amt of racing, should i be looking to dump it at a earlier interval? Not sure what to do. P.S. I use purolator pure one filters which is currently in the car as well and i also give the car about 2 min. warm up time every time I start it. Opinions welcome thanks
I used to be that way in the mornings...it used to drive who ever was in the car crazy. After getting educated here thats no longer the issue. I let it sit for 20-30 secs and slowly drive away.
Hey guys. I'm new to this site and i have a question. I have a 07 cobalt with a couple grand worth of bolt on performance modifications. I do some highway, city, and high rpm race driving. As you can see I use my car for everything. I ran dino oil in it until it was broken in. I switched to valvoline synthetic at 5500 miles on the odometer. I now have 10,469 miles on the car with the first synthetic oil change currently in the motor, therefore i have about 5000 miles on the oil. Considering my driving conditions, do I still change my oil every 7500 miles with synthetic? or because I do a fair amt of racing, should i be looking to dump it at a earlier interval? Not sure what to do. P.S. I use purolator pure one filters which is currently in the car as well and i also give the car about 2 min. warm up time every time I start it. Opinions welcome thanks
I used to be that way in the mornings...it used to drive who ever was in the car crazy. After getting educated here thats no longer the issue. I let it sit for 20-30 secs and slowly drive away.
Originally Posted By: Cory
It will actually warm up more quickly if you drive it easy those first 2 minutes. Not to mention, saving fuel.
I'm with a previous suggestion, go the 6000 miles (with all the conditions you mentioned earlier) and invest in the UOA. Then go from there. Otherwise, go with the Oil Life Monitor.
Heres a pdf from GM on the oil life monitor and expected mileage.
Trailer towing shows 5-7K miles with conventional oil. That you tell you something.
Its a pretty cool system, i think. My buddys GMC Denali tows mainly during the summer and even at that time as it says 5000-7000 miles is when the light comes on. I knew a guy that has a percentage reading on his Duramax engine. It tells you the how much life the oil has in a percentage.
It will actually warm up more quickly if you drive it easy those first 2 minutes. Not to mention, saving fuel.
I'm with a previous suggestion, go the 6000 miles (with all the conditions you mentioned earlier) and invest in the UOA. Then go from there. Otherwise, go with the Oil Life Monitor.
Heres a pdf from GM on the oil life monitor and expected mileage.
Trailer towing shows 5-7K miles with conventional oil. That you tell you something.
Its a pretty cool system, i think. My buddys GMC Denali tows mainly during the summer and even at that time as it says 5000-7000 miles is when the light comes on. I knew a guy that has a percentage reading on his Duramax engine. It tells you the how much life the oil has in a percentage.
Yep, and from what I understand it's also very accurate. I think it's safe to trust it.
I don't fully agree with this statement Gary.
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Synthetics don't handle contaminants any better than conventional oil. So, if contamination is the main issue, synthetic or otherwise, you should swap out the oil sooner rather than later.
Regards, Gary in Sandy Eggo
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If you mean dirt etc...I would agree, but you imply that the blowby and other products of combustion are handled about the same with either synthetic or mineral....
I would disagree....why?
This is why synthetics last longer in an oil change interval....they CAN handle contaminates better! They in fact can injest/contain double the level of contaminates such as acid, and other chemical formations from the combustion process.
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Synthetics don't handle contaminants any better than conventional oil. So, if contamination is the main issue, synthetic or otherwise, you should swap out the oil sooner rather than later.
Regards, Gary in Sandy Eggo
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If you mean dirt etc...I would agree, but you imply that the blowby and other products of combustion are handled about the same with either synthetic or mineral....
I would disagree....why?
This is why synthetics last longer in an oil change interval....they CAN handle contaminates better! They in fact can injest/contain double the level of contaminates such as acid, and other chemical formations from the combustion process.
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