Regular Engine Maintanance
 

Hi Guys and Gals;

I have a 5 spd and do mostly highway driving. I've always changed my own oil at 3000 miles.

Do you guys actually rely on the "change oil" light on the dash? The book says it may stay off for a year depending how I drive. I reset it and it came on after 6200 miles. I changed my oil at 3000 anyway, but my question is, Can I leave it for 6200?

btw I use regular name brand oil and change my filter every time.

No, dont wait 6200 miles to change your oil. The "change oil" light is very inaccurate. If you use synthetic oil you can wait to change your oil until 4000 miles. I use synthetic and i still change my every 3000.

Just keep changing the oil at 3k and you will be good:coolio:

The oil light is just more of a reminder so, just change at every 3,000 and you wont have any problem. BTW if you go over like 500 miles it still wont hurt you. 3,000 is just a good refrence point.

some synthetic brands you can be ok for extended miles. just check your dipstick. if its black and gritty... its a little over due. if its still smooth and a dark caramel color... your fine still.

i accidentally let mine go like 5k... i normally run full synthetic. (usually mobil1)

i do mine every 3 months or 3000 mi whichever comes first

Another Eco and 5-speed. Sweet!!

I change mine every 3000 miles and the Ecotec engine is still good. I let it slip once as well because I was commuting 120 miles daily. It is no big deal if you are over a bit but from old habits I never waited for the change oil light. It is a cheap insurance that makes sure your engine lasts. Yes, technically you can wait for the oil change light to come on but I'd much rather prefer to do it the old way.

Ok, I've heard, and to continue to hear here that I should just change it every 3k to be safe. But with all the technology on these cars that do everything else, why won't this work?

Just imagine the environmental impact of every car in america running 4, 5, or 6k between changes instead of 3. I meen my dad says he's changed his oil every 3k for 30 years. Is there even a possibiliy that this may work?

http://www.gm.com/corporate/responsi...nce_040104.jsp

Hey good info, and for those who tend to forget about changing the oil there is also MOBIL 5000 available. Its for anyone not wanting to change at 3000 but 5000, as so its made for. Now that GMOLS seems great, but a real car entusiest would still maintain the 3000 mark. Great update badgrl now lets see a pic of your alero:haha:

There are cars on the road today that only require an oil change every 5K. Its a forbidden brand of cars around here, but at anyrate, just keep checking it and you'll be fine. I've let mine go to 4 or 5 during baseball season when there just isn't any time to get to the oil change place and it never hurt a thing.

I change mine every 3 moths or 3K miles.

It is a pain in the ass, but I do it anyway. I have 3 cars to take care of. The Alero and wife's Altima both get Mobil 1, and the Delta gets regual Quaker State, none of that high milage crap.

:offtopic: I also use the ACDelco Filters on both of mine and Nissan Filters on hers, but Summit racing sells ACDelcos for her car, and I'm going to start using them when the Nissans are gone. The Nissan filters don't seal very well IMHO

i thought u could go to 7K when running mobil 1? i run Mobil 1 and change my oil every 5K just to be sure...

There is also Mobil 1 Extended performance which they recommend you change every 15,000 Miles or once a year which ever come first. I dont use it just putting it out there for everyone.

I don't like to tempt fate, I change mine as close to 3K as possible. I don't get nutso if I go over that though. It also depends on your driving habits, traffic conditions (Stop and Go vs. Hwy) and all the crap in the air where you live, especially dirty, dusty roads.

That's the thing with the oil life monitor. You know there's a computer reading your driving style and adjusting the shift times for your tranny, so I'm thinking it can read your driving style, engine revs and temp and tell you when the oil need changing.

I know everyone has said every 3000 since the model T, that's what my dad says, I'm gonna listen to the computer and see what happens.

I must be the only one who relys on the oil light. I use full synthetic, I change the filter every oil light, and the oil every second oil light.

I do this for two reason: one, Its takes me about 2 mins to change the filter on my car wearing my good clothes(gotta love ecotec). two, synthetic cost way to much to change every oil change. it would cost me like $70 a oil change, filters for ecotecs are like $11. beside, isn't that what synthetic is for, so you don't have to change your oil as much.

and you might have bigger problems. lol

You got it with that filter, It's the easiest change I've ever had, but what's with the $11? It doesn't even have a steel case. It should be half the cost of a regular one.

Canadian tire has a deal this week, buy a jug of castrol oil and get a free filter. There's a limit of two per person so I just go to a different store.

I read that GM link and it seems to make sense. Good work Badgrl!

Steve-o : Is there another thread we can talk about your struts?

Syn oil help prevent agasint friction and casues much less wear on engine parts, but you still gotta change it every 3000 miles.

I buy my mobil 1 at Walmart (yuck I know, no matter how much I lothe Walmart, but the oil is much cheaper, plus it's only $21 for a 5 quart jug) and the reg syn and the mobil 1 5000 oil are both the same price. If the 5000 is better, why doesn't it cost more?

The 3000 mile oil change is over rated. I go by my oil change light for my Ecotec which usually ends up somewhere between 6,200 to 7,500 miles. It's completely designed to be worked like that. I also do the same on the '06 XLR and my mom's '02 Denali. On older cars I wouldn't do extended oil changes, because they don't run nearly as efficient and the oil gets more contaminated because of it. The oil life monitor is designed to measure drive and heat cycles to accurately estimate the life of the oil.

On my 3400 (which i run clean-burning E85 in) I change the oil once a year.

For more info on oil life (specifically Mobil1) look at this.

http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/s.../oil-life.html

thanks for jumping in here, I thought I was the only one...Oh, and I love that brake kit, is it just bolt rotors and callipers on or was there balance adjustments in the master cylinder?

Hey Cliff, how many miles do you have on that ecotec?

don't rely on the oil light, its just on a timer as far as i know. I use Mobil 5000 and still change my oil every 2500-3000 miles.

How often do you change the oil on that ski-do?

It just bolts right on, but you can't use your original wheels with it in most cases.


The original was around 26,000 miles, the replacement is at about 10,000 (the car has just over 36k right now)

umm.. first of all its an arctic cat. second of all its a two stroke and doesnt have oil in the crank, it has oil injection or pre mix, and burns it with the gasoline.

This is a ski doo.

replacement?? did it blow up or something??

I thought that would burn your cookies....:lol:

I only did that cause you commented on the oil life computer apparently without reading the thread......It's definately not a timer...as far as GM knows! ;)

no, its not just a timer, here is a good read:

http://www.upmpg.com/lubricationnews..._oil_light.htm

oops, now I'm not reading threads, sorry alerored, that was for jason...

thats ok. lol. misnaming brands will bug the crap out of any snomobiler.

Its all about Arctic Cat, but ATV style :coolio:

This is a great link, and here's a taste.

"
The GM solution is for motorists to depend on their patented Oil Life System (OLS). The owner's manuals in today's GM fleet no longer make specific mileage recommendations at all. Instead, the GM Oil Life System analyzes the engine's operational data including temperature, revolutions and speed, to calculate the rate of engine oil degradation and determine when an oil is nearing the end of its life. At this point a message on the dashboard signals that it is time to change oil.

Each OLS computer model is engine-specific because GM believes each engine behaves differently under the various driving situations and conditions. Driving styles vary as well. The OLS allegedly calculates all factors pertaining to both the engine and the driver and thereby makes its oil change recommendations."

I'm on a mission! Stop wasting oil and listen to your manufacturer.....This 3 month / 3000 miles was a simple rule of thumb for people who never even think about their oil. Times have changed, cars have changed, oil has changed....

Absolutely right badgrl. My buddy knew a couple of people with the same GM truck. One changed oil every 3k and the other went by the Oil light. In the end, it didn't matter which method you used because both engines are still running today.

I should get off that 3k limit finally.

couldn't have said it better myself. :coolio:

cool, i always thought (and was told) that it was on a timer. Guess i should shut my mouth and do a bit more research b4 i post.

and... SKI DOO! hell no! The only way i'd get a ski doo is if it was a brand new MX Z X. But in my sled, i have to add oil about every 2 tanks of gas, that 600/440 sno pro hybrid burns oil like none other.:p

Ok, so now there's three of us.......but at lease I got it off my chest...

bad choice of wording around these parts. You're right with the reset light, but its just been beating into everybody's head for years and years about the 3/3000 that we still follow through with it. Just like state inspections, just a way for "the man" to get more of your money more often.
My new car doesn't have a light, but the book says every 5K, so I'll just go with that.

Hence the name....

:coolio: Zing!

Also i didnt see this mentioned or if it was not surely. I read up that that oil light is based on heat cycles of the engine, may be right might not be, but it would makle scence.