# Oil pan gasket changed, dealer filled with synthetic blend...



## Digeeedad (Aug 25, 2015)

I took my 2013 Chevy Cruze to a local dealer today and was shown to have a leaky oil pan gasket, which was repaired under warranty. I forgot to tell them that I use full synthetic oil and they filled it back up with synthetic blend. Will this cause any problems and if not, how soon should I have oil changed back to full synthetic and new oil filter? Dealer offers a pretty good price on full synthetic and filter change. Are dealer synthetics as good as Penzoil, Mobil 1 etc?
Thanks


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

The dexos blend will be fine for about 5000 miles, it will not cause any issues. My dealer uses Mobil 1 for their full synthetic oil change.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Mine uses mobil 1 as well. They want $100 for a diesel full synthetic oil change.


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## Digeeedad (Aug 25, 2015)

Thanks for the replies! I'll keep the blend in the Cruze for another couple thousand miles then. This dealer wants $89 for full synthetic, oil filter and lube. Seems a pretty competitive price to me. Will probably go to the dealer for that change. Nice people and thorough service dept... Santa Paula Chevrolet, Santa Paula, CA


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Those prices seem a bit high to me. A few local dealers charge $50 for a dexos blend change, all the others in the area charge $29. Heard some charge $80 for Mobil1 full synthetic, my dealer the cruze 1.4T cost $48 for Mobil 1, and every 5th oil change is free. 

I would call around, might be able to save some $$$


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## Digeeedad (Aug 25, 2015)

Thanks spacedout... will check around for pricing.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

The problem with synthetic blend is that there is no standard. They can put a drop of synthetic oil in with dino oil and call it synthetic-blend. I would not go more than 3000 to 5000 miles with the oil. You should be fine.


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

Be sure to change your oil filter when it is due. They filled the oil, but they probably didn't change the filter. I also had to have my oil pan resealed, and they did not change the filter. I changed the oil back to full synthetic and replaced the filter when I normally would have changed the oil if they hadn't resealed the oil pan.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

See an oil pan gasket in this drawing?










Don't look too hard, ain't one, using GM part number 12378521 sealant, must have been sparse on yours.

Kind of a major job to do this right, least four hours or maybe even more, have to drop the exhaust system and oil cooler lines, remove a whole bunch of bolts, and trying to cut through that old seal and removing the pan without wrecking it is really time consuming.

Ha, ran into this with my then college kids, driving what one would call wreckers, far easier to clean that area, not really any pressure behind it, just oil slashing with choke or carb cleaner and fill that gap externally with sealer. Actually what works even better is Loctite automotive two part epoxy. What the heck, car ain't worth fixing anyway, few more thousand miles and will join other wreckers. But it last for the life of the vehicle.

And you don't even have to change the oil or filter, just do it when its due. But you can sure lie about things like this. So did they actually drop your pan, spend a lot of time cleaning off the old sealant, not only on the pan but on the engine block itself. And are you as could as a robot to put an even amount of new sealant on?

This is what that sealant looks like.










It needs a very steady hand.


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

NickD said:


> So did they actually drop your pan, spend a lot of time cleaning off the old sealant, not only on the pan but on the engine block itself. And are you as could as a robot to put an even amount of new sealant on? It needs a very steady hand.


I checked my service papers. It says, "Removed oil pan cleaned and resealed lower oil pan added oil checked for leaks none present." It says the sealant is 12346286.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Okay, then should see new sealant clear around the perimeter of the oil pan, tool marks on the oil pan bolts and where they removed the exhaust pipe. 

Not saying they didn't do this, but over my life time seen a lot of invoices claiming to do certain work. Ha, even made the comment, sure did a wonderful job, even replacing all the dust and oil film on components they claimed to remove and replace. 

Also made the statement, wasn't born paranoid, just became this way.


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

jsusanka said:


> The problem with synthetic blend is that there is no standard. They can put a drop of synthetic oil in with dino oil and call it synthetic-blend. I would not go more than 3000 to 5000 miles with the oil. You should be fine.


If it's "Dexos Approved" you would think it would contain an amount of syn. oil that would meet that standard.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Digeeedad said:


> I took my 2013 Chevy Cruze to a local dealer today and was shown to have a leaky oil pan gasket, which was repaired under warranty. I forgot to tell them that I use full synthetic oil and they filled it back up with synthetic blend. Will this cause any problems and if not, how soon should I have oil changed back to full synthetic and new oil filter? Dealer offers a pretty good price on full synthetic and filter change. Are dealer synthetics as good as Penzoil, Mobil 1 etc?
> Thanks


I don't think the dealership had a choice on which oil to use. Warranty repairs have to be done very much by the book, including using GM's preferred fluids.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

Yates said:


> If it's "Dexos Approved" you would think it would contain an amount of syn. oil that would meet that standard.


What is the dexos standard? Is there some technical data that describes the standard somewhere? I have never been able to find any technical data on dexos oil.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

jsusanka said:


> What is the dexos standard? Is there some technical data that describes the standard somewhere? I have never been able to find any technical data on dexos oil.


dexos1 Brands | GM dexos® Licensing Program


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## spaycace (Feb 9, 2012)

I think a full synthetic 4 qt. oil change at my preferred dealer is $69.95 ... or maybe that was with a coupon


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

spaycace said:


> I think a full synthetic 4 qt. oil change at my preferred dealer is $69.95 ... or maybe that was with a coupon



Same here even though at my grocery store dexos labeled oil only cost about a buck more per quart than conventional oil. My understanding is that oil companies have to pay GM more money for licensing to put on that little green label. Ha, talk about just screwing the consumer, also screwing each other. 

Your dealer needs that invoice to be reimbursed by GM, so what you see and what you get may be two different things. Ha, like give me a lever long enough can lift the world, give me a screwdriver big enough, can screw the world. 

Oil is only one fluid you put in your vehicle, what about dexos approved gasoline? Maybe GM didn't think of this yet.


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## Yates (Aug 24, 2012)

jsusanka said:


> What is the dexos standard? Is there some technical data that describes the standard somewhere? I have never been able to find any technical data on dexos oil.


I don't understand what the standard is but since Dexos is a GM designation, oils using it must meet some standard....you would think at least.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Sometimes a chemical engineer pops up and really knows the difference, I have to go by experience. Have no idea who invented the word, "dexos" not even a capital D, GM didn't have a darn thing with synthetics, Mobil invented the stuff. 

Ha, when they first came out over 20 years ago, cost a fortune, would make the comment why should I pay a fortune for a synthetic when I can buy the real stuff much cheaper. But they do have certain key advantages over the real stuff.

First off is a much greater breakdown temperature, really need this in a turbo powered engine, been using this stuff in my small air cooled engines, they are lasting a heck of a lot longer. Real stuff leaves a varnish like substance on moving parts, another major key advantage of synthetics.

Another is moisture repellance just have tiny droplets of the stuff that can steam off, real stuff mixes with it and forms a foam. Kind of a gunky stuff that can plug up that tiny feed line to the turbo, good way to wreck it. Another spot not to handy is in hydraulic lifters plugging those up. Synthetics have solved a lot of engine related problems, and their replacement intervals is practically twice as much as the conventional oil. Therefore, far more economical.

Another advantage I have observed is that synthetics do not attack seals like conventional oils do, only use synthetics in our old 04 Cavalier with no seal problems after 150 K miles and no oil consumption. Too bad road salt ate up the body, can't win, still was a good runner. 

Usually negative on a lot of this new stuff, but 100% sold on synthetics. I can only assume a blend is a mixture of synthetics and conventional oil, I would leave this on the shelve.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

Synthetics were first used in WWII by a German doctor I believe. Amsoil was the first to market an API certified synthetic in the early 70's - I believe 1971 but I could wrong on the year. I personally would like to know the technical specks to dexos i.e pour point, flash point, what kind of levels actually have to be met to be dexos compliant.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Here is something about the dexos specification, not specific numbers, more like on a scale of 0 to 10.

http://www.hankgraffbgc.com/Dexos1.pdf

Ha, being a kind of a label warning guy, can get sued for not putting a clear easy to read warning label on a product, where is that dexos label anywhere near the oil filter cap? Cessna Aircraft was sued for 7 million bucks because they did not have a "DO NOT ADJUST SEATS DURING FLIGHT" that resulted in the death of four people when an idiot tried to adjust his seat during take off. Flew way back and lost control of his Cessna. 

With this line of thinking, they should put a zillion warning labels on the instrument panel.

Penalty is not nearly severe for not using dexos, just lose your PT warranty, but where is the warning label on the vehicle? Have to dig deep into that long boring owners manual to find it. A guy working at some oil changing place won't know this. 

Boat has a large sign by the fuel filler. "DO NOT USE ETHANOL".


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