# New Diesel Owner - and a couple questions



## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

Congrats on your new car. I have a 15 ctd and been a great car for 52k miles. I had dealer change oil at 5k miles for first change. Now it’s about every 7 or 7.5k miles for change. I don’t see any problem if you prefer to change oil sooner.

Welcome to the forum and perhaps some others that have gen 2 Diesel can address your questions.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Welcome Aboard!:welcome:
You should introduce yourself and your Cruzehere.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

I just got a 2018, manual. From what I read, you get 2 oil changes.. I don't think they will reject your request to change oil early, just be advised you'll burn one of the 2 free changes.. I also prefer to do my own, the complementary changes on one of my 2015's left it with a loose drain plug, and had the wrong sealing washer.. the other car I got used, but the last oil change was by a GM dealership, and it was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to remove the plug, I had to literally weld a nut on the plug, IN PLACE to get it off, it also had the wrong sealing washer and was WAY over torqued.. it will get a EZ Drain valve next change, currently it has a plug with a large nut welded to it! (I'm on the 3rd valve I've ordered, to get the right size, because so few Gen 1 Diesels were produced, the application guides do not specify the correct valve, it is 18mm X 1.5 thread pitch, EZ-104 (the guide has you select EX-106, 14mm X 1.5, and it WON'T work.. now that is Gen 1, I don't know yet what is on the Gen 2 Diesel, probably different.. but I digress. I also do not as yet know where the Gen 2 oil filter is located.. for Gen 1 its under the alternator.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

I'm a 1st generation owner (built July 2013 - 80,000 miles), who has done all of my non-warranty maintenance and repairs myself. But from the photos I've seen of the 1.6, it appears it might be on the bottom-rear-center of the engine, right next to the drain plug. (notice the round, black object in the bottom-center of the photo that looks like a cover for a cartridge-type filter.)

I'm also in Michigan, on the northern edge of the Grand Rapids area. My Diesel put in its first 60k on the long 2-lane stretches of extreme rural Iowa, getting 45-60 mpg, and still gets 35 or so here in the city/suburban traffic of West Michigan.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

I am thankful for having a very good chevrolet dealer, my gm credit card sent me a $100 coupon for any service over $100. I don’t hesitate to have my dealer service the car. They do a great job, I have changed the oil after and nothing different than when I do it.


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## Newbiecruzer (Nov 11, 2017)

To revjpeterson, 
Thanks - I hadn't found that view of the engine anywhere - and yes, that looks like the filter. 
That would put it behind the "belly pan" which is full width and back about to the firewall. 
No problem really, just a few more little bolts to get it off.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

Newbiecruzer said:


> To revjpeterson,
> Thanks - I hadn't found that view of the engine anywhere - and yes, that looks like the filter.
> That would put it behind the "belly pan" which is full width and back about to the firewall.
> No problem really, just a few more little bolts to get it off.


Having not changed gen 2 the filter location makes it look like it should be easier to do than gen 1. I have changed oil on many different cars, oil filter placement on gen 1 is one of my personal least favorites to change. It can be messy and several times I scratch arms up, really don’t like it.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

IndyDiesel said:


> Having not changed gen 2 the filter location makes it look like it should be easier to do than gen 1. I have changed oil on many different cars, oil filter placement on gen 1 is one of my personal least favorites to change. It can be messy and several times I scratch arms up, really don’t like it.


On my last Grand Prix, it had a spin-on filter, but I had to pull the right-front wheel to access it, since there wasn't adequate access to it from either above or below. It would soak my frame rail and lower control arm with oil every time too. Had to spray it down with brake cleaner every change, since it wasn't just a smooth surface I could wipe adequately. Our Gen 1 Diesel filter is a little better than that, but not much.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

IndyDiesel said:


> Having not changed gen 2 the filter location makes it look like it should be easier to do than gen 1. I have changed oil on many different cars, oil filter placement on gen 1 is one of my personal least favorites to change. It can be messy and several times I scratch arms up, really don’t like it.


It can be tricky.. the key to minimize mess is to not fully unscrew the filter until it is fully drained. I use a stuby ratchet with a pivot head. Loosen the filter cap until you feel the O-ring unseat, turn it slowly. Watch for oil draining via the spout. Let it reduce to a few drops. Then remove the filter cap, rotate it up to contain any remaining oil, and bring it out behind the engine. Once I got to hang of it, it's now easier than my Saturn. It's impossible to do the Saturn without a mess, the spout is too close to the axle, when it catches it flings it all over. I gave up trying to keep it clean, I now just wipe it up! 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

Gen 2 looks pretty good, I need to crawl under a gen 2 and take a peek. I don’t mind doing the gen 1; think I have done mine twice, it’s doable just not fun to do. I just assume with it I will make a mess and just clean it up. They have a spray solution at dealer as well, so they get it on stuff as well but just easier to clean up when there is a pit under the car and that’s all you do is change oil all day. Plus there are people in the pit and top side so it’s a team effort.


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