# oil life meter cnt time or filter check oil?



## slothcruzer (Aug 19, 2016)

Hey can someone lend me some info ? Does the oil notice thing that tell oil life count time or does it actually have filter that it reads for dirt? (the salesman said that)
AND does this new oil look clean after a change on stick or still sorta dirty?
Im having a terrible time w/ my dealer after first service and the stick still looks dirty to me. ( I did not say anything to dealer about oil as we have other issues w/ the car) This was 2 wks ago a most and it says 90 percent left. Mostly should it look sorta murky still (in our old car after a change the stick looked clean and clear mostly). Im wondering how fast we need to go pay for an oil change if we think it was not done.
Thanks folks your help is priceless!! (im honestly not a gripe person or nit picker Im really just having trouble with these people and I dont know what to do).


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

slothcruzer said:


> or does it actually have filter that it reads for dirt? (the salesman said that)


:th_SmlyROFL: 

Thanks for that. Oil life is calculated, not measured.

I wouldn't worry about dirty looking oil unless it was dirty when you picked it up after the oil change.


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## slothcruzer (Aug 19, 2016)

Thats just it it was like that after oil change. Right after.


ChevyGuy said:


> :th_SmlyROFL:
> 
> Thanks for that. Oil life is calculated, not measured.
> 
> I wouldn't worry about dirty looking oil unless it was dirty when you picked it up after the oil change.


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

It's likely fine. I assume you didn't check the oil in their parking lot before leaving, if you did that and it was dirty then I'd be concerned, but still only slightly concerned. They use sub-par synthetic oil that likely turns dark quickly, especially in a turbo'd vehicle.


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## slothcruzer (Aug 19, 2016)

anthonysmith93 said:


> It's likely fine. I assume you didn't check the oil in their parking lot before leaving, if you did that and it was dirty then I'd be concerned, but still only slightly concerned. They use sub-par synthetic oil that likely turns dark quickly, especially in a turbo'd vehicle.


Thank you so much I do appreciate it. I think I did check it as soon as I got home but I cant remember when exactly I looked first its been two weeks max now. I did mark the oil filter I remember jamming my head under what I could at the lot immed to see if the silver perma marker mark was gone and I thought it was but its a low car LOL. On the chance it wasnt changed how much damage will like 7k more do? Ive always marked filters in a spot they may not notice for years now when we go to a new place, since a friend told me too who got taken once.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

40 bucks extra for dexos? If you don' use this, goodbye warranty. How about paying for an oil filter and finding the old dirty one in there? That filter is hidden in that canister. Two quarts low or even an overfill, didn't you drain the old oil first?

With a wife and four daughters, they sure take advantage of women. Ha, when we first got the Cruze, wife was accustomed to pushing that button at the end of the directional signal lever, managed to reset the oil remainder gauge.

Yes, its calculated on how you drive, with a lot of highway driving can easily hit 8K miles with 20% oil remaining. But if taking many two block trips in the city, oil remaining life will go down quick.

Really, the only way to do it right, is to do it yourself. Back mine up by saving the receipts of the oil and filter, digital photos of the odometer, date, and oil remaining, never had problems. Managed to keep my full engine undercover without fears of not having an engine fire. Filter cover with a new O"ring, oiled, and torqued down properly. Only used Delco filters and dexos approved oil.

Even with as much as 8K miles on the old oil, wondered why I was changing it, still looked clean. Did let it go down to 16% once, too darn cold and lots of snow, but still far better than 0% and 600 miles extra like the owners manual states. 

Conventional oils can congeal blocking oil flow from that thin tube feeding the turbo, when this happens, will have major expensive problems.


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## slothcruzer (Aug 19, 2016)

I appreciate the info. We unfortunately dont live in a situation where it can be done ourselves. I do my best to connect with a priv owned local shop I can trust and keep rcpts and tell them what needs to be used hoping they do it.


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## 17Hatch6MT (Dec 28, 2015)

For the last 25 years, been doing it myself after too many mishaps at quickie-lube joints (none that cost me a new engine, thank gosh.) Overfilled, underfilled, stripped drain bolt, substituted cheap oil for the synthetic I'd bought. (Given some of the people I've known in my working life, wouldn't put it past them to 'didn't do the work but wrote that they did.') And, an argument, not an apology, every time they were caught. Now getting to where I am too old to be crawling around under the car. If I take it somewhere, it'd be an established repair shop with a good rep., or the dealer. Never a quickie-lube joint.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, one of my kids had a dealer when nothing was wrong with his vehicle while under warranty. But after warranty, everything was wrong with is vehicle, even things that weren't wrong with it.

He has a dad that knows one or two things about vehicles, started doing his own oil changes.

How old is old? I am 78, but starting to have limitations, can't push my vehicle up on oil changing ramps anymore, have to drive them up. Rest is real easy.


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