# Oil Change?



## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

I did mine yesterday @ 4100 miles and the window sticker tells me my next one is 7100 miles. I'm most likely not going back at 7100. I would look at the manual and select what your driving style is for maintenance intervals. Someone correct me if the OLM selects normal or severe intervals on its own or not.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Some dealers in my area are adamant on the "take the OLM to 10%". However the factory fill oil I would not go that far, with my 2012 that would be like 10,000miles. My dealer will take my money for an oil change anytime I feel like having it changed, no questions asked. I even had one oil change last winter at 2,000miles after 3months, lots of short trips with a cold engine and wanted to avoid any oil condensation issues. 

When I used the Dexos synthetic blend(dealer fill) I was changing around 4-6K miles(mostly highway), the last two oil changes have been Mobil 1 full synthetic so I just do it before 7500miles.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Unless it has changed my owners manual says to follow the oil life monitor or change once a year or whichever is sooner. The 2-4 changes I do a year is well beyond that minimum requirement.



EDIT: My dealer puts 3 month 3,000miles oil change stickers on my car windshield too, even with mobil 1.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

I handed the dealer 100% syn to do the change with and even then I may not let my OLM go to 10%.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Merc6 said:


> I handed the dealer 100% syn to do the change with and even then I may not let my OLM go to 10%.


I went 6500miles was like 34% remaining on my last oil change(mobil 1). 

My problem is dealer oil change pricing, some dealers charge $50 around here for Dexos, $80 for mobil 1. My dealer its $29 for dexos and $45 for mobil 1. They charge a labor rate, disposal and you pay for the amount of oil you need & filter. 

The tech chaning my oil came to verify what oil I wanted since last time I came in I got mobil 1. I then asked if there was some way to make sure it always gets mobil 1, the shop supervisor added it to the notes on my account. Now it says full syntheic oil only below the customer name on my bill.


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## Markgriffey (Jul 9, 2013)

Why should I do Syn oil? Pros and Cons?


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## 2013LT (Jul 3, 2013)

If you have a turbo it soins at 150000rpms. Using synthetic is just extra insurance your doing everything you can to keep the turbo alive. Since its lubricated by the same oil as the engine.


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## Markgriffey (Jul 9, 2013)

2013LT said:


> If you have a turbo it soins at 150000rpms. Using synthetic is just extra insurance your doing everything you can to keep the turbo alive. Since its lubricated by the same oil as the engine.


I believe mine has a turbo engine. It's a 2013 LTZ


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## Axle F (Aug 20, 2013)

I just bought my LT Turbo plus Cruze 8 months ago and I'm a bit old school. I don't care what kind of oil they use or what a fancy oil life monitor says, I change my oil every 5000 kms ( 3000 miles ) regardless and have my wheels rotated every other oil change. I did that with my last car which was a 1994 GMC Jimmy 4X4 and the only reason I replaced it with a new Cruze was it needed a total exhaust and the rockers were completely gone. Far more cost than what the truck was worth. Bottom line ? Change the oil old school and your car will last !!!!


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Axle F said:


> I just bought my LT Turbo plus Cruze 8 months ago and I'm a bit old school. I don't care what kind of oil they use or what a fancy oil life monitor says, I change my oil every 5000 kms ( 3000 miles ) regardless. Bottom line ? Change the oil old school and your car will last !!!!


Even the dealer fill dexos blend is good for well beyond 3,000miles, there have been numerous people how have sent their oil in for analysis and confirmed this. Believe the range is 5-6K max on the dexos blend. The real issue is people going to much time on oil changes, just because mobil 1 is good for 7500miles does not mean you should 6 months or more on an oil change. 

Full synthetic is great for going those extra miles without worry, 7500miles for me is only 3-4 months or about 3-4 changes a year.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

My only issue with the average joe going beyond 3,000miles is they never check their oil. Most have noticed the 1.4T doesn't really use oil, but GM has in the past with all their engines said 1quart every 2,000 miles is normal consumption. If one changed their oil at 3,000 miles that means they would never be much below 1QT low. 

Now push that to 6-8K and never check it, you will see allot of engines with only 1qt of oil left in it. seen it with the DI 2.4L in the 2010 GMC terrain, using oil at 35,000 miles and just following the oil life monitor the owner almost ran out of oil.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Yeah 3k on Dino get er dun! 3k on syn I'd be more worried about the filter if you selected Mobil 1 and a fram filter. Changing out before 3k is a waste of resources on full syn in a daily driver. Only time I would kinda dump it earlier would be heavy tracking and certain year Subaru due to that **** banjo bolt filter. 

I paid like $26 for Mobil 1(with dexos on the label) at Wally World and this is what they charged me for filter and change. 










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## 2013LT (Jul 3, 2013)

The filter thing is a crapshoot. Fram filters are said to fail early because they are constructed of paper. Fram filters on the cruze however will outlast a high quality filter because the poor filter it has will take much longer to plug up than a much more efficient filter. I replace the filter every 3k miles and full synthetic oil every 6000. I only use wix filters from napa.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Merc6 said:


> YI paid like $26 for Mobil 1(with dexos on the label) at Wally World and this is what they charged me for filter and change.


I was charged $27.96 for the Mobil 1 at the dealer, so pretty close. Then it was $3.50 for the oil filter, for a total parts costing(including oil) was $31.46 + $14.45 labor, add another $2.53 tax for a gran total of $48.44

Looking back at past receipts the Dexos blend was $13.05 for the oil, so its only $14.95 more at my dealer for Mobil 1.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

2013LT said:


> I only use wix filters from napa.


Why not Wix from Carquest? Is there a difference? The box of Wix filters I have looks identical material to the AC delco filter, even has some of the same stamping on it.


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## 2013LT (Jul 3, 2013)

No carquest near me only napa with wix or id try it!


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Still never got a straight answer about break-in oil on the Cruze. Historically, break-in oil was always used, and those that were too quick to do that first oil change lived with oil burners the rest of their vehicles life.

Cruze owner's manual avoided this subject, only thing mentioned was to drive a variable speeds for the first 500 miles and that we did, by taking mostly short trips. Dealers response on this subject was just to follow the owners manual recommendations to that first important oil change. In brief, that first all important oil change was just like any other that follows.

"Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based
on a combination of factors which
include engine revolutions, engine
temperature, and miles driven.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably.
For the oil life system to work
properly, the system must be reset
every time the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated
that oil life has been diminished,
it indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON DIC message or Code
82 DIC message comes on. See
Engine Oil Messages on page 5‑30.
Change the oil as soon as possible
within the next 1 000 km (600 mi).
It is possible that, if driving under
the best conditions, the oil life
system might indicate that an oil
change is not necessary for up to a
year. The engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year
and, at this time, the system must
be reset. Your dealer has trained
service people who will perform this
work and reset the system. It is also
important to check the oil regularly
over the course of an oil drain
interval and keep it at the
proper level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil
is changed."

Since this is Chevy's car for warranty, just follow their instructions, but a bit more conservative, oil is getting fairly dark at 20% remaining oil life and since most of our driving is on long trips, can easily hit that over 7,000 mark. Manual also states to use only dexos, and I stick with Delco filters.

In regards to the manual, like 500 pages, really not studying for my first driver's license, nor do I need to be told a hundred times not to play with my radio when driving. So I downloaded the manual to my Adobe Arcobat Pro with a search engine on it so I don't have to spend a half day flipping through pages and pages to find what I am looking for.

Shop manuals are the same way, really don't have to be reminded a thousand times about the dangers of air bags, especially when all I am doing is changing a tire. Can take a full day just to find the torque specifications.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

You need to use synthetic (or at least a semi - there are very few common "true synthetics") in a turbo engine. Hence the Dexos-1 specification. 

With synthetic, change the oil at 20-30% on the dash display. For me, this comes out at 7500-8000 miles. An oil analysis shows that the oil I use (M1 extended performance 5w-30) is good to run in the Cruze even til 9500-10000 miles. 

Changing every 3000 miles is just absurd and a waste of your money. But by all means, don't be afraid to pop the hood once or twice a month and check the fluids. Yes, even on your new car. 


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

How about at every fillup, while that pump is cranking out about a gallon per minute. Give you something to do. Quick glance at the coolant and brake fluid reservoirs, and can swipe a towel to check the engine oil. Sure didn't make it easy to check out the AT fluid level, if that is low, can burn out your clutches. Darn good reason to get a MT. 

It's not to often I go inside of these self service gas stations, but when I do, see rolls and rolls of junk food and stacks of beer. Practically nothing in the line of auto supplies, maybe a couple of quarts of oil if you look hard enough. Checked out a couple recently to see if they even sold a fuse or a bulb, nothing.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Hello All,

When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message displays, have the engine oil and filter changed within the next 1000km/600mi. The engine oil and filter must be changed at least once a year and the oil life system must be reset. Your trained dealer technician can perform this work. If the engine oil life system is reset accidentally, service the vehicle within 5000km/3,000mi since the last service. Reset the oil life system when the oil is changed. Hope this helps. 

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

You can save some money by DIY'ing. My last oil change was $25 to DIY with a Delco filter and Quaker State Ultimate Durability full synthetic 5w-30. I found Mobil 1 5w-30 and a filter on sale for $20, so I got two oil changes worth of that. 

I change every 7500-8000 miles, or 25% on the OLM, whichever comes first. To go that interval, I use full synthetic oil. No sludge, burning, or other naughtiness.


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## Markgriffey (Jul 9, 2013)

Chevy Customer Service said:


> Hello All,
> 
> When the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON message displays, have the engine oil and filter changed within the next 1000km/600mi. The engine oil and filter must be changed at least once a year and the oil life system must be reset. Your trained dealer technician can perform this work. If the engine oil life system is reset accidentally, service the vehicle within 5000km/3,000mi since the last service. Reset the oil life system when the oil is changed. Hope this helps.
> 
> ...


Anyway to get a free touch up paint for my brand new car?


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Markgriffey said:


> Anyway to get a free touch up paint for my brand new car?


I wish I knew that secret handshake as well. Cost me like $16 for that little bottle to get those rock chips behind the rear door.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Markgriffey, 

Where do you need the touch up paint job? Paint is covered by GM against defects in material or workmanship under the Bumper to Bumper Warranty. However, Cosmetic or surface corrosion such as that resulting from stone chips, hail, or other impact; scratches in the paint, or chemical fallout are not covered. Sorry, Merc6. 

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, at least I can reset the oil life remaining easily on my Cruze. With other GM vehicles, had to read the owners manual for which three buttons to hold down while pressing on the forth ten times in a quarter of a second.

And the only way I could bend my hand that way was to stand on my head. 

So does this really take a specially trained technician to reset your oil remaining display?

It does however require a specially trained technician to remove the back seat without breaking 40 bucks worth of tabs. Haven't found that specially trained technician yet. But have found a parts manager that is more than happy to take your 40 bucks.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

> Ha, at least I can reset the oil life remaining easily on my Cruze. With other GM vehicles, had to read the owners manual for which three buttons to hold down while pressing on the forth ten times in a quarter of a second.


Hey, at least you can reset it.

I got so annoyed at the "service due" light on my Volvo (no way to reset it without a special OBDII tool) that I went into the dash and took it out. Then stomped it into little tiny pieces.

Then there was that check engine light that came on if someone even looked at the car the wrong way.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

jblackburn said:


> Hey, at least you can reset it.
> 
> I got so annoyed at the "service due" light on my Volvo (no way to reset it without a special OBDII tool) that I went into the dash and took it out. Then stomped it into little tiny pieces.
> 
> Then there was that check engine light that came on if someone even looked at the car the wrong way.


Sounds like my Subaru, turn cruise control on and a CEL will appear disabling cruise control.


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## RyanPatty (Sep 28, 2012)

i usually let my OLM go down to 30% and i'm using Full syntheic.


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## druminstein (Apr 13, 2014)

jblackburn said:


> Hey, at least you can reset it.
> 
> I got so annoyed at the "service due" light on my Volvo (no way to reset it without a special OBDII tool) that I went into the dash and took it out. Then stomped it into little tiny pieces.
> 
> Then there was that check engine light that came on if someone even looked at the car the wrong way.


You must have an older Volvo. All the 98 and newer have a manual reset procedure. Check out this app at Oil Light Reset Pro | Reset Oil Light, Oil Life & Maintenance Light , they have them all.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

druminstein said:


> You must have an older Volvo. All the 98 and newer have a manual reset procedure. Check out this app at Oil Light Reset Pro | Reset Oil Light, Oil Life & Maintenance Light , they have them all.


98. 97-98 850/-70 models could not be reset without a special tool. The rest, for some reason, could be. 


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