When to change oil
My truck (2016 Chevy diesel) gives me a percentage of oil usage left. At what percentage do you fellas normally change your oil? I normally will let mine get to around 12%-15%. Just curious if you change yours more frequently.
Forum Discussion
- Most, but not all vehicles with oil change monitors is strictly based on usage. There are some vehicles that measure solids in solution.
- Lol, now some wish OLMs were more comprehensive?
I wish cars were cheaper and didn't come with 100 different 21st century features and functions. Maybe I'm not old enough to need to rely on an oil life minder or things of the like...
I still write down all the services and repairs in the back of the owners manual. Or in the case of new vehicles that have deleted the blank pages, on a piece of paper.
My new Chevy half ton also tells brake pad life and air filter life.
I know the air-filter life monitor is not accurate. It's down to under 70% at last check, just under 7,000 miles on the truck.
Truck hasn't seen a spec of dust, nor winter conditions, and precious few bugs yet. Around here, air filters last dang near forever if your vehicle doesn't suck in rain or road spray.
In the 10 years we've now lived in the Seattle area, my air filter bill has been cut by about 90%!
$20 says the Cheeebie dealer or zippy lube tells me I need an air filter around 20k miles! - with the new oil minders that adjust the oil life depening on how you have been driving I just go by when it tells me to change it. I do run the rotella T6 that is one of the the extream duty recomended oils and the only time I will change it kind of early is if it comes up "change soon" and I have a longer trip coming up where it would be a pain to change it during. there is no count down on mine, it goes from "oil ok" to "shnge soon" to "change now". I wish it had the % remaining also then I could guage when to change it before a upcoming trip if it is getting close anyways.
Steve - being a 80 year old guy I'm old school where engine oil changes are concerned.
I follow the vehicle mfg recommendations with all my cars/trucks.
My '03 Dodge/Cummins 305/555 HO has the 7500/15000 oil change schedule. With 356k miles on the odo. I use Rotella 15w-40 dino/Fleetguard filters.
The last oil sample at 350k miles says all is well and keep doin' what your doin'.
At the sound of the DIC "gong" on my gazz cars/trucks I change oil and oil filters.
I tend to keep vehicles for a long time and lots of miles. Thermoguy wrote:
By the way, the dealer that I bought it from
Sunset?SweetLou wrote:
bob213 wrote:
I have a 2005 Duramax as well. It only has 44,000 miles so if I waited for the dash indicator I would have some pretty old oil before I changed it. We have expensive engines, so $35 a year seems like cheap insurance. I change mine at the start of every camping season unless I make a cross country trip and really do a lot of miles.(8000 plus).
$35 per year? Ha I don't think so
My last duramax oil change: $10 for a AC delco filter, $43 for 10 quarts of Rotella T-6 full synthetic after mail in rebate.
$53. Using regular rotella t4 and watching for rebates/sales and I can see getting to down to the $30 rangeSweetLou wrote:
bob213 wrote:
I have a 2005 Duramax as well. It only has 44,000 miles so if I waited for the dash indicator I would have some pretty old oil before I changed it. We have expensive engines, so $35 a year seems like cheap insurance. I change mine at the start of every camping season unless I make a cross country trip and really do a lot of miles.(8000 plus).
$35 per year? Ha I don't think so
Who cares about the cost of the oil change?
More importantly, when is that cream puff LLY Dirtymax going up for sale and can I have first crack at it??
PS, if you swap the atf to Transynd now, I’ll throw an extra grand on top of the sale price!bob213 wrote:
I have a 2005 Duramax as well. It only has 44,000 miles so if I waited for the dash indicator I would have some pretty old oil before I changed it. We have expensive engines, so $35 a year seems like cheap insurance. I change mine at the start of every camping season unless I make a cross country trip and really do a lot of miles.(8000 plus).
$35 per year? Ha I don't think soCummins12V98 wrote:
I have a saying. Sometimes it’s best to pizz with the pecker ya Gotz.
You must get it on your pants often .- I have a saying. Sometimes it’s best to pizz with the pecker ya Gotz.
