17,000 mile oil change

[bandcworkhorse]

My 3 yr old Admiral just clicked over 17,000 miles, and the GM Oil Life Monitor finally came on with a Change Engine Oil message soon thereafter. Guess I drive the thing pretty gently for the oil to have lasted that long.

Don't have a heart attack; I change my oil at about 4000 miles, synthetic, 1 qt filter, etc. (My 88 Saab has 304,600 miles, NO internal engine repairs.)
I just never bothered to reset the Monitor, just to see what would happen. GM engineers put a lot of stock in this system, but I doubt any amount of gentle driving would make dino oil last this long. Esp. since the delivery driver probably streaked from Coburg to Indiana at 80+ over the Rockies.

[oemtech]

I wonder if the Acita Cluster software has anything to do with it... Remember the OLF code is in the ECM and not the cluster.

[Fred and Bonnie]

Dale, I really doubt it. I usually put around 4500 miles on each oil change and the Oil Life Remaing is around 40-50%. I do numerous hill climps over 8-10K summits during our yearly travels. The oil life remaining didn't change much when we switched from a '03 chassis to an '05.

The ScanGauge II unit is reading the same numbers as the Actia LCD panel, indicating the info comes from the engine computer.

Fred

[oemtech]

My Scan Gauge has been right on the money in reported OLF. I assume you have OLF coded as an Xgauge? With only about 1.5k on my last oil change it shows about 83.9%.

[sknight]

GM put a lot of research into that system, using an algorithm to claculate engine load, starting, stopping, temperature, what color shorts you have on. Kidding on the shorts part but they take many many variables into account. My car has an OLM system and won't turn the light on for over 10K miles sometimes, but it's a company car that lives with the cruise set on the freeways. I'll give it credit the poeple that change by the OLM system the oil that drains out always looks the same so it's pretty consistent.

[EngineerMike]

"GM put a lot of research into that system, using an algorithm to claculate engine load, starting, stopping, temperature, what color shorts you have on."

I instinctively started checking my shorts

[CJBROWN]

Yeah, forget the gauge thingy, change the oil once a year unless you're driving over six or seven thousand miles a year.

I wouldn't go over 7500 miles with any oil unless you're doing oil analysis at regular intervals.

[two2go]

I changed my oil today, 4,818 miles on the clock and 359 days since the last change. I use Mobil 1 truck/suv 5w30 and a NAPA gold filter. I think the oil was $4 cheaper for a 5 qt. jug than last year. The oil life monitor said 57% remaining. I expect the monitor algorithm does not account for elapsed time, so keeping track of the changes on the calendar is essential unless higher mileage or more start-stop cycles comes into play first.

I also installed a quick-change valve. Looking forward to the next time when I can hook up a short piece of tubing and run the oil right into a recycle jug.

I was tired of trying to add oil to the engine fill port way back from the front access hood using a too-short funnel that was held nearly horizontal. I cut a piece of 1" aluminum tubing long enough to jam into the fill port and stick about 8 inches in front of the front opening. I cut a slit from one end lengthwise about 6 inches and opened it from the slit sideways to form a sort of catch pan on the end. The tube end is secure enough in the fill port that I can pour oil into the "pan" end and it flows right down.

[Triker56]

And you could have waited 6 more days until the 1 year change was due.