Oil Change Question

[lewis87]

I have an '06 STS V6 and run Mobil 1 full synthetic. I don't feel comfortable waiting until my oil life % runs out but am not sure how often to change it. Every 3k, 5k etc...? Any suggestions?

[carter's_sts]

The recommendation on here before has been to do what the manual says, which is follow the oil life indicator, or once a year (whichever is first). That's what I'm doing.

[skozzy]

Originally Posted by carter's_sts

The recommendation on here before has been to do what the manual says, which is follow the oil life indicator, or once a year (whichever is first). That's what I'm doing.

Seriously? Once a year? Not trying to bust your balls just wondering why only once a year? I had planned on every 3K-5K to change mine. Am I missing something that I didn't know?

[corvette00]

that's why you pay the big bucks for Mobil 1

[skozzy]

I will be damned! I did some research and your right! Thanks for posting that Carter's STS! I would have been getting it changed all the time and spending a ton of money!

Does anyone recommend the Mobil 1 extended performance? After reading there website I think I will be changing my T-Bird over to this as well!

[MacMuse]

I changed mine shortly after purchase (used car), and again at about 5K. After several discussions here I'm now biding my time and monitoring the oil life indicator. The last change was done at the dealer (coupon made it reasonably priced), and the sticker they put on the windshield gave a 6 month date for the next change. It's hard to break the 3 month/3-5K habit, but it looks like the thing to do.

I do encourage you to check the stick at least once a month and make sure the engine isn't using any oil, that's the biggest risk to these extended gaps between changes.

[Spyke]

Originally Posted by skozzy

I will be damned! I did some research and your right! Thanks for posting that Carter's STS! I would have been getting it changed all the time and spending a ton of money!

Does anyone recommend the Mobil 1 extended performance? After reading there website I think I will be changing my T-Bird over to this as well!

M1 EP doesn't meet the 4718m spec required in your engine.

In the M1 family, only the M1 0w30, 5w30 and 10w30 meets that spec.

here's the list of the 4718m approved oil from gm:

http://www.gm.com/corporate/responsi...ngine_oils.pdf

[cooncat]

I just had my oil changed at 27% usage left. I change my oil once a year since I only drive about 8,000 miles a year.

I have a brother who is a mechanic and he is of the old school to change the oil every 3 - 5,000 miles. But that is with regular oil. I don't think he has had much experience with mobil 1.

[STE_6000]

i do my 2-3 times a year. 2 times is normal for me since its my daily driver and fun car, 3 times is babying it some. i change mine at 30% life.

[MacMuse]

Originally Posted by STE_6000

i do my 2-3 times a year. 2 times is normal for me since its my daily driver and fun car, 3 times is babying it some. i change mine at 30% life.

How many miles/year?

[pjbizjak]

Oil life index for me and I wait until the DIC says change oil. Why throw away good money. Follow the manual recommendations.

[corvette00]

I have changed mine at about 9,000 miles and sensor was still at 20%. My second oil change was for free due to my second faulty oil pan gasket seal.

[mywifekids1]

The life of your car depends on changing the oil properly I have over 90k so I change mine every 5 or 6k If my dic get close to fifty percent it gets changed what 75.00 bucks every few months.

[trackbait]

Keep in mind the oil % remaining indicator on the DIC is the result of years of engineering and extremes testing. While it's pretty good and yes, engines now do run cleaner with less blow by, emissions are cleaner, etc... it does not have a sensor in the oil (except for low level) or a viscosity meter nor any other combination of electrical/mechanical sensors that tell you when to change the oil.

What is does use is the cars PCM (engine computer) and very complex alogorythms written to monitor certain engine parameters and bases it's calculation from numerous engine sensors feeding info into the PCM.

Thus, if you drove on dirt roads every day, would it give the same data as though you drove exactly the same except on a paved road free of debris or contaminants? Probably not!!! (The MAF might catch it)

While it is very accurate at 'averaging' it does not take into consideration continuous non-standard driving conditions (except for trailer towing which CAN be measured and calculated).

If you use Mobil 1 you know it looks like honey going in. If you pull the stick every now and then and if it is pitch black and 'smells', then change it.

Otherwise go with the average if you drive like the average driver.

[Spyke]

Originally Posted by trackbait

If you use Mobil 1 you know it looks like honey going in. If you pull the stick every now and then and if it is pitch black and 'smells', then change it.

I'm sorry but you can't tell if the oil is good or bad by smelling or just by its color. If the oil is getting darker, it means that its doing the job its suppose to do: oxidation. In the 3.6 (in my car), I use only the OLM to tell me when to change the oil. During the winter its about every 9k-10k miles. During summer, its about 11k-13k miles. I wait until the complete 0% oil life left and for the message change oil soon. I take a sample and send it for an oil analysis. I always had great results since day 1.

If I was changing the oil by the smell of it or the color, at 7500 miles, the oil is dark brown. At 9k miles, its almost black. Every time I received the results from the Used Oil Analysis, I could have gone a little more further on the oil.

Like you said, the olm (oil life monitor) is the result of years of engineering and extremes testing and its the most accurate (+ margin for errors are in calculation btw) in the auto industry. My car has almost 120k miles and its running fine just like the first day I had it.