do you trust your car...

[cletus8269]

to tell you when to change the oil? i regularly changed mine at 3500, then 5000, then i decided to let the oil life meter tell me... its been almost 7000 miles and it hasnt chimed in yet. i used synthetic so i supposed that has something to do with it.

[Intrepidation]

Intrepids have to be changed every 3,000 miles. Thanks Mitsubishi!

Edited June 20, 2008 by Dodgefan

[DetroitNut90]

For some time now, the "Change Oil" light comes on when I first start my Intrigue. It stays on for a minute or two, then shuts off. I don't know why, since my dad changed the oil for me a little while ago, it hasn't been 3000 miles yet, and I use synthetic.

[ZL-1]

MINIs have a serviced interval indicator that contemplates oil services (engine and brakes) as well as more important services.

Edited June 20, 2008 by ZL-1

[loki]

~4k unless it's been more like 4-5 months, which ever is first

[Satty]

For some time now, the "Change Oil" light comes on when I first start my Intrigue. It stays on for a minute or two, then shuts off. I don't know why, since my dad changed the oil for me a little while ago, it hasn't been 3000 miles yet, and I use synthetic.

There is a reset for the oil life monitor that you have to hit when you change it, otherwise it will continue telling you to change the oil. In my Saturn, the reset was in the fuse box under the hood, a little red button. Look in your owner's manual, it should tell you where the reset is.

[vonVeezelsnider]

I let the Oil Life monitor tell me usually on my car and the Malibu... but every 5000Km (3000MI) in the Impala.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I trust my Pontiac Grand Prix GXP's Trip Computer that has a Oil Life Monitor among a slew of other information such as average speed, average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption and range for remaining fuel; Compass; External temperature digital display, tire pressure and battery monitoring system, etc.

Also monthly Onstar sends and E-Mail to me and list all the systems it has checked, these include, Engine and/or Transmission System, Emissions System, Air Bag System, Antilock Braking System, OnStar System, Remaining Oil Life, Mileage, Tire Pressure Monitoring, OnStar Subscription I'm enrolled in and Onstar Hands-Free Calling minutes I have left.

Edited June 20, 2008 by Pontiac Custom-S

[Blake Noble]

I don't trust the gas gauge on my Sonoma, and I don't trust my brakes that much either. But I do trust when it's time to change the oil because I'm the one who monitors that.

[ocnblu]

The Saturday morning of my accident, I had the earl changed in the Sierra, at about 24% oil life left, per the DIC. It had been about 6,000 miles since the last one. Newer GM vehicles have a more accurate oil life monitoring system than they used to, I trust it.

I'm thinking about dropping Onstar when my current truck phone minutes run out. $18+/mo, plus the price of the minutes... the only reason I subscribe is for the phone service. If I cut my land line and the Onstar phone, and just get a cell phone, I come out ahead, I think.

[cletus8269]

see the only reason i ask is cause i have waited before and around 6500 it came on and so i changed the oil and filter and everythign was great. the past 7000 miles i havent exactly been kind to the colorado so i figured it would trip soon but it aint. i dont really trust the fuel gauge either. it said i had an 1/8 of a tank and when i filled up i pumped 16.1 gallons in. the road's tank is 16.4 gallons.

[loki]

i dont really trust the fuel gauge either. it said i had an 1/8 of a tank and when i filled up i pumped 16.1 gallons in. the road's tank is 16.4 gallons.

mine doesn't work typically...at least if i'm moving. were you on a hill with that measurement? when my gauge does work, it exaggerates how much fuel i have if the nose is higher than the rear. empty usually means 12 gallons in my car for a ~16 gal tank

[cletus8269]

nope flat ground, it gets exaggerated when i reverse or i am coming to a stop on a hill. for instance i cna go down my driveway and stop(its not a real steep slope)and it goes to e and low fuel comes up. leave from the driveway and ride down the road for a mile or so and behold! my tank can pull around 3 or 4 gallons out of some warp zone and make the needle go back up. i did that the other day when i filled up. dunno the math dont come out right or something. 1/8 of 16.4 is 2.05 the tank is suppose to be aproximately 16.4 IIRC i put 16.1 in the tank and well that makes 18 gallons so i guess something is amiss. i may just have the dealer ship look at it since they are about to fix a realy for the air conditioning and a bad fan bearing. warrantied!

[Sixty8panther]

You guys DO realize that the GM oil-life monitor system does

NOT test for viscosity,acidity or dirt, and therefore it does not

know to adjust for your switch to synthetic?

It monitors three things:

TIME in terms of the calendar

engine hours

revs/idling/heavy duty engine use

[XP715]

I've never owned a vehicle with an oil life monitor and hopefully never will because it's just one more piece of unnecessary crap put into a modern vehicle. I find it very sad that the average car owner these days is too stupid to read their odometer themselves, and even more sad that they actually trust these things. I simply change mine every 3,000 miles and have never once had a problem. But that's way too simple for most people.

[Sixty8panther]

I've never owned a vehicle with an oil life monitor and hopefully never will because it's just one more piece of unnecessary crap put into a modern vehicle. I find it very sad that the average car owner these days is too stupid to read their odometer themselves, and even more sad that they actually trust these things. I simply change mine every 3,000 miles and have never once had a problem. But that's way too simple for most people.

true dat.

[Intrepidation]

I've never owned a vehicle with an oil life monitor and hopefully never will because it's just one more piece of unnecessary crap put into a modern vehicle. I find it very sad that the average car owner these days is too stupid to read their odometer themselves, and even more sad that they actually trust these things. I simply change mine every 3,000 miles and have never once had a problem. But that's way too simple for most people.

QFT

[cletus8269]

well the 69 impy gets it every 6 months or 3000 miles race oil, i just figured i'd give the oil life thing a swing. trust me its been pins and needles just waiting. i'm off next week so its getting changed regardless.

[Paolino]

My car changes its oil itself. It burns it, therefore none is needed to be changed.

Typically I go about 3000 miles... only because my commuting is now all city driving. This summer while I commute to Spanish, I'll be using more highway, and let it go to about 4000.