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Car's computer's idea of oil change interval..
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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/12/13 10:26 AM

Car's computer's idea of oil change interval..

We touched on this before, like another go at the topic.

Now that we got a car with 7 miles on it last night, I want to control his differently than the previous equinox.

The computer reports oils life. The dealer would charge us for the free maintenance oil change if the system was above 20%. They waived that when the fuel pump contaminate the oil for the first oil change, it was a 22% then anyway. And we just only got the second two weeks ago yesterday.

Thus in 13 months, the length of time the oil and filter was in this car although complying with requirements was way too long IMO. Synthetic blend used according to what service told me.

9k per change, which equates to 6 months in this case per And I had to add 2 qts before this last change with 45k on the car. Which concerned me for when that car was going to get more age/miles on it and be beyond warranty frankly. Or the hassle of having to deal with that warranty issue at all. Made me think perhaps this was a negative effect of the gas in the oil for 'we do not know' how many miles.

How seriously do you take the system/computers stats for you oil changes with those which have such system in their car ?

And how do you change your own oil and not have an issue should you need to have an engine issue resolved under warranty?

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sandiway
Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: back in Tucson

4/12/13 11:01 AM


quote:
I had to add 2 qts before this last change with 45k on the car


In modern cars, engines should not burn oil for the first 100K+ miles or so.

I think the computers are conservative. But it depends on how you drive. Whether you make lots of small trips. I know that my previous car's engine computer takes this into account. In the cold, before warming up properly etc. I'm not so sure about that.

Sandiway

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walter
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 4391
Location: metro-motown-area

4/12/13 11:21 AM

oil consumption

my car burns ~2 qts/year. bums me out, but i believe that's in the range of acceptable variance. i think its BS, but its a 2007 and i'm past warranty coverage and just crossed 75k miles...so i live with it.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/12/13 12:59 PM

When they did the service two weeks ago for the falling headliner, and when I found out about the bluetooth delete etc. They applied an update to the oil monitoring system. [just remembered this] So obviously someone at GM agrees it was not really good the way it was. ;)

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Tom Price
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 505
Location: Rochester, NY

4/12/13 4:50 PM

Oil Life Monitoring System

The Oil life monitor measures the length of your trips and the engine temperature. Therefore if you are driving short trips and/or in cold weather it will recommend more frequent changes. It appears you were doing longer trips and 9k miles is close to the max. GM also recommends changing the oil at least once a year regardless of mileage. My wife drives about 5k/year so we change her oil once a year and we do not get close to the light coming on.

It is no problem to change your own oil, just keep receipts. Be sure to use an oil that meets the GM Dexos oil spec. I do not have any customers that have mentioned oil usage between changes perhaps the original fleet owners were not keen on oil changes. This is unusual, about 30% of my sales have been previous fleet cars. I agree I would not be happy with any usage between changes.

GM has recently started doing computer updates to shorten the oil change interval on the Equinox as there have been some cases of wear on the chains powering the balance shaft. I guess they should use the "Forum Lube".

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/12/13 5:16 PM

Tom,

Do you have oil [and filters] recommendation(s)? I have been a synthetic guy on all vehicles which it was practicable to use it with. Example of non use was my V8 older American Trucks for example. Or cars I get with 80k or more on them already mostly.

Service guy said the Cert GM program changes where synthetic blend. I want do full syn in the 2013 Equinox with 7 miles.. well 45 now. ;)

As for the 2011 oil sensor and our use, mostly a 20 mile commute daily [both ways] 5 days a week. But a lot of the 18k we put on the car in the 13 months included several Spokane rounders [kids up there] and a PDX to Los Angles jaunt with a return up the coast highway for a great part on the return. Oh, and we shoot out to the big pond on the west side of the country a lot for stuff, Soccer or Hockey games, etc etc. We drive it a bunch I guess.

Isn't 15-18k yr. pretty average for folks these days?

Glad the high pressure fuel pump problem surfaced before we took the LA trip. We literally got the service engine light 2 days before departing. Also glad they took and fixed it on the spot. The day before we left pretty much...

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

4/12/13 7:49 PM

I follow my Tahoe's oil change monitor like a religion. I don't follow the oil maker's 3k. That number is only set there to sell oil.

My wife's Mazda has gotten synthetic from the first oil change, has only a count down system which get it in every 7k.

We will see what he synthetic does for it. Thus far I have seen about 1.5 mpg above the EPA numbers but that is mostly because both of us are light feet on the gas. Though I do love hit the high notes on that great little motor more than she does. 52k now in 3.5 years do to some long trips.

Just change it, if a system is built into the car, use it. My Tahoe is 10 years old, uses no oil and is still running strong at 120k miles.

Neither car burns oil or leaks a drop.

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Tom Price
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 505
Location: Rochester, NY

4/12/13 10:19 PM

GM Dexos Spec Oil

Here is a list of oils that meet GM Dexos specs and are licensed by GM:

http://www.gmdexos.com/licensedbrands/dexos1licensedbrands.html

There are some that meet the specs but did not pay license fees. Since you have a 5/100k powertrain warranty I would not gamble. At my dealership we use a full synthetic that meets GM specs. As far as filters I do not have a preference. I have used Castrol regular oil for years with Fram filters and have not had a problem. I read recently that Fram is not well regarded and will problably switch to another brand or just have my dealership do the changes. I now have a 2011 Malibu that requires Dexos and a 2006 that does not.

Here is a whole forum that deals with oil and filters:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

4/13/13 4:04 AM

And we thought cyclists where an OCD crowd.

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walter
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 4391
Location: metro-motown-area

4/13/13 8:21 AM

here's for-reals OCD when it comes to oil/filtration

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Filters.html#OilFilters

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

4/13/13 8:34 AM

I'm glad I don't have an oil monitor...

...as it seems like more hassle than it's worth. The manual for my vehicle recommends oil changes every 7500 miles for people like me who do mostly highway driving (typical use vs. extreme use). That's with conventional oil, but I run synthetic anyway for the extra level of protection it provides. Now that the car has 175K miles on it and is using some oil, I'll cut the change intervals back to every 5000 miles (it's also easier for my feeble mind to figure out).

As for this "Dexos spec" business, it sounds like a bunch of BS designed to coerce people into having their oil changed at the dealership and extorting "license" fees from oil manufacturers. If they're specifying synthetic blend oil, I'll bet that there isn't a single full-synthetic oil on the market that doesn't meet that spec. According to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, you only need to use products that meet the manufacturer's specs to meet your warranty obligations, regardless of whether they're a GM licensee or not.

As for Fram filters, they're junk, plain and simple. There are numerous websites that show comparisons of the construction of oil filters and it's obvious that Fram cuts corners wherever possible and that their quality is bottom-of-the-barrel. They're actually known to cause damage to the engine in my vehicle, prompting the manufacturer to send out a warning against using them.

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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT

4/13/13 8:50 AM

I'm glad

...that my car is near-disposable. I much prefer obsessing over my bike!

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

4/13/13 11:04 AM

OCD

Yeah I encounter some of those oil guys on a Saab site (yes, it still exists!) and they are indeed nuts. Some send their used oil out to labs for analysis. For my car (A4), the manual directs you to a web page for the most current list of approved oils. Nothing to do with "licensing," just spec. My car was burning a bit of oil (known issue with some A4s) but the dealer changed the seals which has corrected it (so far anyway). In any case, the dealer assumes responsibility with no hassle.

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

4/13/13 1:34 PM

@andy

Cars are to expensive to treat as disposable these days.

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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT

4/13/13 3:36 PM

Depends.

OK, not quite disposable, but my Y2K bug is pretty close. It cost $2K, and I don't get attached to it (unlike my bike). I wouldn't like it if it were to disappear (and during Spring Cleaning month, when my municipality picks up junk at the curb, I always worry when I can't park it in the driveway) but still...it's just thing. New cars are far too expensive to treat as disposable, I will agree.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/13/13 6:17 PM

Car are really expensive, I agree. The Equinox is nothing special, and not an expensive car per say. Except maybe the AWD version. sticker for the 2013 LS was 27k. So 25k basically for a nothing special vehicle.

I paid $26k for the 96 Impala SS limited production run. That was a while ago. And sold it 2 years later for a few hundred more than I paid for it, being semi limited production and less abundant numbers of them available etc. And then used very few like mine with 9k on them. Case in point maybe...

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

4/13/13 6:53 PM

Saab

What was it the Car Talk guys say about Saabs?

"Where there's smoke, there's a Saab." Ba-dum, ching!

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Andy M-S
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3377
Location: Hamden (greater New Haven) CT

4/13/13 7:17 PM

What color is that Peugeot?

Nm

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/13/13 9:08 PM

"Where there's smoke, there's a Saab." Ba-dum, ching"

Didn't that really apply when the current model was a 96 with the 2 stroke 3 banger?

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

4/14/13 4:19 AM

More specifically

OK Kerry, here's what Tom and Ray had to say about the Saab I drove for 10 years (same year and color even):

http://www.cartalk.com/content/saab-9-5-2001

Ba-da bing.

Andy, my Peugeot was grey (1965 404 wagon, 3 on the tree). Sweet.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/14/13 9:34 AM

Family car in Boston in late 70s was a 504 Pudget. I liked that car, manual shift, fully independent susp, Michelins... It was near new, which in itself is nice.

Saab 96 in the family. I thought the 96 free wheeling 2 stoke was cool then, and still do now.
There are not many Saab Aeros over the years I would not drive today. Or Saab Wagons or verts. Lot of car I always liked. I also dug the ID19s and DS21s, the 2CV...not so much. but had a ID19 I could drive often for a while, and would love a restored one.

Both the Saab 96 and Citroen 4 speed column shifts where great and high quality and decisive, unlike the American made column shifts in any/every US van/car/truck I have driven. I only remember one US column shift that felt like quality, and it was a late 30s or early 40s high end US car. I do not remember what it was honestly.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

4/14/13 9:50 AM

Commonality

Spark, we have some similar tastes in cars. I loved the 504, and to me the 96 is the quintessential Saab. Never owned either, but rode in both. Never even rode in a Citroen, but I loved the big ones.

A guy on my road has a beautiful Saab C900 SPG; I'm not really a car guy, but I'd love one of those or an old vert. Hey, I know an Indy with a whole junkyard full of parts...

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/14/13 10:12 AM

Citroen's, like the EURO higher end family car, not the SM with Maserati motor. You have to drive one of these. The two models I mentioned for example have massive sound proofing going on. To the tune of inches under the rugs for example. Quiet and low road noise like you have never experienced.

The suspension ride height system is way cool. I always thought the jacking for changing a tire way interesting. You raise the suspension up all the way.
one bolt and remove the quarter panel for a rear, 3 lugs per wheel only. You put a little tree jack stand and lower the suspension which raises both side wheels off the ground, and swap on the spare, tighten 4 bolts and diddle the suspension to remove the jack and go. ;)


I remember reading once that the ID-19 was so aerodynamic that @ highway speed it used about 16 HP to hold speed, or something like this. ;)

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

4/14/13 10:28 AM

I should add, on oil, and this being an oil thread. On the GM DEXOS, I think that spec and velocity, etc is all about cafe regs and being able to have a EPA sticker on a AWD Equinox that sez 29 MPG HGWY.

Which I have actually seen up to 31 for very un-sustained periods. And I mean the computer saying the average since reset, not instantaneous.

Luckily the Equinox is aero enough that is does not loose much over 65 and up. Like the usual 9 MPG over the limit kind of style on the highway. Good but not great, but AWD has that cost.

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Matthew Currie
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 800
Location: Vermont

4/14/13 11:17 AM

Sideways thread drift - part of my driving learning back in the 60's was in a Saab 96.
What a hoot to drive, with the two stroke engine and freewheeling. You could downshift without the clutch, pass on a downhill at idle, and blow smoke rings at stop lights.

My first three cars were Peugeots, a couple of 403's and a 404. The 68 404 still came with a crank, and yes indeed, you could start it with the crank.

I'm currently trying to dispose of a 78 Peugeot 504 Diesel that belongs to my mom, now in a nursing home. A bit shabby around the edges, but last I knew it ran. This is one of a few cars about which the joke that they should have replaced the clock with a calendar is to the point. But if you're looking for a grease burner, this might be the ticket.

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