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Oil change % digital readout accurate or should i change at 3000?

4K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  Subdriver 
#1 · (Edited)
I am curious on this. The oil was changed approx 3000 miles ago and the oil change digital % reading says 93% left. now I always change my oil at 3000 miles and when I checked the oil it was pretty clean looking.

Does the digital readout just go by mileage (obvioulsy in this case not) or did I read in the manual that it actually measures how used breakdown wise or dirty the oil is also? If I were to only go by the readout it doesnt need changing or even close to it even though its a tad over 3000 miles from last change.

Thanks
 
#2 ·
The Oil Life Algorhythm takes into account how the car is used and assumes that you are using Mobil 1 Synthetic and that the car is not tracked.

The Oil Life monitor tracks:
- ambient temp
- Oil tmep
- Coolant Temp
- RPM's
- wheel speed
- shift points
- etc.

Many Corvette drivers change the oil at 50% life, some let it go down to 10% life. It is not unreasonable to get 5,000 miles on a good Synthetic like Mobil 1 or AMSOIL

Should the driving conditions be:
- dustier conditions than normal
- cold starts
- more frequent starts (on & off)
- stop & go driving
- tracking the car
- tracking the car in hot weather
- long periods of inactivity
- infrequent use
- storage
- etc.

The oil should be changed more often.
 
#3 ·
It is just a street driver. Not driven too hard. And yes its always used Mobil1 oil by the dealer. I will just keep an eye on the oil itself and mileage and decide on a compromise.

Thanks
 
#4 ·
I'd be interested to hear when people wait to change their oil percentage wise.... I've always wondered when is the best time....
 
#6 ·
You can read all about the algorithm here and what GM developed

http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/environment/news_issues/news/simplified_maintenance_040104.html

I like the idea of less frequent oil changes and rely on this system for my Z. I am at 14% right now and will be changing at roughly 10%. Search the forums for oil life monitoring and you will find a thread that showed a test of the oil after running all the way down to 0%. Of course, some choose to change it more frequently anyway, but its all personal preference and what gives you peace of mind. Also, as the first reply post mentioned, certain situations might dictate that you should change it more frequently.
 
#8 ·
So on a street driven stock Z06 what Mobil1 weight oil are you guys using?
 
#9 ·
So on a street driven stock Z06 what Mobil1 weight oil are you guys using?

This car will never see temperatures below 35 degrees or over 100 as its a California car.

Thanks
 
#10 ·
5W30 will be perfect for you, and I agree with DJ on the interval. For me, I am "old school" and change at 5K miles .. used to do every 3k but that is throwing away money. Also invest in a better than stock filter, i.e. K&N, Baldwin or UPF - IMO that is as, or more, important than the oil interval.

Les


briann510 said:
So on a street driven stock Z06 what Mobil1 weight oil are you guys using?

This car will never see temperatures below 35 degrees or over 100 as its a California car.

Thanks
 
#13 ·
Speedratchet said:
I don't pay attention to the percentage. I change my oil every 3000 miles.
Then you are very uneducated. GM spent a lot of money and time developing this system, it is very accurate. We don't live in the 50's and 60's anymore, todays oils and engines are designed to go much farther than 3,000 miles. But you can waste your money however you want.
 
#14 ·
I change my oil on all my other cars at 5K, and sometimes 6K. They are all cars within 4 years old and had the oil tested on one of them when I changed it at 5K and the results were I could have gone even longer.

I just wasnt sure on the Vette and that % readout. I totally agree sythetic oil can go alot longer than 3K miles and most dino oils also.
 
#15 ·
Resist said:
Then you are very uneducated. GM spent a lot of money and time developing this system, it is very accurate. We don't live in the 50's and 60's anymore, todays oils and engines are designed to go much farther than 3,000 miles. But you can waste your money however you want.
It has nothing to do with being uneducated. Its personal preference and to me the cost is minimal. :p
 
#18 ·
The AMSOIL SDF Oil Filter is made by the same company that makes Baldwin filters, but the AMSOIL filter is composed of a special cellulose, synthetic and glass blend media to provide longer life and improved efficiency.

This guy (www.oilfilterstudy.com) put several comparibly sized filters through an independent test and posted these results:
Filter Area, Average largest pore size, flow
AMSOIL 339 sq/in 50 µm 13 oz per minute
K&N 343 sq/in 63 µm 14.7 oz per minute
Mobil 1 299 sq/in 52 µm 8.1 oz per minute

Each filter has a slightly difference approach to capacity (area), pore size and flow, but in general the K&N flows the best and filters the worst, the AMSOIL and Mobil 1 filters provide better filtration, but the AMSOIL sacrifices less flow than the Mobil 1 filter does to get this better filtration.
:cheers:

For a couple of interesting reads on the oil change interval for those who care:
Motor Drain Intervals: How Long Must We Wait?
Motor Oil Drain Intervals: An Ethical Burden?

P.S. C5 Z06 AMSOIL SDF Filter part number is SDF32
AMSOIL Online Store
AMSOIL Preferred Customer Program
 
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