Don't touch that dip stick!

[Brougham-Holiday]

Article from Yahoo that makes GM seem almost cutting edge.

[CARBIZ]

GM needs to shout this from the rooftops, IMO. Every customer I talk to, I mention the low maintenance costs on GM products and challenge them to compare with the imports if they are shopping around. You would be amazed at how many deals this has gotten me. From timing belts to 3 month maintenance schedules, the dealer is going to see the import more often than a GM. Five years between tranny flushes, tune ups and coolant flushes all add up to a lot of savings, plus less hassle. In our busy world, most people don't want to take the time to visit the local shop for an oil change or other petty annoyances.

It is the dirtiest secret in the car business that the imports see their cars more often, while all GM vehicles (except GM-DAT) are on a 6 month maintenance schedule - and many people go 8 or 9 months between oil changes. GM has been doing this since the introduction of the Northstar engine, so it isn't even new.

[siegen]

GM needs to shout this from the rooftops, IMO. Every customer I talk to, I mention the low maintenance costs on GM products and challenge them to compare with the imports if they are shopping around. You would be amazed at how many deals this has gotten me. From timing belts to 3 month maintenance schedules, the dealer is going to see the import more often than a GM. Five years between tranny flushes, tune ups and coolant flushes all add up to a lot of savings, plus less hassle. In our busy world, most people don't want to take the time to visit the local shop for an oil change or other petty annoyances.

It is the dirtiest secret in the car business that the imports see their cars more often, while all GM vehicles (except GM-DAT) are on a 6 month maintenance schedule - and many people go 8 or 9 months between oil changes. GM has been doing this since the introduction of the Northstar engine, so it isn't even new.

It is outfits like Jiffy Lube that have propagated the 3000mile/3month oil change hysteria. My 99 Integra has a 4500mile change interval, and my friend's '01 Civic is a 7500mile interval.

[pow]

GM needs to shout this from the rooftops, IMO. Every customer I talk to, I mention the low maintenance costs on GM products and challenge them to compare with the imports if they are shopping around. You would be amazed at how many deals this has gotten me. From timing belts to 3 month maintenance schedules, the dealer is going to see the import more often than a GM. Five years between tranny flushes, tune ups and coolant flushes all add up to a lot of savings, plus less hassle. In our busy world, most people don't want to take the time to visit the local shop for an oil change or other petty annoyances.

It is the dirtiest secret in the car business that the imports see their cars more often, while all GM vehicles (except GM-DAT) are on a 6 month maintenance schedule - and many people go 8 or 9 months between oil changes. GM has been doing this since the introduction of the Northstar engine, so it isn't even new.

Extended maintenance intervals are industry-wide nowadays. Lots of manufacturers - rather foolishly, I might add - have "lifetime" transmission fluids, coolants, brake fluids, and "extended life" oil change intervals.

[pow]

It is outfits like Jiffy Lube that have propagated the 3000mile/3month oil change hysteria. My 99 Integra has a 4500mile change interval, and my friend's '01 Civic is a 7500mile interval.

And Honda recommends changing the oil filter every other oil change - so every 15K, in the case of our V6.

Edited June 17, 2008 by empowah

[regfootball]

i've changed most of my cars on a 3k schedule.....and even if i can extend it, i dont mind getting the car up on a hoist more often. Plus, in winters, the oil is BLACK and thick by 3k so I am still gonna change it at 3k in the winter, sometimes it needs it before that and you can audibly hear a difference in the motor (much quieter and smoother) after you get it changed. As a result, none of cars really ever burn oil.....which is part of the whole point. Ford did tell me recently they changed their interval to 5k so I may feel comfy with that when the climate is warmer.

As far as 'wasted oil', recycle it, DUH.

[Sixty8panther]

My poor RoadMOnster has about 6,000 miles on the generic lubricant in its oil pan.

Not because it's driven gently, or only on clean days, or mostly highway miles....

It's called "I'm broke & busy & the 350 will survive another 300mi till next week"

[Satty]

I couldn't even tell you how long its been since the Fusion had an oil change. Probably about 4000 miles, prior to that, it had gone almost 10,000.

[AAS]

I used to take the Camaro every 3,000 miles. But, after my last oil change the technician (assuming he noticed my oil was still in good condition) actually bumped it up to 5,000. I thought that was pretty cool!

[Sixty8panther]

I couldn't even tell you how long its been since the Fusion had an oil change. Probably about 4000 miles, prior to that, it had gone almost 10,000.

Holy $#it, I felt a bit like a redneck scumbag admiting the Roadmaster

had gone as long as it has, but 10,000 on a modern, almost new car?

So much for protecting your investment.

[Satty]

Ford recommends 5000 from the factory. I'm running full synthetic. Bet the oil is still nice and purdy in there.

[Sixty8panther]

Ten-K is about twice what it should be regardless of oil type/visual inspection.

Any car driven on the street with a paper/K&N air filter is geing to pick up a

LOT of dust/particles/dirt over the course of 10,000 miles. Acid buildup and

sludge do NOT sleep.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Sixty8panther

[loki]

i seem to go 4000 miles every 6 months....approximately. I try to change the oil in my monte 3 times a year or so.

[Cory Wolfe]

Well, I'll let you all know the Beast had its oil changed once... Right after I bought it. So it's gone 8k miles without one on synthetic. I would have changed it... if I cared.

Typically, with my other vehicles, I had changed it every 3k or 4k miles. You know, the cars that mattered.

[Intrepidation]

3-4k for the Prizm. 3k for the Intrepid.

[balthazar]

>>"And Honda recommends changing the oil filter every other oil change..."<<

Ahh, in other words, following GM's example from the '50s when oil filters first became standard equipment ('59 Buick~ oil change at 2-3K, filter change at 4K). By the mid '60s, GM wisely abandoned that practice ('65 Pontiac~ change both at 6K).

Saving a few dollars and continuing to use a contaminated filter is foolhardy, but the manufacturers are caught in a conundrum RE maintenance: shorter intervals increase longevity & improve reputation (and reduce warranty claims)... but people are lazy and like the sound of 'lifetime fluids'. OEMs are pushing longer cycles, but the service industry is pushing shorter & shorter intervals, further confusing the consumer. Aamco has advertised YEARLY transmission fluid changes- that's insane.

Edited June 18, 2008 by balthazar

[Satty]

I do change the filter everytime I change the oil, just a matter of when I get around to it.

[Blake Noble]

The Sonoma went over 4,000 miles before I had the oil swapped out with 4.5 quarts of Pennzoil High Mileage last Thursday. When the oil was changed, it was a quart low ...

Edited June 18, 2008 by YellowJacket894

[daves87rs]

Ford recommends 5000 from the factory. I'm running full synthetic. Bet the oil is still nice and purdy in there.

That's why I love Mobil 1..with a good Wix filter....

I usuallly only get about 3500 out mine though...the Cav does quite a bit of city driving....

[SuperSport623]

i try every 3000 miles,,,,, and it gets a new filter everytime... i mean, a filters ~$5?its worth the peace of mind

[biff]

And Honda recommends changing the oil filter every other oil change - so every 15K, in the case of our V6.

I've always thought that's like taking a shower and putting dirty underwear back on.

[DBeaSSt]

I routinely have samples of my oil analyzed. I use Blackstone Laboratories to do the testing. After several samples, we got the oil change interval in my Fleetwood (LT1) up to 7,000 miles before the oil and all of the additives were "used up". And that wasn't using a synthetic either. It's all based on driving habits, a good portion of my driving is highway, hence it's safer to have longer intervals between changes.

The 3mo/3k miles interval has always, at least as far as I remember, been for "severe driving" conditions. All heavy stop and go traffic or short (less than 20 minutes) trips, very dirty conditions, etc.

Not so sure I buy the "lifetime" transmssion fluid though. My CTS will get a trans fluid change at 50K, even though I don't meet the conditions for it.

Just my .02.

My poor RoadMOnster has about 6,000 miles on the generic lubricant in its oil pan.

Not because it's driven gently, or only on clean days, or mostly highway miles....

It's called "I'm broke & busy & the 350 will survive another 300mi till next week"

[CARBIZ]

Getting 3 month oil and filter changes may seem like cheap insurance, but I think the point is that if you multiply that by 100 million vehicles, that is a lot of oil and a lot of filters that end up in the landfill. Five Canadian winters may seem like a long time before a transmission flush, but I suspect for 75% of the driving public, their cars don't see north of 70 mph, nor get stressed beyond 0-60 in 12 seconds - well below their vehicle's design capabilities. Common sense should always prevail. I am tough on my cars so I pretty much stick to a 4 or 5 month oil change schedule, even though my mileage is very low.

[loki]

afaik my monte has ~146k on it and the tranny fluid has never been changed.

[regfootball]

conversely if our cars last longer because of more frequent maintenance, then that is less cars we manufacture, less energy and materials consumed to make them. fewer cars in the junkyard.

[CARBIZ]

More cars today are junked because all the toys are nickel and diming the owners, not major engine or transmission repairs. All these heated seats, power this, power that, are costly to fix when they stop working and eventually the owner gives up fixing the little things and trades the car in for $500. Mechanically, most cars will last 8-10 years quite easily, but $400 to repair a power window or $250 for an ABS sensor adds up.

[Intrepidation]

More cars today are junked because all the toys are nickel and diming the owners, not major engine or transmission repairs. All these heated seats, power this, power that, are costly to fix when they stop working and eventually the owner gives up fixing the little things and trades the car in for $500. Mechanically, most cars will last 8-10 years quite easily, but $400 to repair a power window or $250 for an ABS sensor adds up.

That's the beauty of buying a used car. if a power window breaks, you can spend $15-$25 to fix it yourself.

[CARBIZ]

That's the beauty of buying a used car. if a power window breaks, you can spend $15-$25 to fix it yourself.

Most people have better things to do. If you live in a condo, where are you supposed to work on your 'beater?' My stepfather used to use duct tape and spit to hold our old cars together, but 90% of the people today wouldn't know which end of the wrench to hold.

And if you can find a power window motor or regulator for $15, plus the gas and time to go to the wreckers, remove it and take it home, then you are doing very, very well.

[Intrepidation]

Most people have better things to do. If you live in a condo, where are you supposed to work on your 'beater?' My stepfather used to use duct tape and spit to hold our old cars together, but 90% of the people today wouldn't know which end of the wrench to hold.

And if you can find a power window motor or regulator for $15, plus the gas and time to go to the wreckers, remove it and take it home, then you are doing very, very well.

A little time, a gallon of gas an the price of the part > having someone do a job that can easily be done by anyone who is slightly mechanically inclined. Hey if you wanna junk a 3 year old car because it needs a light bulb it's your call, but I agree most people wouldn't know the difference between a wrench and a screwdriver.

Edited June 23, 2008 by Dodgefan

[daves87rs]

I'm starting to see why people have to keep replacing their cars....I saw one take out a mailbox last week.

I see more and more people driving their cars hard, beacuse they are leased.

I have a co-worker who has not replaced her oil in 13k on her Malibu.....

[A Horse With No Name]

Human stupidity has no limit. The president of a prevois company I worked at had 68k on an oil change in a Tahoe...he just kept topping it off.

He reasoned...someone else is gonna get this car, it can become their problem...

Chris

[daves87rs]

Human stupidity has no limit. The president of a prevois company I worked at had 68k on an oil change in a Tahoe...he just kept topping it off.

He reasoned...someone else is gonna get this car, it can become their problem...

Chris

Nice...

[2005 EquinoxLS]

I still change the oil on my leased Equinox. All the lease company would have to do and they should do is ask for oil change records. I change the oil on the B-bodies in the spring and in the fall whether they need it or not. Oil is the only thing seperating the engine parts when its running. I want it to be in good shape. Because of regular maintnence my two B-bodies are in excellent engine shape. No lifter noise and niether one burns oil.

[caddycruiser]

My father has always been oil change man for all of the household cars, and prescribed to 2 schedules religiously. 3k for mom's cars which are used the most and always new, and the same is true for mine generally regardless. Otherwise, it's 6 months or spring and fall for his Roadmaster, Fleetwood, and everything else he's ever had, as they're driven, but not much total. The Roadie has gone, I think, 19-20k total in the last 5 years, for example.

Only uses a quality dino oil, and knows the benefits of synthetic, but too pricey to be worth it to him and his uses.

[daves87rs]

My father has always been oil change man for all of the household cars, and prescribed to 2 schedules religiously. 3k for mom's cars which are used the most and always new, and the same is true for mine generally regardless. Otherwise, it's 6 months or spring and fall for his Roadmaster, Fleetwood, and everything else he's ever had, as they're driven, but not much total. The Roadie has gone, I think, 19-20k total in the last 5 years, for example.

Only uses a quality dino oil, and knows the benefits of synthetic, but too pricey to be worth it to him and his uses.

What about getting a syn blend oil?

[caddycruiser]

What about getting a syn blend oil?

He did it once, just to see, and never bought any again. I've tried but his system has worked for him for decades.

[76ChevyTrucker]

I normally tell base oil change intervals on the mileage of the vehicle and the type of driving. We've got a couple of mail carriers that get their Jeeps serviced with us and they're in every 3k, no questions asked. Meanwhile I've got some people who drive Dodge 2500 and 3500 trucks with Cummins diesels and I normally tell them that I'll see them every 5k to 7.5k for an oil change. Most normal cars I'll see every 3-4.5k for "good" service interval. Truthfully if you change the oil and filter every 3000 miles, then you're only doing good, and keeping the engine as clean as possible. Now with today's oil technology going to 5000 between changes is very feasible, but if you can do it, every 3 is still a good idea.

[Robert Hall]

I've tried to stick to every 3000 miles for my Jeep, a couple of times I went to 5000 though. I've followed my maintenance schedule closely, as far as getting the transmission fluid changed, transfer case, rear axle service, etc. Other than 2 sets of tires, 2 sets of brake rotors and pads, a set of shocks, 2 serpentine belts, a few bulbs, and a battery the only non-scheduled repairs I've had in 94k miles is to replace the thermostat twice (leaks) and have the transfer case and rear axle re-sealed.

All the interior electricals (heated power seats, stereo, power windows, etc) and even the exhaust are original and have had no problems. The transmission is historically the bugaboo w/ GCs, but so far, no problems. I'd like to get 12 yrs/150k out of it.

[trinacriabob]

i try every 3000 miles,,,,, and it gets a new filter everytime... i mean, a filters ~$5?its worth the peace of mind

Yeah. Same train of thought here. I changed it every 2000 for the first 80,000 or so. And now every 2,500 and I'm up to 247K. From 250,000 on, I think I'll go every 3,000 as I'm not that in love with the old car anymore.

Filter every time.

At $ 25 a pop with a coupon, I'd rather go the "cheap insurance" route, but I do know engines and tolerances have been getting way better.

[76ChevyTrucker]

Just in the last 5 years engines have gotten WAY tighter on tolerances and oils have been getting better and better for the past 10 years easily. All the new DCX stuff (05-ish and newer) are using 5W20 oil in their crankcases, I wouldn't be surprised if soon enough we'll start seeing a lot of cars coming with stuff like 0W20 in them from the factory