Change oil light.
Change oil light. I just need to know if the 'Change oil' light comes on at 3,000 miles or when the oil is starting to not do it's job and breaking down. When I used Mobil 1 5W-30 it came on at exactly 3,000 miles, now I am using German Castrol Syntec 0W-30 and it has been in there for 4,500 miles with no light and hasn't burned any oil yet, even after my 2200 mile trip to Florida
I believe on these cars the computer monitors driving conditions, and calculates oil wear for the light to come on. Highway driving is easier on an engine, rather than stop and go driving. I don't wait for the light to come on to change my oil.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,399
Likes: 3
From: Jacksonville, FL
I don't go by the oil life system either, light supposedly comes on anywhere from 3-10K according to the manual. Think the system might reset if you re- tune or reset the PCM too, mine has only come on once since new - one of these days I'll find out if it does for sure.
Well I know that the GC 0w30 does protect for a lot longer than 3000 miles, I have read up on it on bobistheoilguy and read almost all of patmans test results so I won't be changing it every three months or 3000 miles. But thanks thats all i needed to know.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 1
From: Just This Side of Damnation
My car doesn't have the change oil light. I just change mine at about 5k miles or so.
Here's an excerpt from This Site about oil change lights...
"Those indicators, at least as installed on GM vehicles, don't actually run tests on the engine oil. Instead, engineers program the computer with a lifespan for the oil under ideal circumstances. This ideal scenario varies from one engine to the next, as some engines are harder on oil than others. Then the computer "penalizes" the longevity of the oil based on service. GM believes the most critical external factors to oil life are its running time and its operating temperature; therefore, the indicator tracks engine rpm as a measure of running time and engine temperature as a measure of the oil's environment, applies mathematical penalties to the ideal scenario based on these readings, and blinks the light when the countdown hits zero."
Here's an excerpt from This Site about oil change lights...
"Those indicators, at least as installed on GM vehicles, don't actually run tests on the engine oil. Instead, engineers program the computer with a lifespan for the oil under ideal circumstances. This ideal scenario varies from one engine to the next, as some engines are harder on oil than others. Then the computer "penalizes" the longevity of the oil based on service. GM believes the most critical external factors to oil life are its running time and its operating temperature; therefore, the indicator tracks engine rpm as a measure of running time and engine temperature as a measure of the oil's environment, applies mathematical penalties to the ideal scenario based on these readings, and blinks the light when the countdown hits zero."
