StuntmanMike

iTrader: (2)

At what mileage do you all change your oil?

The light came on shortly after I got my car, so I changed it with Mobil 1. That was almost 5k miles ago, and the light hasn't come on yet.

I use Mobil 1 in my Jeep, and usually go 5k miles between changes. Should I change it now, or wait for the light to come on?

My car gets easy use, I just drive it to work and back at legal speeds. It rarely gets over 3k rpm.

Just curious. I think I'll just change it the next nice weekend, but I was wondering what everyone else thoguht.

redrider4

If you dont drive it alot its no big deal. But it never hurts to change it. I would change when you get a chance. I wouldnt really worry about it to much.

ReFtheMC

iTrader: (6)

I'm gonna say the majority of us. including me, change the oil almost every 3,000 miles...

cookba

iTrader: (10)

when i used M1 i did it ever 3000-3500 miles. but since ive been using GC i do it at about 5000 miles. i dont know how accurate that change oil light is on these cars, so i wouldnt trust it.

TXZ28LS1

iTrader: (5)

i used to religiously change my oil every 3k miles!! but talking with other knowledgeable people on this site, i now change it at every 4500k interval!! i use castrol syntec 5w-40.

StuntmanMike

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I'll proably change it within the next few weeks, I was just wondering.

It's funny, I used to have a '98, and I didn't even realize it had a oil change life light. I never knew it was there till it came on in my '00.

Texas 02 Z28

iTrader: (14)

Isn't the change oil light just a timer?... I know it came on a week after I had just changed my oil. I'm pretty sure it doesn't sense the dirtiness of the oil at all, so I don't go by that. You have to hold the trip button for a while to get the change oil light to go away.

Every 3k miles for me, Mobile 1 Synthetic. It always comes out pretty dark, but I also have a lead foot.

Z Fury

iTrader: (1)

I believe it is a timer, based on the odometer reading at the time of reset. I don't know what mileage it is programmed to kick on (I reset mine after every oil change), but I'm pretty sure it is based on mileage as opposed to time. There's no way it could be based on time and not kick on during the 5 months it sits every year.

Ryco88

Your pcm monitors the number of combustion cycles since the light was reset last. It flags the light after a predetermined number of cycles. If the light is not reset after and oil change, it will come on at the wrong time. My vehicles get changed every 3K miles no matter of what oil I use. An oil change is alot cheaper than an engine.

waldershrek

iTrader: (1)

i'm a M1 user and I change mine every 5K. I wouldn't use the light to determine when to change your oil.

squirts1

i have had 2 ls1 fbodys... and neither of them have EVER had the oil change light come on... and i have NEVER reset it after an oil change...

Blister

I just changed mine to M1 german blend, and the light flickers from time to time, whazzup with that?

Luder[PAK9]

I only put about on 500 miles/month. I got my car last October. I plan on changing the oil every 6 months or 5,000 miles, which ever comes first. With a high quality synthetic, the oil could definitely last longer (~ 1 year/7500 miles), but I'm not comfortable with that yet. At least not until I get a used oil analysis done,

ghardester

Don't pay attention to that light, it's not a sensor or anything. Pick a mileage that you are comfortable with and change it regularly. My personal method is to change the synthetic oil every time the seasons change, 4 times a year, without bothering to track mileage. That probably turns out to be 3-5000 miles. It's just easier to remember.

Another way to reset the light is to turn the key on without starting the car, and then push the gas down 3 times.

ae13291

iTrader: (8)

M1 5w-30 here i change every 3,000, sometimes i change around 2,500 or earlier. my oil change light only came on once, the first day i had my car! after changing the oil and reseting the system the light has not come on! and for all you folks that have the problem of the engine oil turning pitch black after about 1,000 miles, its your PCV system!! add a catch can or do the SMH pcv mod and your oil would degrade slower and keep its color much longer! and on my 99 the only to reset is the trip butten not the gas pedel trick!