Hey guys i know for years that the rule of thumb was 3000 miles do an oil change... My dealer is still telling me the same thing with my g8 , so i let them do it to humor them, but the oil life meter says the oil still has like 75% life left. should i listen to the car and do the oil change when it wants, or listen to the service department at my dealership that just wants my money? I also know that oil should never be in a car for more than a year, but i am a high milage driver probably 1500 - 2000 a month. so do i really need to do it every 3000? its just bugging me. Thanks

my dealer told me 5k miles on regular oil.

figure at least double that w/ synthetic.

With the exception of an early drain of the break in oil, I followed the OLM on my GTO.

I intend to do the same on my G8.

follow the oil life monitor unless you like padding your dealer's wallet. then again they are also having a tough time in this economic climate so maybe throwing them a bone isn't all bad ...

I do 5k Mobil-1 change. I know it is more or less way overkill but doing that for the last 10 years and never had an engine failure nor an issue with compression/valves etc and every motor has been close to 200K Miles, including a Dodge Neon which actually got flooded in a parking lot... and engine was still good when I donated it with 186k miles. My Alero was traded for my G8GT with 165k and was perfect. Dealer charges me 75.99 for the Mobil 1 change so it is worth it to me

Thanks guys I thought 3000 was way overkill!

Everyone does something different. Per GM, they recommend following the oil life monitor just as they designed it to be used, but others say 5k, some do an early change around 1k, some still do 3k, etc. It depends.

I think I'll probably do 5k's, but just to show what another dealer had recommended, I had the oil changed in my new GT before delivery at 80 miles and the dealer put the little windshield sticker on saying "Next Change at 3080 miles"...;)...so it's just one of those things, that everyone has a take on.

I've never been fully sure myself. My last 2 vehicles I drove to 4k off the lot new and never changed anything, and both had oil life monitors that read anywhere from 40-50% life remaining when I got rid of them--but probably should have been done at least once by then.

The OLM is bullet proof. I recommend that you use it.

Dumb question... but where is the oil life meter?

It's right next to the muffler bearings!

It's right next to the muffler bearings!
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some drivers need to read their owners manual...its not next to the muffler bearnings...sillly...its the oil filter flywheel between the filter and the threads. I clean mine on a regular basis in a bucket of steam...LOL.
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MGM loaded

When I bought my G8 in December, the salesman said to change it every 3,000 miles (right after showing the OLM feature), so I asked him why GM would bother with the OLM if I was supposed to change it every 3,000 miles anyway. He changed his tune and said to bring it in every 3,000 miles so they could "check everything else" - fluids and all that.

I've been changing the oil every to 7,000-8,000 miles (usually about 50% oil life). I get the tires rotated at the same time. When I had my Saab, the dealer told me to only bring the car in for an oil change (they were free from Saab) when the computer said to. That was usually at 10,000 to 12,000 miles - I got 3 oil changes in the 2 years I had the car, including the first after a break in of a few thousand miles.

well i brought mine in when i was susposed too to change it to syn, but with the onstar and new life meter it says to bring it in 20,000km or so i did mine at 5000km and i dont have to do till 22000km

Follow your OLM and send a sample off to some place like Blackstone Labs to see how your oil looks.

All of my cars run on Amsoil and I change it once a year / 12k miles. Doesn't look like they make an EA filter for the G8 yet......

how do you check the % of oil left on the g8 gt ??
willie toronto

Hold down the left thumb wheel button on the steering wheel while turning on the ignition. This will put you into engineering mode. There will be a list of items appear in the DIC. Turn the left thumb wheel to scroll through the list till you find the oil life monitor.

I expect every 5K Mobil1, I have only had it changed once not long after I got it new because wanted to metal filings out of there.

Hold down the left thumb wheel button on the steering wheel while turning on the ignition. This will put you into engineering mode. There will be a list of items appear in the DIC. Turn the left thumb wheel to scroll through the list till you find the oil life monitor.

That's what I meant with my question earlier.. thanks!

Best recommended oil changes: 750, 1500, then every 3K miles from that point on.

The first 750 mile oil change is because the engine is -so- new that shavings of metal break off and get caught in your oil. Same with the 1500, more shavings get caught and can overheat and bind to your engine.

Be sure to drive gently for the first 2500 miles to insure the best break-in. Believe me, it makes all the difference.

Other factors to consider are were and how your are driving.
a Lot of stop and go traffic, hot summers and in a dusty or construction environment I would change the oil every 3000 on regular oil and 6 on synthetic. mostly highway driving with very little dust then 4 but no more then 5000 on regular oil and 7 to 8 on synthetic. Yes this may be a little conservative on my first set of numbers for some, but consider the cost of oil compared to the cost of replacing the engine. If you drive hard I would also change the oil at the lower numbers. Although different mileage number use the same logic ( if you drive hard) for your transmission and keep an eye on the differential. Heat is our enemy.
Just something to think about.
And agree with above...take it easy the first few thousand miles. I have read some say it does not mater, well I am old school and its not bad to be on the safe side considering the out come if they are wrong

Almost forgot to mention for the break-in....

No hard stops. It will make your brakes cry and induce squeaking at a younger age.

I totally disagree with the above statements.

new engines are built in a almost sterile enviroment. There will be hardly any if any at all, small metal shavings. Also that is what your oil filter is for so you will not se them in your oil.
Also you have to take into account the vast improvements in oil from the 60's when most of what has been said was true.

Change the oil and filter around 500 miles with a good oil and filter and then follow the DIC recomended oil change intervals after that. There's a reason the OEM's installed the oil life monitoring system as well as now give a 100,000 mile warenty on the drive train. You never saw any of that stuff back in the 60's 70's or even in the 80's. Things have changed drastically.

And before you ever get in your car and drive it for the first time, I can gareentey you that it is already broken in. They do that at the factory and they are not as easy on them as you might think. I've seen a few cars roll of the assembly line and be tested. And that was back in the 70's. ;)

My salesman bought a 08 G8 when I got mu 09 G8 he said follow the oil life meter thats all hes done itll save you some money for mods :)

every 3K miles from that point on.



*Huge* waste of money. My oil has 7,000 miles on it and the OLM says I still have 38% to go. That's about a 10,000 mile interval.

Other factors to consider are were and how your are driving.
a Lot of stop and go traffic, hot summers

Don't need to overthink things. GM's OLM computer algorithm takes that into account, and more. If the OLM computer thinks you need to change your oil at only 3,000-6,000 miles, it will tell you.

Previous generations of cast-iron V8's held much less oil. They had to be changed early, as they only held 5 qts. oil.

*Huge* waste of money. My oil has 7,000 miles on it and the OLM says I still have 38% to go. That's about a 10,000 mile interval.


Ask any common mechanic at a shop.

Even the ghetto gas stations. Every 3K.

Ask any common mechanic at a shop.

Even the ghetto gas stations. Every 3K.


You are correct any uneducated Ghetto gas station or uneducated old school mechanic will tell you 3k.

They would be wrong.

Depends on if you are driving like a Nascar racer or a regular driver.

I would be the first.

Like so
(http://autos.yahoo.com/owning/maintain/repairqa/qa.html?question=ques119&category=Air+Filters+%26+Oil&topics=qaairfil%01qalubric%01qaengoil)

Ask any common mechanic at a shop.

Even the ghetto gas stations. Every 3K.

LOL! Yep. There's an authority on the matter!

Depends on if you are driving like a Nascar racer or a regular driver.


(http://autos.yahoo.com/owning/maintain/repairqa/qa.html?question=ques119&category=Air+Filters+%26+Oil&topics=qaairfil%01qalubric%01qaengoil)

Algorithm takes that into account. OLM has been in constant use and development since 1988 when it was first introduced in certain Oldsmobiles. Calibration of the OLM is based on a quality oil meeting GM's minimum spec, and GM engineers use their own UOA lab to analize over 900 samples a year to make sure their calibrations are sufficient to protect the engine with a 20% buffer.

Well, as one of the earlier posters said, many people still stick to their old traditions and superstitions, which I will.

I still prefer the good old self-schedule. Computers disappoint me most of the time, especially the G8's...

(Damn lack of ECU flashes for the LY7)

I understand the OLM and I have to agree that its a pretty good system. But nothing is perfect, even sending your oil to the lab which really is the best way. I am not knocking anyone's opinion here. All have good points. Personally I like to be on the safe side with a new engine and as my mileage went up so did the gas mileage which tells me there was a break in period for sure. I understand that's why our cars start with regular oil and not synthetic, due to engines will not break in very well with synthetic oil ( I could be wrong). I do tent to push the 3000 mile mark to 4 and 5 and lean more to the OLM now and agree 3000 in normal easy driving does not have to be changed . However there is a point were my trust factor like BN3RNG8 goes down when you only depend on computers. Bottom line I keep my cars for several years and usually close to or past the 200,000 mark. foreign but mostly American cars. A few more oil changes have served me well. Just my two cents.

I've always followed the OLM on my '04 Chevy truck. No problems so far and I've had it now for 5 years.

As for break in, I asked my mechaninc/machinist when I built a blown 383 stroker pushing 600 HP/TQ about breaking in the motor and weather I should do it without the blower. This is the lead mechanic for lucas oil racing boats. He also builds a lot of alachol motors for sprint cars and was recomended to me buy a guy who held a few drag boat recored.

He told me to break it in like I was going to be driving it. Leave the blower on and just drive it. The key to the break in is the first 15 min when you break in the cam. After that, it's just a matter of time to seat the rings.

So I did like he said. Motor ran perfect for 10K miles before I took it apart and sold it. No issues at all inside the motor. Was a daily driver and beleive me, it saw 6500 RPM red line at least twice a day. :)