GM's New Engine Oil: Use It Or Else!

[xrac]

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[TheTrustedMechanic]

What we need to do is effectively educate the consumer that even though the $18.95 (yeah some shops in my area screw the public with this price point) oil change is a thing of the past. By using a far superior oil, their frequency, and therefore the effective cost over the life of the vehicle is similar or lower because they will have to change their oil less frequently. What we need really is to stop focusing on price and emphasize the higher quality.

 

But don't think that GM didn't have profits in mind when they developed this standard.

[Joe Marconi]

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[Junior]

Mobil 1 5w-30 meets the spec. This is really nothing new, European manufacturers have been doing this for better than a decade. With extended service intervals upwards of 15k miles synthetics are required. People need to realize that an oil change is not an oil change, there is regular maintenance at regular intervals and every 7,500, 10k or 15k, whatever (per manufacturer spec) is going to cost a hundred bucks or so. Service shops need to stop pitching 3k mile oil changes because its not only incorrect, its a waste of time, money and will theoretically wear engines out faster by over maintaining them.

[Brianp]

Mobil 1 5w-30 meets the spec. This is really nothing new, European manufacturers have been doing this for better than a decade. With extended service intervals upwards of 15k miles synthetics are required. People need to realize that an oil change is not an oil change, there is regular maintenance at regular intervals and every 7,500, 10k or 15k, whatever (per manufacturer spec) is going to cost a hundred bucks or so. Service shops need to stop pitching 3k mile oil changes because its not only incorrect, its a waste of time, money and will theoretically wear engines out faster by over maintaining them.

 

 

I agree with everything except the bold portion. Some manufactures recomend 3k lof and maintenance so a blanket answer doest work.

[xrac]

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[Brianp]

the only thing I can think of is if it wasnt allowing the rings to properly seat on a new engine? Otherwise Im at a loss.

[az mike]

wear & tear on the drain plug ?

[CollinsAutomotive]

the only thing I can think of is if it wasnt allowing the rings to properly seat on a new engine? Otherwise Im at a loss.

 

 

Most modern engines come with a steel nitrided coated ring set on the top ring, a moly coated second ring and a low tension oil control ring in stainless.

 

There is no wear problem or break in issue with any modern rings, not only that but most engine assembly lines test spin new engines at end of line and the ring seating is checked and done there.

 

You can't over maintain a engine, what you can do is underdrive a engine and if the oil does not reach the proper tempature the detergents will not effectively clean the engine and moisture will not evaoporate out of the engine and you will get sludge. also carbon will accumulate in the rings and cuase oil burning and consumption.

 

the worst thing in the world or a engine is to constantly operate it below the designed operating tempature. It takes a good 15-20 minutes of run time at full tempature for the detergent carbon etc to burn off.

 

If you have customers who only short trip their vehicles it should be your job to alert them to the damage they are doing and that you need a more aggresive service schedule for things like the mity vac decarbon system, gm top end cleaner etc.

[Junior]

As most of you know I entered this business not as a technician but as a businessman. How does over maintaining an engine theoretically wear out engines faster????

 

Initial start of an engine after an oil change causes a period of low oil pressure that wears an engine. Most people don't pre-fill oil filters and on many cars you can't do it anyway due to mounting locations/positions. This period of time where the oil filter is being primed wears the engine more than normal as there is little to no oil pressure. Listen for it when you do your oil changes, you'll notice those few seconds of the cams running dry before it quiets down. So over-maintaining an engine is actually worse than correct maintenance. Notice that car and filter manufacturers have been moving to smaller filters in part to reduce this problem.

 

On Brianp's comment, I agree you are correct if the manufacturer states an interval that short. It is rare now a days though.

[CollinsAutomotive]

Initial start of an engine after an oil change causes a period of low oil pressure that wears an engine. Most people don't pre-fill oil filters and on many cars you can't do it anyway due to mounting locations/positions. This period of time where the oil filter is being primed wears the engine more than normal as there is little to no oil pressure. Listen for it when you do your oil changes, you'll notice those few seconds of the cams running dry before it quiets down. So over-maintaining an engine is actually worse than correct maintenance. Notice that car and filter manufacturers have been moving to smaller filters in part to reduce this problem.

 

On Brianp's comment, I agree you are correct if the manufacturer states an interval that short. It is rare now a days though.

 

 

ehh with today aluminum bearings I wouldn;t worry to much about dry starts. Plus the journals are well oiled during a oil change.