Oil Change Poll

[kobalt]

a simple poll can answer many questions...

[JimW]

Dealer

[Marc]

I change it myself. 7 1/2 qts. of 5W-30 (Castrol GTX or Quaker State) & a NAPA # 1522 oil filter.


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GM!!! BRING BACK OLDS!!!

[erw38]

I just have a local shop do it. Is that bad? I am assuming oil is oil here.

[stevensolds]

hehe i get my shop to do full synthetic and i run it 8k intervals or whenever the DIC says CHANGE OIL SOON. yes its expensive, for an 7 quart change it costs me $64.50

also, would it hurt anything if they overfilled it? cause they put 8 quarts in the last time and i asked them why they did it...they didnt have an asnwer. pfft

i hope 1 quart over wont cause my seals to break. then im screwed.

[Letitroll98]

Shell Rapid Lube 1 block from my home. $32.81 with filter, lube, 12 point inspection. And I get an $8 car wash free with every service. Same facility has a full service gas station with a Dunkin Donuts. I'm not changin'.

[Aurora40]

Yes, overfilling an engine can hurt it. I doubt 8 quarts will hurt, though. But better to be properly filled.

[Marc]

I remember one time when overfilling helped a lot. My
car prior to the Aurora, a 1972 Cutlass 442 with the
W-25 455, ran so hot that normal oil consumption on
the highway was about 100 miles to the quart. The
plugs never showed any signs of oil getting past the
rings or valve guides, so I figured that engine heat was the cause.
I didn't feel like installing an oil cooler. I thought that
adding extra oil would keep the oil temperature down,
and I was right. An extra quart made all the difference
between 100 miles to the quart, or no oil used at all.
(The 455 had a 4 quart pan).
I don't know if running 8 quarts in the Aurora oil pan
would be OK or not.


_______________

GM!!! BRING BACK OLDS!!!

[stevensolds]

damn, starting to scare me. if it does, ill sue the shop since those morons put it in. it is mobil 1 5w-30 by the way. GREAT STUFF.

[kobalt]

While more oil can keep the temperature down, overfilling can damage the engine, hurt performance and gas milage. Overfilling puts unnecessary stress on engine seals and gaskets. Worse, overfilling can lead to an oil condition known as foaming - the crankshaft can whip the oil into a lather-like substance full of air bubbles. Pumps designed for liquids have a hard time pumping air, and the oil pump is no exception; pumping foamed oil can lead to oil starvation and lubrication issues. Lack of lubrication = bad. My advice, do not overfill. Ever.

[scottydl]

I go DIY all the way on oil changes. I cannot bring myself to pay someone, for a procedure that I can do myself in less time for less money!

For those using 5W-30, why? I thought 10W-30 was recommended except when temperature are very cold... I also never switched to synthetic, as I was told that there would be no benefit for an engine that already has so many miles on regular oil.

[Aurora40]

I don't know about the classic, but 5w-30 is the recommended all-temp oil for the 2001+ 4.0.

Synthetic is more resistant to heat, has less impurities, and flows better at cold temps. Those are useful on low and high-mileage engines.

I'm not saying that synthetic is needed to keep your engine running, or that it's worth the cost, just that the benefit isn't different based on mileage.

I run Mobil 1 5w-30 and an ACDelco filter, and I change my own oil.

[omegaic]

Classic is 10w-30.

[scottydl]

Aurora40 said:

Synthetic is more resistant to heat, has less impurities, and flows better at cold temps. Those are useful on low and high-mileage engines.

I'm not saying that synthetic is needed to keep your engine running, or that it's worth the cost, just that the benefit isn't different based on mileage.

Hmm, good to know! Synthetic vs. regular is probably one of those topics where you get a different answer for every person you ask. Maybe I'll pick up a case for my next oil change, since it's starting to get cold.

[Rocketv8]

OLDSMOBILE DEALER ONLY !!!!! SOME OF THE OTHER FLY BY NIGHT IDIOT MECHANICS AROUND HERE DON'T EVEN REALIZE THE CAR TAKES 7 QUARTS.....I WONT TAKE IT ANYWHERE FOR ANY REPAIRS EXCEPT THE DEALER BECAUSE MECHANICS ACTUALLY ARE SCARED TO WORK ON IT, THEY ACTUALLY TELL YOU THAT THEY CANT FIX IT BECAUSE "ITS AN AURORA" THANKFULLY I HAVE FOUND AN HONEST AND RELIABLE OLDS DEALER NOT TOO FAR FROM MY HOME

[kobalt]

I also change the oil myself. This way Im sure its done right in every aspect: The right viscosity oil the right filter the right quantity. Not to mention that feeling of acomplishment. Feeling down? Change your oil ;D I will probably change my oil this weeknend do a quick write up for the first timers.

As Aurora40 said synthetic is superior in many ways. I must also add that synthetic oil has excellent detergent properties fighting sludge buildup and camshaft caramelization that occurs with dino motor oil use.

[rocketman]

Ok, I pass the anal test I guess.

Change my own, use Mobil 1 and ALWAYS change it at 2,500 miles. My theory is the oil may not wear out but it does get dirty.

[kobalt]

Everyone, especially those who are thinking about DIY oil change, check this out: aurorah.proboards20.com/index.cgi?board=nextgeneration&action=display&thread=1098737164

[alijonny]

so, at what level will the "oil level low" sign appear? i must have forgotten to add that extra .5 quart and the car had a coniption-fit beeping and reminding me and whatnot. is there a specified level that the car says "oil level low"? peace!

[BNICOV]

I'd probably get the stealership to change it. I used ONLY normal 10W30 in my Bonnie-ville and got 200,000 miles out of her with no oil being burned at all. The engine ran great but the rest of the car was dying a slow horrible death. (I usually used Castrol, AC Delco at the dealer, Quaker State, Havoline, Valvoline, Pennzoil,etc.... whatever was on special at Wally Mart). It is not so much the kind of oil that you use, it is much more important to change it regularly at least every 5000 miles OR sooner depending on how and where you drive (city driving is murder on oil highway is great). If you keep driving with dirty oil and a dirty filter, you'll wear out your engine a heck of a lot faster. If the oil is clean, it keeps the engine clean. Also, use high quality filters (FRAM and AC DELCO are the way to go they are heavier than the cheaper ones- there is more filtration media in them- saw it on a call-in tv show in Oakville). And lastly, in really cold weather, let your car warm up for a minute or so before you drive off and when you do, keep it under 2500rpm until it does start blowing heat. Hope this helped.