Scotty,
Is it ok to go by oil life percentage on the cars computer?
2015 GMC 1500 truck with 5.3
I trust those things like I trust the tire pressure monitoring systems and start/stop technology. When you change the oil and filter, tear off the top of the oil filter carton and write down the date and mileage. Or if you have a smart phone (I don't) put it on your calendar to change every 5000 miles.
It is probably just connected to the odometer and has really nothing to do with the oil at all.
not so
They don't have a chemical laboratory in there to really test the condition of the oil. As @doc says it's probably just triggered by an odometer reading. Just do regular oil and filter changes every 5K miles and you'll be good.
it's not purely odometer based. It factors in driving conditions.
It's still just a guess, or an estimate at best. They're not doing an analysis of the oil's actual condition.
nobody expects a lab analysis. Of course it's an estimation. One based on multiple data points. That makes it better than YOUR guess based solely on the odometer. If you want to pay $30 for a lab test every time that's your thing. I'd rather just change the oil.
But speaking of testing, studies were done that did extensively analyze testing based on large fleets of vehicles, and they found that manufacturer suggested intervals were far too short.
I think even Kaizen discovered that when he had his test done.
I'd say that a 5000 mile oil change is a safer bet than whatever guesswork is being done by an onboard computer.
of course it's safer. A 1k interval is even safer than that! But a 5k interval is far from accurate, or "the truth".
Engine temperature, speed, load, .... all these things impact oil life.
I've spent decades running engines up to very high mileage (300K-400K miles) using the 5K mile or one year change interval rule of thumb with no problems. Maybe that's too frequent, but oil is a lot cheaper than engine work. (The only time I've gone down to 1K intervals was in cars that had no oil filter that also specified 1K mile chassis lubrication intervals.)
Sometimes I think the oil life sensor complicates things, instead of making it easier. It’s the computers guesstimate.
I would just go by every 5,000 miles or once a year whichever comes first.
You can call me old-school but I don’t trust a computer to tell me when to change oil. GM would love for me to buy a new vehicle sooner.
Also, the cylinder deactivation system on that engine needs clean oil to function properly and last longer (although it’s a faulty system even on clean oil, but at least you have one less contributing factor if the oil is clean.)
I also have 2013 1/2 ton with a 5.3, and I follow the oil computer because it's quite accurate.
Have you confirmed that with an oil analysis at a lab such as Blackstone?
@chucktobias
no those are a waste of money.
It's accurate based on engine hours and driving conditions. And anyway the suggested interval is always a sensible amount of miles too.
Conclusion: it's better than guessing based on mileage alone and I've never had issues.
As long as it's not giving you ridiculously long change intervals it's probably OK, but I stand by my position that if it is not doing an analysis of the oil itself it is all guesswork.