Oil changes

[MarcZSport]

Just curious as to how you all are planning on handling oil changes...

Will you get it done by the dealer or someone else? Will you do it yourself?

What will your oil change frequency be? 2,000 miles? 5,000? When the Oil Life monitor tells you it's time?

I have historically changed mine myself, at 5,000 miles (which in all of my previous cars has been WELL before the oil life approaches 0%).

[ydrsbtr97]

I used to change my own oil when it was more cost effective. Now its not much more to takeit to the dealer.

[nutcrunch]

The first 2 oil changes are free from the dealer then I will do them myself just like I used to with the 06.

I'll change it when the oil life monitor says to which should be right around 5,000 miles.

[MalibuKen]

Originally Posted by nutcrunch

I'll change it when the oil life monitor says to which should be right around 5,000 miles.

Things may have changed since '06.
I suggest that you keep track of the miles the first couple of times.

With mostly highway miles, I reached 8,000 miles with 45% left according to the OLM. I won't let it go much past 8,000 miles no matter what the OLM says.

[Rodents]

6 months, 4,000 miles or 25% oil life remaining, whichever comes first.

[nutcrunch]

I don't know about the other year Malibus but the 13 came from the factory with synthetic oil. Did the previous years?

I change the oil on my Harley every 5,000 miles and it is air cooled and a lot harder on the oil than a water cooled car so I ain't changing it before 5,000 on the car.

[Rodents]

The Dexos spec was '11 and up. i think it is possible to meet Dexos spec without synthetic base oil. If you do the changes every 5K, it'll probably suffice. To me the OLM is a nice idea and a guide on a good day. It's not gospel and it's a calculation, not a measurement of oil life remaining. I have issues going 4K but I'll see what the next drain looks like and go from there. I'm not trying to get the last bit of life out of the oil. But it's your motor and your money.

[nutcrunch]

Well of course it isn't exact, just like the mpg averages the car gives you. I just use it to help remind me when to change it. I also have an Excel spreadsheet on the computer where I type in the date and mileage when I change it.

I think changing the oil before 5,000 miles is wasting money but like you said it's their money. It wouldn't worry me to go 7500 miles before an oil change and many cars I've had have been over that and I've never in 29 yearsof driving had any major engine problems caused by it.

[Drunken Elvis]

I have only had a Malibu for a few months so I looked thru the maintenance records of my other car [ 99 Caravan 3.3] to see how often I change oil. I only change oil [cheapest conventional] in the spring and fall and it looks like I have been going between 7,500 to 9,500 miles between changes. A few times I skipped the filter change. I didn't realize I have been going that far between changes. Guess I have been lucky. I'll change the Malibu's oil according to the OLM, which is counting down faster than I'd like. My driving habits are the same on both vehicles, which would say I have been using the oil in my previous cars longer than the OLM in my Malibu would let me go. I've been doing this for the at least 20 years and I have never had an engine fail. I haven't owned an overhead cam engine in 28 years, just push rod V6s and V8s. Tough engines!

[nutcrunch]

You haven't gotten lucky, some people are just still stuck on the old ways of having to change the oil so early.

I know I was going way beyond what I should have, but I once had a 91 S-10 that I went 7 years without changing the oil. Still ran good when I got rid of it and the only thing that ever broke down on it was the alternator. Of course I would never recommend doing that however.