Oil changes - how often

[Ron Burgundy]

I don't think 15 000 service interval is reasonable for commodore unless it's mostly highway driving. I do mostly city crawl... 30kmh average speed.

With my old VE SV6 sidi i did it every 7500 km with penrite HPR 5. After 80 000 the engine was immaculately clean. In and out...

I am planning to do my VF SS every 10 000 with penrite enviro plus gf5.

I generally do around 10 000 in 9 months (which is specified service time interval for SS)

I do approx 7500 in 6 months and trying to work out if i should stick with 10 000 or 9 months or just do it at 7500 as with my old car ?

What is everyone else doing ?

 

[BLOWN-WH]

Ive decided to be changing mine every 6 months but i don't do much kilometres overall. On average I'm doing 5,000 km in 6 months so should be all good covered for both time/km.
Using Penrite GF5 5w-30 Enviro+ oil as well and I'm very happy with it.

 

[monstar]

Never less than 10k km, pushed for time 15k. System holds 11.5 litres with the oil accumulator, and it is Enviro+ synthetic so really according to GM's Oil Life Monitor could run it out to 20k or 30k if it weren't so cheap and easy to spin off can and dump the sump.

 

[lmoengnr]

10,000km on mine between changes, using Enviro+ GF5.

 

[KT11H]

The 7,500 km interim oil/filter change works well in between the scheduled 15,000 km services for me. I do around 20,000 km a year, average speed at 60 km/hr. Using Nulon 5W30 fully synthetic.

 

[Sean880]

1. For the type of driving most people do you should be changing the engine oil at least every 7500 kms or 6/7 months for better engine protection but most won't ever do that. If you read the fine print in the Holden service books (hardly anyone will) you will see that Holden recommends more frequent oil changes unless the car is run in absolutely ideal conditions which few vehicles ever do. Leave the oil in there for 15000kms and regardless of the driving you do and you will get increased engine wear and oil sludge build up over time. But the 3 yr Factory warranty will usually have expired by the time the sludge build up has caused issues in the engine.

2. For V8 LS engines I notice that various "experts" attribute insufficient engine oil changes as being one cause of hydraulic lifters sticking.

3. Due to environmental concerns about waste oil(despite the fact that every litre can be recycled and most of it is), there is behind the scenes pressure on manufacturers by Governments to extend oil change intervals. So they do. Fleet owners and private buyers like it too because fewer oil changes means you spend less on your car in the short term.

4. Like "Blown-WH" advises in his post, I do exactly the same thing. Oil/filter changes approximately every 5000 kms and 6 months because of the type of use the cars get. I want optimum engine protection and I want to entirely prevent the risk of any sludge forming.
Preventative maintenance oil changes are cheap (especially if you DIY as many of us do) but engine repairs are always expensive so there is no argument about cost/benefit. (Changing the engine oil is also about as simple a maintenance task as you will ever find on most vehicles).

5. Oils - full synthetic -used for Commodore -

A. Mobil 1 - 5w-30 DEXOS 1 (Preferred)
B. Penrite Enviro + GF-5 5w-30 DEXOS 1

 

[harrop.senator]

We service everything religiously at 5k but everyone has their own opinion. I service my mrs car every 8 weeks with 5 30 full syn due to how many ks she racks up. I only put it on the hoist every six months but with how quick she racks ks up.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Interesting points...
Does anyone use engine oil flush ?

 

[panhead]

My cars get an oil change from every 200 to 500km up to 2000km depending on which car it is.


.

 

[Dayvo]

I also change mine at 7500 kays . I bought some engine flush but can't bring myself to use it after reading some horror stories about oil pickups clogging up and starving the engine of oil