VE SS self servicing

[Benzito]

I have always changed oil in my cars every 5000k's, and filter + oil every 10000k's. I was planning on doing the same with my newly acquired SSV but I was speaking to a local mechanic at a performance workshop and he got me thinking otherwise. (They've got a dyno, every single car being worked on in the shop is a V8 or a turbo and modified in some way, and they were building an LS engine while I was there so I think they should know their stuff)
He said 10000k's is more than regular enough, and even the logbook recommended 15000k's is fine. He claimed that he has taken oil out of L-series engines at 15000k's and it was only slightly discoloured, definitely not black. Basically he said I would just be throwing away perfectly good oil, and money, if I was to do it every 5000k's.
What are people's thoughts on this? Does this guy know what he is talking about? It's not like he is going to profit from telling me something like that, so I'm inclined to believe it...

edit: with my previous car's the oil has always been pretty clean when it came out at my very frequent changes but I've never owned a V8 before, so I didn't mind throwing away 3-4L of oil even if it wasn't necessary. But it's the massive quantity of oil that these engine's use that has me rethinking my usual 5000k changes.

 

[PIR4TE]

What are people's thoughts on this?

edit: with my previous car's the oil has always been pretty clean when it came out at my very frequent changes but I've never owned a V8 before, so I didn't mind throwing away 3-4L of oil even if it wasn't necessary. But it's the massive quantity of oil that these engine's use that has me rethinking my usual 5000k changes.

Depends on where, what manner and how long you drive it over distance or time. With my VE I use the Oil Life Monitor in Engineering mode (lots of stuff on JC and online about it). Much more accurate, shows shortcomings of using either just distance or time as the yardstick.

If you CBF doing this (piss easy), I'd bank on 7500k for standard oil and 10,000k for super synthetic stuff. Possible in warm driving long distance highway speed that it lasts over 20,000k and still be over 20% of its life. Independent online tests confirm the efficacy of GM's algorithms.

What do people think of the genuine 10w/30 engine oil holden sell ? As I'm thinking of using that for my next service ?

Or perhaps I'll try royal purple as I'm hearing good things about it

Under warranty go GM's synthetic option, monitor it regularly. The main thing is the pissy filter not the breakdown of oil.

Royal Purple is a hoot, yes. However Penrite 10 Tenths is about 10x better, and Australian.

 

[lmoengnr]

Royal Purple is a hoot, yes. However Penrite 10 Tenths is about 10x better, and Australian.

Gotta agree with that....

 

[Rajesh Koothrappali]

Royal Purple is a hoot, yes. However Penrite 10 Tenths is about 10x better, and Australian.

Gotta agree with that....

Just out of curiosity, what is that based on? I.e. what facts? What evidence? I can't imagine the "best" (suitable for a VE SS) engine oil being "10x better" than the "worst" (suitable for a VE SS) engine oil in 2014. To be 10x better is a seriously hard ask!

 

[PIR4TE]

Just out of curiosity, what is that based on? I.e. what facts? What evidence? I can't imagine the "best" (suitable for a VE SS) engine oil being "10x better" than the "worst" (suitable for a VE SS) engine oil in 2014. To be 10x better is a seriously hard ask!

Sheesh man, whole threads on the matter... ZDDP PPM, class 4 synthetic PAO, no sheer (sludge). What this means specifically for GenIV 6.0 is protection and longevity and noise reduction. Superior lubrication.

 

[Rajesh Koothrappali]

I get that there's good, better and best but 10 times better is just hard to believe.

 

[PIR4TE]

I get that there's good, better and best but 10 times better is just hard to believe.

On the points I mentioned that product is about 200x better, look it up here on JC or via producer site direct.

Is not my opinion, it is my experience observing facts. Plenty of independent scientific reports.

Point is it is better for quantifiable factors.

 

[SanchezCBR]

With a sump that holds 8.3L of oil and if you are using fully synthetic oil (as you should be) then 10,000kms is no problem. I have been running Castrol edge and I am almost at the 10,000km mark since the last service and the oil still looks new. But what I can see and what is really going on in the oil at a molecular level are two different things.

Save your money and do oil and filter every 10,000km. Use a good oil like Castrol Edge or similar and a decent filter and your set.

As for Royal purple, yes it is good oil. But not for the kind of money they are asking for it. If you are racing your car then go for it. But for a daily driver, in my opinion, it is not worth the extra money. Although their filters are definitely a level above a standard paper filter.

 

[gunsmoke]

I cant understand why people dont use what is recommend by the manufactures in the handbook.
L98 book says use GM 10w30 @ 15000 kms. Simple. But by choice I will change @ 10 000km, I dont care about he money.
Having said that ...I guess that is why people want o change it a 5000 or use a different oil......personal choice !!

 

[Rajesh Koothrappali]

Personally, I use Castrol EDGE 5W-30 A3/B4 and change it out, incl. filter, every 7,500km.