Truck Question

[MPSR]

I purchased earlier this year a 2018 GMC Denali Ultimate Edition and love it!!. It has the sc560 Calloway package which includes the supercharger.. I have 2 years of free synthetic oil changes which to what the dealer is saying 10,000 mile intervals. I bring it in the dealership for its third oil change with now is at 15,000 miles and dealer states wasting oil changes and NOT recommended by GM. 

Ive always been a stickler to oil changes and since I can remember it always been 5K for oil if synthetic and 5 for tire rotations.  I use my truck alot off road hunting and fishing and it seems at 5 k the oil starts to get dark. at a price point of 75+K it seems 50 bucks for a fresh 6 quarts of blood is a no brainer.

Just seeing what you other truck owners do as all the manufactures have been so competitive and are going much longer service intervals...

[Kayak Ken]

I used to work for a GMC dealership as a mechanic through college 12 years ago. I remember thinking they were crazy raising intervals from 3k to 5k. I can't believe they are telling you 10k now. I remember taking a course from GM and they were saying the problem isnt making the oil last. It was making the oil filter last. The filter would usually clog up around 5k miles and go into a bypass mode. Things might have changed since then. But it's not like you purchased a Grand Am, you purchased there most expensive vehicle. I would have the oil changed 5k to 7k. When you hit 5k what does the oil life percentage say on the dash?

[Kayak Ken]

I've spoken to GM engineers during training and they always told me you should do frequent oil changes when the vehicle is new due to the engines breaking in and metal fragments scrapping off.

[BHC]

Been using synthetic oil in my trucks since 1995, maybe I'm wasting my money but I still do 3000 mile changes

[hammer4reel]

I change mine every six thousand to maintain my extended warranties.

Have 317K on my 2008 and 67k on my 2012 without an issue.

. 

[Rusty]

The dealer is right, every 10,000 miles is fine.  Our family owns a GMC dealership and I was chatting with one of the mechanics.  He's an old timer that's worked there his whole life.  He laughed when I asked about oil changes and said that he only changes the oil in his truck once a year, every August.  His truck is pushing 300,000 miles and it still runs great.  

Edited December 16, 2018 by Rusty

[Mallard1100]

Follow the dealer/manual recommendation. 10k is fine for a modern synthetic. Sure you can change it early if you want but Your just wasting your money and getting in your head about it. My wife’s Honda is 10k as well. My tundra is 5k.  The companies/ engineers do not want their engines to fail. Always follow the manual.

[Woodsman416]

GM uses an oil life monitoring system which takes into account many factors that effect oil wear and condition. Different drivers with different driving habits will have their OL monitor signal the need for a change at different intervals. Mine usually comes up between 7k and 8k.

[06roadking]

I’ve been a mechanic for 35+ years. I don’t doubt for a minute that modern synthetics are good for 10,000+ miles. My issue is that they keep making filters smaller and smaller. The main reason I change my synthetic oil at 5000 miles is to change the filter. I have a customer dealing with a problem right now concerning oil changes. He’s been religious about changing his oil as soon as OnStar send him a message to do so. He’s had a bunch of trouble with camshaft position sensors clogging up the small orifice on the bottom. GM just sent him a recall notice saying that oil consumption and other problems may occur due to dirt in the oil. He has all of his receipts from his oil changes and now, at 78000 miles they are putting a new engine in his GMC Terrain. I attribute it to oil filters being so small these day and going into bypass when they clog. Just my opinion but, the oil itself is prolly fine. Just that the filter clogs.

[Coyoteslayer]

Both of my chevys get oil changed every 5k. One has 130k and never done a thing to her except brakes and tires. To me it puts my mind at ease. And if u buy oil in bulk when it’s on sale u can save yourself money. 

[beaverman]

The way GM's free maintenance program is set up you get up to 4 oil changes in the first 2 years.  When I bought my truck the salesman told me I need to wait until the oil life monitor was getting close to come in for a free oil change.  After talking to the service manager he told me to bring it whenever I want but once I get 4 oil changes the program is done and I'm on my own.  I actually changed the oil myself and didn't reset the monitor before my first free oil change since I didn't want to go that long.  After talking with the service manager I just took it back at like every 4-5k until I got my 4th one.

[Greybeard]

Using an oil/synthetic blend, changes are about 6,000 miles with the new motors today.  I do my truck around 5,000.   A full synthetic is 10-15,000.  I buy full synthetic and a filter for the rav4  that are both rated for 15,000 miles, and change it every 10,000.  New motors with synthetic, or even reg oil, don't break down like old motors did.