The worthless 2yr/24k mile service plan

[45thCamaro]

Yeah I think it's BS as well. Just leased a Chevy Cruze, and asked a friend who works for Chevy when I can come in, he said the same thing. For me, doesn't matter bc I'm giving the car back at the end of the lease. Any idea how The car knows how much oil life is left? Does it test it?

[B-_-RAD]

It is claimed to be able to calculate it by temperature, driving habits etc. I don't buy it.

[B-_-RAD]

At least they did finally agree that it needs to be changed after a year. Then later the dealer tried to tell me it's a at least once a year after the "in service" date of the vehicle, which is a load of crap. At least I got it changed. Someone at the dealer also mentioned that it was just recently changed from 20% life to 15.

[B-_-RAD]

Originally Posted by honor first

i really don't understand the complaint here. I'm in the same boat, 100k in chevy vehicles bought in my household in a one month period. i just had my first oil change in the camaro done at 7k which is more than i like, but with today's vehicle and oil tech, it isn't a big deal. ill probably go to 5k changes when i get out of the free oil changes, but what is your complaint? that chevy is sticking to the guidelines that they set forth when you bought the vehicle? you're mad that chevy won't change their nationwide policy just for you specially? it is what it is, deal with it; if you want it done sooner than the oil change monitor says, how could you expect them to do it for free. at the end of the day, the truck/car production date doesn't really matter. if the vehicle sat for a while, that is in no way shape or form a justifiable reason to require the oil change early. the only way that would be justified would be if the vehicle had an insane amount of idling hours, or something like that.

edit: so that being said, i find the 2yr.24k plan to not only not be worthless, but to be great, just got a 100 dollar oil change for free, because i don't expect chevy to cater to me specifically.

I hope you feel as stupid as you sound since gm agreed with me and it's printed in the manual it must be changed at least once a year.

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

Originally Posted by B-_-RAD

It is claimed to be able to calculate it by temperature, driving habits etc. I don't buy it.

I think it is pretty accurate, when I was driving 5.5 miles to work all city streets it would be @ 20% at about 3500 - 4,000 miles. (both my Camaro and my Avalanche were similar)

since last July I changed jobs and now have a 25 mile commute all freeway against the heavy flow (so I move 70-75mph to and from work, no stop and go) it is holding out closer to 8,000 miles..

I had the oil in my Camaro changed @ 1500 miles because like you the car had been on the lot for 6+ months before I bought it.

then at 5,000 miles it was @ 20%, and then @ 13,400 it was @ 20%

I'm at 15,000 now and it is @ 85% (1,500ish since last change) so it is calculating roughly 500 miles for every 5%

[B-_-RAD]

What is interesting is that when they changed my oil they put on a sticker for next service due 3k miles from when they changed it, yet they'll probably say it isn't due.

[Angrybird 12]

http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/oil-...g-systems.html

[K1SSRSS]

If they want to lie about the yearly oil change as recommended by GM, I would also ask them why when a vehicle with out an oil meter is brought in, most dealers recommend 3,000 or 3 months till the next oil change.

[JimE]

Originally Posted by B-_-RAD

Just got off the phone with customer service and the local dealer. They said bring it in to be changed. Owners manual clearly states oil must be changed at least once a year.

Glad they took care of it for you. And yes, I agree with a minimum yearly change. I'm surprised there isn't a timer as well as a mileage monitor. This is the computer age after all.

[B-_-RAD]

Originally Posted by JimE

Glad they took care of it for you. And yes, I agree with a minimum yearly change. I'm surprised there isn't a timer as well as a mileage monitor. This is the computer age after all.

If there was they would probably just unhook the battery to bypass it. I'm glad it got taken care of as well but its just sad to have to jumo through these hoops. Especially when the owners manual says it in black and white.

[B-_-RAD]

I would also have more faith in the olm if when you changed the oil it could tell, but it cant, because it doesn't monitor anything about the oil it's self.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by B-_-RAD

I would also have more faith in the olm if when you changed the oil it could tell, but it cant, because it doesn't monitor anything about the oil it's self.

Did you read article I posted the link to? I mean its proven technology that has only gotten better since GM started using it in the 1980's.

Until recently, the question of when to change your oil was usually answered by your local garage, which had a vested interest in servicing your car every 3,000 miles. Your alternative was to crack the owner's manual to see whether your driving habits fell into the "severe" or "normal" category. And then you'd let the listed interval be your frequency guide.

But increasingly, the change-interval question is being answered by a vehicle's oil life monitoring system, which signals the driver through the instrument panel. This alert usually arrives anywhere between 5,000 and 8,000 miles.

So how does the system know when it's time for a change? Electronic sensors throughout the drivetrain send information about engine revolutions, temperature and driving time to the car's computer. The data is run through a mathematical algorithm that predicts when the oil will begin to degrade. The light comes on well in advance, giving the owner time to get the car serviced.

Oil life monitoring systems have been around for several decades. They were introduced in General Motors vehicles in the late 1980s and have been phased in slowly, said Matt Snider, project engineer in GM's Fuels and Lubricants Group. "We are very confident in the accuracy of the system," he said. The average recommendation from the system for GM vehicles is 8,500 miles, Snider said. He said that the longest oil change interval he was personally aware of was 17,000 miles in a colleague's car. For 2010 vehicles, 14 of 35 manufacturers use oil life monitoring systems.

Real-World Evidence
The oil life monitoring system in a 2007 Honda Fit Sport owned by an Edmunds.com editor signaled for an oil change at 5,500 miles, due to a lot of around-town driving. Later, under highway conditions, the system (which Honda calls a "maintenance minder") came on at 7,600 miles. Clearly, the system had detected different driving conditions and adjusted accordingly.

When we had the oil changed, we captured a sample and sent it to Blackstone Laboratories. Showing the conservative nature of the oil life sensors, the analysis showed the oil had at least 2,000 miles of life left in it.

A long-term 2008 Pontiac G8 GT driven by Edmunds went 13,000 miles before the monitoring system indicated the need for an oil change. We also sent a sample of that oil to a lab for analysis. The result: The oil could actually have safely delivered at least another 2,000 miles of service. "With an oil life system, we can use the software to tailor an oil drain interval to the behavior of a certain customer," Snider said.

Freed From the Schedules
Perhaps the best thing about oil life monitoring systems is that they free car owners from the confusing exercise of slotting themselves in the normal or severe driving schedules listed in the owner's manual. Severe conditions are described differently by various carmakers, but some "severe" conditions that they frequently cite are driving in stop-and-go traffic, towing, excessive idling and driving in the mountains.

In many cases, quick-oil-change outlets and dealerships' service departments encourage frequent oil changes by claiming that every driver falls in the severe category. This begs the question: Why have a normal category at all? Oil life monitoring systems put an end to the debate by reacting to how you actually drive.

Using an Oil Life Monitoring System
If your car has an oil life monitoring system, read your owner's manual to get a feel for how it's going to communicate with you. In general, the systems are designed to be easily understood and used. Some systems will display the percentage of oil life left so you can schedule a service visit. The systems factor in plenty of extra time for the driver who procrastinates. For additional motivation, however, some systems will display a negative number to show just how overdue the oil change is.

When a technician changes the oil, he resets the monitoring system. Do-it-yourselfers can easily do the reset, too, just by using a series of commands found in the owner's manual

[i2disturbedSS]

Originally Posted by B-_-RAD

What is interesting is that when they changed my oil they put on a sticker for next service due 3k miles from when they changed it, yet they'll probably say it isn't due.

Yeah that is BS & the ONE YEAR is correct - glad you kept calling. However the last chevy dealer I went to put a 7500 sticker on it. Maybe this one and sounds like they are lazy.

[B-_-RAD]

Yeah its probably the most unprofessional and disorganized shop I have ever seen. I even got a tire rotation out of it so I would say it was a win. They just have way too many inexperienced techs there. I was a dealership tech before I got my A&P so I know how dealerships work, but this dealership is like the wild west.

Angrybird, yes I did read it, however I personally dont want to risk ruining or diminishing the performance of my vehicle over simple preventitive maintenance, especially when its free.