6 Months, 6K Miles on Synthetic Blend?

[Bob5150]

My wife's car is a 2010 Chevy Cobalt with a 2.2 Ecotec. She bought it new, and I have changed the oil every 3 months since new. 3 months for her is right around 3000 miles.

I've been doing it in February, May, August, and Novemeber each year.

I've been using CAM2 synthetic blend oil. THIS: http://www.cam2.com/products/Passenger-C...lend-5W-30.html

I use it because the automotive supplier I work at carries it, and it cost me around $2.10/quart.

After reading quite a bit on this website, it seems I might be changing too often. Would changing every 6 months be pushing it too far? My wife has a 10 mile (each way) commute to work each day, and does not beat on her car.

It would be nice to stop changing oil in the February cold.I was thinking of this:

February: change filter
May: change oil and filter
August: change filter
November: change oil and filter

The oil filter is a cartridge-type located on top of the engine, so no big deal to change that, I don't have to jack the car up like I do to drain the oil.

Maybe I'm over thinking this, but I want to take good care of our most reliable vehicle without going overboard and dumping perfectly good oil.

 

[Danno]

What does the OLM % oil life read when you change the oil? If you have at least 25% oil life remianing, I would do a spring / fall oil and filter change and sleep well.
No need for the extra filter changes.

We have a 2008 G5 with the 2.2 in our home "fleet". Very familiar with that car.

 

[BertieBlue]

I'd follow the manual. (7.5k miles)?

Well, no I wouldn't I'd put in a top oil like M1 and do it once a year. And not worry.

I've still no idea why the US service intervals are so short....

Or follow the olm

 

[Danno]

More business for dealers, climate extremes are couple of thoughts.

 

[FFeng7]

I would just follow the OLM. I change the oil in both of my Cobalt's OLM get down around 15%. The mileage it takes to reach that varies from 7500-9500 miles. I try to use synthetic for the most part but did use a blend last time I changed it.

I have put over 110 K on my 2007 doing this and it still runs fantastic and uses no oil in between changes. So far in my experience I trust the OLM.

 

[toneydoc]

Hello
I think you are correct in going to a 6 month, 6k mile oil and filter change. Especially since you use a syn blend. And I would pick months like April and October to do the changes when it is fairly warm and easy on you. The syn blend will handle that OCI readily.
And at the end of the year you will have less time under the car and a littly more beer money.

 

[WiskyBadger]

Just do it every 6k miles at the 6 month mark with the syn blend. No need to change the filter so much, just change it when you change the oil.

 

[Zaedock]

I change my mother's '08 Cobalt twice a year to the OLM using SOPUS or Valvoline grpIII 5W30.

I think if you changed in May and Nov, you'd be good to go.

 

[fdcg27]

As a few others have suggested, you could just go by the OLM.
If you'd rather not, then six months and 6K should be fine.
No need for a filter change in the middle of a drain interval either.
The CAM 2 syn blend you're using looks like a very decent oil and you are getting it at a really nice price.

 

[HTSS_TR]

If the car accumulates less than 15-16k miles a year 6 months OCI is the perfect schedule. Pic your months, either May and Nov or Apr and Oct.

PS No need to change oil filter between OCI's. Any oil filter can be in service for 10-15k miles.

 

[SatinSilver]

The filter does a better job towards the end of the interval compared to the beginning. The big reason to change it early is when you have a sludge monster on your hands that was neglected. Which you clearly don't have.

 

[Merkava_4]

The 6 months part is fine, but I'm not sure if you should push conventional oil past 3000 miles. Maybe a full synthetic high mileage oil like MaxLife (full synthetic) might be better.

 

[KitaCam]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
The 6 months part is fine, but I'm not sure if you should push conventional oil past 3000 miles. Maybe a full synthetic high mileage oil like MaxLife (full synthetic) might be better.


THIS....Full syn may cost 2x but you get 2x the mileage OCI...and better protection.

 

[Zaedock]

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
....Full syn may cost 2x but you get 2x the mileage OCI...and better protection.


Not picking on you, but you are giving advice and promoting full syn, yet do not take advantage of it by changing PP at 7,000 miles.

 

[KitaCam]

Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Originally Posted By: KitaCam
....Full syn may cost 2x but you get 2x the mileage OCI...and better protection.


Not picking on you, but you are giving advice and promoting full syn, yet do not take advantage of it by changing PP at 7,000 miles.


I recommended 2 x 3k-mile OP's OCIs running synthetic over conventional

I run 1.5x OCIs over conventional because I do a lot of 4-mile runs to work every morning...10k miles per year around town...

I had previously run conventional 5k OCIs and now run 7k syn OCIs (1k more than OP wants to run)...

I'm doing OCIs that are 50% longer because I have been paying no more than $10 per 5qt synthetic jug...The syn OC costs me 50% more than my old dino OC, virtually the same cost per mile as the conventional OC, which was the point I was trying to make.

Another reason for my 7k OCI is that I have the tires rotated at that time as part of the OC....

 

[Ram01]

Cam2 is cheap oil I will stay at 3k Oci

 

[bigt61]

6 months & 6000 miles with the Cam2 Blend - change the filter once a year.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Bob5150
After reading quite a bit on this website, it seems I might be changing too often.


That depends on whether you care about varnish stains or not.

You stand a greater chance of getting varnish stains at 6000 miles than you do at 3000 miles.

E D I T :
I just now realized this is an old thread and I already posted in it.