2014 Chevy Impala: GM Oil, or Dino Substitute?

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Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Pennzoil Blend from Walmart would probably work.


Should he use the 10w30 weight Merk? Just joking of course
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If I were you I would use a quality Dexos 1 synthetic. Mobil 1 5w30 would be an excellent choice. Very easily obtainable at WM for a very reasonable price. Oil is cheap, buy quality oil and change on regularly, you will be golden. Enjoy the ride!
 
Originally Posted By: TBoneTX1234
I'm very grateful to all respondents. I just called a couple of GM service advisors, who say that 5W30 is mandatory, any dexos-1-certified oil is fine, and synthetic blend is recommended. Full synthetic is not recommended, and some conventional oils have the dexos-1 certification. One advisor said that they generally recommend that the synthetic-blend oil be changed approximately every 6 months or 5,000 miles, and not to trust the oil-life indicator too much.


They cannot deny warrenty as long as you use dexos 1 certified oil and 5w30. Also, I like to know of who has a dexos 1 conventional oil.
 
Originally Posted By: TBoneTX1234
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Questions:
1) Must (should) I stick with the GM oil, or can I use dino oil at all?
2) If I use other-than-GM oil, will my engine last for 100,000 miles?

The mechanic who has done my conventional oil changes says that he'd be loath to use anything but the GM oil, because in the event of an engine problem, tests are done, and if unauthorized oil is found to have been used, warranties become void.


Simple answer is to use dexos 1 certified oil, 5w30. There was a lot of good post here. Its been since 2011 that GM started requiring the dexos 1 oil on all there vehicles and your mechanic didn't know that?
 
I had (note had) a 2012 cruze that I got new. Never really used dexos-1 oil except maybe once or twice. Other than that, I used MC 5W30 and a denso filter at 6-7k miles and then I switched to bulk 5w30 cheapo blend that I ran 5k miles. At 39k miles, the engine was spotless. No harm at all. However, I got rid of the car for the transmission that was slipping. It was quite possibly the worst car I have or could've got. But I hear great things mostly about the impalas so stay up to date with your fluids, etc.
 
I hate the way GM is getting away with requiring Dexos licensed oils. To me that is like saying you have to use GM parts only which is illegal. I wish they would close this loop hole in the Magnuson-Moss Act and not allow a car mfg to require an oil be licensed to their own spec( I don't mind API as that is 3rd party ). Most car mfgs have an oil spec and just recommend you use an oil that meets it whereas GM seems to be requiring actual certification/licensing now. GM manuals used to say if you can't find Dexos use API w/ Starburst. That is what I would have done with a GM. I looked at your manual though and that is gone now. Now it just says use Dexos or else.
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Nothing super special about Dexos either. Just a way for GM to grab extra money.

With all that said while under warranty you should only use a licensed oil. Use the correct weight too which is 5W30. Change it on time as well. I think the Service Writers you spoke with who recommended 6/5000 and to ignore the OLM are doing so as the engine is a DI model and they are very hard on oil. GM had to recalibrate a lot of OLM's in vehicles that 1st used these engines as they were set for too long. Maybe they are just suggesting to be safe go with 6/5000. To me that is reasonable.

I do not agree with any of them saying not to use full synthetic. A full synthetic will stand up to the abuse in a DI engine far better than any blend will. Blend is better than conventional and full synthetic is better than blend.

If money is a concern head to Wal-Mart, or the local parts store, and grab whatever the cheapest full synthetic on sale is, that has the Dexos mark, and use that. I would not run the $8 a qt GM stuff. That is just rebottled Mobil oil anyway. Mobil used to do GM's oil anyway and I have not heard that has changed. NO sense paying $2-$3+ more for Mobil oil in a GM bottle IMO.

Another option for you if you don't mind ordering is Kendall oil. They make fantastic oil and it can be ordered online very affordably( extremely hard to find locally ). The GT1 full synthetic 5W30 is Dexos licensed/certified and meets your warranty needs. Would be a great oil IMO to use if money is a factor. Youc an order it from PSC for great prices even shipped. The only thing is to get the ebst shipping deal order 2 cases at a time( not more and not less - best deal is always 2 cases ). IF you have a UPS Shipping account many times the shipping will be free from them too as a bonus deal( not free unless it says so at checkout ). To have the 5W30 shipped to my zip it would be...

$45.68 X 2 cases = $91.36 + $20.74( shipping to my zip - varies ) comes out to $112.10 for 2 cases( 24 qts ). $112.10 / 24 qts = $4.67 p/qt. That is even less than the 5qt jugs sold at Wal-Mart as a rule. Kendall oil is excellent as said above and would be a great choice. PSC always has it and for a great price so all you need do is order ahead.

2014 Impala is a nice car btw. Good luck with it. Just do your maintenance on time and with the correct fluids and parts and it should serve you well for a long time.
 
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Hate Dexos? Don't buy GM. Simple enough. For me that choice was easy. Then again, I wish I could find non-Dexos labeled bottles... but they have to find money to pay for those ignition issues.

Run whatever you like that has that Dexos logo as you are bound to it.
 
It's possible the service adviser doesn't recommend synthetic because it leaks more....and most customers never ever check their oil. A full sump of semi may be better than half a sump of synthetic.
 
Originally Posted By: bigt61
It's possible the service adviser doesn't recommend synthetic because it leaks more....and most customers never ever check their oil. A full sump of semi may be better than half a sump of synthetic.


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I don't understand all this hate for the Dexos spec. It's like buying a European
car ( BMW,Mercedes,Audi,VW etc) and complaining that you have to use a Euro A3 rated oil. Wasn't this oil spec introduced to address the D.I. issue with fuel dilution?
 
Originally Posted By: 2KBMW
I don't understand all this hate for the Dexos spec. It's like buying a European
car ( BMW,Mercedes,Audi,VW etc) and complaining that you have to use a Euro A3 rated oil. Wasn't this oil spec introduced to address the D.I. issue with fuel dilution?




Because it is not a spec, it is a license. It would be akin to VW forcing you to purchase a "Hurbie" sticker at $0.08 for each quart to keep up your warranty.

So, a license and a standard are different. You don't have to PAY a company for a "royalty" in order to meet a specification. What is worse is that Dexos is a "mystery box" of proprietary hogwash so you can't even work it out yourself if a non-Dexos label oil does or does not meet the Dexos parameters. You can have compliant oils that meet/exceed the standard but do not have the sticker paying GM. Thus, you are out of luck.

Where it is really evil, is that as a Subaru owner that specs 0w-20, most of those oils also carry the Dexos license. Thus, I am indirectly paying GM for the use of oil my Subie.

I think a lot of the anti-Dexos folks would be fine if it was a non-fee license (aka a standard).
 
Originally Posted By: bigt61
It's possible the service adviser doesn't recommend synthetic because it leaks more....and most customers never ever check their oil. A full sump of semi may be better than half a sump of synthetic.

A current model year car with 20K on it and leaking that much oil? I think there would be a larger issue than whether or not use use a synthetic or a blend.
 
As a GM vehicle owner, it's not that difficult. I run Mobil 1 and it happens to be Dexos 1 approved. Simple. Why all this GM and Dexos 1 hate? No point. GM wanted to establish a standard of oil across the board to meet the demands for DI engines and the rest of the GM engine family. What's wrong with that? Most good quality oils on the market are Dexos 1 approved and Walmart carries them all cheap!

I understand that to be Dexos 1 approved, you have to pay for the Dexos 1 licensing and testing to ensure the oils meet GM specs. As a GM vehicle owner, it's peace of mind knowing I am covered if anything happens to my engine.

To the OP, just run Mobil 1 5W30 and be done with it. It's cheap and Dexos 1 approved. GM also endorses Mobil 1, recommends it and uses it as factory fill on a few vehicles they build. It's proven oil and has been for 4 decades.
 
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Originally Posted By: GM4LIFE
GM wanted to establish a standard of oil across the board to meet the demands for DI engines and the rest of the GM engine family. What's wrong with that?


That would be fine... but that is not what GM did.

Dexos is not a standard... it is a license and to be a licensed product you have to pay GM.
 
Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
Originally Posted By: GM4LIFE
GM wanted to establish a standard of oil across the board to meet the demands for DI engines and the rest of the GM engine family. What's wrong with that?


That would be fine... but that is not what GM did.

Dexos is not a standard... it is a license and to be a licensed product you have to pay GM.


The oils also have to meet GM specs and are tested to ensure it's ok to run in a GM engine. Yes, you have to pay for Dexos 1 licensing, but that process also carries testing of the oils to ensure it's safe to run in all GM engines across the board.

AC Delco Synthetic Blend 5W30 Dexos 1 factory fill oil that GM uses is made by ExxonMobil and has been made by them since GM started using it as factory fill starting in the 2011 model year. GM gets is super cheap and it works ok as long as you change the oil according to the oil life monitor. For what they charge for it, you can get Mobil 1 at Walmart and save a few bucks. A better oil for cheaper. It's a no brainer.

Hope the OP realizes that you don't have to listen to what your service advisor says or recommends. Go by your owner's manual that is written by GM. You also don't have to have your dealer change your oil for you. You can also provide your dealer the oil and filter and pay for the labor only.

Here's the press release confirming that ExxonMobil manufactures the synthetic blend for GM:

 
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Originally Posted By: FutureDoc


I think a lot of the anti-Dexos folks would be fine if it was a non-fee license (aka a standard).


That is my main issue. Dexos is a money grab by GM more than anything. And as you also said buying oil for my Chrysler product means I am sending money to GM as well because my preferred oil is Dexos licensed. The oil company isn't going to eat that license/royalty fee. It is passed on to me.

Dexos = money grab and scam!
 
You can't trust car salesmen and service advisors. The service advisor is NOT a certified trained GM employee....he/she is just an employee off the street filling the role of handling customers.

For the service advisor to say you can't use synthetic is ridiculous. The 3.6 in my CTS came factory filled with Mobil 1 full synthetic and it's all I use.

I concur with the others in that using any oil Dexos1 certified will fit your needs with going to a full synthetic a very good upgrade based on your driving conditiond snd style. I service a similar Impala (3.6) for a woman who always brings me 5W/30 Mobil 5000 oil and an STP filter. The "oil change special" from autozone. She goes by the OLM so she brings it in every 5-7k miles. Car runs fine and has, if I recall correctly, probably about 80k miles on it with a good 50k of these on the Mobil 5000 conventional oil. Before that she was going to the quick lube places.
 
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: FutureDoc


I think a lot of the anti-Dexos folks would be fine if it was a non-fee license (aka a standard).


That is my main issue. Dexos is a money grab by GM more than anything. And as you also said buying oil for my Chrysler product means I am sending money to GM as well because my preferred oil is Dexos licensed. The oil company isn't going to eat that license/royalty fee. It is passed on to me.

Dexos = money grab and scam!



Then it is interesting to note that in Wal Mart the Dexos Certified M1 is exactly the same sale price as "ordinary" synthetics.
 
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Originally Posted By: bigt61
It's possible the service adviser doesn't recommend synthetic because it leaks more....and most customers never ever check their oil. A full sump of semi may be better than half a sump of synthetic.

A current model year car with 20K on it and leaking that much oil? I think there would be a larger issue than whether or not use use a synthetic or a blend.

It's doubtful a service adviser might tailor his comments to each individual user, but probably makes a blanket statement to cover the hundred or more people he talks to every day. The ops car with 20k is unlikely to leak anything, but as cars get older, leaks happen. When leaks happen, synthetic makes it worse. Most consumers never check their oil and many routinely ignore OLM pleading. They'll get to it when they have a chance. To reiterate, I'd rather have a full sump of old oil than half a sump of M1. I assure you many people are running around right now with even less than half a sump.
 
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