Oil for a Chevy Volt?

[kohnen]

Originally Posted By: NH73
Originally Posted By: kohnen

I corresponded with Mobil about running their M1 Annual Protection in my Volt for 2 years (as per the Volt's owner's manual) and they rather emphatically said that I MUST change it after only ONE year. (Using M1AP for 1 year and 1,500 miles would be 100%, absolutely and totally completely NUTS!)

Probably just the phone operator reading off a script. Because doesn't Mobil also say, "Follow OEM recommendation"?
It wasn't a phone call, but an email exchange. And, I told them that my oil life monitor will let low mileage oil stay for 2 years. They came back and said that OLMs are notoriously inaccurate and that M1AP MUST be changed yearly, no matter what the OLM says.

So, according to GM, $12 worth of NAPA synthetic (on sale) would work for 2 (low engine use) years. According to ExxonMobil, $50 worth of M1AP could not be used for more than 1 year.

I was quite surprised that ExxonMobil wants me to change the oil more often than the manufacturer requires.

 

[NH73]

Originally Posted By: kohnen
Originally Posted By: NH73
Originally Posted By: kohnen

I corresponded with Mobil about running their M1 Annual Protection in my Volt for 2 years (as per the Volt's owner's manual) and they rather emphatically said that I MUST change it after only ONE year. (Using M1AP for 1 year and 1,500 miles would be 100%, absolutely and totally completely NUTS!)

Probably just the phone operator reading off a script. Because doesn't Mobil also say, "Follow OEM recommendation"?
It wasn't a phone call, but an email exchange. And, I told them that my oil life monitor will let low mileage oil stay for 2 years. They came back and said that OLMs are notoriously inaccurate and that M1AP MUST be changed yearly, no matter what the OLM says.

So, according to GM, $12 worth of NAPA synthetic (on sale) would work for 2 (low engine use) years. According to ExxonMobil, $50 worth of M1AP could not be used for more than 1 year.

I was quite surprised that ExxonMobil wants me to change the oil more often than the manufacturer requires.
Maybe NAPA only wants you to keep it in for only a year. Ok, maybe you didn't talk on the phone but the person the e-mailed you back treated you the same. OLM notoriously inaccurate? Maybe GM got it wrong one time, but what proof or reason for there statement? I see your an engineer, but you realize these people you talked to likely are not engineers? If the Mobil oil has the DEXOS 1 approval, then its likely up to the task to follow you OLM.

 

[kohnen]

Originally Posted By: NH73
Maybe NAPA only wants you to keep it in for only a year. Ok, maybe you didn't talk on the phone but the person that e-mailed you back treated you the same. OLM notoriously inaccurate? Maybe GM got it wrong one time, but what proof or reason for their statement? I see you're an engineer, but you realize these people you talked to likely are not engineers? If the Mobil oil has the DEXOS 1 approval, then it's likely up to the task to follow you OLM.


I'm comfortable with changing whatever Dexos1 oil I use according to the car's OLM, especially since I use the engine so little. So, if I were to use M1AP, I'd be happy to run it according to the OLM.

I find it funny that ExxonMobil explicitly told me to ignore the GM car's oil life monitor. Do they really think that GM screwed up?

 

[cronk]

Whats really odd is that the AC Delco Dexos oil that GM sells for that car is a synthetic made by....Mobil!

 

[Spector]

Originally Posted By: kohnen
Originally Posted By: redhat
How do you like the Volt? Considering you've owned it for a couple of years now.


Love the drivetrain, but lots of stuff unrelated to it being a plug-in electric vehicle are wonky. For example, sometimes the navigation just plain refuses to lock on to the GPS, sometimes the car ignores the key fob in your pocket and you have to place it in the backup position (reserved for when your fob battery is dead) even though the battery is just fine.

It has an "infotainment" system instead of a radio. If you turn off the radio, you can't use the navigation system. It also doesn't come with a spare tire, but a compressor that will inject synthetic snot into your tire.


Son in law has the 2013 model. loves it and trouble free for him but only about 38,000 miles on it. I check his oil occasionally and always appears fine, he never runs the gas engine unless in maint mode. He has the 240 volt charger and for him the car is great for his commute. Myself, well, I think it was significantly overpriced and not sure what kind of resale value it has with only a 35 mile elec range. At this rate though he will keep it 10 years. When I drive it, well, I find it hard to navigate the controls but more of just not familiar with it.

 

[NH73]

Originally Posted By: kohnen
Originally Posted By: NH73
Maybe NAPA only wants you to keep it in for only a year. Ok, maybe you didn't talk on the phone but the person that e-mailed you back treated you the same. OLM notoriously inaccurate? Maybe GM got it wrong one time, but what proof or reason for their statement? I see you're an engineer, but you realize these people you talked to likely are not engineers? If the Mobil oil has the DEXOS 1 approval, then it's likely up to the task to follow you OLM.


I'm comfortable with changing whatever Dexos1 oil I use according to the car's OLM, especially since I use the engine so little. So, if I were to use M1AP, I'd be happy to run it according to the OLM.

I find it funny that ExxonMobil explicitly told me to ignore the GM car's oil life monitor. Do they really think that GM screwed up?



Either 1) the script writer is hanging his hat on that one time GM had a recall to change some vehicle's OLM to make them shorter or 2) that the e-mail writer will not or not allowed to deviate from the script, and needs to say 1 year thats it, no matter what. Most time you know with those phone talkers or e-mail writers you ask a technical question and they can't answer them.

 

[dareo]

Changing the oil just for the warranty isn't a bad idea; it should have a really long warranty in CA. My brother has owned one since 2011 and it has seen the dealership many times. Stereo system stuff, and TWO transmissions. He still loves the car.

If you get on Car-Part.com and search for Volt engines you can see them selling for as little as $400 already. This tells you virtually nobody needs them. I expect junk yards to overflow with like new Volt engines for a very long time. I think you totally could get away with running oil for a decade or so. It would only be for bragging rights like "i drove for a decade and only used XXX gallons of gas and ONE oil change!" That is part of the fun of a plug in right? And if for some reason your engine didn't make it, they are a dime a dozen. We've all seen the gory pics of engines that have been let go 60-80k on a single OCI. They needed their engine 100% of the time, and that engine was likely driven hard. The volt has what i consider to be ideal engine use. It comes on once in a while and gets a nice steady generator load or high speed highway load and then turns off. I've not looked into Volt UOAs but i would expect them to come back looking like new oil years later for a warm weather mostly electric driver.

I'd still change that oil once a year cause i'm obsessed with over maintaining my cars.