Cobalt VVT Actuator (divided by) oil change?

[Alex_V]

In the last 4 months or so I've changed the oil (once, each) in two 2010 Cobalts; one with about 95K (VML 5w30) and one with 160K (Napa conventional 5w30). The lower mileage one is probably driven more gently and maintained better (at least as far as OCI goes) but my guess is both have spent at least the last 2-3 years on bulk oil from the local quick lane. But here's the puzzler: I've also changed the intake VVT actuator on both of them after the oil change. The lower mileage car was probably a month or two after the OC, but the higher mileage one was the next week.

Coincidence, or better oil scrubbing gunk out of the engines and plugging up the actuators...?

 

[Ethan1]

What did the screens look like? Were they covered in hard or soft deposits? Pretty interesting.

 

[Alex_V]

Nope, the internal part of the sensors looked very clean.

 

[eljefino]

MILs lacrosse hybrid ecotec 2.4 had these done at 55k. She goes by the OLM but it gets full syn dexos. Cold starts it to drive in circles to smoke at work b/c she can't smoke on campus.

Figure it's just a precious snowflake design.

 

[daves87rs]

No problem here....yet....2006 Cobalt...