Poor life with Mobil One?

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cbpat1

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I have a 2018 GMC Acadia, and a 2018 Chevy Tahoe. I changed the oil in the Acadia at 4830 miles. The oil life meter in the car said I had 37% oil life left when I changed the oil using Mobil One 5W-30, what the manual calls for. I have only put 320 miles on since I changed oil and it shows I have 83% oil life left. That means I've used 17% of my oil life in just 320 miles. Meanwhile, I changed oil in my Tahoe using Pennzoil Platinum 0W-20 at 4020 miles and now have 4658 mile, or 638 miles since I changed oil and it shows I have 96% oil life left. I haven't driven either vehicle any differently, they both have been driven mostly in town, not highway driving. Why is the Acadia showing it having lower life expectancy on the oil than the Tahoe is? I know that the Pennzoil Platinum can't be that much better than the Mobil One is? Any ideas, or is this something that I shouldn't be concerned about?

I also noticed that when the oil was changed in both vehicles, that the engine seem to quiet down a little bit over the original oil that came in the vehicles.
 
The OLM does not know what kind of oil you use … only goes by how you drive …

Are you serious or trolling here ?
 
I have noticed this when using my Lubricheck oil tester (I know, go ahead and laugh) with Mobil1. I usually check the oil with the tester once a month. The first month after the oil change the tester will jump to 3 (it's a number rating system using 0 to 10). The second month it may jump to 4 or 5. I thought this was alarming. But after the second month it will not move until the oil starts to accumulate miles and months. When the oil gets old (miles or months) it will slowly creep to 8 or 9. 8 (yellow led) means you could change it, 9 (yellow led) means you should change it and 10 (red led) means your a dummy.
 
OLM's aside - The Acadia is much harder on oil than the Tahoe.

Its DOHC VVT v6 with many feet of chain, sprockets, slippers and tensioners on top of a DI pump - beats that oil like a red headed stepchild.

The Acadia OLM has been recalibrated by GM downward significantly over time based on a history of timing chain problems in early models that were partially blamed on an excessively long OCI that was caused by the OLM telling people it was ok to go the miles they were going. It wasn't Ok.

Add to this many tiny passageways and tight areas in the block that don't get great flow/cleaning if any at all and you had the recipe for disaster.

As has been said - the OLM has no idea whats in the sump, but computes "penalty" based on other factors, full warm up, throttle position, implied heat, its a sophisticated algorithm.
Im not at all surprised the Acadia moves quicker than the Tahoe through the range.

All that said the Tahoe engine (5.3) has its known set of issues that arise over time especially when its used as a tow rig vs a daily driver - I see many of them dead at between 100 and 150K.

Its susceptible to valve train problems over time- the most common being the fine screen under the manifold plugs and starves the AFM control solenoid, the other one is simply rocker problems over time- to make the power you have to lift them fast and hold them open as long as possible and slam them shut.

A few ounces of prevention in the form of a really good oil filter(the best you can screw on), really good oil , and reasonable OCI's, and (if they were mine especially the Acadia) Id be running magnets on the filter and in the drain plug to keep as many iron particles out of that timing chain and VVT assembly and solenoids as I could.

UD
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Zee09
I had the same issue with my F350 so I know this is a real problem.
A few times a week I would drive to work in reverse and everything equaled out.

I do that as well.
 
Don't let tig see this thread!
23.gif
 
Originally Posted by Hammehead
It doesn´t work when you use high moly oil. It goes up to 8 or 9 in a few miles.

I haven't noticed that?
 
If that's all you drove on that oil so far... why not reset the OLM and see what happens ...
 
This thread sure went to the dump, calling people "itdiots"?

Never had much use for a OLM. I just pick a oci based on mileage and go.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by PimTac
This thread sure went to the dump, calling people "itdiots"?

Never had much use for a OLM. I just pick a oci based on mileage and go.



New fangled OLM's and non leaded gasoline.
 
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