Add engine oil!!!

customboss · May 1, 2022

ElCamino and Grumpy Bear shared truth. Here's the problem, few dealers and techs have time or care to know baseline science about why we are having issues with IC engines.

We are asking a lot from todays engines and a better quality engine oil can go a long way to help.

HOWEVER I can crush your engine with a small miss that the MIL system won't pick up and add fuels to the engine oil and make significant oil burn off in 500 miles.

Air filter, coils, plugs, ccv/pvc system, injectors, vac leaks, leaking coolant from heat exchangers that NO ONE sees or notices will ruin your engine over time and THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW EARLY is get one of Nicks ISO CERTIFIED ADVANCED OIL ANALYSIS. Quit guessing and quit trusting people who don't care to help YOU.

He's a site sponsor and will help you before anyone who is checking off boxes will.

Black02Silverado

Nick Mikitka

Independent AMSOIL Dealer

Synthetic Advantage LLC

email: [email protected]

Phone: 910-290-2371

customboss · May 1, 2022

diyer2 · May 1, 2022

While I have never approached things like an engineer would, I have just kept motors in an as new condition and changed the oil and filters. I do applaud the science part but never used it and never had a motor failure.

Short story, oil wears out so change it. How often is your choice.

K.I.S.S.

KARNUT · May 1, 2022

I’m on the other side of the equation. I’m extended. I never lost an engine. My cost per mile is probably equal or less than the frequent oil change people. My newest vehicle is 8 years old.

diyer2 · May 1, 2022

You also used a higher quality oil. Amsoil SS. So I get that and your extended history is well documented. Cost per mile is not an issue because I didn't/don't drive the miles you did running a business.

Grumpy Bear · May 1, 2022

7 hours ago, diyer2 said:

While I have never approached things like an engineer would, I have just kept motors in an as new condition and changed the oil and filters. I do applaud the science part but never used it and never had a motor failure.

Short story, oil wears out so change it. How often is your choice.

K.I.S.S.

I totally get this and until Dizzy, my experience was identical to yours. (Okay I had a Paseo whose rings gave up but I was to ignorant at the time to understand what what going on and got 300K out of it anyway.)

To some extend I still am like this. You will never see me on the extended drain interval list without some heavy lab supervision. Given it's cost it will never be routine. Spot checks and problem solver tool for me.

Dizzy gave me pause when the OCI's got to under 1K miles and oil still looked like molasses. At some point even cheap oil gets expensive and the changes obnoxious. All that to say we all have holes in our understanding and keep an open mind IF you run across something you can't pigeonhole into something you are familiar with.

Think of it as a ring compressor. A tool you don't need more than a few times in your life but ya need it when ya need it.

Edited May 1, 2022 by Grumpy Bear

KARNUT · May 1, 2022

7 hours ago, diyer2 said:

You also used a higher quality oil. Amsoil SS. So I get that and your extended history is well documented. Cost per mile is not an issue because I didn't/don't drive the miles you did running a business.

In retirement it’s more once a year than miles. Except the CRV our trip car. It’s every 8-10K depending how it falls before each trip. Per monitor.

MacLaren · May 20, 2022

I've had my 2021 Custom a little over a year now. Took her home March 31, 2021.

First oil change was at 500 miles. For the long haul I chose Shell Rotella Gas Truck 5W30. It was great.....until they discontinued it. I now run Pennzoil Platinum - Made from Natural Gas 5w30. Someone told me long ago, that these engines liked the oil and to check and add if needed.

Thus far the Pennzoil Platinum has been great. I use it with a NAPA GOLD Filter.

What I'm gonna do next is add a catch can I believe. Also fellas, just be sure your on very level ground when checking your oil level. It really makes a big difference.

But, I gotta say, this Truck is a real Bull. It's pulls with ease. All that being said, I change my oil & rotate my tires every 5K.

Anyone else running Pennzoil Platinum?

Also, I think I am correct in assuming Shell Rotella Gas Truck has been discontinued?

At any rate, I believe Pennzoil is under the Shell Umbrella anyways?

Thanks fellas.

Big_Kahuna · May 22, 2022

On 5/20/2022 at 7:57 AM, MacLaren said:

I've had my 2021 Custom a little over a year now. Took her home March 31, 2021.

First oil change was at 500 miles. For the long haul I chose Shell Rotella Gas Truck 5W30. It was great.....until they discontinued it. I now run Pennzoil Platinum - Made from Natural Gas 5w30. Someone told me long ago, that these engines liked the oil and to check and add if needed.

Thus far the Pennzoil Platinum has been great. I use it with a NAPA GOLD Filter.

What I'm gonna do next is add a catch can I believe. Also fellas, just be sure your on very level ground when checking your oil level. It really makes a big difference.

But, I gotta say, this Truck is a real Bull. It's pulls with ease. All that being said, I change my oil & rotate my tires every 5K.

Anyone else running Pennzoil Platinum?

Also, I think I am correct in assuming Shell Rotella Gas Truck has been discontinued?

At any rate, I believe Pennzoil is under the Shell Umbrella anyways?

Thanks fellas.

Pennzoil Platinum is a great oil I have been using it for a better than a decade in my dodges , my hemis always runs like a top, and yes shell owns pennzoil,

also lately I have been adding lubegard biotech 15oz just to up the moly in the oil, works great

RyanCawdor · May 23, 2022

I changed my oil on my 22 3500hd gasser at 1000 miles and used Pennzoil platinum along with the Fram ultra synthetic filter. I seem to be getting slightly better mpg than before. I plan on changing again at 5,000 miles. So far so good with this oil and I'll probably use it in my car when the time comes.

This is a great engine! It's a lot mellower than the 6.0 gas I used to own.

sheath · May 25, 2022

FWIW:

A little over 5100 miles now. A bit over 1,400 miles towing heavy (14,600 lbs wide body 5th wheel travel trailer). Oil life shows 25%. Lots of mountain pulling with grades up to 8%. Pulled through Cascade Mountain range, Sierra Nevada foothills & and now up into the rockies, So high loading on engine at low and high rpms.

Just added the first quart of oil to bring it back between the add and full mark. I didn't do anything special during break-in (actually used cruise control on long freeway stretches for the first 1,500 miles). Didn't start towing until truck had that first 1,500 miles (only because I didn't need to).

Truston Gunter · May 26, 2022

Thanks for sharing! Curious if the truck alerted you to add oil or did you just check it because of the heavy towing?

sheath · May 26, 2022

1 hour ago, Truston Gunter said:

Thanks for sharing! Curious if the truck alerted you to add oil or did you just check it because of the heavy towing?

Thanks. Glad the post was helpful. :cheers:

I had been keeping an eye on it about every other fuel stop.

The truck didn't bring up an alert. Maybe because it was still right at the bottom of the dipstick.

customboss · May 26, 2022

15 hours ago, sheath said:

FWIW:

A little over 5100 miles now. A bit over 1,400 miles towing heavy (14,600 lbs wide body 5th wheel travel trailer). Oil life shows 25%. Lots of mountain pulling with grades up to 8%. Pulled through Cascade Mountain range, Sierra Nevada foothills & and now up into the rockies, So high loading on engine at low and high rpms.

Just added the first quart of oil to bring it back between the add and full mark. I didn't do anything special during break-in (actually used cruise control on long freeway stretches for the first 1,500 miles). Didn't start towing until truck had that first 1,500 miles (only because I didn't need to).

That engine design should not use a drop of engine oil. Since it did and is the factory fill you need to change most likely based on your comments and replace with a higher quality oil. Especially towing. Your LOW RPM hard pulls up mountains would have seated the rings really well. Remember the OLM is an algorithmic calculation with only temp,cycle,fuel usage calculations as sensing. Its a good guess based on GM engine testing, teardown, oil analysis, etc. Not a direct sensing system.

Enjoy!

sheath · May 26, 2022

8 hours ago, customboss said:

That engine design should not use a drop of engine oil. Since it did and is the factory fill you need to change most likely based on your comments and replace with a higher quality oil. Especially towing. Your LOW RPM hard pulls up mountains would have seated the rings really well. Remember the OLM is an algorithmic calculation with only temp,cycle,fuel usage calculations as sensing. Its a good guess based on GM engine testing, teardown, oil analysis, etc. Not a direct sensing system.

Enjoy!

I'll probably send a sample when it's time to change oil. More for personal input than anything. I'm not worried about 1qt of use during this period. I'm more interested in the analysis for the future.