ION Oil Changes

The ION has a feature where the computer monitors the vehicle's
driving conditions and determines when it is time for an oil change.
The factory states that oil changes are not needed before that time.
Our local Saturn dealers say that this is all wrong, and that the oil
should be changed every 3k miles, regardless of driving conditions.
Which entity's opinion is correct? Why is the other one lying?

 

Not to accuse your dealer of lying but consider that (s)he makes more money the more frequently her/his customers
have their oil changed.

 

When i reset the trip after a fill up that damn thing shows up!,If
Saturn told me about when i boughtit,I forgot.Besides.I get a letter
in the MAIL to set up an appointment.Is the OIL LIFE supposed to go
off automatically?.

 

The oil life monitor uses a variable of monitoring cold starts, viscosity
and other things. That is a golden question, but the answer is quite simple,
and actually you can hold the owners manual accountable and correct. Older
cars needed to have oil changes every 3K miles, the ecotec allows you to get
the full life of your oil by monitoring it and alerts you to tell you when
it determines the oil usefulness is gone. However, there are many factors
involved such as driving and environmental conditions which may call for you
to keep the 3K regimen, such as driving in extreme heat, heavy traffic or
dirt roads.

When you press the toggle button on the DIC console to reset the trip
computer, it will toggle between "OIL LIFE" and the trip mileage. Depending
on how many times you pressed the button it may stay on "OIL LIFE", just
press the button again to show your mileage. What the usefulness of this
feature is, nobody knows.

 

Another slightly more exotic reason to stick to the 3K regimen is that you
have a subconscious wish to keep up your dealer's lavish lifestyle and turn
yourself into a pauper. Unless your driving takes you down lots of dusty
roads and in extreme heat conditions, 5 thou is a more reasonable interval
between changes.

 

So you agree that the computer monitoring of the oil life does not
work correctly? (it gives variable change intervals that typically are
quite a bit longer than 5k). What do you believe is the cause of the
problem?

 

]30, 2007, 8:49am From:
] (bo peep)

]So you agree that the computer monitoring of
] the oil life does not work correctly? (it gives
] variable change intervals that typically are
] quite a bit longer than 5k). What do you
] believe is the cause of the problem?

I think the oil computer monitoring is set to go off every 7500 miles.
That is when the one on my L-300 went off. I had changed oil twice
before it went off the first time. If I waited the full 7500 my oil
would be like mud. I find it hard to believe that the manual says change
oil every 7500 miles. Does anyone really wait that long?

 

The topic is oil changes in the ION, not the other models. The
computer monitoring in the ION is based on how the car is driven, not
the mileage. It looks continuously at things like engine temperature,
RPM, load, etc. The results are reported to the owner monthly via
email/onstar in the form of "Remaining Oil Life" and a percentage
quote. It's found on the "Ecotec" engines.

 

As a matter of interest, the COLD weather will do more harm to engine oil
than HOT weather.
For example, less than 1,000 miles in northern Canada in the winter used
over 70% of the oil life. Over 4,000 miles in California used only 60% of
the oil life.
Cold starting produces huge amounts of oil contamination and sludge. This
is proven by weighing a used filter after 1,000 miles of stop and go driving
in the winter, and 5.000 miles of highway driving in the summer and
comparing the weights. This process will tell you about the realities of
temperature on on engine oil.
David