Hello Mr. Magliozzi.
Tom from Colorado here. Thanks for the great column in the newspaper for so many years. I never miss any of them and they have excellent advice.
I drive a 2017 Chevy Cruze with the 1.4 ltr. turbo 4 cyl… GM calls for Dexos synthetic blend 5W30 oil, and we drive this car about 5,500 miles per/yr… I read a previous article that said that full synthetic may be more durable vs, synthetic blend. GM calls for a minimum of an oil change & filter annually, regardless of how little the car is driven. Do I need to start changing the oil & filter every six months to optimize the life of this engine? We would like to keep this car 10 to 15 years. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my question. I really appreciate it.
The miles/time requirements are the minimum oil change intervals.
Changing more frequently MIGHT reduce wear a tiny bit.
My recommendation, while under warranty, have all your routine maintenance performed by your dealer. There are both blends and full synthetic oils that meet Dexos specifications and licensing requirements.
Thanks very much for the reply!
Tom / Co.
Agree! But for only one oil change per year I’d ask the dealer to install full synthetic. One of our cars does about that distance per year and after 11 years I still cannot add any oil between those annual changes.
Make sure to take the car for a brisk highway drive very now and then. That avoids any crud buildup in the engine.
Perhaps you’ll want to do a used oil analysis at your next oil change. I suspect you’ll find that your current oil is still in good shape at that point, in which case more frequent changes wouldn’t do much.
Going full synthetic can never hurt anything. An oil analysis is also in order if you want the EXACT answer.
European makes seem extra obsesses with long change intervals so have additive packages to account for this. You might look into one that meets spec for VW/Audi, Mercedes Benz, etc. but BE SURE it still meets Dexos, at least while the engine is under warranty.
It is my belief that the European standards for synthetic oils are far better than those in the US but you want to use something with the GM stamp of approval on it during the warranty term.
Thanks for the comments. They are very helpful. Yes, I do drive it at 55 mph + speeds for a 6 to 8 mile run for battery charging and as you mentioned, minimizing sludge and carbon.
Thanks Again!
Tom/Co
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate it very much.
Excellent advice. Thank you very much for your thoughts.