[Andy00778]

Had my oil changed last month (annual) and since then my oil life has gone from 100% to 94%. The problem is that I have not used the gas engine since then. I first noticed it at 98% but now down to 94. Don’t remember the car doing this last year when not using the gas engine.

Anyone with insight on this. At this rate I will be 70% thru the oil life without turning on the engine for the year.

 

[marcusm]

I think they program in time as a depleting factor too not just actual engine on oil usage.


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[Norton]

It's also calendar based.
2 yrs, regardless.
Sorry.

 

[lagagnon]

The maintenance schedule shows that regardless of whether you use the engine or not you should replace the oil every 24 months, so that works out to about a 4-5% drop per month (100/24=4.2).

 

[viking79]

Oil can become acidic and corrosive with age, especially when used for short cold trips (when the genset is used for sure). Sulfur from the fuel that gets in with the oil and moisture from condensation can form sulferic acid. The oil has additives to neutralize this, but can only handle so much. So the computer will tell you to change it after 2 years regardless of mileage.

Some good info: http://www.kewengineering.co.uk/Auto_oils/oil_degradation.htm

 

[2VoltFamily]

Has my oil changed last month (annual) and since then my oil life has gone from 100% to 94%. The problem is that I have not used the gas engine since then. I first noticed it at 98% but now down to 94. Don’t remember the car doing this last year when not using the gas engine.

Anyone with insight on this. At this rate I will be 70% thru the oil life without turning on the engine for the year.

Forum shows you are a Senior Member. I would think you would know this as common knowledge. I guess what we assume as common knowledge may not always be so. It will keep the forum going for a while as the known becomes unknown and then known again.

Your indicator will drop each month until it gets to 0% at the end of two years.

 

[Andy00778]

Didn’t drop this fast before oil change with only EV miles. Was at about 60% with 8000 gas miles when I changed it ( free GM oil change program). Something is different now.

6% in 4weeks, won’t make it to 2years at this rate

 

[Henry_FL]

6% in 4weeks, won’t make it to 2years at this rate

If your not happy with the value displayed, just reset it again ... problem solved! It is nothing more than a nag message

 

[dannycamps]

On this topic, when do you guys usually change your oil? When it hits 60%, 20%, 0%? Just wondering. I just had my second of the two free oil changes (my oil was about 60% when it was changed). Going forward, I am trying to gauge when I should be looking to schedule oil changes.

 

[lagagnon]

dannycamps: page 236 of the manual?

 

[caronjeff]

I have the opposite concern. Left on a 750 mile road trip with oil life at 23% arrived with 22%. Checked the oil it's still right on the full mark and looks clean. Extrapolating from that would indicate one could drive 30,40,50 thousand on gas between oil changes. The Volt is definitely a low maintenance vehicle. Nothing like a win in that column.

 

[fishhawk]

There was a software update (don't remember which one, maybe the one where it nags you if you get out of the car with the keys and the car is still running) that changed how this worked. After I got the update, I started to see the monthly drop in oil life. Both cars.

 

[ClarksonCote]

Forum shows you are a Senior Member. I would think you would know this as common knowledge. I guess what we assume as common knowledge may not always be so. It will keep the forum going for a while as the known becomes unknown and then known again.

Your indicator will drop each month until it gets to 0% at the end of two years.

Some of the Volts had an issue with the oil monitor, for some reason after a SW update it stopped the time-based countdown, but only until it was subsequently reset again, and then the monitoring works again. Sounds like this may be that kind of scenario given that the OP apparently didn't see this time-based countdown previously.

 

[viking79]

I have the opposite concern. Left on a 750 mile road trip with oil life at 23% arrived with 22%. Checked the oil it's still right on the full mark and looks clean. Extrapolating from that would indicate one could drive 30,40,50 thousand on gas between oil changes. The Volt is definitely a low maintenance vehicle. Nothing like a win in that column.

Oil wear mostly occurs with number of cold starts. Road trips or longer commutes are generally fairly easy on oil assuming you aren't pushing really hard or anything.

 

[hellsop]

On this topic, when do you guys usually change your oil? When it hits 60%, 20%, 0%? Just wondering. I just had my second of the two free oil changes (my oil was about 60% when it was changed). Going forward, I am trying to gauge when I should be looking to schedule oil changes.

I'm not sure I have a "usually" yet, since I've only owned it for two years, and had one oil change. But they wouldn't have made the thing go to 0% if they meant you to change the oil at 60%.

(NB: Doesn't apply for 2012 or 2011, because those models don't respect the calendar rule, just engine revolutions. Later models degrade on schedule and tick off about 1% per week, even if you don't run the engine, so they hit 0% at the two year mark no matter what.)

 

[hellsop]

There was a software update (don't remember which one, maybe the one where it nags you if you get out of the car with the keys and the car is still running) that changed how this worked. After I got the update, I started to see the monthly drop in oil life. Both cars.

Got that update, and my meter ignores the calendar...

 

[ClarksonCote]

(NB: Doesn't apply for 2012 or 2011, because those models don't respect the calendar rule, just engine revolutions. Later models degrade on schedule and tick off about 1% per week, even if you don't run the engine, so they hit 0% at the two year mark no matter what.)

These model years respect the calendar rule as well, or at least did at least some of the time. My 2011 did, then didn't after a SW update, then did after the oil life monitor was subsequently reset.

 

[2VoltFamily]

Got that update, and my meter ignores the calendar...

Yes, from what I have read on the Forum 2011 and 2012 ingore the calendar when determining oil life on the meter. You have to remember to get it changed. Not sure if there was an update or not but sounds like a good poll question for the Gen 1 forum for 2011 and 2012 owners only.

 

[2VoltFamily]

On this topic, when do you guys usually change your oil? When it hits 60%, 20%, 0%? Just wondering. I just had my second of the two free oil changes (my oil was about 60% when it was changed). Going forward, I am trying to gauge when I should be looking to schedule oil changes.

From the manual and that is when I "usually" get mine changed (but I have only done it twice):

Every 24 months or when the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message displays, change the
engine oil and filter as soon as
possible, within the next 1 000 km/
600 mi. The engine oil and filter
must be changed at least once
every 24 months.

 

[Norton]

.. Road trips or longer commutes are generally fairly easy on oil assuming you aren't pushing really hard or anything.

Correct. The oil is as hot as it gets and has time to evaporate any moisture build up from short cycles.

ERDDT is the worst. The engine and the oil never get up to full operating temperature.

That Oil Life Monitor is only a fancy clock. It does not look at short, cold cycles as a problem.
And some owners in cold climates have had a moisture build up problem in the oil.