We’ve been told for decades that we need to run the specific oil that the factory calls for in our late model vehicles. The first cars I remember that were particular was when Mobil 1 and Chevrolet got together with the synthetic oil for Corvettes. That was in 1993 and ever since, Mobil 1 has been the official oil of the Corvette and many other Chevrolet vehicles. With that being the factory filled oil, and the recommended oil for any and all oil changes, you’d think it was the right oil for the job. Apparently that is not always the case, and our friend Lake Speed Jr, aka the Motor Oil Geek, is going to tell us why.
Does that mean all the engine failures from GM that have triggered this recall are in fact avoidable with just an oil change?
Video Description:
GM recently issued a recall that impacts Chevy, GMC and Cadillac trucks and SUV’s that feature the 6.2 L87 V8, and even if you don’t have one of these vehicles, it reveals important information. Let’s break down the recall and how it actually busts the internet motor oil myth that you can’t use an oil thicker than what the OEM recommended.
Here is the proper framework for making decisions regarding oil.
Step 1 – Utilize the OEM recommended oil and do two early oil changes during the break-in process (500 to 1,000 miles and again between 3,000 and 4,000 miles). If the engine is already broken-in, skip to step 3.
Step 2 – Take used oil samples at each oil change to establish the trend analysis.
Step 3 – Go 5,000 miles on the third oil change and take a used oil sample. If the wear rate per 1,000 miles is below 5 ppm, you are good. If the wear rate is between 5 ppm and 10 ppm per 1,000 miles, go another 5,000 miles on the OEM recommended oil and resample. If the wear rate is still greater than 5 ppm per 1,000 miles, then move to step 4.
Step 4 – Review the used oil analysis data to see if the OEM recommended oil is falling short in any aspect (low viscosity, additive depletion, higher wear rate). If it is falling short, try a different oil of the same viscosity that meets the OEM spec. Go 3,000 to 4,000 miles on that oil and then refill with that same oil and go another 5,000 miles before taking another sample. See if the change in brand drops the wear rate per 1,000 miles below 5 ppm. If it does, you are good. If it does not, then move to Step 5.
Step 5 – Since the change in brand did not get the wear rate per 1,000 miles below 5 ppm, use next higher viscosity grade of whichever oil had the lowest wear rate per 1,000 miles. If it was the non-OEM brand, resample at 5,000 miles to check the wear rate per 1,000 miles. If it was the OEM brand, you will need to use it for 3,000 to 4,000 miles to flush the non-OEM oil out of the system before going 5,000 miles on the higher viscosity OEM oil to take another sample. If either higher viscosity oil brings the wear rate down, then stay with that viscosity grade. If the wear rate per 1,000 miles is still above 5 ppm, go back to Step 4 and repeat. If the wear rate per 1,000 miles is below 5 ppm, you are good. You can then use the oil analysis results to fine tune the oil change interval.
For more about Oil Analysis, check out: https://www.speediagnostix.com
Here are links to information related to the recall:
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025…
https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/u…
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/11/…