08 Buick Enclave and diagnostic reports

kwm · 05-14-2008, 08:18 AM

Does anyone here have a GM vehicle post say 05 or 06 where via On star they monitor the on board computer in your car and send you diagnostic reports? I have come back to domestics after a long hiatus. My wife has a 08 Enclave that we bought in 12/2007. We now have 4665 miles so I scheduled a oil change with the dealer (1st one is free). Then today I got my email listing my diagnostic report. It says that my Oil Life Counter is at 51% and based on driving style 1st oil change is expected at 9700 miles. I read the manual front to back when we got the car and I remember it saying that the oil life counter is monitoring oil temp, engine RPM both sustained and height of revs, outside temp at start up etc.... So it sounds like it has all the bases covered but waiting till 5k to get the oil charged was making me worry 10k will drive me crazy. I have been watching the % on the oil life counter drop and was thinking the same to myself that man it will be like 10k before this thing gets to 10% oil life which is where the oil change light comes on. I realize the factory always errors in the side of caution and the emails are basically from the factory monitored by On star according to the factory specs so??????? Should I go by the on board computer or not?

Rot 911 · 05-14-2008, 10:14 AM

BMW has the same type of oil monitoring system. My E46 has it. No one on the BMW boards advocates using the monitor. Basically everyone there changes their oil between 3-5K miles.

kwm · 05-14-2008, 10:21 AM

Well one thing I forgot to add though is that I am a tight-ass, cheap-skate, spend-thrift, however you want to put it. And I have figured that I can change the oil half as much if I go by the computer. It has a 100k warranty so I would think that the manu. doesn't want it breaking down w/i at lest that time frame. Also I don't like to fall victim of things that can make the oil industry more wealthy....but then the rub is that I need this car to last as close to forever as possible...I DON'T KNOW MAN!!!!

70SWT · 05-14-2008, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwm

Does anyone here have a GM vehicle

Lost me right there...

Never again. Not after my first GM vehicle caught fire at 17k miles...then the tranny failed at 35k in its GM replacement.

legion · 05-15-2008, 04:26 AM

I have a 2007 Silverado. I've declined to pay for OnStar. One of the displays on my dash does tell me oil life. I've been changing it every 6k miles on fully synthetic--or between 51% and 67% of oil-life remaining.

I'd rather be overly cautious and spend an extra $100 a year on oil changes than buy a new set of main bearings prematurely.

kwm · 05-15-2008, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RSflared72E

Lost me right there...

Never again. Not after my first GM vehicle caught fire at 17k miles...then the tranny failed at 35k in its GM replacement.

Let me guess it was a Chevy Blaizer?

My Porsche caught on fire before and damn near killed me but I still lover her...

onewhippedpuppy · 05-15-2008, 06:03 AM

Rumor has it the GM service monitor is an award winning system. So of course, I ignore it on my wife's SRX. I change the oil (Mobil 1 synthetic) every 5k, normally 50-60% on the monitor. Oil sludge from extended drain intervals has killed a lot of motors in the last few years, from good makes like Toyota, BMW, and Saab. I see it as cheap insurance.