Hi All. So my 2009 HHR has been mine for 3 months now and the mileage just went over 10,000 km and the DIC says my oil life is at 40%.
According to the owners manual the need for an oil change will be indicated by the DIC and not by mileage... but as someone who religiously changed the oil on past vehicles at 4000 km this climbing mileage is giving me pause. Should I really trust the DIC?? At this rate I won't need an oil change until 15,000 km... is this ok or should I ignore the DIC and continue to change the oil at mileage intervals regardless of what the DIC says??

 

My last oil change was at 11,000 miles and the DIC said 27%. I had been lots of highway driving on trips from Florida to NY and back a couple of times. I was planning another highway trip, so I had the oil changed. I use Mobil 1. The DIC is the recommendation by GM. Go with the flow, why spend money on recommended service if you don't have to.

 

This has been posted before multiple times. Do a search for the older threads. My opinion is to follow the DIC, but many change the oil much sooner.

 

Think I'd change it Spdy especially so with the dreadful winter months coming. Where are you in Ontario?

 

I drive around 400-450 kilometers a day, 5 days a week. All highway miles. I change the oil on the 15th every month, with mobil1. The DIC usually reports 50% or better left, however with 10-13,000 kilometers on it every month i feel much better spending the money and having regular maintenance intervals.

Do what you feel is right, some say go by the DIC, whereas others change earlier. I think alot of it depends on the type of driving conditions you put your hhr through.

 

Change it now.

The first oil change should be at 3000-4000 miles then use the DIC.
That's what I was told by numerous techs and that's what I'm doing.
I change the filter every 5000-6000 miles and the oil every 11,000-12,500.

That's with Mobil 1 full synthetic.
YMMV <== ba-doom-boom

 

My daddy told me to NEVER trust my DIC....

Wait, we're talking about oil change intervals, here, right??

As a member of this highly regarded forum, the interwebz source for all things regading the Chevy HHR, I am soooo glad that we have people here that are so much more educated and informed than the GM engineers that spent so much time on the OLMS.

Here's to ya!!!

 

I follow mine, why not if they put it in the manual that way, I normally change mine at around 10% this last time it was about 10,000 miles. When I had onstar and got the monthly reports it told me my next oil change would be roughly 15,000, but I ended up changing it sooner just due to an up coming trip.

 

I only drive about 5000 miles a year, so the DIC is only around 30% after a year. But, the 12 month time limit applies, so I'll do once a year changes.

 

The Z-Man changes his when the DIC says 20% and I drive 158 miles a day and around 37,768 a year and my car has 113,000 miles on it as of this morning. I use the DIC and I have not had any problems at all. Good luck

:stee ring:

Rudy