Oil life span before changing oil

Bayoucountrygal · Apr 22, 2025

Hope I’m posting this in the right area. Researched but couldn’t find where to post or I over looked it.

My oil life span in the 2024 GMC AT4 sierra 1500 is at 36%. 200 miles past recommended oil change and check of 15000 miles. I’m not really able to get to the dealership to have it serviced and not able to change the oil myself. Prefer the dealership to change the oil for now. I’m not close to a dealership in Mississippi and I’m having to sit with my elderly father who is a recent amputee and can’t leave him alone.

My question is how far can you push the truck and not damage it in anyway before getting the oil changed. I can usually push the old ford a week out but not wanting to take the chance with a new GMC. My family basically refuses to relieve me of sitting so I can get this done. Long story there.

I don’t like pushing my oil life this low for fear of damaging the engine.

Any and all advice is welcome. Sorry for the long post and hope everyone has been doing well.

Chopper_Man · Apr 22, 2025

Get it changed. They can/will use it against you for any engine warranty work.

Leo581 · Apr 22, 2025

I would at least check the oil level and make sure it's not low.

FirstTimeTruckOwner · Apr 22, 2025

So here's my $0.02.
My oil life indicator is currently at 50% and I've gone just over 3,700 miles...so my guess is the truck is set at a 7,500 mile interval...again just a guess.

If you can't change it yourself and can't take it somewhere, your best bet is to have a mobile service come do it for you and provide you with a receipt/invoice for your records for any future warranty work.

hdrolling · Apr 23, 2025

So if your having to stay put you shouldn't be putting very many new miles on the truck, should be able to go a lot time without changing if your not driving it.
If your really worried just go to a local oil change and have them do it, just check your truck out before you leave.

gemarsh · Apr 23, 2025

hdrolling said:
So if your having to stay put you shouldn't be putting very many new miles on the truck, should be able to go a lot time without changing if your not driving it.
If your really worried just go to a local oil change and have them do it, just check your truck out before you leave.

You'd think, huh?

The damn olm has a clock. Like the crude oil wasn't millions of years old, when we pumped it out of the ground! But no, gm thinks it has a one year expiration date.

My '22 6.6d drw oil was changed 6-24. At 1890 miles the olm was at 11% last week. I had a ½ a notion to reset the olm for another year, but gm gave me a maintenance service contract good for 6 oil changes good for 3 years.

Might as well use'm, cause I'll lose 3 of them. Cause gm thinks paper expires in 3 years, I guess!

Bayoucountrygal · Apr 23, 2025

Thank yall for the feedback. I don’t drive it anywhere once at my father’s house. My only other option is to leave it and then get it later and find another vehicle to come back to my father’s Sunday night. Yall have a great week and weekend

Don S · Apr 23, 2025

You don't say which engine you have, but with the reported issues with the 6.2 L engine, I'm changing mine often. My last truck was a Ford Raptor with twin turbos. Turbos don't like a long duration between oil changes. I don't put that many miles on my truck per years. I just hit 3500 miles and had the oil changed. Ag=fter this change, I will change the oil every 5K miles. I used to do all my own oil changes, but at the price the dealer charges, it just isn't worth it to me do it myself. If there is an issue, all the work was done by GMC.

Quick story, my daughter and her husband bought a new Buick Encore. I ALWAYS impressed upon my daughter and son-in-law to service their vehicles on time. At 70K miles, the engine blew. GM helped them with splitting the costs of repairs because they had ALL of their service records.

R467X · Apr 23, 2025

Change your oil. 3k or 6 months if you're in a 6.2 especially . If you can't travel, look up mobile mechanic in your area. Very important that you change your oil regularly. Oil is cheap new engines are not. Can you keep going on this oil? Yes. If you don't plan on keeping your truck then it's no big deal but if you do then change it asap

Colorado Kid · Apr 23, 2025

Get your OIl changed, my brother who has been a diesel mechanic @ Stewart & Stevenson for 35 years says the best maintenance you can do for any vehicle is change your oil and use synthetic !

Koolbreezeya · Apr 23, 2025

Where there's a will there's a way, save your engine and change your oil. Mine is an AT4X 6.6 diesel, my first oil change at 5k, then every 5k there after. I just hit the 5k mark. Some do it at 3k. What's your truck worth to ya?

Bayoucountrygal · Apr 24, 2025

Don S said:
You don't say which engine you have, but with the reported issues with the 6.2 L engine, I'm changing mine often. My last truck was a Ford Raptor with twin turbos. Turbos don't like a long duration between oil changes. I don't put that many miles on my truck per years. I just hit 3500 miles and had the oil changed. Ag=fter this change, I will change the oil every 5K miles. I used to do all my own oil changes, but at the price the dealer charges, it just isn't worth it to me do it myself. If there is an issue, all the work was done by GMC.

Quick story, my daughter and her husband bought a new Buick Encore. I ALWAYS impressed upon my daughter and son-in-law to service their vehicles on time. At 70K miles, the engine blew. GM helped them with splitting the costs of repairs because they had ALL of their service records.

Yes I did forget to say what engine and it is the 6.2L V8. I do keep it changed at every 5000 miles but I’m having to stay with my father after his surgery and have not had time to go home to get it changed. So it’s pretty much parked unless I drive home about an hour and a half away. I agree to let the dealer do the oil changes these days. So far we have a good service dealer and they have been pretty helpful. But in the future family will just have to come and do their part and relieve me so I can get things done at my own home.

Thank you for the advice and have a great weekend.

Coondog · Apr 28, 2025

Video on Youtube about GM oil life monitor.

. Interesting video. GM is supposed to have one of the better monitors. It monitors your driving and is able to calculate the longevity of your oil. It also factors in a buffer so even if it shows you need to change your oil it is still good for a bit more driving. Manual also says to change the oil when your truck tells you to. (LM2 3.0 diesel) Mine tells me need to change it around 10%. In the end it is your truck as for any maintenance you do what gives you piece of mind.

Bayoucountrygal · Apr 28, 2025

Coondog said:
Video on Youtube about GM oil life monitor.

. Interesting video. GM is supposed to have one of the better monitors. It monitors your driving and is able to calculate the longevity of your oil. It also factors in a buffer so even if it shows you need to change your oil it is still good for a bit more driving. Manual also says to change the oil when your truck tells you to. (LM2 3.0 diesel) Mine tells me need to change it around 10%. In the end it is your truck as for any maintenance you do what gives you piece of mind.

That’s how the old ford we have does. It will tell me to change oil now. But with the new gmc I didn’t know if it would tell me or not and I am afraid to drive it too much when it gets to low in the percentage life I’m at 36% right now. I don’t drive it while I’m at my dad’s so that helps. Guess I worry too much. Thank you for the video. I’ll watch that shortly now that he’s down for his nap. Have a great week and thank you for the input.

sanny651 · May 17, 2025

Coondog said:
Video on Youtube about GM oil life monitor.

. Interesting video. GM is supposed to have one of the better monitors. It monitors your driving and is able to calculate the longevity of your oil. It also factors in a buffer so even if it shows you need to change your oil it is still good for a bit more driving. Manual also says to change the oil when your truck tells you to. (LM2 3.0 diesel) Mine tells me need to change it around 10%. In the end it is your truck as for any maintenance you do what gives you piece of mind.

Super helpful video. Thank you for sharing. I'm geeking out on this oil stuff right now. I don't know anything about it, so I'd like to learn more. Thanks again!