[MrChrisLS3]

Originally Posted by Glen e

Maybe some gm techs can chime in here I really doubt they do an oil test on an engine failure. Just my Opin from managing bmw warranty for several years on the Corp side. We always looked for the proper amount of oil, whether the oil was clear of debris, but never a Blackstone oil test to figure out whether it was something as obtuse as a “dexos ” classification.

Further, has anybody ever seen a post on a Car forum where a manufacturer turned down a warranty because they did an oil test? I never have, that includes the Corvette/ Bmw /Honda and Camaro sites for me…

I'm with ya, the only thing I could think that would clue them in that direction was if the failure looked like it was caused by friction issue. In which case they might hunt down service records etc. Or, if, and I doubt there would be, some tell tale factor inside the engine that would differentiate a Dexos oil from non Dexos oil. I don't think the dealer is going to have it tested, however, perhaps GM might ask for a sample of the oil?

Then the big question becomes, if the dealership used the wrong oil, either through negligence or cutting cost, would GM just go ahead and warranty the engine replacement and charge it back to the dealer, or would the customer have fight to get this done?

[ste1n]

Originally Posted by Ventura 1LE

I guess your good to go... If they documented it then .. how.. they asked for VIN and Name? (just curious..)
As you said make sure the dealership knows what they did and have the ESP stuff on hand... They need to know it's not ok to be doing this to the LT1s and LT4s they service... better yet go to another dealership..

She asked for the vin but I didn't have it ready so asked my name, last name and phone number.

I called the dealer back and explained the whole thing to the service writer and he said he was gonna have service manager call me and of course he didn't call back. I will call them back again tomorrow.

[c4racer]

Originally Posted by ste1n

She asked for the vin but I didn't have it ready so asked my name, last name and phone number.

I called the dealer back and explained the whole thing to the service writer and he said he was gonna have service manager call me and of course he didn't call back. I will call them back again tomorrow.

I’m sure he will get right back to you.

[ste1n]

Got some updates. I had gone to the dealer back explained them the whole thing and service manager was surprised because a non dexos oil was used. He told me he was going to try to find the oil and call me back. He called me back the next day and told me they got it.

So I went there today to get the oil changed out. I asked if I could see the oil bottle and it was Ac Delco 5w30 Dexos 2. I was expecting they would get Mobil 1 0w40 ESP formula but I guess this is okay too?

I daily drive my car so it is exposed ohio cold. Is 5w30 as good as 0w40 in cold temperatures?

[trohde78]

Originally Posted by ste1n

Got some updates. I had gone to the dealer back explained them the whole thing and service manager was surprised because a non dexos oil was used. He told me he was going to try to find the oil and call me back. He called me back the next day and told me they got it.

So I went there today to get the oil changed out. I asked if I could see the oil bottle and it was Ac Delco 5w30 Dexos 2. I was expecting they would get Mobil 1 0w40 ESP formula but I guess this is okay too?

I daily drive my car so it is exposed ohio cold. Is 5w30 as good as 0w40 in cold temperatures?

Technically, 0W-40 is better for cold startup, because it's even thinner than 5W-30 when cold. Also, I thought the '19+ models are only supposed to use 0W-40 ESP?

With that said, the engine is the same as the '16-18's, which came with 5W-30, so it isn't going to blow up. However, this dealer seems to have no idea what they're doing. What does your oil cap say?

[Indy_62]

Originally Posted by MrChrisLS3

I'm with ya, the only thing I could think that would clue them in that direction was if the failure looked like it was caused by friction issue. In which case they might hunt down service records etc. Or, if, and I doubt there would be, some tell tale factor inside the engine that would differentiate a Dexos oil from non Dexos oil. I don't think the dealer is going to have it tested, however, perhaps GM might ask for a sample of the oil?

Then the big question becomes, if the dealership used the wrong oil, either through negligence or cutting cost, would GM just go ahead and warranty the engine replacement and charge it back to the dealer, or would the customer have fight to get this done?

Former GM technician here, with my opinion and observation. 99 percent of dealerships do not care how well the car was maintained; their only goal is to honor the warranty and fix what needs to be fixed. There may be stories of a service manager that denied a claim due to negligence or poor maintenance but I can provide many times more of instances where no maintenance was performed at all (ex: an engine with 40,000 miles that the customer admitted the oil was never changed and exploded like a grenade was dropped in the oil pan and the engine was happily replaced). It would be very uncommon to send an oil sample or even be concerned as to what type of oil was being used. The dealer service department has tremendous power to provide satisfactory warranty service so the sales department can get the next sale from satisfied customers.

There was a time when foreign manufacturers (VW, Mazda, etc.) would look at maintenance records to determine if they would honor a warranty repair and not be shy to deny it; not sure if this is still the norm.

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by trohde78

Technically, 0W-40 is better for cold startup, because it's even thinner than 5W-30 when cold.

Incorrect. The 5w30 is lower viscosity when cold. The “40” carries more weight than the “0”... pun intended.

Look up the Mobil1 spec sheets and see for yourself.

[Indy_62]

Originally Posted by Gunkk

Incorrect. The 5w30 is lower viscosity when cold. The “40” carries more weight than the “0”... pun intended.

Look up the Mobil1 spec sheets and see for yourself.

The first number before the "W" is the winter or cold weight. 0w 40 will be thinner in a cold temperature than 5w 30...in a warm temperature 0w 40 will be thicker than 5w 30.

[ste1n]

Originally Posted by trohde78

Technically, 0W-40 is better for cold startup, because it's even thinner than 5W-30 when cold. Also, I thought the '19+ models are only supposed to use 0W-40 ESP?

With that said, the engine is the same as the '16-18's, which came with 5W-30, so it isn't going to blow up. However, this dealer seems to have no idea what they're doing. What does your oil cap say?

I think with 19 model year GM started filling LT1s and LT4s with 0w40 ESP formula from the factory but I might be wrong. As far as I remember oil cap says dexos on it.

[Indy_62]

For those that have not seen this thread about oil types to use while at the track:
https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showt...php?p=10270970
The Chevrolet factory team explains oils to use and factory fill type.