[Uncle Sam]

Motul, a full synthetic, should be good for thousands and thousands of miles like Mobil 1. The way that the Camaro computer calculates oil life makes no distinction between a full synthetic and a semi-synthetic. If you start your car and drive a short distance without the oil getting to full operating temperature, the computer calculates the contamination to be higher because you only drove 5 miles or so. One hundred short trips, even if it is only 500 miles, will probably result in the message being your oil life has expired. I think that GM has programmed the computer to be very, very strict. If you went 2,000 miles and the computer says your oil life has been exceeded, then the warranty could be compromised even though it is not an accurate measurement with a high grade oil.

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by Uncle Sam

Motul, a full synthetic, should be good for thousands and thousands of miles like Mobil 1. The way that the Camaro computer calculates oil life makes no distinction between a full synthetic and a semi-synthetic. If you start your car and drive a short distance without the oil getting to full operating temperature, the computer calculates the contamination to be higher because you only drove 5 miles or so. One hundred short trips, even if it is only 500 miles, will probably result in the message being your oil life has expired. I think that GM has programmed the computer to be very, very strict. If you went 2,000 miles and the computer says your oil life has been exceeded, then the warranty could be compromised even though it is not an accurate measurement with a high grade oil.

I gotta ask: why would GM program this system for semi synthetic, if only fully synthetic is allowed in the car?

[Lex2021]

Originally Posted by Uncle Sam

Motul, a full synthetic, should be good for thousands and thousands of miles like Mobil 1. The way that the Camaro computer calculates oil life makes no distinction between a full synthetic and a semi-synthetic. If you start your car and drive a short distance without the oil getting to full operating temperature, the computer calculates the contamination to be higher because you only drove 5 miles or so. One hundred short trips, even if it is only 500 miles, will probably result in the message being your oil life has expired. I think that GM has programmed the computer to be very, very strict. If you went 2,000 miles and the computer says your oil life has been exceeded, then the warranty could be compromised even though it is not an accurate measurement with a high grade oil.

I kinda agree that 100 short trips, especially in cold weather, merits a 500 mile oil change. That oil will be destroyed by fuel from cold starts, especially in direct injection motors. Hence Toyotas have port and direct injection for better cold starts. My friend grenaded an Acura motor with maybe 100k miles by driving it 2 miles, 2 times per day, 5 days per week, for years in the northern US.

[1LEASYE]

UPDATE:

After making a 53 mile round trip today (75% highway, 25% city driving) the Oil Life Gauge did go down from 69% to 67%

I must say after 1,000 mile round trip to and from Road Atlanta (throwing in a few miles for fuel and food runs) plus 2 track days at Road Atlanta itself, I am impressed at how well the car handled everything.

[Uncle Sam]

Originally Posted by TrackClub

I gotta ask: why would GM program this system for semi synthetic, if only fully synthetic is allowed in the car?

I thought the car had semi synth when the car was delivered from Chevrolet. I think synthetic is recommended but not required.

Above for TrackClub, below for general discussion.

Looking in the owner's manual it states, "... engine oil and filter must be changed at least once a year ..." and "If the system is ever reset accidentally, the oil must be changed ... 3,000 miles since the last oil change."

Question to ponder: Does direct injection and our tight ring gap mean less fuel leaking into the oil or do tight tolerances increase the need for guarding against fuel leak down? I would think direct injection would not allow much liquid fuel to ever exist in the combustion chamber under normal conditions, it would be very closely metered. Disclaimer! I am not an engineer or (much of) a mechanic.