Bone Daddy

Changed oil today at 800 miles on my '07 and was somewhat surprised to see this many shaving on my magnet. The Mobile 1 came out very very dark too I might add. I took it extremely easy the first 700 miles, but admit I have been spinning-up the motor near red-line a few times lately.

I have always changed oil at least by 1000 miles on new motors. I recall changing it at 1000 on my '06 and remember how dirty and smelly it came out then too. I don't remember the shavings but the '06 may have not had the magnet.

All I can say is I'm glad I changed it when I did.

Bone

NORTY

Can you imagine the crud circulating in the non-magnetized drain plugged 2006's? And we wonder why the #3 bearing commits suicide...

pennys58

I've got an '06...and after seeing that I need that drain plug

willhaveC6

Haven't seen a troll doll for 35 or 40 years and I certainly never saw one with a schwantz like that. Hope he gets his oil changed soon.

Diggy Moe

I changed my oil at 2500 miles,I had less flakes on my plug.

Wayne O

Granted it's almost impossible to judge used motor oil by color but those metal shavings.

And there are still people who argue against changing your motor oil sooner than the remaining oil life indicator suggests....since when is clean, fresh motor oil undesirable?

glass slipper

If you really believe you accomplished something, you should have changed your oil when you got it home. By the time you went 800 miles, if this stuff was really going through your engine, it would have gone through it thousands of times causing engine failure 100's of miles ago. The reality of the situation is you have three lines of defense against particles going through your engine. The first is obviously the magnetic drain plug...it did its' job. The second is the oil sump, heavier particles fall to the bottom and remain until the oil drain flushes them out...that's one of the oil pans many jobs. The third is the oil filter, it catches particles you can't even see...and it obviously did its' job. The bottom line is none of this stuff is actually going through the engine and ending up in the oil passages/bearings.

I'm sure GM would change the oil after 5 miles if they really thought there was a danger of engine failure due to contamination. If it makes you feel better to change your oil sooner than recommended, that's one thing. But your post is like the "boy who cried wolf" meets "chicken little"...the sky really isn't falling.

VET4LES

Well said.

BlackZ51Vett

vetracn98

knkali

hayseed51

Bone -

I too belong to the change early school of thought. Got it out at less than 1k. I didn't have quite the accumulation on the plug that you did. I'll bet the discoloration of the oil was just the break-in lube suspended in the oil. Now if the oil was still clear at first change, you might have something to worry about.

For those who are trying to do the best thing for your engine re oil changes, I would sure encourage you to have your used oil analyzed. Choose a reputable outfit like Blackstone Labs. I've been having motor oil and gear lube analyzed for years and it really takes the guess-work out of it. It is an expense, but the data doesn't lie. You really find out what's going on in there....

LS1LT1

Good points.
Still, I might get a magnetic drain plug for my '06 at the next oil change.
It's safe to assume that it won't catch the potential aluminum shavings (so much of the motor being aluminum and all) that might exist though right?

Bone Daddy

No "Sky is Falling" saga here Boss. Photos speak for themselves. You change your oil per your computer, and I'll change mine when it feels good.

I never said your motor was going to fail....what I said was that "I" was glad I changed mine.

You may think it was a waste of time, but this measly $35 M1 oil change did not set me back much, and I feel better knowing its done.

Photos were posted for the benefit of those CF members who might be interested in knowing what to expect out of a fresh motor.

AtHomeSoda

If this was your frist oil change... did the car already have a magnetic oil plug form the factory?

glass slipper

I'm glad it makes you feel better, that's what I said in my post. However, the title of your thread is "Step inside and see what is (or was) flowing around in your build-oil (photos)", but it's not flowing around in the oil...that's where the "boy that cried wolf" came from. Then you said you were glad you changed it when you did implying catastrophe was imminent if you hadn't...thus the "sky is falling" analogy. Like I said, if it makes you feel better, have at it. But don't scare others with the rhetoric including the "very, very dark smelly oil"...that just means it's doing its' job, plus nothing can be determined by the color and smell of engine oil. What you found on the drain plug really isn't anything to be concerned about...I've seen much worse with no impact on the engine. What I got from your pictures is the magnetic drain plug is doing its' job and that's a good thing.

Bone Daddy

How do you think the metal shavings got to the magnet if "it's not flowing around in the oil" as you say? Do you think that one tiny little magnet is going to catch all the shavings? You sound like the expert....so how did these large particals get by the filter anyway?

Call it what you want I stand by what I said about it coming out very dirty. That was a fact... not "rhetoric". The only implication was that a preliminary change would only help matters, not that the a catastrophe was imminant.

Look.... just take the last word Glass Slipper. I'll graciously give it to you. Perhaps that way the thread won't be dominated by your opinions of my original post.

Bone Daddy

Yes first oil change and the car came with the magnet plug. The 2007's were the first to my knowledge.

SimpsonH

That's why some of us change the oil in a new engine during the first 500 miles. The oil is dark because it is doing its job and keeping crud in suspension.

CessnaDriver

Wasn't the magnetic plug added in 07 because of the reasons why the filter changed too?

I seem to recall a post here saying something like that making the magnetic plug necessary.

In other words, its not the end of the world if you do not have a magnetic plug on pre 07's.

Anyone recall?