"Oil Life System" To Be Standard Equipment On Most GM Products By 2003 Model Year
FOR RELEASE: May 22, 2001"Oil Life System" To Be Standard Equipment On Most GM Products By 2003 Model Year
OSHAWA, Ontario - In keeping with its commitment to sustainable mobility, General Motors plans to install its innovative "Oil Life System" on most of its new North American vehicles by model year 2003. GM recently received a first-ever Environmental Excellence in Transportation Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) for the system.
Since 1995, GM has produced more than 10 million vehicles with the Oil Life System and, together, these vehicles will save an estimated almost 300 million litres of oil -- more than six supertankers full -- through 2002. Consumers will also save more than $1 billion in service costs by avoiding unnecessary oil changes. The system has been found to double or triple the oil change interval for a typical GM vehicle.
"Giving consumers an accurate and reliable way to monitor engine oil life helps reduce North America's appetite for oil, protects the environment and saves consumers money while still ensuring that engines are properly maintained," said Richard (Rick) Ganfield, GM of Canada's general director of engineering. "Once again, using our advanced technologies, GM has shown that there are other ways, besides improving gas mileage, to reduce pollution and conserve resources."
The Oil Life System constantly monitors how the vehicle's engine is being used, alerting the driver when it's time to change the oil. In GM vehicles equipped with the Driver Information System, the monitor also tells the driver precisely how much oil life remains. Unlike some oil life sensors that perform chemical tests on the oil, the system uses sophisticated decision-making software to determine when the oil's usefulness has ended.
In its vehicles without the Oil Life System, GM currently recommends oil change intervals on two different schedules, depending on how the vehicle is being used. Drivers making lots of short trips or towing trailers should change their oil every 5,000 kms. Those making relatively long cruising trips should have it done at a 12,000 km interval.
"But," Ganfield said, "since most drivers do some combination of both styles of driving the guidelines are far from precise. In fact, because these guidelines are intentionally conservative, a lot of oil is being drained before its useful life has ended. The Oil Life System gives consumers confidence in the fact that they aren't damaging the engine by running bad oil, and that they're not wasting time, money and resources by changing oil that has a lot of useful life remaining."
Oil changes are a significant environmental problem. Millions of litres of motor oil are sold each year in North America, about half of which is used by do-it-yourself oil changers. While gas stations, quick oil change shops and car dealerships generally follow good practices and return the used oil for recycling, only about a third of the do-it-yourselfers are returning used oil for recycling. The rest of it is apparently dumped on the ground, poured down storm sewers or sent to landfills.
In the United States, it is estimated that do-it-yourself oil changes are the single largest source of water pollution in that country. Just one quart of improperly disposed used oil can contaminate 4.5 million litres of water, enough to meet the annual needs of 50 people.
"We're proud to do our part to lessen this environmental impact of vehicles," Ganfield said. "The Oil Life System grew out of GM's extensive Research and Development efforts, and it shows once again that GM is the industry leader in consumer-oriented technology and environmental protection."