Low oil light question

This light has never come on before, my "info screen" says there is 51% left. Does this light come on when it is around 50%, just asking?

Also what's the minimum % of oil you can drive with before getting it changed?

I'm assuming you are referring to the oil life warning light on the DIC? The light will come on based on when you last reset the oil life monitoring system which should be with the last oil change. When you reset it reads 100% and then starts dropping in percentage based on several factors such as length of drives, coolant temperature, rpms and vehicle speed so it won't necessarily come on at 50%.

It is best not to depend on that system to determine when to change the oil and filter since it is inaccurate. Just go with mileage in a range of 3K to 5K miles depending on the type and quality of motor oil you use.

However, be sure to reset the system when ever you do an oil/filter change.

There is also a low oil level light on the instrument cluster, so just to clarify, which one are you referring to, low oil life-% or low oil level?

CHECK THE DIPSTICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Assume the worst and hope for the best!

CHECK THE DIPSTICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Assume the worst and hope for the best!


There is about a quart of oil missing. I last changed my oil about 4 months ago and 3300 miles. My question is does the oil level always lesson between oil changes (due to evaporation ?) or should the same oil level be there?

There is about a quart of oil missing. I last changed my oil about 4 months ago and 3300 miles. My question is does the oil level always lessen between oil changes (due to evaporation ?) or should the same oil level be there?

3000 miles per quart is about right for oil consumption. The engine is going to consume some oil by the rings, some as oil mist thru the PCV system. It is actually a reasonable exercise to drain the dirty oil back into the fresh oil container from the catch-pan (assuming you use a bulk container like a 4Q or 5Q jug) just to get a rough idea of what's being consumed.

A 3800 has more problems with an overfill than an underfill as the oil can get "beaten" by the crankshaft and aerated to the point where the hydraulic lifters will "pump up".

That said, I've always poured 5Q in with a filter change and nae problems so far (4.5Q required by owners manual).

My question is does the oil level always lesson between oil changes (due to evaporation ?) or should the same oil level be there?

What is your current mileage? It would help to post that important data in this type of discussion. Oil does not evaporate but may get burned in combustion depending on the age and mileage on your engine. It could be various reasons like piston rings, valve stem seals, PCV issue, etc. or be normal. Also, you can lose oil due to external leaking which is common on any L67 or L36 Series II 3800 engine.

The SII 3800 unlike certain other GM engines is not an oil burning or high oil consumption engine. None of my engines with varying mileage have ever used 1 quart of oil between oil changes. Maybe in a range of 1/4 or 1/2 quart in a worse case.

What is your current mileage? It would help to post that important data in this type of discussion. Oil does not evaporate but may get burned in combustion depending on the age and mileage on your engine. It could be various reasons like piston rings, valve stem seals, PCV issue, etc. or be normal. Also, you can lose oil due to external leaking which is common on any L67 or L36 Series II 3800 engine.

The SII 3800 unlike certain other GM engines is not an oil burning or high oil consumption engine. None of my engines with varying mileage have ever used 1 quart of oil between oil changes. Maybe in a range of 1/4 or 1/2 quart in a worse case.


1997 Grand Prix GT 104k. While I havn't had the oil changed in 4 months and 3300 miles. The info center says there is 51% left, what's the lowest it could go without engine damage?

To start what brand and weight engine oil are you using? And is it dino or synthetic based?

The oil life monitor system is just a monitoring system and really has no bearing on how long go you can go without engine damage due to the variables involved and driving conditions. Technically it is unreliable. You can see that since it is reading out 51% and you have gone 3300 miles providing that it was reset during the last oil/filter change. So if we were to extrapolate or hypothetically say for example when it reads 0% then you could have well over 6K miles which IMO is way too high for regular non synthetic oil.

In your case low oil level would be the primary concern. So if you are one quart low either add a quart or do an oil/filter change. 4.5 quarts with filter change.

To start what brand and weight engine oil are you using? And is it dino or synthetic based?

The oil life monitor system is just a monitoring system and really has no bearing on how long go you can go without engine damage due to the variables involved and driving conditions. Technically it is unreliable. You can see that since it is reading out 51% and you have gone 3300 miles providing that it was reset during the last oil/filter change. So if we were to extrapolate or hypothetically say for example when it reads 0% then you could have well over 6K miles which IMO is way too high for regular non synthetic oil.

In your case low oil level would be the primary concern. So if you are one quart low either add a quart or do an oil/filter change. 4.5 quarts with filter change.

I Take it to a shop to change it. I think it is 5W30?

Your climate and driving conditions may vary, but I change mine every 5000 miles and add between changes as needed, which usually I don't have to. I put in 5 quarts and don't fret over the extra half quart. For some strange reason I had to add almost two quarts before the 5000 miles on the last change. This time I have 4000 miles and it is not low.
I disregard the oil life monitor totally. The Low Oil light means oil level is low. The percentage left is a suggestion of when to change.

Driving habits are the most important factor in determining how often to change your oil. If it's a car used on short trips, and doesn't always reach (or barely reaches) full operating temps before you get where you're going, you need to change it more often. If it's a commuter car, and you drive 30 minutes or more most times you drive, then you can stretch your oil change interval to 5k or more. Oil doesn't wear out, it just gets dirty. If everything is working correctly, 1996-newer engines with multiport fuel injection don't require a 3k mile interval. Even the OEM's are revisiting the 3k mile interval, saying it's overkill. Most new cars have a minimum 5k recommendation for harsh conditions (which is what most people do), and say you can stretch to 7,500 or more in some instances where you don't live in a dusty area and have a long commute. I have a GM engineer friend that has decided to test the oil change indicator on his 98 Grand Prix GT, and he changes his oil when it goes below 10%. The car is pushing Wally's for longevity (304k miles) and still purring like a kitten. It uses no oil between changes and has 140+ psi compression across all 6 cylinders. I don't know if I would do the same thing, as I agree with Bob that it seems to be a little excessive, but this one example seems to be doing well.