DEXOS 1 GEN 2, THE MAGIC MOTOR OIL: A few weeks ago I noticed that my Chevrolet pickup was a quart low in oil. Since I'm old enough to have changed oil in my past, I decided to add a quart myself.

So I went to the owner's manual to see what grade of oil I should use. That was hard, given that the maintenance information/specifications are scattered throughout the manual, hidden by pages and pages of safety nannyisms. But finally I found it: the Chevy Colorado uses a 'made especially for it' oil specification (Dexos 1 Gen2) that is not sold in your local auto parts store.

So I had to go to the dealer, to overspend for a quart of motor oil just formulated for me. What's next? Be over 18, show a drivers license, and provide registration and insurance information?

By the way, Dexos 1 Gen 2 is actually Mobil 1 synthetic oil (though GM won't officially admit it).