Are early oil changes bad on new cars?

[Russell]

I occasionally see posts that state early oil changes are not good on new cars? I have about 6,000 miles on my 2017 Subaru outback limited 2.5 and have changed the oil and filter twice. The first time was at 890 miles. I just feel it would flush out any manufacturing residue if any. Gives me peace of mind at least.

 

[SF0059]

 

[FCD]

I have read several threads on this and there doesn't seem to be any consensus in this.

 

[Fasttimez]

I've read many reports on both sides of the fence. One side saying it's better to drop the factory fill around 1K miles to get all the initial break in metals out of the engine, the other side saying to leave the factory fill until the scheduled OCI for proper break in.....who knows, either way I'm sure you'll never know the difference.

 

[FowVay]

After my most recent oil filter dissection at 600 miles and initial oil change at 1500 miles on my 2017 Nissan Frontier, I WILL do early oil changes on new engines from now on.

Somewhere on here is a picture of my cut-open oil filter that was filled with metal shavings and garbage. When the oil was drained at 1500 miles the metal that was in the oil was alarming. It looked like silver paint in the oil.

 

[LotI]

Originally Posted By: FowVay
After my most recent oil filter dissection at 600 miles and initial oil change at 1500 miles on my 2017 Nissan Frontier, I WILL do early oil changes on new engines from now on.

Somewhere on here is a picture of my cut-open oil filter that was filled with metal shavings and garbage. When the oil was drained at 1500 miles the metal that was in the oil was alarming. It looked like silver paint in the oil.

This one?

I've always done early changes. I haven't bought a new car in a while but my new lawnmower and tiller were changed after an hour and the oil look as if it had glitter in it.

 

[surfstar]

Whatever helps you sleep at night, is the right answer.

 

[sohccammer427]

I don't buy enough new cars for this to really be an issue.

Seriously, I have a new Colorado Dmax with the oil life remaining system. A first for me. I'm planning on changing it at 5,000 miles for a first oil change, and from then on when the system instructs me to.

Way too many opinions on this. Some will say the initial fill is a special break in oil. My diesel VW called for an initial OC at 10,000 miles.

 

[JoelB]

There is also some debate that some manufacturers have special break in oil for the FF. But there's no definitive list that I've seen.

 

[Lyman]

I belong to the change it early club. I have done oil changes before I ever hit 1000 miles. I couldn't believe the garbage I found in the drain pan.

 

[WobblyElvis]

I bought a new car in the 80's. Drained the oil early and I saw the "silver paint" in the oil mentioned by FowVay. I think the OP did the right thing.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: surfstar
Whatever helps you sleep at night, is the right answer.

Agreed.

Because there are no long term studies showing that engines that had their FF changed early last longer (or shorter).

 

[Bamaro]

If early changes were needed I would think manufacturers would recommend it.

 

[slybunda]

should it be changed even earlier like 250 miles?

 

[Gebo]

IDK. I've never purchased a new car. LOL

IF I ever did, I'd probably change a 1/2 the recommended OCI on my first change. Say 2500 miles and then every 5K afterwards

 

[mightymousetech]

Depends on the car really. Some companies say you MUST not do the first oil change early (like Honda), or engine damage will occur. Others, like the BMW M series require their first oil change quite early, at 1500 miles.

 

[OneEyeJack]

When I rebuilt the engine in my 84 Civic I used a break in additive from Red Line. I considered it to be protection for the first couple of startups. After that you've either got it right or not and the additive is of little use after that. I started with Castrol GTX 5w-30 conventional oil and changed it at about 100 miles along with the filter and then frequently after that for about 2K miles. After passing a leak down I switched to Red Line 0w-30 and it passed the leak down, again. The first oil filter showed just a few tiny particles but it took pulling the media out and stretching it and using a bright light to find them. I was very obsessive about cleanliness, torquing everything and getting this rebuild correct after all the machine work was done. And it all worked.

I consider the value of break in additives or special factory fill oil to be over in just a few hundred miles and a few starts. If something is going to go wrong the oil will show it very early on. The value of early oil changes is to just observe the process. I drain the oil into a clear Pyrex container, pour some out onto paper and observe the fallout in the bottom of the container after a few days. Obsessive I'm sure but I put a lot of work and cash into that rebuild and now that it's done I can plan to drive this Civic to my funeral some day a long way down the road (lol).

The nice thing about this is that you can make up your own mind about what to do. It's your car and to be honest it might not make any difference which way to choose. The more important thing here is that you are taking the time and trouble to do it right, whatever that might be.

 

[mightymousetech]

Quote:

Don't Change The Oil Too
Soon!
On all Acuras, the original factory-fill engine oil
contains additives that protect the engine during its
break-in period. These additives are not in normal
commercially available oils, so change the oil and
filter at the mileage/time interval specified in the
Owner's Manual for the customer's normal operating
conditions (as per the Canadian Maintenance
Schedule for the majority), not before.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Ive owned over 60 new cars. At its best Early factory oil change is a waste of time money and resources, at its worst it will extend or preclude proper engine wear in.

The problem is the FILTER. If it make you feel better CHANGE THAT. The oil may have a lot of assembly moly and that can help prevent galling etc, Also the micro wear particle that the filter doesn't trap can help wear in parts.
Think of it as "rubbing compound".

 

[Alex_V]

Originally Posted By: Bamaro
If early changes were needed I would think manufacturers would recommend it.

Mfgr's aren't in the business of selling you a car you keep for 400K and 20 years, they're in the business of selling you one that lasts just long enough, in the right ways, to impress you enough to buy another.

I drained the FF in my Cruze 1.4T at 1,900 mi. That engine is known for turbo issues and oil consumption - at 93,000 mi. it's never had a speck of repair work done to the engine and uses zero oil between changes. I'm just one guy, but this on guy says drain the FF before 2,500 miles regardless of what it is.