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After your trip if you’re OCD or take it to 5k/6mon
Drain factory fill or wait
- Thread starter Orangepeel
- Start date
I run all my new vehicles to 5k for first change or if oil gets low. My Caravan dropped a qt at 4500 so I changed it. 7 years and 40k not a drop lost in a year. Some been short or over 5k. Worked as a tech and newer vehicles with a few exceptions aren't recommended to be changed before normally scheduled maintenance. Vehicles with millions of miles still on the road without early changes on new vehicles.
Patman
Staff member
A lot of people disagree with you on this one..
Outside of higher-end sports cars, is there any automaker that officially documents early (break in) oil changes ?
Why don't they recommend it .
That doesn't make them right . Just disagreeable .
I didn't change the factory fill oil on my 2014 Mustang GT until about 4,600 miles and one year and it doesn't burn any oil.
On my 98 Chevy K1500 truck, I changed the factory fill oil at about 1,900 miles and it has always used a little bit of oil.
I personally wouldn't change it early and just wait until you get back.
On my 98 Chevy K1500 truck, I changed the factory fill oil at about 1,900 miles and it has always used a little bit of oil.
I personally wouldn't change it early and just wait until you get back.
Some manufacturers have a special lube that is used for engine break in. When I build an engine I use prelube on all the bearings, crank, camshaft etc. which gets mixed in the oil. Rollers and such don't require a beakin period nor do cams, and cranks. All this means is manufacturers believe that engineers have tested the engine and stand behind it. It is now a feel good oil change instead of recommended oil change. Corvette is an example as well as HellCat. of required oil change.
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Patman
Staff member
It’s one of those things where even if it’s not absolutely necessary, it’s still a good idea. I always come back to my first UOA with my Corvette, at 1100 miles on the factory fill. It had 2% fuel in the oil and thus it had thinned to a 5w20. That’s not ideal at all to go the full distance of 7500 miles if I had followed the OLM on that factory fill. The HTHS would have probably been about 2.7-2.8 and this engine really needs something closer to 3.5
New cars are subject to many cold starts and shutdowns in the shipping process and same if they sit on a dealers lot for a while. So with a direct injected engine that means the potential for a lot of fuel in there. I don’t see the harm in spending that extra $40 at the beginning of a cars life. IMO that’s money well spent, but changing the oil every 3k for the life of the car is a lot of money wasted.
Any data to support their opinions?
Patman
Staff member
There’s really no way to prove or disprove that an early oil change or lack of an early oil change would change the life of the engine. How would anyone be able to test this? But my point is that it absolutely does not hurt so why not do it even if it’s just a slight difference in engine life? I have already mentioned my first UOA above so that is one data point actually
I always find these arguments are funny because why are so many people on here against the early change? Is it the cost? Because these same people probably change their oil too often anyway and are spending way more money on oil in the long run than someone like me who does an early first change but then does 7-10k intervals for the rest of the time
I still believe in a 500-1,200 mile LOF. Every Volvo 4 cyclinder Redblock required it and was free at the dealer.
That goes for the differential and AT fluids, though I’d probably wait til 5,000 miles.
But that’s just me.
That goes for the differential and AT fluids, though I’d probably wait til 5,000 miles.
But that’s just me.
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1500 miles is fine. Nothing to lose by dumping the factory fill early
A data point: BMW continues to provide a free "running in service" at 1200 miles for M models where they change the factory filled oil and rear diff fluid. Doubt they'd offer this for free if there was no benefit to it?
https://bmwtechinfo.bmwgroup.com/si...tachment 4 MY23 maintenance M models 8_22.pdf
A data point: BMW continues to provide a free "running in service" at 1200 miles for M models where they change the factory filled oil and rear diff fluid. Doubt they'd offer this for free if there was no benefit to it?
https://bmwtechinfo.bmwgroup.com/si...tachment 4 MY23 maintenance M models 8_22.pdf
Are you sure it's free ?
It has been suggested that BMW does this for the rear diff and the oil change is done just to make M owners feel they have a special car. M-cars also don't receive a special break in oil at the factory.
It's not about the oil, but what has accumulated in it from breaking in a brand new engine.
