multiple break-in oil changes

[Hohn]

Early OCI while breaking in are a good idea. No, you almost certainly will never be able to measure a difference in engine life if you wait.

I do it because I consider it the right thing to do, not because I'm afraid of catastrophic results if I do not. It's the same reason I stop at a stop sign in the middle of nowhere even though clearly there's not another car in sight.

 

[Urshurak776]

I typically do one or two changes early, but then shift to a 5K OCI at the 10K mark. The video is excessive and is just a waste.

I'm under no illusions that I am doing anything that is really beneficial. First one gets rid of those tiny little flecks of metal, so maybe that is something, but after that, not really.

 

[Zee09]

If I need 5 complete oil changes to get to 10k miles I better look for another vehicle manufacturer.

 

[Ride_Red]

I do an early oil change on my vehicles. On cars/trucks, I usually do an initial 500-1000 mile oil and filter change, then every 5K after that. My motorcycles, I'll do a 100 mile change, 500 mile change, and then regular changes based on mileage or before long trips.

For that first change, I'll use a clean oil catch pan. I can see sparkly metal glitter in the drained oil. This is especially noticeable from the motorcycles. Typically, the sparkles are not noticeable after the 500 mile change.

OPE engines usually take multiple early oil changes to purge all the wear metals generated during break in.

 

[Leo99]

His first words are doing this can extend the life of your engine. He presents no data that the engine life was extended.

 

[kschachn]

I have difficulty making it through one of his videos. Is he actually measuring wear particles by some method or just making the claim that a spectrographic analysis is measuring damaging particles?

 

[Wylie6G72]

I did mine at 200, 1000, 3000, 6000. 3000 OCI from here on.

 

[PF52]

One change yes. Even on a lawnmower.

But 4-5 and analyzing it each time is simply flexing and unnecessary imho.

I work for a testing lab so I like a good UOA analysis as much as the next guy, but I feel testing at every oil change is totally unnecessary. Tiny fluctuations up or down from one sample to the next will probably drive the owner crazy with worry.

I do one early oil change - at 1000 miles - and afterward get oil analysis about one in four oil changes, sometimes even fewer if I get lazy.

 

[BigCahuna]

I find it funny that the only people consumed with multiple early oil changes ,are the people here on this site. When you look at all the people that buy new cars and don't change the oil in it, until a light comes on and tells them to, it really seems it doesn't matter. Then the ones that never even check the oil, still get 200-300 thousand miles from the car . Besides things like accidents, rust,floods, cost of repairs for other things, are what takes cars off the road. Your engine is the most durable item in your car. It will outlast most every other part with minimal care. And lets not forget crappy engineering of original parts that will fail, even if you changed your oil every day. When it comes down to it, even dirty oil is better than no oil in a engine.,,,

 

[2005jettatdi]

I did mine at 200, 1000, 3000, 6000. 3000 OCI from here on.

and, since it is your car and your money, you are free to do that. On my Jetta, I have done 5,000 oil changes from the beginning. The first two changes included the oil filter and filter change every other time since then. I am only at 342,500 miles with no engine problems, so the jury is still out. My other cars get the same treatment but no other car has gotten remotely near that kind of total mileage.

BTW, I have been told multiple times on here that my 5k miles oil changes are a waste of money.

 

[Patman]

I find it funny that the only people consumed with multiple early oil changes ,are the people here on this site.

That’s not true. Long before BITOG existed, back in 1996 actually, I used to spend a lot of time on the Mustang newsgroups as I had a supercharged 87 GT. Someone on the group asked if he should do a 500 mile oil change on his brand new 1996 Mustang GT and I responded absolutely yes, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I ended up becoming really good friends with him actually, he lives in New Jersey but we’ve met up many times when I have gone out his way and he even came to my first wedding. I still text him regularly, so we have had a 29 year friendship all because of me recommending that he do an early first oil change (which in the end made no difference because he only put 10,000 miles on the 96 GT and then he bought a 97 Cobra convertible)

 

[Wylie6G72]

and, since it is your car and your money, you are free to do that. On my Jetta, I have done 5,000 oil changes from the beginning. The first two changes included the oil filter and filter change every other time since then. I am only at 342,500 miles with no engine problems, so the jury is still out. My other cars get the same treatment but no other car has gotten remotely near that kind of total mileage.

BTW, I have been told multiple times on here that my 5k miles oil changes are a waste of money.

I've used your method on previous cars and had fine luck, with the exception of my Canyon which started burning oil at around 60,000, mi. I think that's more of an engine problem than it is a maintenance problem. Putting a mildly, the truck's been babied. I'm treating the Kia a little differently because as we all know, these can be very at-risk engines and I'm trying this as a preventative.

 

[Zee09]

I was doing those 1000 mile oil changes back in 1978 with my Chrysler Cordoba and yes it had red Corinthian Leather

Why? Because I was young and stuBid. It was a hobby and not a need.
At 32k miles I lent it to my older brother who went on a double date and the bozo totalled it....
So long 360ci Lean Burn

 

[TiGeo]

My BINGO card is filling up!

 

[BigCahuna]

That’s not true. Long before BITOG existed, back in 1996 actually, I used to spend a lot of time on the Mustang newsgroups as I had a supercharged 87 GT. Someone on the group asked if he should do a 500 mile oil change on his brand new 1996 Mustang GT and I responded absolutely yes, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I ended up becoming really good friends with him actually, he lives in New Jersey but we’ve met up many times when I have gone out his way and he even came to my first wedding. I still text him regularly, so we have had a 29 year friendship all because of me recommending that he do an early first oil change (which in the end made no difference because he only put 10,000 miles on the 96 GT and then he bought a 97 Cobra convertible)

Actually it is . The only difference is ,the people that did it there years ago, are here doing it. Trying to find justification for changing oil early, with other like minded people. I'm not saying it's wrong to do it, just that people that DON'T do it, have the same long term results.,,

 

[ATex7239]

I’d say that 5K OCI’s without a break-in change is much more beneficial to longevity than 10K OCI’s with multiple break-in changes. But that’s just me.

 

[UncleDave]

Interestingly Honda has no special break in instructions and does not reccomend an early first charge. At pickup my dealer request I run the MM down to at least 20% remaining before they will do it.


In the Ridgeline Forum the mods supposedly toured a plant and spoke to engineering were told that the factory fill is just regular off the shelf (at the time Idemitsu) but it is loaded with the moly assembly lube which helps cushion any high spots and aids in break in.

 

[sandcritter]

Bought a NOS motorcycle this past winter, 23mi on it, oil would be 2 - 2.5 years old by this spring. So I changed it, and the final drive gear box, too. Triumph Rocket 3. The oil filter had a light sprinkle of metallic flakes, about what would expect. The final drive drain plug magnet had a thimble of black metallic paste clinging to it, like 2cc worth; that surprised me.

May have been overkill, but do have fresh engine oil and did take a fair bit of crap out of circulation, so, hey.

 

[Ride_Red]

Bought a NOS motorcycle this past winter, 23mi on it, oil would be 2 - 2.5 years old by this spring. So I changed it, and the final drive gear box, too. Triumph Rocket 3. The oil filter had a light sprinkle of metallic flakes, about what would expect. The final drive drain plug magnet had a thimble of black metallic paste clinging to it, like 2cc worth; that surprised me.

May have been overkill, but do have fresh engine oil and did take a fair bit of crap out of circulation, so, hey.

Motorcycles really shed a lot of metallic particles during break in. Change early and often during break in.

 

[Glenda W.]

I find it interesting that some of the very folks so against an early oil change or two have no problem dumping additives in their expensive oil….