Over-the-top break-in oil change recommendation?

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Yeah, that's way over the top. Unless otherwise stipulated, I'll continue doing my first change somewhere in the 1-2k mile range.
 
I always change it a few times in the first 5,000 miles to get all the break-in swarf out of there. It can't be seen with the eye other than the metal flakes in the filter but if you do a particle count you would see it in there. Oil is cheap, engines are not so why not dump the garbage floating around early. That's my philosophy.

Then normally thereafter.
 
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Take two brand new engines that are both the same. Change the oil in one at a thousand miles and when the M&M tells you to on the second one. I would be willing to bet both engines will each last as long as the other.
 
If one reads the entire article, it basically touts "for peace of mind" tips. Also, the debate shall continue....
 
Originally Posted by Bud
Take two brand new engines that are both the same. Change the oil in one at a thousand miles and when the M&M tells you to on the second one. I would be willing to bet both engines will each last as long as the other.


No two engines are the same. They may be designed the same, manufactured in the same manner, used similar materials and processes, they are not the same and their are too many variables, espeically with a small sample. Likewise, even if you could have two identical engines in all aspects, it would be impossible to subject them to the same environment and operational conditions to judge which would last longer than the other..

With that being said, the purging of damaging wear materials and contaminants as early as possible, and often during the break-in period, will reduce unnecessary wear and may lead to longer engine life. My dealer told me after a minor rebuild to leave the oil in until the oil life monitor says to change it. After 1700 miles, the wear material was 5x the normal level and particulates in the oil was off the scale.

Having a high quality filter with maximum efficiency will certainly mitigate most of the larger damaging contaminants.
 
My best new car after break in is the Toyota Corolla I'm driving now. First filter and oil change at 5000 miles. The dealer recommend OCI.
132,000 miles plus and less than a half quart of oil used on my last OCI of 7156 miles. which was Castrol gold jug with a kind of wimpy NOACK.
 
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Always dump the FF at 500 miles then again at 1500 miles, at the 3K mark switch over to synthetic, 5K oil changes from then on.
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Twice in a thousand miles is a bit too much. OCD practically. I do think changing it out at 500 to 1,500 miles is a good idea though. That's enough.
 
Originally Posted by Malo83
Always dump the FF at 500 miles then again at 1500 miles, at the 3K mark switch over to synthetic, 5K oil changes from then on.
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That used to be my exact schedule, but lately I've been lazy. I changed my Mustang GT's oil at 1300 miles and again at 5K.
 
The oil filter does just that, filter the oil. When we take apart and oil filter and look at the metallic shavings in the pleats, what metal remnants are so large that they are not going to be caught up in the filter and will somehow come out with a premature draining of the factory fill?
 
So I guess it could come down to this. It's your vehicle. Do it like you want. Like I wanted changed over the years. Now I do a first change in the first 150 miles. If you don't I am cool with it. Just don't be yelling at me for how I like to do it.

Well truth be told I did buy a Versa Note back in 2014. Didn't change the oil til around 3000 miles. Got a crate rebuilt for my Ford F150. Did several oil changes before the 1000 mile mark. What would I do different. Maybe change the oil sooner on the Note. Still though both vehicles are running fine and don't seem to need any top off between thier 3000 mile OCI.
 
I also believe in short changes for a new/rebuilt engine but not as extreme as that quote. Assuming a normal service interval of 7500 miles, I would do the first at 500 ODO miles, the second at 2500 ODO miles, the third at 7500 ODO miles, then follow the normal 7500 mile interval after that. In other words, run the factory fill 500 miles, run the first change 2000 miles, run the third change 5000 miles. What is more important than the first few service intervals? The way the engine is used/abused during the first 500 miles.
 
People are all over the map on this topic, and the way one should drive the vehicle during "break in", is also debatable.

I changed my oil at 1,200 miles during break in, then again at 5,000 miles. Now I just do 5,000 oil changes.

Shortly after I did that I talked to a shop Forman at a dealer, he said not to change the oil until at least 3,000 miles because all the "good stuff" is in that factory fill and it needs to be embedded into the cam lobes and stuff. Oh thought...well that sucks, I already changed it. And when I made an appointment to get my oil changed at the dealer, they told me it was too early, so I just went ahead and changed it myself.

As for driving during the break in, that's a whole other story....don't go fast, don't go slow, don't accelerate hard, accelerate hard, don't stress the engine, don't keep it at a constant highway speed and vary your RPM's...make sure you don't idle long, avoid cold starts, drive over a rain deer, run around with your pants off, get a colonoscopy performed at least once a day during break in, eat Greek yogurt, call your mother, call your friend's mother, get a little wired, it's ok no one is watching, hey why not put a little camera in a restroom, what's the worst that could happen? It's break in, everything is on the table.
 
Probably will last 150,000-200,000 miles easily, if we just follow the manufactures oil change recommendation and break in the engine by just driving normally. Ed.
 
Originally Posted by DoubleNickels
In the old days, it was rumored that the initial factory fill oil contained additives for the break in period.

I guess that isn't true.



Not sure it was or wasn't a myth.

What is true today with Honda is that they use an ordinary 0W20 (probably synthetic as that's all there is in that weight), but there is significant moly in there from the build lube that is there to protect it on first start up. No harm in leaving it there.

CW of an early oil change is that it is not needed at all. Drive to the 0% point and change it. Done. In my case that will be about 12,000 km.

If you read and grok 540 RAT, then the biggest myth of all (or close to it) is the notion of a "break in oil" at all.
 
Originally Posted by Eddie
Probably will last 150,000-200,000 miles easily, if we just follow the manufactures oil change recommendation and break in the engine by just driving normally. Ed.


Manuals sometimes have break-in period recommendations such as no hard acceleration and no towing trailers.

Other than that, yes, the manual is the manual and it is fine and should be read...
 
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