Overdue oil change

[TRDMS3]

Hey wondering if it's ok to go over my first oil change mark at 4000, phoned up my dealer got told they're too busy cant book me till next week ;(( it's free to so I aint rushing to do it myself. So can I still drive my car? (boom06)

 

[///M Compact]

I didn't change the oil on my sled until it hit 5000 miles.

 

[hilmar2k]

I think the first oil change is by far the most critical. I, in fact, would not (and did not) wait anywhere near as long as you already have. I change my oil at 2k miles, and will again at 5k miles.

I would get it done as soon as possible.

 

[MS3077]

I think the first oil change is by far the most critical. I, in fact, would not (and did not) wait anywhere near as long as you already have. I change my oil at 2k miles, and will again at 5k miles.

I would get it done as soon as possible.

That's odd. My dealership said it's better to wait until at least 5000miles before the first oil change. I guess everyone has different "theories" I changed mine at 2500 regardless because I wanted full synthetic

 

[wmherman@mchsi.]

Hey wondering if it's ok to go over my first oil change mark at 4000, phoned up my dealer got told they're too busy cant book me till next week ;(( it's free to so I aint rushing to do it myself. So can I still drive my car? (boom06)

I'm looking at my owners manual right now & there are two different schedules the factory requires, depending on various factors. For the most severe conditions they require you to change oil & filter at 5,000 mile intervals. For non-severe conditions the interval is listed at 7,500 miles.

It seems your dealer has arbitrarily set you up for an interval that is shorter than even the factory requires.

Obviously you can still drive your car if you can't get it serviced 'till next week. A few hundred miles one way or the other isn't going to hurt a thing, especially if you're opting for a much more conservative oil change interval to start with.

You'll find a multitude of recommendations from folks, all claiming to be experts, on various forums IRT oil & filter change intervals, type/brand/weight oil to use, filter to use, getting used oil analysis done, etc.

Bottom line is read your owner's manual & be sure you at least come reasonably close to what the factory recommends. If you feel better opting for shorter intervals it isn't going to hurt a thing, especially if the dealer who sold you the car is doing it for free.

Enjoy the car. No worries. Great car...

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

I plan on getting my oil changed at 1k. I don't know when it'd be a good idea to switch to synthetic. I hear all these horror stories about how you can do it too soon, and not properly break the engine in, or that you should let the engine mature to atleast 10k before synthetic.

 

[hilmar2k]

My first oil change at 2k was with dino oil. I am switching to synthetic at my 5k oil change, and will run 5k OCI's at that point.

 

[wmherman]

I plan on getting my oil changed at 1k. I don't know when it'd be a good idea to switch to synthetic. I hear all these horror stories about how you can do it too soon, and not properly break the engine in, or that you should let the engine mature to atleast 10k before synthetic.

I believe the reasoning most folks use in changing their oil the first time at a very short interval (1K) is that they are afraid there will be a plethora of metal particles running all throughout their engine while their engine is "breaking in."

The fallacy of this argument is that yes, there may be some metal particles suspended in the oil as the engine "breaks in" but the oil filter will trap them as the oil passes thru and the filter does it's job.

Some might argue that the filter will clog up, forcing the oil thru the bypass valve, allowing metal particles to continue to flow throughout their engine doing tremendous harm to their beloved engine.

That argument might have been valid many eons ago but doesn't hold water today. Production machining processes have improved so much that there just isn't going to be anywhere near enough metal particles to clog up an oil filter that meets factory specs.

I changed the oil & filter on my MS3 for the first time this past weekend, at 7,500 miles as recommended by Mazda based on the kind of driving I do. I inspected the oil filter closely and did not see any hint of it even remotely approaching the point to where it might have been clogging up. Now I did not put it under a microscope and there are likely some very fine particles that were trapped by my filter as it was doing it's job but the bottom line is that, in my opinion, the Mazda recommended oil & filter change at 7,500 miles, for the kind of driving I do, is conservative enough to where doing it at more frequent intervals would be considered "overkill" and a waste of money, even for the initial change.

Mazda does not use a special "break-in" oil in our engines. They use the same "dino" oil they recommend you use at the recommended oil & filter change intervals.

Regarding switching to synthetic, if there's no reason to do an initial oil & filter change early, then there should be no reason you can't go ahead & switch to synthetic whenever you want to, even at the first oil & filter change. The engine is going to "break in" no matter when you switch to synthetic, it might just take longer to fully break in but who cares, what difference does that actually make?

I don't see any real benefit to switching to synthetic oil unless one's driving conditions are in the more severe category and one wants to extend the oil change intervals beyond the factory recommended 5,000 miles (severe). The synthetic oil resists viscosity breakdown better than dino oil but Mazda compensates for this already in the MS3 by specifying 5W30, rather than 5W20. If you change oil at 7,500 mile intervals with dino oil and the viscosity breaks down slightly, you should still be in the range to where there are no worries.

I say all that to say this, using synthetic oil is great but is "overkill" and an unnecessary expense that will likely produce no measureable differences in engine wear in 200,000 miles of driving, IMHO. It gives some folks great satisfaction and peace of mind, doesn't cost that much more in some folks eyes, and certainly won't hurt a thing.

Go for it if it makes you feel better but don't be so paranoid about whether you should change your oil initially at 1,000 miles or wait 10,000 miles before you switch to synthetic. It just doesn't make any appreciable difference one way or the other in my opinion, based on over 40 years of maintaining various cars and working in and around the auto industry as well as military applications.

No, I'm not an oil expert. I just try to use common sense and wade thru all the myth's that are so rampant on the internet and in dealer service departments. Some on here will call my opinions "awful advice" and that's ok, they have their opinions also. The reader of this will simply have to decide for themselves what they feel they should do and that is the way it should be as we're all responsible for our own choices in life.

Enjoy the car. It's a blast...

 

[whitey4311]

My friends dad is a Amsoil dealer and said to wait the full 5k miles before the first change before switching over to synthetic. You want all the parts to break in well and not mess with it until then.

Then again now days these engines are already broken in so nothing to worry about and I change my Mobil 1 every 5k since that is when it starts to get dark even though it still does it job.

 

[FrequentFlyer]

The owners manuals says nothing about getting your first oil change before 5000/7500. There are a thousand theories about when to change out the first bit of oil. Do whatever makes you happy and doesn't keep you waking up in a cold sweat at night, but realize that you're probably wasting your time and money and the car is not benefiting anymore doing it before 5000/7500.

I've heard that manufacturers use a factory fill oil with high moly content to aid in the break-in process and therefor it's not good to change it out at 1,000 miles. There is a thought out there that motors take a lot longer to break-in than people think (not the standard 600 miles that they say in the owners manual) and that it takes upwards of 15-20k miles for a motor to get fully broken in. Then I've heard it's good to change it early because of break-in contaminants floating around in there or clogging the filter. Whatever the reality may be, the owners manual does not say anything about it. Being the car will have a powertrain warranty for the next 50,000 miles, I'd expect Mazda to cover their ass and make sure something would be in the manual that needed to be in there to avoid paying for premature failure due to lack of info to the owner. 1k, 2k, 5k... I highly doubt it's going to have a significant effect on the performance/longevity of your car. I've had 3 new cars over the past 12 years and I believe I changed the first pan of oil out at different intervals for each one of them because I read some different theory and guess what, they all went strong to 60-100k miles without a blink of an eye. Really, don't be paranoid. The car is not going to kick the bucket if you hit 4001 miles.

Car dealers actually make most of their profits from their SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. That's why they hate doing warranty work (can't rip off the manufacturer, but they can rip YOU off). So do you think they're going to recommend doing oil changes every 3,000 miles or every 5,000-7,500? They're pretty much doubling their profits. My dealer actually gives me free oil changes for the life of the car, BUT they will only change it at the factory recommended intervals. Whoa there! Why does my dealer only do it at factory recommended intervals, but when I'm paying for my wife's car to get an oil change, they recommend 3,000??? Interesting.... It's all about the green!!!!! Not about the longevity of your vehicle. They want you back in their buying a new car in the next 3-4 years!

 

[wmherman]

"Why does my dealer only do it at factory recommended intervals, but when I'm paying for my wife's car to get an oil change, they recommend 3,000??? Interesting...."

Bingo, it's all about people trying to get money out of your pocket and into theirs.

Like you basically stated, follow the mfr's recommendations and you should be fine. Ignore the b.s. fed to you by the dealer's service department.

 

[AutoXRacer]

I changed my factory fluids at 1K miles to full synthetic; Red Line.

To those that think there is no real value to switch to synthetic (lol2), just ask the turbo what it prefers when your dyno oil is choking up in your turbo's oil galleys... In addition to when your turbo is at peak boost at high rpms and your dyno oil is foaming up and evaporating...

There have been numerous oil analysis done to prove that the factory oil should be changed ASAP after proper break-in (factory recommended); 750-1K miles due to high metal content. Pro-engine builders do it...

Of course, if you don't do any of this, your engine won't fail, but your turbo won't probably last a full life...

Just my 0.02 cents...

 

[mazpro]

I changed mine @ just over 1K and there were metal particles everywhere in the old oil....

IMO I change the oil @ 1k miles and after that just do the regular 3K if ur going to the dealer. I would not go over that because we have the problem of fuel dilution and the turbo creates lots of heat cooking the oil. just my .02

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

I've read plenty of info about how oil lasts alot longer than we think and alot of it really is over kill.

My fear is that i'll never know the consequences of my misjudgements until it's too late and years later.

I'm sure i'll change within the first 1k to 1,500. Then i'll change at to synthetic someday. Then that's an entirely different conversation of what synthetic to go with.

I don't always trust manufacturer requirements. They're usually very vague, very general, and not always something everyone can follow. Especially when it comes to cars.

They say not to rotate the tires unless they're wearing unevenly, then others rotate every other oil change? As cars modernize, we're either carrying over old techniques or stickin with more laid back mentalities.

I don't know who is right anymore lol.

 

[///M Compact]

I've read plenty of info about how oil lasts alot longer than we think and alot of it really is over kill.

My fear is that i'll never know the consequences of my misjudgements until it's too late and years later.

I'm sure i'll change within the first 1k to 1,500. Then i'll change at to synthetic someday. Then that's an entirely different conversation of what synthetic to go with.

I don't always trust manufacturer requirements. They're usually very vague, very general, and not always something everyone can follow. Especially when it comes to cars.

They say not to rotate the tires unless they're wearing unevenly, then others rotate every other oil change? As cars modernize, we're either carrying over old techniques or stickin with more laid back mentalities.

I don't know who is right anymore lol.

I think that a 5K OCI is fine if you are using a quality synthetic such as Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum, Redline, Royal Purple, Amsoil, etc. I had a used oil analysis performed at my 10K and 15K oil change and the oil was still within spec. On my NA cars I run the synthetic out to 7.5K with no problems.

 

[wmherman@mchsi.]

I changed my factory fluids at 1K miles to full synthetic; Red Line.

To those that think there is no real value to switch to synthetic (lol2), just ask the turbo what it prefers when your dyno oil is choking up in your turbo's oil galleys... In addition to when your turbo is at peak boost at high rpms and your dyno oil is foaming up and evaporating...

There have been numerous oil analysis done to prove that the factory oil should be changed ASAP after proper break-in (factory recommended); 750-1K miles due to high metal content. Pro-engine builders do it...

Of course, if you don't do any of this, your engine won't fail, but your turbo won't probably last a full life...

Just my 0.02 cents...

I asked my turbo what it prefers & it told me it really didn't care as long as I gave it a Michelob Ultra once in awhile...(dance)

But seriously, I doubt there's anyone who doesn't agree that synthetic oil is superior to dino oil. The debate centers on whether or not there's enought difference to warrant the higher cost for someone who changes their oil & filter per the factory-recommended intervals.

You statement "just ask the turbo what it prefers when your dyno oil is choking up in your turbo's oil galleys... In addition to when your turbo is at peak boost at high rpms and your dyno oil is foaming up and evaporating" is fear mongering at it's best. I will trust the Mazda engineers judgement that the conditions you described will not occur using the recommended 5W30 dino oil.

Regarding the "high metal content" during break-in statement, that's what the oil filter is for. It will do it's job. When you drain your oil and mix oil from the filter with oil from the engine oil pan, some of the stuff that was filtered out will dislodge from the filter & mix with the oil that was drained from the engine, giving one the false impression all that stuff was running all around their engine and the filter was not catching it.

I know there are two sides to this debate and that's ok. I enjoy hearing all the different opinions though. Who knows, we might all learn something along the way.

 

[FrequentFlyer]

I changed mine @ just over 1K and there were metal particles everywhere in the old oil....

And you actually saw these metal particles in the oil with your own eyes? I find it hard to believe that metal particles were "everywhere" in the old oil, especially if you were running an oil filter and then there is the the question of how big these particles have to be for you to see them and say they were everywhere.

 

[MikeHTally]

Changed mine at 1K. Will probably do it again at 3K, then at 5K and every 5K after that. I'm switching to synthetic at 10K mostly for the added heat tolerance.

 

[BlackCherry06]

There are cars costing 5x as much that come from the factory filled with Mobil 1, including a Porsche with forced induction. A synthetic oil will not prevent break-in, but it will prevent turbo coking and varnish deposits. There is no reason to wait. Waiting only defeats the purpose of using synthetic oil. Varnish, sludge and coking are best stopped from the beginning of the car's life.

Synthetic oil is only advised against for rebuilt engines because the tolerances aren't the same as an engine built for mass production.

There's also no reason to run the factory fill for an extended period. There is no documentation suggesting there is anything in the factory fill that aids break-in. But what likely does exist in factory oil is plenty of fuel dilution and condensation from repeated starts and stops and extremely short trips, such as from one parking spot to another, on and off the ship, etc. Add that to the wear metals that have been proven to exist in a car's original oil, and you have to ask yourself if it's wise to subject bearings and cams to that.

If you have the time and money to do so, dump it. There are no advantages to leaving it in your engine, especially if you have a turbo.

 

[Chris Barnett]

I waited until 6300 miles, and switched to Royal Purple. I didn't see any metal at all in the filter. Had I see metal I would have made a trip to the dealer immediately. There should never be metal in the oil unless you have a part failure.

The exception is iron from the rings, this is normal during break in, but you're talking very small amounts being worn from the rings, maybe .00005", which is normal. This will occur within the first 20 miles, so unless you're changing oil and filter at the 20-50 mile mark, there is no point in doing it early.