Why is it needed to change the oil within the 1st 100 miles vs 3K

[jimvw57]

All my cars and trucks have used Mobil ! synthetic for years. My old Safari van had the engine torn down at 230,000 miles due to a leaking injection system that filled the block and hydro-locked 2 cylinders. The bearings came out looking like new. as did the rings. It used no oil between oil changes and we did run 3,000 miles on regular oil when it was new to allow things to get seated before changing to synthetic. We also changed oil at first 500 miles.

I am planning the same method for my smart car.

[SloPok]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Fredvon4 has got it goin' on. He sounds as if he knows as much about the mechanics of vehicles as anybody I've ever met. I'm glad to know he was protecting our investment as taxpayers of the military fleet, and he continues his wonderful service to this forum. Thanks for the great advice and I really learned something about bedding the brakes. I plan to print his post out and have it ready when I finally pick up my car. Thanks!!!

I use Hawk pads on my cars from the Tire Rack. The bedding instructions that come with the pads say 3 stops from 30-40 mph with mod. peddle pressure. Then 2 stops from 45-50 with heavy peddle pressure then let shut it down and let everything cool off.

I've never had any warped rotors doing this and my breaks work great. I have a preformance sedan and a 2 door American Sports Car (Americas ONLY sports car).

I had my sports car's engine rebuilt and a cam change. I changed the first oil at 500 miles. I use dyno oil in this High Performance engine (20w50 racing oil for the extra additives). I use Mobil 5w30 in my sedan. I changed the oil & filter in this engine at 1000 miles due to the syntheitc oil doesn't break down as fast at dyno oil.

It's your car and your engine. Do with it what you please. Go by the book if you wish. We're looking at 3.5 qts. or oil plus the smallest oil filter for an engine that I've ever seen. Oil it cheap! It's your only internal protection.

[Old smart]

Originally Posted by SloPok

... oil plus the smallest oil filter for an engine that I've ever seen. Oil it cheap! It's your only internal protection.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the small size of the Tokyo Roki/Mitsu filter. Making efficient, small profile filters is part of Tokyo Roki's corporate mantra. I woud have less confidence in a generic, off-the-shelf motorcycle filter of similar size.

[fmaxwell]

Originally Posted by SloPok

I have a preformance sedan and a 2 door American Sports Car (Americas ONLY sports car).

So you have a Shelby Cobra or a Shelby Daytona Coupe? Or did you mean a Ford GT or GT40? Or do you have a Panoz?

[Mike T]

Originally Posted by buds302

where does the metal go? into the oil.

And right after that, into the oil filter, where any particle large enough to be in any way damaging to the engine is filtered out immediately after it gets out of the oil pump.

[xcrew229x]

It' the "after it gets out of the oil pump" part that is scary. Ever seen an oil pump that died a slow death from dirt? It ain't pretty.......

[jwight]

Originally Posted by fmaxwell

So you have a Shelby Cobra or a Shelby Daytona Coupe? Or did you mean a Ford GT or GT40? Or do you have a Panoz?

It is to laugh; there's only one "America's Sports Car" - the Corvette.

[yellow451]

I have had two prevous cars with 999cc 3cyl engines and have changed the factory installed oil and filter @ about 1000mi the first time.after that every 5000mi using mobil 1.the first car was A 1987 sprint turbo and it ran fine to 138,000mi then I crashed it.the second car was A 1994 geo metro that I sold at 180,000 because it was starting to smoke.I think that the 30 dollars and 30 min.is time and money well spent.Also I dont think that the engine manufacter would agree about 10,000 mile oil changes.

[Ray Ninness]

I had the very same issues with my Mini, the dealer said 12,000 miles between changes. I brought it in at 4,000 and wanted teh oild changed, they finally did it, and charged me $88.00 for an oil change :-( But I felt better about the car after the oil was changed.. I will probably do the same with the SMART car??? It's probably a car guy thing???

Originally Posted by buds302

as with any car. you need to break it in. after the break in period you are supposed to change the oil. most break ins are 500 miles. do you know what happens during this?

ill explain.

the motor is honed at the factory. the pistons are installed with new fine edge rings. rings naturally wear out. where does the metal go? into the oil. because the cylinder wals are honed that leaves a rough wall to seat the rings with. improper break in. and you will notice that after about 10000 miles or so you will begin to burn oil. happens alot. if done right. you should break in your motor and change the oil to remove the metal that wore off the rings.

[yellowpassion]

OK,Y'all, I am a Brit, living in Houston,TX, I got here as fast as i could, ('94) I have paid my $99.00, "lined up/queued" with the rest of y'all for a Smart,(10-26-07 res - 8-25-08 config) though I wanted desperately to have a yellow/black smart, i will be getting a white/black...... I will be giving "birth" - my first, I'll have you know, hopefully B4 Thanksgiving, if anyone knows where i can get some "panda eyes" that would go down real swell too.....
I owned a lawnmower repair shop for 6 years & understand about pistons/rings & cylinders having to meld........please, will somebody just give me the short & curly's about how to run in my baby, and when & what to change the oil too, mileage, synthetic/real, etc......Thanks a HUGE bunch....."y'all"