Maintenance

[tuflgal]

Hi SmartGroup!

Ok here is one for you. I picked up my Smart -Passion Coupe 2 weeks ago. And I still have no idea when we are suppose to change the oil.

I read there is a light that will turn on a month before it needs servicing. Yet the dealer said.. the first oil change is 12,000 miles.

Holy cow. Is this correct?

Thanks everyone!
Tuflgal
Corona, CA

[StevenM1TX]

You should have received the Scheduled Maintenance Guide with it. First service is 10,000 miles, and yes, the car will remind you.

[bumblebee]

There are several threads on this if you do a search. But, long story short, the service manual says first year oil change at 10,000 miles. It uses synethetic sp? oil. But many folks here will probably have an oil change way before that.

[evoluzione]

Originally Posted by StevenM1TX

You should have received the Scheduled Maintenance Guide with it. First service is 10,000 miles...

if you have purchased the extended warranty, you must change the oil & filter at 6k miles/6 months (whichever comes first). there are other services required as well (read the fine print).


regards,

ken

[canon1753]

So, is it at a set mileage? Or when the sensors in the engine detect a significant amount of viscosity breakdown or sludge? Or both?

[StevenM1TX]

Set mileage. Really nothing more than a mileage countdown from 10,000.

[StevenM1TX]

Originally Posted by evoluzione

if you have purchased the extended warranty, you must change the oil & filter at 6k miles/6 months (whichever comes first). there are other services required as well (read the fine print).


regards,

ken

Yep for those that purchased the warrenty, have fun reading the small print. For those that didn't, the larger print is in the scheduled maintenance guide.

[jwight]

This extended warranty thing has bugged me from the beginning, and this is just another example. 10K miles/one year oil change is fine, even recommended, for the factory 2 year warranty. Why isn't it good enough for the extended warranty, which calls for 6K miles/6 month changes? No rational reason I can think of, except a possible loophole to avoid warranty payments for those owners who stick to the factory recommended interval. Just don't get it.

[bumblebee]

Originally Posted by canon1753

So, is it at a set mileage? Or when the sensors in the engine detect a significant amount of viscosity breakdown or sludge? Or both?

I don't think it's based on set milage. The computer inside the car probably detects driving habit and calculate when it's time for an oil change. If you drive your car rough the oil change indicator probably will notify you to change it sooner. But if you baby the car then it is possible to go beyond the 10,000 mile oil change period. Either way, I'll be changing it around 5 - 6k miles.

[StevenM1TX]

If you click the button on the left side of the dashboard you can see the countdown. Seems pretty set to me. My Ridgeline calculates the time based on other factors, but the smart is a countdown.

If I recall correctly, you have to click it twice in a row fairly quickly to see the countdown from 10,000.