first oil change

thestevens5 · 08-26-2008, 03:02 PM

When should I change the oil for the first time. Do I wait untill 10,000 miles??

**Old smart** · 08-26-2008, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thestevens5

When should I change the oil for the first time. Do I wait untill 10,000 miles??

Knowing that you are relatively new to the group, I will not throw out one the rude "Search, stupid!" responses. Yup, there have been multiple threads on the subject and lots-and-lots of posts. But the search function on this site is very weak and problematic because so many threads are titled obscurely; most of them titled with some nebulous, spam-like phrase.

Personally and for my own reasons, I am on my second oil and filter change within 1200 miles. There is no way that I would go an initial 10,000 miles before tending to the lubes. There are legitimate reasons for never doing it (the 10k), depending on your vehicle usage. If you want to spend a LOT of time digging in the site you will find why I and some others have done what we did - it is all there.

Also personally, I am convinced the the Owners Manual provided to 2008 North American owners is disgracefully perfunctory concerning vehicle maintenance.

Suze · 08-26-2008, 03:30 PM

Look down at the bottom of this page at the section entitled Similar Threads - that's an easy way to get started fact finding without trying the search feature.

Suze

**Old smart** · 08-26-2008, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notsobadyathink

Look down at the bottom of this page at the section entitled Similar Threads - that's an easy way to get started fact finding without trying the search feature.

Suze

Problem: When you think you need to start a new thread, you are not apprised of similar existing threads as you indicated. At smartManiacs.com (UK) you do and obviously, before you pull the trigger.

Back to oil.

donnyonee · 08-26-2008, 06:55 PM

i just did my oil and filter at 3200 miles mobil 1 0-30 and merc filter.

buellwinkle · 08-27-2008, 10:03 AM

10K miles or bust. This is the oil change interval on my 2 MB's and that's what they get, Smart is no different. Engines these days are made to a lot tighter tollerances than engines 30 years ago so there's less contamination, in addition, oils made today are much better than oils even made just a few years ago. Even MB and BMW have extended their oil change intervals to way past 10K miles, so to me, modern engine, modern synthetic oil, 10K miles is actually very conservative. Consumer Reports did a long term test with fleet Taxi cabs in NY and they found that changing the oil more often than the manufacturer recomends is just a waste of money and these days, it's a waste of the planet's limited resources.

**Dunerunner** · 08-27-2008, 10:22 AM

buelwinkle - Do you actually believe the Mitsubishi engine in the smart is built to the same specs and tolerances as those in the Mercedes Benz or BMW? The engines in those cars cost as much as the smart! What engine specifications do you have to support your statements about the similarities of the Mitsubishi and Benz engines? I'm not getting in your shorts over this, I just am curious. I have watched Mercedes Benz, Ferrari and Lamborghini engines being built. The last two are hand assembled and refined individually. I doubt the smart Mitz gets anything like that and it is reflected in the price of the vehicle. Time will tell which break in is better for the car and not enough time has passed for that information to surface. Were the Taxi's in NY BMW's, Mercedes Benz, Checkers or Ford Crown Victorias? The last two, GM and Ford...Now there are two companies who build precision production engines!

On topic, Change your oil when you feel you should. If that is at the Manufacturer's recommendation, so be it. If you decide to throw on a cheep oil filter and pour in some 30W Dino for the first 1000 mi and follow a break-in procedure, so be it. What ever you do to maintain your smart, do it at or in excess of the recommended maintenance interval.

buellwinkle · 08-27-2008, 10:37 AM

The tests done by Consumer Reports were done on taxi cabs like Ford Crown Vics 10 years ago, so yes, I think the Mits engine is built at least as good if not better than MB engines. Don't know why you would hold MB on a pedastal, I've owned 7 MB, mostly crap but I love the free car washes at the dealer. This is my kid's SLK230 that blew a head gasket and that's just the last thing done. I moderate an MB C forum so I see all the problems MB's have and I can tell you that MB engines are the worst I've seen, pure junk. To give you an example, the 2003 C230 has a poor head design where the exhaust valve gets clogged with carbon deposits. What has MB done about it, redesigned the head and you can get the new head for $3,500 installed, no recalls, no service campaigns, just out of luck if you own a 2003. But it doesn't stop there, that year they had a radiator that comes apart internally and contaminates the transmission, oops, another $3,500 repair bill on your dime.

SylenThunder · 08-27-2008, 10:51 AM

I changed mine at 1K. Getting close to 5K now, and oil looks fine, so I will likely just change the filter and see how long the oil will last before it makes me weary. As look as the oil looks fine, I'll leave it in. Currently on Mobil1 0W-20.

**Old smart** · 08-27-2008, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buellwinkle

... Engines these days are made to a lot tighter tollerances than engines 30 years ago so there's less contamination, in addition, oils made today are much better than oils even made just a few years ago. ... it's a waste of the planet's limited resources.

Once an early oil change has flushed the manufacturing detritus and products of engine break-in, a healthy engine itself doesn't really produce much additional internal contamination. BUT, ya gotta remember that there is a constant supply of external contamination being brought in via the intake air - dirt and moisture that gets past the air filter. A lot of it goes back out with the exhaust, but not all of it, and it accumulates. That remaining can form bad compounds and acids and will remain in the oiling system no matter if fossil or synthetic oil is used, or whether they are in free circulation or in the filter. Synthetic oils are better at standing up to contaminants than fossils, but that becomes somewhat moot when you consider extending synthetics in long oil change intervals.

In "severe service" usage manufacturers recommend cutting the ideal condition intervals by a third or even a half. And the phrase "x number of miles or y months" is to be interpreted as whichever comes first in each interval.

BTW, most used oil is or can be recycled.