Thought I ask this since I don't think I saw a thread on it. Does anybody know if Smart recommands synthetic oil or regular? Also, does anybody know the recommanded interval for oil change on this car? I usually change my oil at 5,000 miles. I know the MINI has a computer programmed to tell you change oil based on your driving behavior (usually at every 10 - 15k) but most MINI folks will change way before the computer tells you. Any thoughts on this?
If the mini people are changing their oil more often then the computer tells them....then they are wasting their money.
Just my opinion.
I had a 92 Nissan Sentra, I changed the oil every 10,000 miles. The car went 150,000 miles with no drivetrain problems at all. In fact it only had a couple of bulbs burn out on the entire car. It got hit and totalled, but the engine still drove me home. It still didn't use any oil.
After 4k miles my oil looks pretty grungy. The manual said every 7k but I'd try to make every 3k. Synthetic will be new for me but I hear great things about it and will probably go that direction with my Smart.
The Scion I drive is supposed to be changed every 5K with regular "Dino-juice". I changed it every 2K for the first 10K miles, then I switched to Castrol Syntec full synthetic...and do it every 5K.
It burns none and leaks none...and I get better than advertised mileage.
I was thinking of doing the "break-in" on the smart with conventional oil. I wonder if this is a good idea.
When I was, of late, in the Ford Kent Crossflow race engine game, we ran-in a new or re-built engine on fossil oil - Valvoline Racing VR1 20W-50. Very shortly after the engine went into service it got an oil and filter change, and the filter would be cut open and examined for any unusual detritus. If things then looked OK, it continued on to about 500 miles of “work,” again on fossil oil. At that point, the engine was taken down, and everything inside looked at. We looked for a consistent wear-in across the bearing surfaces (which full synthetic would not have shown at that point); it was important to detect any misaligned or binding bearing surface early-on. We did not care to go through all that work and expense to detect nothing, good or bad, any perhaps have to re-do it later. If everything was showing a nice consistent sheen on the surfaces and we were good-to-go, we buttoned-up and changed to Valvoline Racing Synthetic, and that was it.
I wish I would have the freedom to do the same with the smart engine, but that is not practical. I would still like to do the break-in on fossil, but obviously I won’t be taking the engine down for inspection. But the fossil will serve to work the tight spots out before continuing with the known to be specified full synthetic. I’m looking at a first fossil oil and filter change at 300 miles; a second at 1000 (or at the end of the recommended factory break-in period); thence full synthetic.
Last edited by Old smart; 12-11-2007 at 06:56 PM.
Reason: punct.
When I was, of late, in the Ford Kent Crossflow race engine game, we ran-in a new or re-built engine on fossil oil - Valvoline Racing VR1 20W-50. Very shortly after the engine went into service it got an oil and filter change, and the filter would be cut open and examined for any unusual detritus. If things then looked OK, it continued on to about 500 miles of “work,” again on fossil oil. At that point, the engine was taken down, and everything inside looked at. We looked for a consistent wear-in across the bearing surfaces (which full synthetic would not have shown at that point); it was important to detect any misaligned or binding bearing surface early-on. We did not care to go through all that work and expense to detect nothing, good or bad, any perhaps have to re-do it later. If everything was showing a nice consistent sheen on the surfaces and we were good-to-go, we buttoned-up and changed to Valvoline Racing Synthetic, and that was it.
I wish I would have the freedom to do the same with the smart engine, but that is not practical. I would still like to do the break-in on fossil, but obviously I won’t be taking the engine down for inspection. But the fossil will serve to work the tight spots out before continuing with the known to be specified full synthetic. I’m looking at a first fossil oil and filter change at 300 miles; a second at 1000 (or at the end of the recommended factory break-in period); thence full synthetic.
Fish describes a solid break-in process I've been using for years as well. Fossil fuel would be replaced at the end of each of the first two practice sessions and full syn for the qualifying run and race.
On the street cars, I have used whatever came with the car for the first 500 miles and a fossil oil for the next 1000 and back to full-syn. For over a decade, engine manufacturing practice has eliminated alot of the residual particle contaminants that plagued new car engines in prior years. However, oil flushing is cheap insurance to ensure engine longevity.
Count me also in the break in on dino oil then back to full synth for a rest of the motors very long life... I am not a fan of extended change intervals... my personal history with mostly older and a lot of used vehicles (decades of low paid soldier status) is that good quality oil changed about 3 or four times a year is very good insurance....
I got an excess of 200K out of most cars and trucks since 1968 with several still running fine after 16+years and 325,000+ on the factory stock motor
I just gave away, to my son's very poor with new child coming friend, a 1986 Nissan small truck with close to 400K on the original motor.... I firmly believe that proper break in, maintenance, and being slightly anal about frequent oil changes can significantly extend a gasoline motor life
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