[Gaul22]

I am a new owner of a 2013 Passion with 11,000 miles Just want to introduce myself and thank you guys for all the wealth of information that you all have shared . A few days after we got the car home i noticed the service light was on for the yearly check up , contacted the MB dealership where the previous owner had the car serviced and was told the 10K service was done a year go . We know the dealership we purchased the car did an inspection of the car before it was offered for sale they did not change the oil bc it still looked good ,So we rechecked the oil just to make-sure, and thanks to you guys we learned how to reset the service light . Still can't believe i have my dream car, i know its just a car but its my first "new" car . looking forward to many miles of fun !

 

[jwight]

Welcome st SCoA!

 

[Huronlad]

Welcome to sCOA.

 

[stevenjb]

Get a subscription to Evilution and learn about your new beast.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Welcome to SCoA!!!! Happy to see another Dreamer here!!! <3

 

[sokoloff]

Welcome and you can't judge the condition of the oil by looking at it. If there are 10K miles on the oil, I'd say it's probably due for a change.

Len
2014 EV

 

[stevenjb]

From what the OP wrote it appears the car was driven only 1000 miles after the 10K oil change

 

[jzchen]

The oil is a year old. Try to ask them nicely if they will change it for you on the house. It is due, by length of time.

Mine has 12xxx miles. It's had 4 oil changes already....

 

[Gaul22]

MB dealership said it was fine even though it has been a year due to the low miles driven in that year . That being said i plan on just going ahead and change it this weekend ( changing oil in the other cars so might as well ) . What is your take on millage to change the oil , owners manual says 10K , other members do it at 7500k ?

 

[WhiteNBlack08]

MB dealership said it was fine even though it has been a year due to the low miles driven in that year . That being said i plan on just going ahead and change it this weekend ( changing oil in the other cars so might as well ) . What is your take on millage to change the oil , owners manual says 10K , other members do it at 7500k ?

Opinions vary greatly, and sometimes the oil change interval leads to heated discussions, but I am a firm believer in 5K mile oil changes. I only run Mobil 1 0W-40 in my smart. I change it every 5K, and my smart now has over 183K miles on it. Must be doing something right....

 

[Gaul22]

That 's what i plan to do 5k . We only use Mobil oil in our cars, my husband swears by it. It must be good bc my other car has over 300k miles and has never given us any issues (engine wise) but we do tend to take care of our cars more than most .

 

[jzchen]

I don't get enough miles on the smart to change at 10k miles, so I can't say anything from personal experience. If you don't feel good about waiting that long, then follow what you want. I don't want to tell anyone what to do. I do know that for a while Mobil 1 0W-40 was on the BMW LL-01 list on their website, which was a short list of about 4 or 5 different oils, and at that time the E90 sedans in the house, both '08s, had/has a 15k mile/1 yr change interval. My wife's would reach the mileage warning slightly before 15k mi, and doing the change myself once, or twice, the oil was slightly thick. It takes 6.9 quarts per Bentley Manual, but as far as I know most, including me, just use 7. (I use BMW 5W-30 full synthetic oil for the BMWs, but the Mobil 1 0W-40 was allowed). That is for a 3.0 L engine, boosted or non boosted, the amount and interval was the same. (My wife had an N51, I have an N54). The smart is approx. 1.0 L engine, which takes 3.6 quarts. I wouldn't personally worry about a 10k mile interval, but that's just me...

 

[sokoloff]

For $13 you can get an oil analysis to tell for sure how good your oil is and then you don't have to go by the seat of your pants and/or outdated theories. My Mercedes suggest one year, two year and/or 10,000 to 15,000 mile changes, depending on which one. I have gone to the end of the suggested limit and the analysis always came back with positive results. It's really hard to ruin your oil within the suggested time/mileage limits, assuming you are using something like Mobil 1. The Smart holds much less oil than a Mercedes, but the recommended service interval should still be quite safe. An oil analysis will verify that for you and save you time and money in the long run.

BTW, I never plan to change the oil in my Smart.

Len
2014 EV

 

[jzchen]

For $13 you can get an oil analysis to tell for sure how good your oil is and then you don't have to go by the seat of your pants and/or outdated theories. My Mercedes suggest one year, two year and/or 10,000 to 15,000 mile changes, depending on which one. I have gone to the end of the suggested limit and the analysis always came back with positive results. It's really hard to ruin your oil within the suggested time/mileage limits, assuming you are using something like Mobil 1. The Smart holds much less oil than a Mercedes, but the recommended service interval should still be quite safe. An oil analysis will verify that for you and save you time and money in the long run.

BTW, I never plan to change the oil in my Smart.

Len
2014 EV

Problem solved with an oil-less EV! Is the oil analysis good for water absorption, for low mileage use for example? Water and oil don't mix.... :shrug:

 

[WhiteNBlack08]

Problem solved with an oil-less EV! Is the oil analysis good for water absorption, for low mileage use for example? Water and oil don't mix.... :shrug:

Yes.

You can see an example report here: http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f353/two-blackstone-tests-38799/

They check for water.

Like I said in my previous post, oil change intervals tend to provoke "heated" discussions. If folks want to run their oil to 10K, more power to them. I won't do it. :shrug:

 

[sokoloff]

If folks want to run their oil to 10K, more power to them. I won't do it. :shrug:

Even with a squeaky clean oil analysis?

Len
2014 EV

 

[WhiteNBlack08]

Even with a squeaky clean oil analysis?

Len
2014 EV

Yep. Because in the end, I can spend $30 on an oil analysis, or spend it on an oil change. $35 every 5K is WAY cheaper than a $6K engine...

And don't spew me any of that tree hugger "wasting resources" BS. The smart only takes 3 1/2 qts, and I recycle all my oil as any good responsible citizen should...>

 

[sokoloff]

Problem solved with an oil-less EV! Is the oil analysis good for water absorption, for low mileage use for example? Water and oil don't mix.... :shrug:

Attached is a sample of the oil analysis I get. Yes, it does show water. I use this guy who I know well - Performance Analysis | Climate Control | Diaphragms | Blower Motors | Pushbutton Panels | Vacuum Door Locks | Autotemp | Cruise Control | Engine Oil Analysis | Mercedes-Benz Parts | Mercedes-Benz Club of America | Oak Ridge | Car Care - Engine Oil An

Len
2014 EV

 

[jzchen]

I guess my question was more with sample preparation. Do you shake it up like Italian salad dressing?

Sorry if this came out bluntly/rudely! It is a question on sample reliability considering water and oil do not mix well.

 

[jzchen]

My Mercedes suggest one year, two year and/or 10,000 to 15,000 mile changes, depending on which one.

I haven't seen a Mercedes with a two year limit. Only car I've seen with 2 yr/20k mile interval is a C-MAX Energi plug in hybrid. Just curious which model/year?