1st oil change confusion on 1.5 BS

[Bucko]

Ah yes, another oil change thread debate. People who know more than what the engineers who collected date and determined the oil change intervals and question it, are going to do what they want to do.

c'est la vie

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[Mark S.]

In this oil change thread you seem to be a do as I say not as I do type guy.

Did you actually read the post? You won't find a recommendation from me that is contrary to the owner's manual. What you will find is a personal experiment I conducted to confirm Ford's recommendation, i.e. no need to change the oil following engine break in.

In the very first sentence I wrote, "I usually..." Like many here, over my decades of car ownership I've seen maintenance recommendations change, which can be confusing. Most manufacturers used to recommend an oil change following engine break in. The past decade-and-a-half or so has seen a shift away from that practice, with auto makers claiming modern design and manufacturing techniques produce less assembly debris, and parts that fit together much better, with fewer defects, that generate less wear material during break in. I was interested to find out if that were the case.

To do so, I cut apart the oil filter to inspect for assembly debris and wear material that used to be common following engine break in. What I found confirms--at least to my satisfaction--that Ford's recommendation regarding the first oil change is completely satisfactory. My intent was to inform those leery of modern recommendations regarding fluid maintenance. How did I do?

On a side note, if you believe you see a disconnect between what someone says and what they do why not ask instead of assume? For example, what was the intent of your post? How does your post contribute to the goals of the forum, which I understand to be helping members' better understand their vehicles and to provide a venue for fellowship between those with something in common?

 

[Bucko]

^^^ Well said.

 

[davidg4781]

... this pretty much sums up the exact line of thinking from the service manager. It just shocked me that even a synthetic "blend" can go for one full year. I definitely put less than 5k per year on my vehicles and this is the first time I've gone to a Ford Dealership's Service Department for my oil changes ... but because I'm in a rural area and they allow you to drop off your vehicle and will provide complimentary transportation back to your house and pick you up whenever you're ready (up to 60 miles round trip) ... I thought I'd take it in. I'm 65 yo and have been driving since I was 15 ... never been told "no" for even an unscheduled oil change before and he was dead serious when he said ... "Sir, it's not time yet and this would be totally unnecessary for proper maintenance of your vehicle ... if you continue to drive with this type of mileage accumulation ... come back in January."

Some dealerships actually look out for the customer.

I had a Honda dealership I liked that did that. When I first bought a Honda (automatic) I asked about transmission fluid changes. A few were very willing to do a flush, this one told me not to do that and just do a drain and fill. Later on, with a manual transmission Accord, I was having issues shifting. I took it in for a transmission fluid change and they did not want to do it since I had it done about 6 months before.

I appreciated them not trying to line their pockets.

 

[Foghorn]

I have a 22 OBX. Drive around 500 miles per month. I change the oil every 6 months, full synthetic.
Something about teaching an old dog......I take it to the dealer because it is not that inconvenient, and I want to avoid a fight if I have an issue under warranty. The fee the dealer charges me includes rotating the tires, and I get a report on parts of the vehicle inspected by the tech, including stuff I can't see underneath. Whether or not this " inspection " is done well, who knows? And some will say what could be wrong with an almost new car. I had this done today, and the " vehicle report card " I get shows that this particular tech torques the wheel nuts using a hand torque wrench. Not Just an air wrench. Either the dealer has a well-organized scam going, or is doing a good job. Take your pick.
I also had the cracked injector recall done. Oddly, the only visible indication that a tech had worked on the car was that the clock lost exactly 2 hrs. From reprogramming the PCM?
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[Bucko]

Some dealerships actually look out for the customer.

I had a Honda dealership I liked that did that. When I first bought a Honda (automatic) I asked about transmission fluid changes. A few were very willing to do a flush, this one told me not to do that and just do a drain and fill. Later on, with a manual transmission Accord, I was having issues shifting. I took it in for a transmission fluid change and they did not want to do it since I had it done about 6 months before.

I appreciated them not trying to line their pockets.

A pan drop (drain and fill) only gets about 1/3 to maybe half of the transmission fluid. It does not get the fluid out from the torque converter. A low pressure flush is the only way to get all the fluid, unless you can find someone that will drop a trans pan several times after a start in between (foolish). It's like changing your engine oil with only 3 quarts, and leaving the rest of the dirty oil behind.

 

[davidg4781]

A pan drop (drain and fill) only gets about 1/3 to maybe half of the transmission fluid. It does not get the fluid out from the torque converter. A low pressure flush is the only way to get all the fluid, unless you can find someone that will drop a trans pan several times after a start in between (foolish). It's like changing your engine oil with only 3 quarts, and leaving the rest of the dirty oil behind.

Drain and fill is the method Honda recommends and they warn against any kind of flushes. They say do this, drive it for a while (don't remember how much), then drain and fill again. After 3 times you should have mostly fresh fluid.

I never got to deal with that. My automatic Honda was totaled by a cow.

 

[Mark S.]

I never got to deal with that. My automatic Honda was totaled by a cow.

Ah yes, the old bovine trade-in program.

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