I have about 1,800 miles on my car, and I've had it for a little over two months now. I know the recommended oil change is at 3,500 miles, but the car will be 4 months old by then. Is it OK to wait longer than three months for an oil change, or should I take it in for service at 3 months or 3,500 miles (whichever comes first)?
I know, I know, I am not putting many miles on it, but it's been raining here in NJ almost every day! So, it hasn't seen the sun much - it's been sitting in the garage.

 

heh...i came accross that same path, sort of.

It rained every freekin day for the first 2 weeks that I got the car. I decided..... SCREW RAIN! I drove through the rain and racked up 1500 miles in 14 days. I scheduled an oil change the next day and put mobile1 5w30.
Note: There is regular oil in our cars from the factory, not factory-break-in oil. So you can go a little longer in it.

Recommendation: Go get yourself an oil change at any $19.95 place or at your dealer ($30). Better safe than sorry, its only $20


<font color=green>-Rambo</font color=green>
G35c 6MT DG/Willow

 

Call your salesman, they usually hook you up with atleast 2 free oil changes.

03.5 6spd DG/G aero pk/kit
He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.

 

I have a free oil change, and money is not an issue (not for my G), but I want to get the oil change only if it's obsolutely necessary. So, should I do it, or wait until 3,500 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first?

 

i know this is a minority opinion, but here it is... i was at the dealer @ 2200 mi for some minor things... i spoke to lead mechanice & service advisor about a number of things, one of them should i get an oil change right then, or wait till the recommended time.

they both said the same thing...waste of time & money to do it now. and i don't have free oil changes, so for a $tealer to turn down work when i said "should i get this done..."

anyway, do what you are comfortable with. it certainly won't hurt anything, and if you don't mind the time & $$, do it. i am waiting for 3500 mi...

 

After babying the car through the 1200 mile break-in period I got an oil change yesterday at 1390 miles to regular (non synthetic) oil at Ramsey Infiniti in New Jersey where I bought the car.

From reading opinions here and elsewhere there seemed to be good sense in the idea that a disproportionate amount of wear (and metal particle generation) will have occurred by this point, and that for a measly $30 an engine oil change was a good investment in the long term (I expect to keep the car for many years).

One of the service guys (who said he used to work on race cars) agreed that it was a good idea, but the service manager, his right hand guy and the salesman on the other hand all seemed baffled as to why I'd want to do it now. The service guy asked if I was sure I wanted to do it even after I'd told him to go ahead. I appreciated his consideration and told him so, but said yes, do it.

At the original recommennded interval (3750 miles) I plan to change to synthetic oil (probably Amsoil) and also change the tranny and diff fluids (also Amsoil). They can go ahead and think I'm nuts if they want...

 

Amsoil is a great oil and I've used it in the distant past. I'm not knocking it in any way except for their length of time in the engine and their recommendation (sugestion?) that you only have to change the FILTER every (what is it now?) 8000 miles.

Don't keep the oil in there for 10,000 or 25,000 miles or whatever they suggest. And don't just change the oil filter.

I presume you know all this but in case others don't, it just doesn't make good economic sense (rebuilding an engine is very costly, more than the cost of dozens of oil changes).

Also, you might want to note that synthetic oils have changed, too, over the years. That includes Mobil One as well as the Castrols, Pennzoils, Quaker States, RedLine,.and that Purple Stuff, etc. They are very good alternatives and while I haven't seen any recent studies comparing oils, I'd guess that Amsoil and all its synthetic competitors stack up very closely to each other.

Just some thoughts...

BONDg35c