New Car Oil Change

I was trained ot change my oil after the first 1000 miles of driving to rid me of the shavings. Hyundai says start at 3,000 miles for the Sonata. Am I taking a bad risk?



Did I make a mistake by buying this 2010 car?

I’m a firm believer in a 1000 mile oil change but most car makers now recommend an extended interval on a new engine.

The quality or type of oil is not my concern. It’s the near microscopic break-in debris (shavings is a bit of a misnomer) that may exist and the oil filter will not stop very much of this. It’s constantly recycled through the engine so my feeling is change the oil and get it out of there.
Whenever I rebuild an engine the same recommendation is made for the same reason.

Your car is fine and I would not worry about it.

I don’t know about Hyundai, but Honda uses a special break-in oil and tells you specifically not to change it early, for what that’s worth.

How do you jump from not being sure about when to change the oil to thinking you made a mistake buying the car? I don’t get it.

Today’s cars are a lot different than grandpa’s car. Not only are the engines different, but the oils are different. That early oil change is not really needed by the car, but it might make you feel better and if it is worth the cost and if your DON’T use a quick oil change place, it will not likely hurt you or your car other than the cost.

You must be from the old school, or at least the person who trained you was. The 1,000 mile oil change went out the window many, many years ago. There is NO NEED to change oil until the first interval specified in the maintenance schedule.

You are taking no risk whatsoever, as long as you abide by the factory maintenance schedule. That’s the FACTORY schedule, not the dealer schedule.

Why are you asking if you made a mistake buying this car? I don’t see the connection. What’s wrong with a 2010 Sonata?

Quit worrying and enjoy the car.

“Did I make a mistake by buying this 2010 car?”

I am familiar with Buyer’s Remorse, but I have never seen it related to confusion over the manufacturer’s oil change recommendations.

Can the OP clarify this issue for us?

Months or miles, which ever comes first, owner’s manual says it all

If it will reduce your concerns go ahead and change the oil…no big deal and it will cost about $25. Just remember to follow the maintenance schedule from then on…

No engine was ever damaged by changing its oil…Change it every week if you want, it’s your money…

Shavings and particles?? Not much of that any more…Great care was taken to leave nothing behind when your engine was assembled…Anything missed, the oil filter grabs it on the first pass…

What about the transmission fluid?? Better change it too because it’s going to fail before the engine…

In case anyone wants to do any math here.
On most new engines the oil clearance on the crank bearings runs about .0008-.0025.
If a figure on the upper end is used (and to make the math easier) this means a static engine will have about .001 oil clearance on each side of the journal
When the engine is running and combustion pressures are applied this means that .001 is down to a .0005 or less oil film.

Since even high filtration filters will only take out the majority of particles in the 20-25 micron range (and not all of them even after repeated passes) this means that some of the 20-25 particles and almost all of the 20 and under particles will continue to circulate. Those particles being engine break-in debris, dust from the atmosphere, and combustion particulants.

Do the math on 20 micron and larger particles (and still using that .0005 figure on a running engine) and see how they fit in that space.

There has never been a filter made that catches everything and there never will be.
Oil and filters are comparatively cheap; engines are not. Just something for consideration anyway.

Very old school indeed! I quote from my 1965 Dodge Dart maintenance schedule:

“The oil added to the engine at the FACTORY is a high quality oil. It should be drained in accordance with the type of servce in which your car is used, such as every 3 months or every 4000 miles, whichever comes first”!! No mention of “shavings” or 1000 mile drain.

The manual of my 1966 Chevelle Malibu V8 says:

“The oil used in the crankcase at the factory is a high quailty oil that meets GM4745-M. This factory fill oil contains special additives which assist engine break-in and should be RETAINED for the normal change interval as specified on page 27” ( every 60 days above 0F, and every 30 days below 0F. Maximum mileage 2000 between oil changes. Oil filter changes every 6000 miles). Again no “shavings dump” or shortened interval.

Folklore and old habits die hard. I agree that a shop rebuild may need quicker oil changes than a factory built engine.