[Grand Drive]

My new car ( Grandi10 Petrol) clocked just 500 kms and due for first free service. Do I need to wait for 1000 / 1500 kms to change the engine oil and oil filter ?

I am planning for a highway trip. Is it advisable to take my car for the highway trip with just 500 kms run in period or do I need to wait to cross the 2500 kms mark ?

[thoma]

Originally Posted by Grand Drive

My new car ( Grandi10 Petrol) clocked just 500 kms and due for first free service. Do I need to wait for 1000 / 1500 kms to change the engine oil and oil filter ?

Please adhere to the service schedule given in your owner's manual for the manufacturer to honor warranty issues, if any in future. It would have been better if the car had clocked at least 1000 kms before the oil change.

There is a wealth of opinion in this thread on running-in. The car is actually supposed to go through a variety of conditions during run-in but not at sudden or maximum strain to the components. So a highway trip too counts good, but remember to vary the speed and go through the gears than keeping a steady throttle all throughout the trip. Do search the previous pages of this thread or use the search box for (better) answers.

My take : call up the service center and check with them if they are okay to postpone the first service till you reach back from the trip. I guess it would be okay if the dates are offset by a week to 10 days, but confirm it with them.

[Gansan]

@Grand Drive

When is the first service due? Is it 1000KM/one month? If so, you will have to do the first service on the dot irrespective of distance covered, to keep warranty intact.

Sometimes dealers may talk sweetly and say it is ok to service after completing the distance, but may renege on the warranty later if a claim arises.

It is ok to take it on the highway. When my car's first service became due, I found I was about 300 KM short, so took it on a Pondy drive. Just keep within the specified speed/RPM limits for each gear, and vary the engine speed from time to time while driving. Don't do a constant speed. Also, don't hurry and take a short break every couple of hours.

If I were you, I would do the first service on the dot, do the highway drive and clock up another 1000 KM in short time, then do another oil+filter change. It may cost 1000 odd bucks, but will be worth it in the long run.

[Grand Drive]

Originally Posted by thoma

Please adhere to the service schedule given in your owner's manual for the manufacturer to honor warranty issues, if any in future. It would have been better if the car had clocked at least 1000 kms before the oil change....

My take : call up the service center and check with them if they are okay to postpone the first service till you reach back from the trip. I guess it would be okay if the dates are offset by a week to 10 days, but confirm it with them.[

Originally Posted by Gansan

@Grand Drive

When is the first service due? Is it 1000KM/one month? If so, you will have to do the first service on the dot irrespective of distance covered, to keep warranty intact.

I bought the car on December 26th and my first service due on or before February 25th. It's 1200 - 1500 kms / 2 months whichever comes first. I will surely call the service center and check with them.

As 2 months comes first in my case, I need to adhere to the service schedule. Do I need to change the engine oil and oil filter now or can I take it post 1500 kms to change that ?

There is a wealth of opinion in this thread on running-in. The car is actually supposed to go through a variety of conditions during run-in but not at sudden or maximum strain to the components. So a highway trip too counts good, but remember to vary the speed and go through the gears than keeping a steady throttle all throughout the trip. Do search the previous pages of this thread or use the search box for (better) answers.

it is ok to take it on the highway. Just keep within the specified speed/RPM limits for each gear, and vary the engine speed from time to time while driving. Don't do a constant speed. Also, don't hurry and take a short break every couple of hours.

I am a safe driver and have a sedate driving style. How can one avoid constant speed and vary the gear in highway as I will be mostly in fifth gear between 60 to 70 kmph ?

[Gansan]

As for oil change, see the content I have added in my previous reply.

As for varying speed, if the max speed allowed in top gear during run in is 90, vary your speed from 60 - 90. Do 90 for a while, then go down to 60 for some time, then take it to 75 and so on.

Also take short breaks for about 30 min every two hours, and when you start, accelerate freely through the gears (subject to max speed in each gear) as you shift up.

There is a school of thought which claims run in is unnecessary, but I am old school!

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Grand Drive

I bought the car on December 26th and my first service due on or before February 25th. It's 1200 - 1500 kms / 2 months whichever comes first.

Feb 25th is another week away. Surely you can do a highway drive before that? Do a Chennai drive and back, it can easily add 700 odd KM to your odo. Another 100 odd KM local drive at Bangalore!

Give the car for service just short of the 1500 KM mark, don't exceed it!

[Grand Drive]

Originally Posted by Gansan

Feb 25th is another week away. Surely you can do a highway drive before that? Do a Chennai drive and back, it can easily add 700 odd KM to your odo. Another 100 odd KM local drive at Bangalore!

Give the car for service just short of the 1500 KM mark, don't exceed it!

I can't do a highway trip this weekend as I am held up in other work. But, I decided to follow the first suggestion of yours. I decided to take my car to the service as per the schedule and will change the engine oil and filter when it nears 1500 kms mark.

[sukhi29]

i am amazed that people get their cars serviced at 1000 kms! my swift was serviced at 2500 kms and recently bought thar at 5500 kms.

Swift is 2008 model.

Have the first service rules changed?

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Grand Drive

I can't do a highway trip this weekend as I am held up in other work. But, I decided to follow the first suggestion of yours. I decided to take my car to the service as per the schedule and will change the engine oil and filter when it nears 1500 kms mark.

Here is a whacky alternative, read what your owner manual says about running in and follow that to the letter!

It is utterly beyond my comprehension why we would not believe what the manufacturer advises. The manufacturer who you can be sure of, have researched this, tested it and their advise will already be on the safe side of cautious.

As I stated before, there is nothing wrong with being more cautious of course, but there is nothing to gain either. You will incur unnecessary cost and unnecessary sedate driving.

As I have repeadetly stated as well, hundreds of millions of motorist never ever heard of the phrase running in your car. They dont read manuals and they are not member of car forums. All those cars run fine for hundreds of thousands of miles.


Jeroen

[Gansan]

@sukhi29
Depends on the make and model. Some cars have to go in at 1000 KM/one month for first service. Some others at 10000 KM/one year. Some others in between!

[Grand Drive]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

It is utterly beyond my comprehension why we would not believe what the manufacturer advises. The manufacturer who you can be sure of, have researched this, tested it and their advise will already be on the safe side of cautious.

I read the manual and it states to change the engine oil at 10,000 kms / 12 months whichever comes first. But, TBHP on the safer side suggests to change the engine oil at 1000 to 1500 kms to remove the metal deposits if any for the longer maintenance of the engine.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Grand Drive

I read the manual and it states to change the engine oil at 10,000 kms / 12 months whichever comes first. But, TBHP on the safer side suggests to change the engine oil at 1000 to 1500 kms to remove the metal deposits if any for the longer maintenance of the engine.

If your manual says 10k KM or one year, then stick with it. It is perfectly fine. It means your car is running on synthetic oil.

Edit: I hope you mean the first oil change and not the regular oil changes afterward.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Grand Drive

I read the manual and it states to change the engine oil at 10,000 kms / 12 months whichever comes first. But, TBHP on the safer side suggests to change the engine oil at 1000 to 1500 kms to remove the metal deposits if any for the longer maintenance of the engine.

I know, lots of members of this forum advising along similar lines. But on the basis of what. They will say I've run in my last five cars like this and never any problems.

I have probably owned more cars and worked on more cars then most of the members on this forum. But when it comes to trusting individual experience on a topic like this, it just doesnt make sense. Statistically speaking our individual experience is completely insignificant. More importantly, none of the members advising on these runin period take any measurements at all (correct me if I'm wrong). So they are drawing conclussion based on no factual data and to boot it all, even they did, which don't, it doesnt have a statistical significance to come to any sort of conclussion.

So it is all hearsay with no foundation, no data, no testing and verification, other then "all my cars run in this way have done fine". As I said before, hundred of millions of cars dont get run in at all and are doing just fine.

By the way, on modern engines if you find real metal deposits in just 1500 km you have a major problem on your hand!

But, no harm done if you feel more comfortabel sticking to the TBHP advise. Whatever makes you happy. As long as you realize your engine wont notice

[thoma]

Originally Posted by Grand Drive

I am a safe driver and have a sedate driving style. How can one avoid constant speed and vary the gear in highway as I will be mostly in fifth gear between 60 to 70 kmph ?

Good question. @Gansan has already explained.

You have to increase the speed a bit more maybe 80 till 100 kmph when you have got open stretches, then leave the throttle alone, the car will come down to 60 keep a steady pace for sometime now. Use mild engine braking by downshifting to 4th at 50 kmph (I'm not sure for individual cars) for an anticipated slow down. But try to avoid sudden acceleration, sudden engine braking and even foot pedal braking (of course except for emergencies).

Originally Posted by Grand Drive

I decided to take my car to the service as per the schedule and will change the engine oil and filter when it nears 1500 kms mark.

In my opinion, it is an overkill to change oil again. Just do some mildly spirited (the whole point is to allow the engine to perform a bit below its maximum but steadily not abruptly; steadily would ideally mean over a 1000 kms) runs on the outskirts before giving for first service. May be some 50 to 100 kms.

P.S: However we try to do the right run-in, most of the cars' engines are raced to hell by the dealership drivers when they transport the car to the dealership. So my personal opinion will be to enjoy the car 'mildly' and not bother too much on run-in.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

It is utterly beyond my comprehension why we would not believe what the manufacturer advises.

Many a dealer introduces this 1000km oil-change, though the manufacturer states a 10000 or 5000 km service in their owner manual. And if you disobey the dealer, they could earmark you against goodwill services and even warranty claims; such is the state here. And the manufacturer sleeps silently on whatever the dealer blabbers.

Originally Posted by Jeroen

By the way, on modern engines if you find real metal deposits in just 1500 km you have a major problem on your hand!

Running-in is not alone the engine. It is the tires, it is the brakes and the supension. Many an owner's manual suggests it.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

So it is all hearsay with no foundation, no data, no testing and verification, other then "all my cars run in this way have done fine". As I said before, hundred of millions of cars dont get run in at all and are doing just fine.

Is it all about just metal deposits? Isn't it also about 'initial' loading cycles, surface defects (if any) being polished steadily than abruptly, that matter for fatigue longevity of metal parts.

Suppose that a particular specimen is being fatigue tested (as described above). Now suppose the fatigue test is halted after 20 to 25% of the expected life of the specimen and a small thickness of material is machined off the outer surface of the specimen, and the surface condition is restored to its original state. Now the fatigue test is resumed at the same stress level as before. The life of the part will be considerably longer than expected. If that process is repeated several times, the life of the part may be extended by several hundred percent, limited only by the available cross section of the specimen.

Source : Okay I agree that a quick search on google landed me at http://www.epi-eng.com/mechanical_en..._in_metals.htm

I could be wrong but would like to be corrected by experts, if so. Or do you mean to say that all the difference it makes would be the engine lasting a 2.5 lac kms vs a 2 lac kms?