[tharian]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

My Dad also has a 2007 Swift done just 46K kms IIRC in 12 years. In our case, the car is used maybe 1-2 times a week for say 10kms each and maybe an 80km highway drive every couple months.

With just 3000kms odd a year, I see no point in changing the oil annually, unless the oil has visibly deteriorated. After a year, the oil still looks golden yellow as when it was changed.

I guess if the car is not driven daily and not in short distances, the oil quality may still be good one year later and if it feels good, I guess you can prolong it too.
In our case, I do it every year since the car is driven a km every time, 4 times a day which actually is not good for the engine anyway. Being a petrol, I guess I can get away by prolonging the change period too, but I somehow feel it needs fresh oil atleast once a year.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by tharian

I guess if the car is not driven daily and not in short distances, the oil quality may still be good one year later and if it feels good, I guess you can prolong it too.

In our case, I do it every year since the car is driven a km every time, 4 times a day which actually is not good for the engine anyway. Being a petrol, I guess I can get away by prolonging the change period too, but I somehow feel it needs fresh oil atleast once a year.

I would be a little cautious. You can not tell what the state of oil is by just looking at it.
Especially short drives are a bit of a problem. The engine doesn't warm up probably. Any condensation inside the crankcase will mix with the oil and won't evaporate as the engine and the oil just don't get warm enough.

Whereas I find the discussion on what is the best engine oil pointless, (stick to the recommended specification) I do change the oil on all my cars either at the recommended mileage or once a year whichever comes first.

Modern engine oils do degrade a bit over time as well. You don't have to worry immediately. Any wear and tear with respect to engine oil is always a slow but cumulatively process. But better safe then sorry . Oil and filtered change are cheap

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

My Dad also has a 2007 Swift done just 46K kms IIRC in 12 years. In our case, the car is used maybe 1-2 times a week for say 10kms each and maybe an 80km highway drive every couple months.

With just 3000kms odd a year, I see no point in changing the oil annually, unless the oil has visibly deteriorated. After a year, the oil still looks golden yellow as when it was changed.

That would be a petrol engine I presume. Open up the camshaft cover and look for sludge deposits.

Originally Posted by vigsom

...I check that the oil is losing its physical properties .

How to check?

[NaXal]

I follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Most of the cars on sale go with 1 year or 10k KM's oil change intervals.

However sometimes I do follow my own instinct to do an early service / oil change if the engine feels somewhat bad with harshness.

[landcruiser123]

Here are my 2 cents:
+Trips <5 km are probably the most harmful for the engine and the oil.

+Even if you drive 3000 km a year in multiple short trips, you should change your oil once in a year as each time you start and shut down means a temperature fluctuation for the engine and the oil. A car driven in this manner probably has more dirty oil than a car that had been driven 6000 km exclusively on highways.

+Lesse driving with necessary oil changes are probably better than replacing your sparingly used 12 year old car with a brand new one.

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

That would be a petrol engine I presume.

Yes.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Open up the camshaft cover and look for sludge deposits.

I will be taking the car to the FNG for an oil change in the coming weeks - will have them check for sludge deposits (if any) and report back here.

[AseemYadav]

I got my w10 xuv500 serviced a few days back. It was the 4th annual service and car has done 24k km. All fluids were replaced. Though the car is low on mileage, the SA told me to change fluids based on years elapsed criteria. Clutch and brake fluids have to be changed at 4 years or 40k km. Coolant has to be replaced at 3 years or 80k km. Similarly I got all awd transmission oils replaced at 2 years though some of the oils are good for 50k/1 lac km. The same goes for engine oil, which is good for 20k km/1 year. Do you guys think, I have jumped the gun and should have waited a wee bit longer before changing all fluids. Changing fluids that are supposed to be changed at 1 lac km at 24k km seems to be excessive in my opinion.

[Nalin1]

Originally Posted by AseemYadav

I got my w10 xuv500 serviced a few days back. It was the 4th annual service and car has done 24k km. All fluids were replaced. Though the car is low on mileage, the SA told me to change fluids based on years elapsed criteria. Clutch and brake fluids have to be changed at 4 years or 40k km. Coolant has to be replaced at 3 years or 80k km. Similarly I got all awd transmission oils replaced at 2 years though some of the oils are good for 50k/1 lac km. The same goes for engine oil, which is good for 20k km/1 year. Do you guys think, I have jumped the gun and should have waited a wee bit longer before changing all fluids. Changing fluids that are supposed to be changed at 1 lac km at 24k km seems to be excessive in my opinion.

Manufacturer recommendations are always on the safer side by a long way. My guess is about 70%. In other words, when they say now is the time to replace fluids or any other part as per the manual, regardless of the kms done or functionality of the car, you can safely go beyond for a few months as long as it does not affect the warranty of the car or you do not notice anything performance wise.

[AseemYadav]

Originally Posted by Nalin1

Manufacturer recommendations are always on the safer side by a long way. My guess is about 70%. In other words, when they say now is the time to replace fluids or any other part as per the manual, regardless of the kms done or functionality of the car, you can safely go beyond for a few months as long as it does not affect the warranty of the car or you do not notice anything performance wise.

Thanks Nalin1. The car is under extended warranty till five years. That was also one of the reasons, the SA quoted. Adds up I guess.

[SuperFlyBoy]

Originally Posted by Nalin1

Manufacturer recommendations are always on the safer side by a long way. My guess is about 70%. In other words, when they say now is the time to replace fluids or any other part as per the manual, regardless of the kms done or functionality of the car, you can safely go beyond for a few months as long as it does not affect the warranty of the car or you do not notice anything performance wise.

I wanted to have the auto gearbox fluid changed on my 2015/6 Fortuner, but the service rep stated that they never change it - at least for the first 10 years - was surprising to me...

Not sure if I insist once again - but I only have 13k kilometers on it.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by SuperFlyBoy

I wanted to have the auto gearbox fluid changed on my 2015/6 Fortuner, but the service rep stated that they never change it - at least for the first 10 years - was surprising to me...

Not sure if I insist once again - but I only have 13k kilometers on it.

Many modern auto gear boxes have really long service interval. My 2002 Jaguar has what is known as a "sealed for life" auto gear box.

Gear boxes are made according to very precise measurements. With the proper oil there is really very little wear so they can last very very long.

Even the industrial gearboxes as you will find on ships have very, very long service intervals.

The "sealed for life" is a myth. But it will easily do 150.000 kilometers. But there is some wear, on traditional auto boxes. The friction plates on the drums do wear out and of course there is minuscule wear on the gears as well. All of that ends up in the oil and filter. So at some point in time it needs to servicing and typically flushed.

Jeroen

[distiller]

Voted for "manufacturer recommends."

Honda recommends periodic service, categorized as major every 10K km / 1 year and minor every 5K Km / 6 months. They change the engine oil and oil filter in each of the service. Till 2015 (if my memory serves me right) they were supplying mineral grade oil and later on they started recommending semi-synthetic. As generally I clock in between 10K to 12K in a year I follow the recommended change interval. And my car sees more of highway than in-city runs.
Although if the driving cycle is demanding like dusty environment, stop & go traffic, long time in crawling traffic, frequent starts and stops then I feel that it will be good to change it earlier than recommended. I think even the manufacturers recommend the same.

[Flyer]

My car's manufacturer (VAG) specified interval for oil change is 15000 kms. I have been following that till now. But I'm planning to shift to 10,000 kms interval as a preventative measure to increase the longevity and efficiency of the engine.

[revvy_bhala]

Hi.

I have a question regarding oil change in new car.

As per TeamBHP guidelines on running in the engine, it is advised to change the engine oil after say 1k to 1.5k kms running as the engine is new and moving parts lose some metal bits initially.

For my Tata Altroz 1.2P, during 1st free service (which is general check-up within 2mo/2k kms) I asked for an oil change. However the SA said that it may cause warranty to be void. I did not argue further but would like to know your opinions. As per owner's manual, I believe the first oil change is at 12mo/15k kms.

Thanks,
Bhala

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by revvy_bhala

Hi.

I have a question regarding oil change in new car.

As per TeamBHP guidelines on running in the engine, it is advised to change the engine oil after say 1k to 1.5k kms running as the engine is new and moving parts lose some metal bits initially.

For my Tata Altroz 1.2P, during 1st free service (which is general check-up within 2mo/2k kms) I asked for an oil change. However the SA said that it may cause warranty to be void. I did not argue further but would like to know your opinions. As per owner's manual, I believe the first oil change is at 12mo/15k kms.

Always stick to the manufacturer recommended interval. The advise of changing oil on a new engine after 1-1.5k is a carry over from the past. Probably true for most cars 30-40 years ago. I can certainly remember it with my dads car. In those days they might even use a very different special running in oil. And that had to come out as well!

Modern engine are made with such tight tolerance, that if there any, even tiny, lose metal bits you would likely suffer major engine damage.

Our Ford Focus had its first service at 22k and I have some German company tin with a diesel that lasted even longer prior it’s first service.

So unless it is specifically managed as part of the running in on a new engine as per the owner manual I would not worry at all.

Jeroen