5000 mile “service”. What do?

[DCPHOENIX]

I’ve got a 5000 mile first service sticker in the corner of the windshield. About to hit that and curious as to what it involves.

tried to book with my local dealership but they only have an option for 10k miles.

I’m about to do 3600 miles in a matter of weeks. Going to be… fun

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[ShadowsPapa]

I’ve got a 5000 mile first service sticker in the corner of the windshield. About to hit that and curious as to what it involves.

tried to book with my local dealership but they only have an option for 10k miles.

I’m about to do 3600 miles in a matter of weeks. Going to be… fun

That 5,000 was likely put there by a dealer or something.
There is no routine maintenance for 5 or even 10,000 miles.
Oil changes should be done NO LATER than 10,000 miles - earlier unless you drive in ideal conditions and only longer drives.
That sticker is not from Jeep.
First oil change you can do almost any time, now or at 5,000 miles - maybe that's what the sticker is suggesting - first service, 5,000 miles for oil change, etc.
You can see the oil life remaining in your cluster - but for the first oil change, 3,000 - 5,000 miles isn't bad.

Look in your owner's manual!
That's where to find the official real scoop.
You should already have looked it over for the maintenance schedule anyway.

 

[DCPHOENIX]

That 5,000 was likely put there by a dealer or something.
There is no routine maintenance for 5 or even 10,000 miles.
Oil changes should be done NO LATER than 10,000 miles - earlier unless you drive in ideal conditions and only longer drives.
That sticker is not from Jeep.
First oil change you can do almost any time, now or at 5,000 miles - maybe that's what the sticker is suggesting - first service, 5,000 miles for oil change, etc.
You can see the oil life remaining in your cluster - but for the first oil change, 3,000 - 5,000 miles isn't bad.

Look in your owner's manual!
That's where to find the official real scoop.
You should already have looked it over for the maintenance schedule anyway.

according to some stuff I’ve read on here, oil changes should be done 3000-5000 miles

 

[ShadowsPapa]

according to some stuff I’ve read on here, oil changes should be done 3000-5000 miles

That's old-school thinking. You can do what you want, but it's not necessary. Even in the 70s the recommended interval was about 7,000 miles.
The problem is when you have opinion from non-mechanics quoting what they've been told, read, heard, or do themselves and it becomes best practice.
There's no negative to it other than waste. And none of them can prove that doing so makes any difference or is better than going over 5,000 before changing oil.
And then you'll have those who claim that the 10,000 mile thing is so the company can sell more engines and parts - those evil car makers. It's a conspiracy!
If it was so bad, I wonder why Mobile 1 will guarantee 10,000 miles if you use their oil and their filter.
One thing I won't do is go over 12 months/1 year between changes. So if I don't drive one of my vehicles enough it a year to meet the miles, it gets a change anyway, and two of my vehicles don't get driven that far in a year these days.
When I was driving my SX4 (with a Jeep engine in it) about 7,000 miles a year, I changed the oil once a year. It's still going strong.

Car companies have been recommending oil changes of over 7,000 miles for longer than many members have been alive. I've been a mechanic for longer than even more have been alive.

Remember, it's the internet - everyone has an opinion.

 

[Mr._Bill]

according to some stuff I’ve read on here, oil changes should be done 3000-5000 miles

The line we were fed when I young was 3 months or 3k miles. That is not necessary, especially with today's oil formulations. Many do their first change around 3k to 5k, some as early as 1k, to get the factory oil and any manufacturing debris out of the engine. My first change was around 6k, but the rest were closer together to use up all the six free changes before they expired.

 

[Rahkmalla]

The line we were fed when I young was 3 months or 3k miles. That is not necessary, especially with today's oil formulations. Many do their first change around 3k to 5k, some as early as 1k, to get the factory oil and any manufacturing debris out of the engine. My first change was around 6k, but the rest were closer together to use up all the six free changes before they expired.

Did my first at 1k. Second will be 4k later, then every 5k after that. An oil change if done yourself on a gasser should run you $35. If my truck hits 200k I will have spent an extra $500 on maintenance compared to you 7,500 mile guys. Is it overkill? Yea. But it's also dirt cheap insurance. Quarter of a penny per mile in "extra" oil

 

[Hootbro]

according to some stuff I’ve read on here, oil changes should be done 3000-5000 miles

One would be hard pressed to find examples of early failure attributed to just following the OM recommendations for either normal or severe service use. Many fleet customers of various makes and models have reams of data to prove it rarely pays to be conservative and shorten intervals.

That being said, I am a hypocrite like many here and follow a 5K miles service interval for oil change and tire rotations and halve the service interval for most of the remaining major service OM recommendation intervals.

In the end, do whatever you feel comfortable with. Unless you go past the OM recommendations, you are not doing it wrong but do not fall into the internet forum trap where some people will say if you are not doing it like them, you are doing it wrong. You do you.

 

[DCPHOENIX]

Interesting! Thanks for the replies!

I’ve always gone off my window sticker. Always owned new cars and have never done my own maintenance (aside from coolant top ups and other small stuff).

last car had a once over at 2k miles and I wondered if this 5k was something similar.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

One would be hard pressed to find examples of early failure attributed to just following the OM recommendations for either normal or severe service use. Many fleet customers of various makes and models have reams of data to prove it rarely pays to be conservative and shorten intervals.

When I had my own shop in the 1980s (during farming off-times), I maintained the Thornton, Iowa Coop fleet of trucks and equipment when I farmed. They had some serious miles on their pickups and other trucks.

I worked for shop owners who grew up in and learned in the early to middle part of the last century.
From what I learned from Andy, the first shop I worked in, the oil change intervals talked about - that 3/3,000 or whatever, comes from the 40s and 50s, and if people think back, even into the 60s, oil filters were optional on some cars! And they had bypass type filters. Some oil went through the filter, some did not. So the 3,000 number comes from the days of no filter, part time filter, or cheap paper filter in a canaster, likely not a full-flow filter, and crappy carburetion, low tech engine design.
When I started working for Neill I think he was about 60. He did change with the times, though, and the IHP cars went 5,000+ miles between changes. Those were some tough miles, too. (I've posted snips from owner manual charts of that era where it shows even in the 1970s, conventional oil, the interval was 7,500 miles)

If 7500 miles was good for a carbureted engine with a choke, crappy air/fuel ratios, old technology here and there, and conventional oils, I'd expect it to be fine for a modern engine, far superior bearing materials, low tension rings, more ideal injection a/f ratios (no sticking choke!) and so on.

1970s -
7,500 between changes,
Carbureted engine, higher oil consumption, old-tech bearings, high-wear timing chains and sprockets (timing chains run on sprockets, not gears), sticking chokes, accelerator pumps dumping a shot of raw gas into the intake, old PCV systems, etc. Engines ran rich when idling, when under load, they'd go out of tune, run too rich when the choke was on to keep them running, float levels not always ideal - and yet the higher miles between changes was fine and worked well. Tunes lasted maybe 10,000 miles and often they got attention only when they didn't start or they missed badly or lost power.

2020s -
10,000 between changes - not that big an increase,
superior synthetic oil filter materials, superior oil technology, new bearing materials, specially coated timing chains to reduce wear, low tension rings reducing wear and friction, fuel injection - superior a/f ratios, no carburetor to run rich at times, very controlled tunes, emissions keeping things clean for 50,000+ miles.

 

[Bobchadwickga]

Oil needs to be changed when the light comes on in the dash. While early changes are cheap dollar wise, they are expensive on the environment and have little benefit. My car engines routinely run over 200,000 miles.

Beware of dealer add on services. Took a prior car into the DCJ dealer, who had outlined all of this service at close to $1,000. I told them we would be only be doing the service recommended by the manufacturer and an all day service became a $450 service that took two hours.

 

[Painkillerspe]

We had a fleet garage that would test the oil and only change it when needed. Some vehicles would go a long time without an oil change.

Of course oil companies and service centers are going to suggest you change your oil every 3 to 5 thousand miles. More money in their pocket.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

We had a fleet garage that would test the oil and only change it when needed. Some vehicles would go a long time without an oil change.

Of course oil companies and service centers are going to suggest you change your oil every 3 to 5 thousand miles. More money in their pocket.

Actually, some oil companies actually tout the 10,000 mile interval. Mobil 1 is among them. Check the filter warranty and some of their oil containers - if you use their oil and their filter, they'll warrant it for 10,000 miles.

Gone are the oil companies pushing for more frequent - check this out - "long gone......" and "at least every 10,000 miles" and so on.

So, NO, oil companies are not recommending every 3 or even 5,000 miles. They don't do that. They say read the freakin' book.


Oil companies aren't evil monsters saying to change it more often, in fact, they are pushing to follow the auto makers books. So the bit about evil oil companies just out to take your money so recommending frequent changes is a myth just like needing to change oil every 3,000 miles.

This is from a major oil company about oil changes and look at the 3rd word in the subject ->

Changing old myths about when to change your oil
Motor oils have come a long way. Full synthetics share the auto parts store shelves with conventional oils, and there are more viscosity ratings than you can shake a dipstick at. And even though the overriding principles remain the same, the technology behind engine performance and management has come a long way as well.

As lubricants and vehicles have evolved, so too has the wisdom around oil change intervals. Long gone is the recommendation to change your oil every 3,000 miles. In looking at 2014 models, most automakers specify oil changes at 7,500 or 10,000 miles. The shortest oil change interval is 5,000 miles, and the longest is 15,000 miles.

When it comes to scheduling your oil changes, the first and most important rule is to reference your owner’s manual. Stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations for which oil viscosity to use and make sure the oil meets other manufacturer’s requirements, such as whether your car requires synthetic oils, and then change it according to the recommended maintenance schedule.

 

[Painkillerspe]

Actually, some oil companies actually tout the 10,000 mile interval. Mobil 1 is among them. Check the filter warranty and some of their oil containers - if you use their oil and their filter, they'll warrant it for 10,000 miles.

Gone are the oil companies pushing for more frequent - check this out - "long gone......" and "at least every 10,000 miles" and so on.

So, NO, oil companies are not recommending every 3 or even 5,000 miles. They don't do that. They say read the freakin' book.


Oil companies aren't evil monsters saying to change it more often, in fact, they are pushing to follow the auto makers books. So the bit about evil oil companies just out to take your money so recommending frequent changes is a myth just like needing to change oil every 3,000 miles.

This is from a major oil company about oil changes and look at the 3rd word in the subject ->

Changing old myths about when to change your oil
Motor oils have come a long way. Full synthetics share the auto parts store shelves with conventional oils, and there are more viscosity ratings than you can shake a dipstick at. And even though the overriding principles remain the same, the technology behind engine performance and management has come a long way as well.

As lubricants and vehicles have evolved, so too has the wisdom around oil change intervals. Long gone is the recommendation to change your oil every 3,000 miles. In looking at 2014 models, most automakers specify oil changes at 7,500 or 10,000 miles. The shortest oil change interval is 5,000 miles, and the longest is 15,000 miles.

When it comes to scheduling your oil changes, the first and most important rule is to reference your owner’s manual. Stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations for which oil viscosity to use and make sure the oil meets other manufacturer’s requirements, such as whether your car requires synthetic oils, and then change it according to the recommended maintenance schedule.

Dang must of touched a nerve there. Sorry.

But I disagree with you on the point of oil companies not being evil monsters. Lol.

 

[Painkillerspe]

Actually, some oil companies actually tout the 10,000 mile interval. Mobil 1 is among them. Check the filter warranty and some of their oil containers - if you use their oil and their filter, they'll warrant it for 10,000 miles.

Gone are the oil companies pushing for more frequent - check this out - "long gone......" and "at least every 10,000 miles" and so on.

So, NO, oil companies are not recommending every 3 or even 5,000 miles. They don't do that. They say read the freakin' book.


Oil companies aren't evil monsters saying to change it more often, in fact, they are pushing to follow the auto makers books. So the bit about evil oil companies just out to take your money so recommending frequent changes is a myth just like needing to change oil every 3,000 miles.

This is from a major oil company about oil changes and look at the 3rd word in the subject ->

Changing old myths about when to change your oil
Motor oils have come a long way. Full synthetics share the auto parts store shelves with conventional oils, and there are more viscosity ratings than you can shake a dipstick at. And even though the overriding principles remain the same, the technology behind engine performance and management has come a long way as well.

As lubricants and vehicles have evolved, so too has the wisdom around oil change intervals. Long gone is the recommendation to change your oil every 3,000 miles. In looking at 2014 models, most automakers specify oil changes at 7,500 or 10,000 miles. The shortest oil change interval is 5,000 miles, and the longest is 15,000 miles.

When it comes to scheduling your oil changes, the first and most important rule is to reference your owner’s manual. Stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations for which oil viscosity to use and make sure the oil meets other manufacturer’s requirements, such as whether your car requires synthetic oils, and then change it according to the recommended maintenance schedule.

Dang must of touched a nerve there. Sorry.

But I disagree with you on the point of oil companies not being evil monsters. But that's a other topic Lol.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Dang must of touched a nerve there. Sorry.

But I disagree with you on the point of oil companies not being evil monsters. Lol.

Yeah, that just manifests itself in other ways HAHA.

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