First oil change

[Snook]

I’m at 4700 miles on the Mojave. most of those miles are 3 long trips, 2 of which were towing. Should I still wait for the “Change oil indicator” to service it, or go ahead and schedule it now?

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[Average-Joe]

I would schedule it now I did my first one at 4500 after towing half of that.

 

[Hootbro]

While the owners manual does not call out towing as Severe Duty, I normally treat it as such and halve the service interval which would be about where you are at.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

While the owners manual does not call out towing as Severe Duty, I normally treat it as such and halve the service interval which would be about where you are at.

Yeah, what he said.

The 10,000 is a max - as long as you stay under that the timing is up to you.
I tend to change it more frequently when towing. It's not severe duty but still it's more high RPM use.

 

[Mister Lamb]

I’m at 4700 miles on the Mojave. most of those miles are 3 long trips, 2 of which were towing. Should I still wait for the “Change oil indicator” to service it, or go ahead and schedule it now?

My first oil change is usually around the 2.5k mark and then religiously every 5k miles after that. The guys on here with tens of thousands worth of mods will try to tell you changing it as frequently as 5k is a waste of money and I don't get it. It's a 30minute process, inexpensive, and a fair interval to cover all different types of driving styles. Replace the plug with a drain valve and make your changes seamless

 

[Snook]

My first oil change is usually around the 2.5k mark and then religiously every 5k miles after that. The guys on here with tens of thousands worth of mods will try to tell you changing it as frequently as 5k is a waste of money and I don't get it. It's a 30minute process, inexpensive, and a fair interval to cover all different types of driving styles. Replace the plug with a drain valve and make your changes seamless

my first 4 changes are free, so I’ll probably get it done now, that leaves me 3 more over the next year and a half.

 

[Hootbro]

my first 4 changes are free, so I’ll probably get it done now, that leaves me 3 more over the next year and a half.

Unless your dealer is throwing one in for free, the Jeep Wave program is only 3 oil change and tire rotation services. Use to be 4 on the early 2020 model builds but they changed that soon after.

 

[Rahkmalla]

I did the first change on my mojave at 1k. will do every other on multiples of 5k. probably send my oil in for analysis with the 10k change, and probably every 20k after that.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My first oil change is usually around the 2.5k mark and then religiously every 5k miles after that. The guys on here with tens of thousands worth of mods will try to tell you changing it as frequently as 5k is a waste of money and I don't get it. It's a 30minute process, inexpensive, and a fair interval to cover all different types of driving styles. Replace the plug with a drain valve and make your changes seamless

Those guys are correct.
I pondered your post, waiting until today to respond to see if I was taking it wrong, or if this is how you intended it be taken and my take is you are suggesting that guy who spend "tens of thousands" on mods are risking those tens of thousands by not following your personal preferences on oil changes (I have less than 2,000 in accessories and "mods" for mine).
You are saying they are not doing it right.
As far as drain valves - naw, I'll stick with something safer like the original plug. It's lower profile, and THAT is something I see as a golly-gee, whiz-bang, that's so cool mod I don't need. Personal preference......... for me, not necessary.
30 minute process - you leave out the purchases of product, clean-up, and disposal unless you are the sort that dumps it on the gravel road. Honestly, start to finish, it's more than 30 minutes to be done right (I also let oil drain for quite a while - I walk away and go do other stuff) Yeah, you can speed through it but if that's the case, let the dealer do it!

All that being said - 7,500 miles has been the recommendation for 50 years. Yes, count 'em, 50 years. It was good enough with 1970s and 1980s oil with those old formulations of chemicals where they were literally guessing and putting in whatever seemed to work even if they didn't fully understand why. It wasn't until this century that ZDDP was understood as far as what it does, what it doesn't do, how it works and how it can do harm.
So if the oil made from the petrol pulled from the Arabian sands in 1970s with their old chemistry worked in CARBURETED engines with the Kettering ignition systems with looser tolerances, rubber valve stem seals, and spark controlled by mechanical weights and a vacuum diaphragm was good for 7,500 miles then why isn't at least 7,500 miles ok with modern oils with superior formulations, very tight and strict fuel and spark control, modern bearing materials and coatings, and other design improvements? (and don't forget our oil filters from back then!)

Makes no sense to me that we ran engines over 100,000 miles on 7500 mile intervals 40-50 years ago on that old chemistry but today we control not just the chemistry but we actually manipulate the very molecular structure of the oil we use. We determine the molecular chain shape, size, length and more today, and we can't even go 7,500 miles on modern oil with a modern engine that doesn't kick raw fuel into the crankcase because the choke stuck or the exhaust heat riser valve stuck and it either boils the fuel in the carb, or the carb never warms up and can't atomize the fuel into the incoming air..... interesting how it was fine then on the crap fuel systems most people drove with but not today.
We were running more displacement, unable to control the oil temperature back then, we dumped raw fuel into the crankcase............ today we control the oil temperatures, tightly control the fuel used (little into the crankcase) and run a lot less displacement - but can't run longer oil change intervals?

I base my choices and what I say on having owned cars and trucks since I was 14 . I did all of my own maintenance. My first car came to me with 150,000 miles on it. All original. I sold it with 220,000 miles on it. That ain't bad, eh?
By the time I was 18 I had 2 cars and a pickup. Not cheap to own, license and insure so I kept the oil change intervals out to what the books said.
My degree is in this stuff so when I say that those who buy a 50K truck and then spend "tens of thousands in mods" aren't taking any risks, nor are they shortening engine life, by going by the book, it's based on real hands-on experiences and GM and MOPAR training.
5K changes makes people feel good so for that may be worth something, but their engine won't last longer than the guy with tens of thousands in mods who goes out 7K or so on oil changes. (uh, no offense to the guys with tens of thousands in mods LOL!)

Oil life monitor - that thing is smart. It knows when that engine has reached full operating temperature and it knows the duration of each cycle, it knows the cold start numbers, it knows the torque output (the amount the engine is loaded) and it can figure this stuff better than most drivers. Take a look sometime in what's stored in your truck's system.

If it makes you feel good, change it. But the rest aren't risking anything. They are doing no harm.
They aren't any less smart or any less caring about their engines. They are risking nothing and wasting nothing.

This is a tiny sample of what it knows and uses to determine % oil life remaining. It tracks in seconds the idle time of the engine!

 

[Mister Lamb]

Those guys are correct.
I pondered your post, waiting until today to respond to see if I was taking it wrong, or if this is how you intended it be taken and my take is you are suggesting that guy who spend "tens of thousands" on mods are risking those tens of thousands by not following your personal preferences on oil changes (I have less than 2,000 in accessories and "mods" for mine).
You are saying they are not doing it right.
As far as drain valves - naw, I'll stick with something safer like the original plug. It's lower profile, and THAT is something I see as a golly-gee, whiz-bang, that's so cool mod I don't need. Personal preference......... for me, not necessary.
30 minute process - you leave out the purchases of product, clean-up, and disposal unless you are the sort that dumps it on the gravel road. Honestly, start to finish, it's more than 30 minutes to be done right (I also let oil drain for quite a while - I walk away and go do other stuff) Yeah, you can speed through it but if that's the case, let the dealer do it!

All that being said - 7,500 miles has been the recommendation for 50 years. Yes, count 'em, 50 years. It was good enough with 1970s and 1980s oil with those old formulations of chemicals where they were literally guessing and putting in whatever seemed to work even if they didn't fully understand why. It wasn't until this century that ZDDP was understood as far as what it does, what it doesn't do, how it works and how it can do harm.
So if the oil made from the petrol pulled from the Arabian sands in 1970s with their old chemistry worked in CARBURETED engines with the Kettering ignition systems with looser tolerances, rubber valve stem seals, and spark controlled by mechanical weights and a vacuum diaphragm was good for 7,500 miles then why isn't at least 7,500 miles ok with modern oils with superior formulations, very tight and strict fuel and spark control, modern bearing materials and coatings, and other design improvements? (and don't forget our oil filters from back then!)

Makes no sense to me that we ran engines over 100,000 miles on 7500 mile intervals 40-50 years ago on that old chemistry but today we control not just the chemistry but we actually manipulate the very molecular structure of the oil we use. We determine the molecular chain shape, size, length and more today, and we can't even go 7,500 miles on modern oil with a modern engine that doesn't kick raw fuel into the crankcase because the choke stuck or the exhaust heat riser valve stuck and it either boils the fuel in the carb, or the carb never warms up and can't atomize the fuel into the incoming air..... interesting how it was fine then on the crap fuel systems most people drove with but not today.
We were running more displacement, unable to control the oil temperature back then, we dumped raw fuel into the crankcase............ today we control the oil temperatures, tightly control the fuel used (little into the crankcase) and run a lot less displacement - but can't run longer oil change intervals?

I base my choices and what I say on having owned cars and trucks since I was 14 . I did all of my own maintenance. My first car came to me with 150,000 miles on it. All original. I sold it with 220,000 miles on it. That ain't bad, eh?
By the time I was 18 I had 2 cars and a pickup. Not cheap to own, license and insure so I kept the oil change intervals out to what the books said.
My degree is in this stuff so when I say that those who buy a 50K truck and then spend "tens of thousands in mods" aren't taking any risks, nor are they shortening engine life, by going by the book, it's based on real hands-on experiences and GM and MOPAR training.
5K changes makes people feel good so for that may be worth something, but their engine won't last longer than the guy with tens of thousands in mods who goes out 7K or so on oil changes. (uh, no offense to the guys with tens of thousands in mods LOL!)

Oil life monitor - that thing is smart. It knows when that engine has reached full operating temperature and it knows the duration of each cycle, it knows the cold start numbers, it knows the torque output (the amount the engine is loaded) and it can figure this stuff better than most drivers. Take a look sometime in what's stored in your truck's system.

If it makes you feel good, change it. But the rest aren't risking anything. They are doing no harm.
They aren't any less smart or any less caring about their engines. They are risking nothing and wasting nothing.

This is a tiny sample of what it knows and uses to determine % oil life remaining. It tracks in seconds the idle time of the engine!

Your overnight pondering led you to a mistaken conclusion. I don't think anyone is risking their engines waiting an extra 2.5k miles to change their oil. I just don't think doing it at 5k is a waste either considering the process is simple and inexpensive. It's an interval that covers all types of driving and considering we're talking about an off-roading/towing-capable vehicle, isn't a terrible interval to follow. Also, clean up of an oil change involves transferring used oil to a 5-quart bottle and then disposing of said bottle at your local auto shop at a time of your convenience.

 

[TMGladOverHighAlt]

I love your post ShadowsPapa-and think it is outstanding information. I'll plan to do mine after 5K, when I get around to it. A quick thought. I've noticed even on the finest of automobiles, they can consume 1/2-almost 1 quart in 7500 miles or so. For me, its less about the if' I dont change it the motor will blow up, and more about knowing my engine oil capacity is full and frankly, I kinda like doing oil changes---I'm retired and have little to do anyway.

But seriously, I appreciate what you've said above. But would be curious to know (in 7500 miles) how much oil do you guys consume?

 

[rr11]

I have 48,000 on my JT. I change at 7500 mile intervals. On my first oil change I used half a quart. I have not used a noticeable amount since the first change.

 

[Lunentucker]

Mostly I chose every 5k because it's easy to keep up with and I don't drive the vehicle much, so no one's going broke here on oil changes.

 

[Rhayez32]

Might have been 7500 mile oil change intervals for years but you also had more strict time restrictions. My 1996 Nissan Pickup service manual says to replace engine oil at 7500 miles or 6 MONTHS, whichever comes first.

 

[Kevin_D]

I do the first oil change at 1,000-2,000 miles (depends on how convenient it is.) I treat the oil from the manufacturer as break-in oil.
After that I follow the oil change monitor. My typical change interval has been 9,000-10,000 miles.
I'm at 44k miles now, and the drop in oil level between changes is insignificant.
Certainly I could change it more often, but, regardless of expense, that used oil has to go somewhere, do why discard it before it's necessary?

Kevin

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