first service..
Evolving Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
From: Canada
i have about 1800 miles on my car and the service reminder is still like 3 months away on the dash. i don't drive the car hard, it's stock and it's summer time. i think i'll just follow the oem recommended service times. is this a bad thing?
If you're really ****, you could go ahead and change the tranny and diff fluids as well. But, not really needed.
Only times you really want to change the fluids more often than recommended:
- You're **** and want to change them earlier because it's your car and you can do what you want with it
- You race (autox, drag, road course) on a regular basis. Always a good idea to change your fluids more regularly.
If your car is your daily driver and you go for a spirited drive on occasion, there is not really any reason to deviate from the recommended intervals.
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To be honest, anything that you're not skilled enough nor comfortable doing on your own. Really isn't any magic answer. It all depends on your skills with a wrench.
I go every 5k, thats one of the advantages of using synthetic oil... This is what Mitsu recommends anyway! I don't drag or autoX, it's my DD and I've never had any issues with Mitsu's recommendations!
Evolved Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 660
Likes: 0
From: Fresno, CA
Here's what I did/am planning to do:
1) Oil change at 3K miles and every 5K miles after that. I currently have 14K. Of course, I drive in a fairly conservative fashion - no racing or autox and mostly highway commuting.
2) First full fluid change at about 25-30K. Mitsu recommends every 30K for that unless you drive hard.
3) Spark plugs at 50-60K.
I do everything myself since it saves time and $. Plus, I enjoy servicing my own vehicles (it's a pride thing).
1) Oil change at 3K miles and every 5K miles after that. I currently have 14K. Of course, I drive in a fairly conservative fashion - no racing or autox and mostly highway commuting.
2) First full fluid change at about 25-30K. Mitsu recommends every 30K for that unless you drive hard.
3) Spark plugs at 50-60K.
I do everything myself since it saves time and $. Plus, I enjoy servicing my own vehicles (it's a pride thing).
Evolved Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 860
Likes: 1
From: Bay Area
This car seems to have a very serious oil dilution problem when new. My last analysis showed fuel dilution at a critical level, and resulting viscosity reduction just shy of critical. This was at the recommended 5k oil change interval on Mobil 1 as a daily driver. There's a huge 36-page thread about it, and what it means for engine life. Instantaneous fuel dilution (like that measured in an oil analysis) is not necessarily bad, but if it's changing your oil viscosity you could have a problem.
This effect is also magnified by cold temperatures. Not so much a problem here in the summer, but keep an eye on it in the winter.
If you go 5k, you're probably waiting too long. Check your oil level as normal, and if the oil smells distinctively like fuel, is pitch black, or seems a little "sludgy," I'd change it immediately. There's some indication that this effect wears off as the engine ages, but nothing definitive. I'd do at least the first few changes no later than 3k and avoid the mistakes some of us made in following Mitsubishi's recommendations.
In general, given what we've seen, I'd consider following Mitsubishi's "Harsh Conditions" (can't remember the exact term they use) maintenance path instead of the standard one. They're both published in your manual.
This effect is also magnified by cold temperatures. Not so much a problem here in the summer, but keep an eye on it in the winter.
If you go 5k, you're probably waiting too long. Check your oil level as normal, and if the oil smells distinctively like fuel, is pitch black, or seems a little "sludgy," I'd change it immediately. There's some indication that this effect wears off as the engine ages, but nothing definitive. I'd do at least the first few changes no later than 3k and avoid the mistakes some of us made in following Mitsubishi's recommendations.
In general, given what we've seen, I'd consider following Mitsubishi's "Harsh Conditions" (can't remember the exact term they use) maintenance path instead of the standard one. They're both published in your manual.
Last edited by gizmotoy; Jul 22, 2009 at 02:10 PM.
Evolved Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,235
Likes: 4
From: PA
This car seems to have a very serious oil dilution problem when new. My last analysis showed fuel dilution at a critical level, and resulting viscosity reduction just shy of critical. This was at the recommended 5k oil change interval on Mobil 1 as a daily driver. There's a huge 36-page thread about it, and what it means for engine life. Instantaneous fuel dilution (like that measured in an oil analysis) is not necessarily bad, but if it's changing your oil viscosity you could have a problem.
This effect is also magnified by cold temperatures. Not so much a problem here in the summer, but keep an eye on it in the winter.
If you go 5k, you're probably waiting too long. Check your oil level as normal, and if the oil smells distinctively like fuel, is pitch black, or seems a little "sludgy," I'd change it immediately. There's some indication that this effect wears off as the engine ages, but nothing definitive. I'd do at least the first few changes no later than 3k and avoid the mistakes some of us made in following Mitsubishi's recommendations.
In general, given what we've seen, I'd consider following Mitsubishi's "Harsh Conditions" (can't remember the exact term they use) maintenance path instead of the standard one. They're both published in your manual.
This effect is also magnified by cold temperatures. Not so much a problem here in the summer, but keep an eye on it in the winter.
If you go 5k, you're probably waiting too long. Check your oil level as normal, and if the oil smells distinctively like fuel, is pitch black, or seems a little "sludgy," I'd change it immediately. There's some indication that this effect wears off as the engine ages, but nothing definitive. I'd do at least the first few changes no later than 3k and avoid the mistakes some of us made in following Mitsubishi's recommendations.
In general, given what we've seen, I'd consider following Mitsubishi's "Harsh Conditions" (can't remember the exact term they use) maintenance path instead of the standard one. They're both published in your manual.
Not to mention that Mitsu released an addendum to the service intervals stating something to the effect of checking your oil every chance you get and changing oil at 3k miles all the time. I think they were concerned about the oil dilution and the main seal leak that a lot of X's have. Search you'll find it.
Evolving Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: PA
On my civic honda recommends 7500 miles I do it like 5k to 6k miles most of the time, I have 198,000 miles and orig engine no work. I know turbo cars will be different, but manufacturers typically know what there are talking about it.
I'm just over 15k miles and plan to change all of my fluids any week now. I change my oil every 3-4k miles. I'd like to do it sooner but it's a DD so I rack up the miles quickly and it can be hard for me to make time to get an oil change sometimes.