Just doing some reading on breaking in a new vehicle and had some questions for you all.

1) "20 Mile Oil" - I read that with a brand new car it is important to change the engine oil early in the car's life (20 miles or so).

From what I've gathered new engines have a crosshatch wear pattern wherever there's a seal, that get worn down as the car is driven, helping to shape and seat the seals properly.

The aluminum shavings and such from wearing down the crosshatches collect in the oil and at about the 20 mile mark is where they are worn down to their limit. This is when they say to change the oil and remove as much of the metal shaving and crap from the oil and oil pan as possible.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?

2) From the factory, do the cars have synthetic oil or mineral oil? (If it's mineral oil then I would put mineral back into it until the first scheduled oil change).

3) Has anyone done their first oil change themselves? Did you notice a lot of shavings and deposits?

 

Mine came with full synthetic according to the dealer. Did my first oil change myself at 5000km with Quaker State Full Synthetic with K&N filter then again at 10,000km. Extended the intervals to 10,000km since then because i do 85% highway driving with little stop and go.

I don't recall seeing many, if any, impurities in the first change.

I don't believe in the whole "break-in" period anymore as with the current '14 RA and previous '09 GT, I never followed any "break-in" period procedure. Same went with my dad's '15 Forester and brother's '11 Elantra. Just drive it like you normally would.

Coming up on 40,000km now and planning on changing it up to Pennzoil Platinum with Pure Plus and a K&N filter. Brother ran the Pennzoil and after 5000km, the oil is still amber while mine at the same interval with Quaker State went black.

 

The RalliArt comes filled from the factory with 5w-30 CONVENTIONAL engine oil. The use of synthetic oil has been stated as "recommended to optimize the performance of your engine" but is not "required" by the manufacturer.

 

My first oil change the dealer put in synthetic oil, not sure what it had in it before?