I bought a new 2006 Elantra in December. As a D-I-Yer, and former mechanic, I've always performed the majority of the oil changes on my cars. I always change oil and filter at 3K or 3 month intervals using Mobil 1 synthetic. I fully understand Hyundai's requirement of keeping a maintenance log, either in paper form or at hyundai.com's online service log to show proof of preventive maintenance to maintain the warranty. (Note: Using Mobil 1, and sticking to the 3K/3Mo. change intervals, I've never experienced an engine mechanical failure in over
25 years of using the product).Years ago, it was generally recommended to perform the initial oil change at 1,000 miles. At that time, many cars used a "break in" oil, but I'm not sure this is the case anymore. In fact, most cars had a free scheduled 1,000 mile inspection, which included an oil change. Nevertheless, it still may make good sense to initially change the oil at 1,000 miles.
Any thoughts on this, pro or con, or should I simply adhere to Hyundai's "severe service" drain intervals?
Also, since the current Elantra has a cast-aluminum sump cover, it's most likely quite critical to torque the drain plug to a certain maximum lb/ft. I wonder if any Elantra has suffered from a cracked sump cover due to over-torqueing? This is a very critical aspect of my SAAB 900, as a cracked aluminum sump cover requires replacement of the entire lower section of the engine. Of course, this is thankfully not the case with the Elantra, but I certainly could see problems should the oil drain plug be over-torqued. Perhaps this is a question for hyundaitech . . .