07 ION 3?

1st oil change do at 3K just to be on the safe side. Afterwards, consider 5K intervals even if using Mobil1. Thats what I am doing on my '07 ION.3 too.

OK thanks. You using OnStar?

The proper method for break in would be...

Note: Keep the rpm's low for the first 500.

Start with Conventional Oil. (Factory fill varies.)

At 500 - Change Oil & Filter At 3000 - Change Oil & Filter At 6000 - Change Oil & Filter (You may switch to Synthetic now.) At 9000 - Change Oil & Filter (Synthetic for certain.)

Now use 4000 mile max intervals for the sake of the filter, not the oil.

I have an 07 ION 2 and asked the same question to the service mgr at my local Saturn dealer, this past week. They said that the 1st oil change should be done when "oil change" light comes on. Even if it is around 12-14,000 kms. I had 10,6XX kms and asked if it was ok to do an oil change right away and put Mobil 1. Answer was yes and I did it. Long gone are the days when the 1st oil change was be done after only a few hundred miles. Materials used to build engines are so superior nowadays that it is not necessary anymore. So they say.

I agree. If you switch to synthetic oil too soon it will take longer to break-in your engine. I have been using Mobile-1 5W30 in my Dodge Stratus since 36000 miles (due to warranty) and change the oil and filter every 10,000. It now has over 138,000 miles, still runs great and gets me over 31 MPG on the highway (being a former certified mechanic I believe in taking good car of my cars). I blew an engine on Amzoil years ago and wouldn't recommend that garbage to an enemy.

Gyz

BläBlä wrote:

Sorry sir, synthetic oil doesn't cause an engine to blow. There was an unknown problem there already that eventually surfaced because the oil cleaned the engine. Many people have believed what you believe but we know netter today because of research and because we understand synthetic oil better.

I am using OnStar, matter of fact for the $80. a month I pay just to have a cell in the car, I am going back to pre-paid when my Cingular extor..er...contract ends and with the savings I can keep OnStar in the car hopefully if they don't raise their rates again before then. Man, OnStar is nice but they are getting too out of price range for most ppl to keep it beyond the free 1yr.

BTW - 5K is an estimated guess on most mechanics as to when the OIL Life light will come on at least, so I figure that using the same guidelines as my old 1.9L and every other car I have driven, even though using synth oil, change the oil at or near when the mfg. suggested intervals are and you will have a life-strong engine.

Got it...

There is no such thing as a "break-in period" with synthetic. Parts must wear and seat themselves. Synthetic greatly hinders that process. A car properly broke in on conventional oil will obtain maximum cylinder compression much much sooner. An engine that starts off with synthetic may never seal properly.