I have 1100 miles on my new vet, when do I change the factory break in oil and with what brand and grade?

 

The owner's manual says 7,500 for first oil change.

 

No break-in oil in new cars. Mobil 1 Supercar. Personally, I would dump it now (get rid of break-in materials and contaminates from manufacture) and get on the clock for 7500 miles or one year whichever comes first.

 

No break in oil.

Stingray and Z06 both require motor oil that meets dexosR starting with model year 2023, with the specified viscosity rating. The only motors oil licensed for dexosR are
Mobil 1 Supercar 0W-40 (called for in the Stingray engine) and Mobil 1 Supercar 5W-50 (called for the Z06 engine)

You need to change it when the you get the message from the oil life system to change the oil, or at least once a year. The 1 year requirement if built in to the oil life system, so you can just go by the when you get the message. The maximum the oil life system will go is 7,500 miles or 1 year - but it can be less depending on how you drive.

The Owners Manual does not say to change the oil every 7,500 miles. What is says is every 7,500 miles to check the remaining oil life and change if necessary. But, as a practical matter, you change it whenever you get the message to change it which may be sooner than that.

I suggest you also carefully review the requirements for changing the DCT external canister filter and also the fluid. From your question, it sounds like you have not read the maintenance requirements in the manual.

 

The idea that you need to change the initial oil fill early because of engine wear during break-in is really outdated. Both metallurgy and machining technology have improved dramatically since the 1960s or 70s. You're really fine changing it when the OLM tells you to, which will be a maximum of 1 year or 7500 miles, but could be sooner depending on how you drive. That said, it certainly won't hurt anything but your bank balance to change it early, if it makes you feel better. Full break-in is 1500 miles, which is when GM says you can track the car, so you might want to wait until then if you're really worried about wear particles. Unless the OLM tells you to change it sooner.

 

Mobil 1 Supercar 0W40 dexos 2/R 7.5-8 qts And AC DELCO PF64 oil filter. Paragon Performance sells everything that you need as a kit. My car just hit the 1K mark today will be changing the oil & filter tomorrow.

Info above is for a 2025 Stingray, I’m not sure about the Z06.

 

Just supporting what others have said and adding the issue of miles being a poor indicator of when to change engine oil, Has always been a poor indicator but all we and GM had!

First as other's have said they is no Break-In Oil, has not been for many years. Your car was filled with the same Mobil 1 Supercar Oil as is required for changes.

Second since I had my C6, C7s and C8 the ONLY thing that determines when to change engine oil is the Oil Life Monitor. It considers many things, miles only one. It uses total engine revolutions (you can see those on the dash display if you want and hunt to find.) Probably most important miles has never been a good indicator of when to change. Where the GOOD Highway miles or BAD City miles?

The pic below is from my 1993 Vette Owner's Manual. Particularly for "Garage Queens" who question why with low miles MUST I change in 12 months (which the OLM includes in it's algorithm.) The worst thing for an engine and oil is cold starts. If the engine oil does not get hot enough long enough to evaporate the water of combustion that passes the cold pistons it will form things like sulfuric acid that eats metal when the car is parked! The OLM actually monitors the oil temp after cold starts and if it does not get hot enough long enough will shorten the minimum 12 months to a lower number. Don't have to guess with milage!


Yep forget wondering why you change oil minimum 12 months in a "Garage Queen," the 1993 Owner's Manual BEFORE the very sophisticated OLM had to use foolish miles. So it states if most drives are less than 4 miles or most stop and go driving change oil EVERY 3000 MILES OR 3 MONTHS WHICHEVER OCCURS FORST!

 

This is completely false. The earlier you change your oil after break in the better. Especially since break in is to set the rings and that happens in at most 100 miles.

Changing oil at 1000-1500 miles is generally a good thing to do.

Now will it hurt anything if you don't? No the legal language in the owners manual says what it does because the legions of lawyers gm retains have approved what they think is enforceable.

The only sure fire way to know what you should do for your OCI is to perform an oil analysis when you perform your oil change.

 

How to say "I know nothing about metallurgy" without using saying ;you know nothing about metallurgy.

 

I don't think I've ever seen someone so confidently incorrect in my life....

I don't even have to cherry pick....
https://www.jepistons.com/je-auto-bl...d3VGRWAeALlqA9

 

LOL. One man's opinion related to breaking in a rebuilt engine, not a factory assembly. Two very different things. . There are billions of miles on mass produced engines that didn't get an early engine change and have zero engine wear problems.

 

And no break in oil either (as you noted too in other posts). The factory fill is the Mobil 1 Supercar oil of the correct viscosity.

 

I never said there were any wear issues. Learn to read. Regardless of what you believe changing oil after about 100-500 miles helps more than not changing it. How much that extra care is worth to you is up to you.


The first oil fill IS the break in oil which can be factory fill.

Engine break in is all about seating the piston rings. Which is done in much less time than the manual states. The manual says what it does for legal reasons. Just like the claimed OCI. It's totally up to you to not follow it. Extra / additional maintenance with factory spec parts is not going to harm anything.

 

Yep, no Break-In Oil, has not been for years. Certainly for my 1988, 1993, 2008 C6, 2014 C7, 2017 Grand Sport, 2020 C8 or my current E-Ray.

BUT look at the source of the info he quoted. Jans Pistons. Jans makes forged racing pistons. It appears most if not all their pistons are forged. Many for racing applications where a machine shop is probably boring and honing cylinders etc. Forged pistons have a higher expansion/contraction rate than the cast aluminum pistons in the C8 (except the Z06.) (BTW the hone desired for a racing engine for max power is different than a passenger car where engine life if the goal. There is a good article about ProStock Engine hone -~1300 hp from NA 500 cid- hone where the key is max performance as the engine only has to travel a few thousand miles in its racing life. Their break-in procedures on a dyno are also no doubt different using special oil!) On cold start that leaves more piston to cylinder wall clearance. Like my Street Rod with a 502 cid Chevy Crate motor, lots of "Piston Slap" for the 1st ~2 minutes! Yep piston skirts slapping against the cylinder walls!

Perhaps of interest although my 502/502ZZ engine is from Chevy the short block is assembled by Mercury Marine. That relationship goes back to the LT5:

HISTORY
Mercury Marine was chosen to manufacture the LT-5 engine for the 1990 ZR-1 Corvette. Because so few of those GM/Lotus Engineering, LT-5 all-aluminum 5.7-liter small-block V8 with 32-valve dual-overhead-cam heads would be built.

Mercury even used some LT5's in boats. They still use Chevy 8.2-liter Big Blocks (and other Chevy engines) for boats. Because of the sustained hp their assembly techniques are top notch. So the large wood crate I brought home in my Pick-Up had a short block assembled by Mercury Marine. Heads, CNC ported intake manifold to match heads from Edelbrock! Many boxes with rocker arms pushrods, hydraulic liters, water pump, starter etc assembled by me!

But break-in is different than a C8.

• Recommended 5W30 non synthetic oil for the 1st 30 miles (or 1 hr on a dyno.) No WOT, low loads
• Then 30 miles or 1 hour no WOT but load varied
• Then ~5, 50% throttle to 4000 rpm and back to idle in gear. (PS I have always tried to do that when breaking-in a Vette. Using engine braking gets some oil past the rings due to low manifold vacuum.)
• The 2 or 3 WOT to 4000 rpm.
• Drain and fill with new 5W30 non synthetic oil.
• Drive 500 miles (12 to 15 hours) with no extended periods of high load.
• Charge oil again and synthetic can be used!
  

Pic, bringing the ZZ502/502 Crate Engine to my garage for assembly. That was 2000, still running fine!

 

Yes the factory fill is the motor oil that is in the engine during break in period, defined as 1500 miles in the Owner Manual. But that is not what I meant, and I suspect you know that.

The article that you put forth as being a basis for a break in procedure for a factory new car discusses, at length, the selection of a special break-in oil that will differ from the motor oil that will be used afterward, and its role in achieving a a proper wear pattern between a freshly-honed cylinder and the ring face.

There is no special break-in oil installed at the factory.

 

Times have changed since the old days of "break in oil", but 7500 is a lot of miles on a new engine.
I drove my new car home (4000 miles across the USA) then changed the oil, and then at 7500 let GM change it again, so I split the 7500 with 2 changes.

I don't drive my C8 in bad weather, so I only drive 4000 miles a year, and that is a good interval for a change.
If I drove 7500 per year, I would probably change it mid year. I like to know there is clean oil in there when I am hitting the 6500 redline.

 

Yep long drives are perfect, in fact perfect for engine life. Short trips, stop and go driving is far worse for an engine and oil.

So others get past the idea of "miles" being a good indicator of when to change oil- IT'S NOT! This Post is for those who regress to the "old days" thinking miles is a good indicator of when to change oil before the OLM was introduced!
I'll explain and provide proof of why not and why it never was good- but all we had. That and time!

SIDEBAR
First, knowledge folks knew is was the "kind of miles" that mattered. Learned than when I was ~14 (1956) from my Uncle who was service manager at a very large Chevy dealer (later GM.) We were evaluating similar used cars from about 30 Chevy Impalas, same 3-year age, that came in from a fleet sales customer. I found one with low miles. My Uncle said, nope that is not the one you want. Look at the brake pedal, you can see wear. Look at the driver's seat, bolster shows wear from many entry and exits. This one with ~30,000 miles is a better choice. No brake pedal wear and the whole front seat is like new. The rear seat has zero wear. This car was probably from a salesman who drove mostly on the highway. The other was probably one of their Execs who drove back and forth to work! Those are bad miles for a car! He recommended my Dad buy the ~30,000-mile car, which he did.

Yep, to validate miles is a poor indicator, look at the Pic below from my 1993 Vette Owner's Manual before there was an OLM. Particularly important for those with "Garage Queens" who wonder why they are changing oil every 12 months when they ONLY drive ~1500 miles per year. IN FACT, they may have waited far too long at 1 year, should change every 3 months!

Note the 1993 Vette Owner's Manual (before the OLM) states if most drives are less than 4 miles, or mostly stop and go driving, change oil every 3000 miles OR 3 MONTHS WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST!

This is the reason for the change every 3 months and why you must change minimum every 12 months under the best driving conditions. Cold starts are the worst thing for an engine and oil. The cold pistons shrink, and it takes several minutes for the ~2500F combustion temps to heat and expand. In that interim, combustion products pass the pistons. That puts water (main product of combustion) and some unburned fuel into the oil. IF the oil does not get hot enough long enough to evaporate the water, it forms things like Sulfuric Acid that eats metal when the car is parked. There are some other bad "stuff" but the Bottom Line you are changing oil NOT that it is worn out, IT'S BECAUSE OF CONTAIMINATION.

The OLM is very sophisticated. It uses many things not just miles and time. For one it monitors oil temp after cold starts and IF IT DOES NOT GET HOT ENOGHT LONG ENOUGH will shorten the 12 months to a shorter time.

 

Oh, this topic again...


When cars benefited from changing break in oil, the mfg would tell you. Now that it is no longer a benefit, they don't tell you that anymore. But there is no changing the minds of some people. They just can't grasp the concept of technology improving.

 

I paid $85k for my C8. I can do an oil and filter change myself for $85 (8 qts of Supercar and a GM PF-64 filter).
If it ever goes 7500 mi before a change it will be because I'm dead and or don't own it anymore.

I simply don't believe in going that long and since I can afford it I don't have to. I doubt I will ever go over 5000 mi.
We can debate whether 7500 is too long between changes but one thing is 100% certain, it can't hurt anything doing it sooner.
I changed it last week for the first time at 780 mi and will get the oil analysis report in a few days.

The answer to your question Thayne is Now!
Your cars first oil change is the most important it will ever have. This is not speculation it's science.
Don't take my word for it. Spend 30 min listening to a professional Tribologist prove it with facts and science.
What is a Tribologist you say? Good question.

(A tribologist is a professional who studies how surfaces interact when they move relative to each other. Tribologists use their knowledge of friction, wear, and lubrication to understand how objects behave when they are in motion. They apply their expertise in many fields, including mechanical engineering, chemistry, and physics, to solve real-world problems.)

Start with a quick one on his Qualifications: Then the science and data of why the first change early is important:
One statement he makes that is important to remember, the oil filter does NOT capture all of the break in contaminants that will be circulating for that 7500 miles!

 

Here we go again. Everybody is an expert except the people who design and build the car. Old schoolers don't believe that technology has improved.

I'll be waiting with bells on to hear about your oil analysis.