Hello,
Since I bought my car brand new, I’ve always gone to a Kia dealership for my oil changes with full synthetic oil. They always put an 8k mile interval on the sticker on my windshield.
This last time at 40k miles, I decided to go somewhere else. I told them to use full synthetic and paid for it, but they put a 3k mile interval on the sticker.
Should I be worried?
Why is there such a big difference between the two intervals?
Is there any chance they used conventional oil?
It’s tough to know what kind of oil they actually put in your car. It might just be the interval that the shop you went to uses, but to get a clear answer, you should ask them directly. They might think the car needs more frequent changes since it’s a 2-year-old car, which typically would have about 24k miles based on the federal highway standards.
@Joss
That makes sense, thanks for the info!
@Faith
Awesome, thanks for the advice!
You will need 10, 17, and 27mm sockets. A torque wrench if you want to be precise. A creeper if you want one, along with ramps and chocks for the rear wheels.
For fully synthetic, you can use Amsoil, Royal Purple, or Mobil 1 oil – Pennzoil is good as well. Buy oil filters in bulk from the Kia dealership.
You can do it in 20-30 minutes, knowing it’s done right. Check out a YouTube video if you need guidance.
@Zoran
Thanks for the tips!
It’s hard to say without knowing what oil they actually used. What did they charge you? Was it the full synthetic price? If you want to be on the safe side, consider changing the oil again after 1500 miles.
@Ellison
I made it clear it was full synthetic and paid the full synthetic price. It just seems odd to me that Kia suggested an 8k interval, while this new place said 3k.
Poe said:
@Ellison
I made it clear it was full synthetic and paid the full synthetic price. It just seems odd to me that Kia suggested an 8k interval, while this new place said 3k.
Some shops keep good records, so you can always ask what they noted in your car. If they confirm it was full synthetic, you can then ask about the sticker. It could be a simple mistake; technicians see many cars every day and might just add 3k out of routine since that’s the usual oil change interval. Don’t overthink it, just go back and ask them.
@Ellison
Got it, thank you!