My car just hit 60,000 miles, and I’m trying to figure out what needs to be done to keep it running well. The owner’s manual has me a bit confused. I live in Southern California, and apparently that’s considered “severe conditions,” which I didn’t know before. This is my first car, so I want to make sure I’m doing things right. So far, I’ve only been rotating the tires and changing the oil every 6,000 miles. It’s been running great, and I’ve had it for seven years now. The warranty is good for 10 years/100,000 miles.
Here are my questions:
The manual says oil changes should happen every 7,500 miles, but in “severe conditions,” it’s 3,750 miles. I called the dealer, and they said 7,500 miles with regular 5w20 oil is fine. I’ve been doing 6,000 miles with my tire rotations. Is that okay? I’ve also been told I don’t need synthetic oil and should stick with 5w20.
The dealer told me to change the coolant at 60,000 miles, but the manual says 120,000. The coolant still looks fine to me. What mileage do most people change it at? And does anyone know the prices for this? I’ve seen $90-$160 for a coolant flush.
The dealer also suggested changing the transmission fluid at 50,000 miles, but the manual doesn’t mention it. I’ve read on other forums that the transmission is sealed and doesn’t need to be flushed. The service department says they’d have to open it up to check it, which costs $120-$190. Should I do it?
Lastly, the dealer says I should get the brake fluid flushed. The manual doesn’t mention this. I thought brake fluid was sealed and didn’t need replacing. Any thoughts? They quoted $130 for this.
Anything else I should check or replace? The serpentine belt looks fine for now.
How often do spark plugs need replacing? The manual says 105,000 miles, but I’ve read some people do it every 15,000. Are they easy and affordable to replace on my own?
If anyone can help, I’d appreciate it. I’ve searched everywhere and can’t find clear answers.
Q1: Most manuals recommend oil changes at 7,500 miles if you’re using synthetic oil. I wouldn’t go past 5,000 miles with regular oil and personally change mine every 3,000. Long intervals usually show problems after 100k miles.
Q2: I usually go by time, not mileage, for coolant changes. Maybe every five years or so.
Q3: I would definitely change the transmission fluid at 60,000 miles. No transmission is truly sealed. If you plan to keep the car, a drain and fill is worth it. I do mine every 30,000, but that’s just me. It’s not hard, and most of the cost is for the fluid. The quotes you got seem fair.
Q4: Brake fluid absorbs moisture and should be changed eventually. It affects brake performance if left too long. I’d follow a schedule based on mileage or time.
Everything on the car wears out eventually. I wait for the serpentine belt to start squeaking before replacing it. For spark plugs, I stick to 100,000 miles and only use OEM ones. Aftermarket plugs have caused issues for me before.
@Florian
Good advice. I’m a Kia tech, and I recommend 3,000 miles for regular oil and 5,000 for synthetic. Going longer makes me uneasy after seeing oil condition at 7,500 miles. I’d also do the belt and spark plugs around 100k. The cars aren’t too high-maintenance overall.
@Florian
Thanks! I’ll start doing oil changes at 3,000 miles. A mechanic said my coolant was fine, but the dealer said to change it at 60k, so I’m unsure. I guess I’ll go ahead and change the transmission fluid too.
Stick with the owner’s manual. The engineers know better than the dealership. I change my oil every 6,500 miles on my 2012 Optima Hybrid and haven’t had issues. The 3,000-mile rule is outdated and applied to older cars. Modern oils and engines last longer.
The severe conditions part mostly applies to things like taxis, rideshare drivers, or excessive miles. If that’s not you, don’t worry about it.
I changed my coolant at 100,000 miles and it was still fine.
Channing said: @Blakeley
My manual says to use 5w20. Why does everyone keep mentioning synthetic? Should I switch?
5w20 is the viscosity. You can get it as conventional, semi-synthetic, or full synthetic. Full synthetic holds up better, especially in extreme temps, and protects your engine more.
I use Mobil 1 5w30 synthetic and feel fine doing 7,500 miles. With conventional, I’d change it before 5,000.