Fiat 500 TwinAir - first oil change?

[Rrroro]

Hi I was wondering what consensus was on the forum as to when the TwinAir should have it's first oil + filter change?

I bought the car brand new in November 2011 and I've done about 6,000 miles now (about 7 months hard-ish driving - not thrashing the car, but not the 30mph town driving that I think the car was designed for). I was planning to change the oil + oil filter at around 4,000 but never got round to it.

The other day I emailed the main dealer where I bought the car, asking to book the car in for it's first oil change. However the response was that I don’t need an oil change yet. The service interval on the vehicle is 18,000, or 2 years if you do less than 6,000 in one year. So I won't really need an oil change until 18,000.

However does this sound right or has the guy I'm dealing with at the dealership misunderstood what I'm asking. It just doesn't sound right waiting for 18,000 miles before doing a cars first ever oil and oil filter change. However is the TwinAir engine "special" in this regard?

[Arthur Daley]

Service schedule is 2yrs/ 18k whichever comes first*

• Unless the car is used primarily for town driving, used on dusty roads or covers an annual low mileage of under 6000 miles in this instance the car should have an annual low mileage service.

So thats what fiat recommend and it wouldnt hurt though to have the oil changed but its not compulsory for the warranty.....

[Rrroro]

Cheers for that. I think I'll just book it in for an oil & oil filter change anyway, just for peace of mind - thanks

[Rrroro]

Rrroro said:

Cheers for that. I think I'll just book it in for an oil & oil filter change anyway, just for peace of mind - thanks

Just had the oil & oil filter changed at 6.3k miles, engine runs so much smoother and I'm guessing more economically. I'm flummoxed at the insistence by Fiat not to bother with an oil change until much later and to stick to what the book (owners manual) says, that doesn't make any sense to me.