250 VEHICLE CAREViscosity GradeUse SAE 5W-30 viscosity gradeengine oil.Cold Temperature Operation: In anarea of extreme cold, where thetemperature falls below −29 °C (−20 °F), an SAE 0W-30 oil may be used. Anoil of this viscosity grade will provideeasier cold starting for the engine atextremely low temperatures. Whenselecting an oil of the appropriateviscosity grade, it is recommended toselect an oil of the correctspecification. See “Specification”earlier in this section.Engine Oil Additives/Engine OilFlushesDo not add anything to the oil. Therecommended oils meeting the dexos2specification are all that is needed forgood performance and engineprotection.Engine oil system flushes are notrecommended and could cause enginedamage not covered by the vehiclewarranty.What to Do with Used OilUsed engine oil contains certainelements that can be unhealthy foryour skin and could even causecancer. Do not let used oil stay onyour skin for very long. Clean yourskin and nails with soap and water,or a good hand cleaner. Wash orproperly dispose of clothing or ragscontaining used engine oil. See themanufacturer's warnings about theuse and disposal of oil products.Used oil can be a threat to theenvironment. If you change your ownoil, be sure to drain all the oil fromthe filter before disposal. Neverdispose of oil by putting it in the trashor pouring it on the ground, intosewers, or into streams or bodies ofwater. Recycle it by taking it to a placethat collects used oil.Engine Oil Life SystemWhen to Change Engine OilThis vehicle has a computer systemthat indicates when to change theengine oil and filter. This is based on acombination of factors which includeengine revolutions, enginetemperature, and miles driven. Basedon driving conditions, the mileage atwhich an oil change is indicated canvary considerably. For the oil lifesystem to work properly, the systemmust be reset every time the oil ischanged.When the system has calculated thatoil life has been diminished, itindicates that an oil change isnecessary. A CHANGE ENGINE OILSOON message comes on. See EngineOil Messages 0 143. Change the oil assoon as possible within the next1 000 km (600 mi). It is possible that,if driving under the best conditions,the oil life system might indicate thatan oil change is not necessary for upto a year. The engine oil and filtermust be changed at least once a yearand, at this time, the system must bereset. Your dealer has trained servicepeople who will perform this work andreset the system. It is also importantto check the oil regularly over thecourse of an oil drain interval andkeep it at the proper level.
