Fit DIY: Repair & MaintenanceThreads discussing repairs and maintenance you can do yourself
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Hi everyone, I know this has been asked a million times but I am new here. Could anyone tell me what the oil change intervsls are? I get different answers from the service departmant. I always have changed oil at 3k but now being told 7k.
What oil to use is my second question. Could anyone enlighten me as to what oil, dino or synthatic?? My dealer service people said they use the Valvoline blend, the parts people tell me nothing but Honda oil. I have used them all but have been using Mobil One in my Accord and F250 Ford. However I am considering changing over to the Motorcraft blend for the Ford and using the same for the Accord and my new Fit.
Would like to get the opinion of other Fit owners.
Thanks
dasher
__________________ I just loove new toys.
05 Accord EX
07 Fit (red)
04 Yamaha Roadstar 1700
I follow the Maintenance Minder oil changs intervals (explained in the little book that came with your Fit). I (currently) use Castrol Syntech, but any oil (synthetic, dino, or blend) will do fine as long as it as has the "Certified for Gasoline Engines" logo and is 5W-20 viscosity.
Exactly, just go by what it says in the owners manual. Anyone else is just trying to sell you oil changes.
Any major brand 5w20 oil will do just fine.
I "third" that emotion. Go by your maintenance minder thingamajig, use the oil viscosity Honda recommends, and you will be fine.
I am at almost 6000 miles on the initial (break-in) oil, and will likely go to synthetic when it's time to change. Maintenance Minder says I am still at 40% oil life, so synthetic seems like a good way to go, since it looks like the oil change interval will be about 7K-8K for me. Of course, that interval will be subject to a good bit of variation, based on a person's driving habits.
I am up to 8k miles and just received a letter from Honda to come in for my second oil change. It seems a little early since the oil gauge is still at 60%. Has anyone else had this issue? I wonder if it's just Honda wanting to make more money off of me.
Also, I've been considering doing my own oil changes and using synthetic oil. Is there a certain waiting period engine-mileage wise I should wait before
swapping for the synthetic? What's a good brand to use? I've heard most people on the forum mention Royal Purple.
__________________
Honda Fit 5AT Sport in VBP
Injen SP CAI
DC Sports Header
Blue LED Dome and Trunk
I just did mine at 5000 miles which is kind of high for me. For all of my other cars, I have done oil changes at 2500 miles or so. Nonetheless, the slapped a new Honda filter on there and dumped in Mobil 1 5w 20. You can go with Royal Purple if you want but Mobil one to me, for this engine is just plenty, maybe even overkill.
Do them yourself. I am kind of meticulous and I wrote the milage in my maintenance log book and stapled a receipt of the oil in there. Just so I have it for my reference and any other dealer bad boys who may want to hassle me should the engine fall out or something.
Good luck and there is a How To on here that is excellent for a first timer if you have never done it yourself. Stop at the first post though, as the rest of the talk about drainback valves and priming the engine are superficial for this car unless you had a turbo hiding in there.
I am up to 8k miles and just received a letter from Honda to come in for my second oil change. It seems a little early since the oil gauge is still at 60%. Has anyone else had this issue? I wonder if it's just Honda wanting to make more money off of me.
Also, I've been considering doing my own oil changes and using synthetic oil. Is there a certain waiting period engine-mileage wise I should wait before
swapping for the synthetic? What's a good brand to use? I've heard most people on the forum mention Royal Purple.
Visit AMSOIL Corporate - Source of the World's Best Synthetic Lubricants - Motor Oil and Filters to learn more about synthetic lubrication. I changed my oil over to synthetic at 8 months of age, but only 3500 miles on the odo. Miles are not the only condition that wears out the lubricating ability of engine oil. AGE is also a factor. Moisture condenses from the air as a warm engine grows cold during the winter months. This forms water in the oil. Water combines with sulfur that is a normal ingredient of mineral based engine oil. The result is sulfuric acid, which dissolves bearings.
Since many high-end cars (Corvettes, etc.) come from the factory with synthetic oil, there is no "minimum mileage" to convert an engine to synthetic oil. There is NO sulfur in synthetic oils, which is one of the reasons that synthetics last much longer in auto engines than mineral oils.
manx...as always, good info but also know...If you switch to synthetic, you have to maintain synthetic. While it sounds corny, it "spoils" the engine. It is like being fed filet mignon for years and then someone giving you cold cuts as your diet all of the sudden. While I won't get into the grit of all of that, just use that analogy and once synthetic, always synthetic.
manx...as always, good info but also know...If you switch to synthetic, you have to maintain synthetic. While it sounds corny, it "spoils" the engine. It is like being fed filet mignon for years and then someone giving you cold cuts as your diet all of the sudden. While I won't get into the grit of all of that, just use that analogy and once synthetic, always synthetic.
Kris
Hey Kris-
Not to put you down in any way, but what you wrote is nonsense. Nothing in an auto engine changes with the use of synthetic oil EXCEPT for less wear than mineral oil and longer life than mineral oil.
It is my intention to stay with synthetic lubricants as long as I own my car, and with every car I own. However, if I chose to use inferior mineral oil again someday in the future, no harm would or COULD come from that.
Not to hijack but I don't think that what I posted is total nonsense. I know you have a ton of information on here and maybe my analogy was too goofy for most gearheads. I was just basing this on someone who hasn't messed with cars often. My reasonings for what I posted are this:
*while there are a ton of google searches that will state this and quoting them may make me look even more retarded, I will ad lib to hopefully make a small point!*
I am nuts about the care of my car. So, I *believe* this even though there are folks who dispute it. You engine adapts to everything from the way you drive to the fluids you put in it. With that, a high mileage vehicle that has had synthetics since day 1 can experience failure when suddently switching to conventional oil. (EDIT: Not sudden failure but the process can happen quicker if suddenly off the good stuff) The properties and contaiminents of the conventional oil are different than those of synthetics. It is my opinion that seals CAN deterriorate quickly if suddenly given "cold cuts". Synthetic has more protection than conventional oil and to me, staying with synthetics is the right thing to do IF going for the long haul. I wouldn't say synth this change and forever more is synth.
Also, I would have to say that the breakdown of synthetics are prolonged. With this engine, I would feel comfortable going 5-6000 miles between changes, will I, no. But I would feel comfortable. IF you are accustomed to that regiment for such a long time, you will have to adapt once you switch back to dino due to the quicker breakdown. So you have to be aware and not set in the ways that you would have been used to.
I feel that those are valid points and will be argued until the end of time with the "Which is better". That is my recommendation and for someone experienced, I would say go with what you know. Someone who doesn't care for their car, I would say stick with one thing to avoid problems.
Just don't take my only rep point away!
Kris
EDIT: Wireless keyboard is garbage...sorry for the errors.
From your other posts and our few exchanges, I respect your intelligence in most things, most particularly regarding software and programming, and maintaining the security of government information.
BUT, in this matter, regarding chemistry and metallurgy, you are DEAD WRONG. Following your reasoning, if your engine is designed for use with conventional mineral oil, it shouldn't work properly with the much better synthetic. Metals, and plastic/rubber/polymer seal materials, don't know the difference between mineral oil and synthetic oil. They just suffer LESS friction, wear and heat if synthetic oil is used. Synthetic oil does not deteriorate or change chemically as quickly or in the same way as mineral oil. They will suffer the SAME wear effects that they were designed for if you switch back to the mineral oil it came with, provided that the oil has the same API designation that the engine manufacturer specifies.
In order to keep from causing warranty issues with engine manufacturers, synthetic oils have to "meet or exceed" the API lubricant specifications of the oil recommended by the engine maker. The "exceed" part of the last sentence comes into play with the friction, heat, and chemical deterioration resistance of the synthetics being MUCH HIGHER than the mineral oils. If you go back to mineral oil, all you get is just MORE WEAR that you would have with the synthetic. Simple as that.
Your simile about filet mignon vs. cold cuts is only goofy if you really believe it. Just as goofy as being worried about offending "the ENGINE GODS" by switching back to cold cuts. Trust me- I am a Mechanical Engineer. I helped Cummins Engines design the "Adiabatic Engine"- a diesel that runs without ANY coolant, and without ANY crankcase oil. No lubricant atall.
You don't have to sacrifice a small animal in order to stay safe when you drive, and the engine gods don't know what the hell you put in your crankcase.
However, if superstition makes you use synthetic oil instead of crap pumped out of the ground, by all means, keep them Gods happy. Seriously, your engine WILL NOT be harmed by changing back to mineral from synthetic oil, it will only wear out faster with the mineral oil.
With "all due respect" as the saying goes, and best regards-
Dave
Last edited by manxman; 05-27-2007 at 10:36 PM.
Reason: add comment
No worries. Trust me!!! I understand and can respect what you post. And no harm no foul. I never claimed to be an engineer of sorts...Albeit, I have messed with cars for some years now...I go by what works. Being in Miami, I have little trust in ANYONE who provides a service period! Be it home improvement or auto repair, so I try to do things myself and stick with a rule. You are right, my forte is computers even though I hate them...I would much rather someone listen to you as the internals of the engine go...I was just trying to add what has worked for me but by no means endorse it as the gospel!
<---Sticking out hand for a shake!
Finishing my beer and calling it a night. Wife and kids are out for the evening so dad has nothing to do.
And the best of luck in your paid extended South American vacation- stay safe and come home in one piece (and not in a box).
Sincerely,
Dave
Actually, I am back in Miami now and won't leave until July...Well, June is for a week and then July for the "extended time"...thanks for the well wishes!
If your warning about "spoiling" the engine comes from what you perceived as personal experience (your own engine "threw up" after switching back from synthetic to mineral oil), keep in mind that there ARE good and bad mineral oils, and there ARE good and bad synthetics.
For over 15 years I have made, sold, and shipped around the world the best synthetic lubricants for Air Guns and Paintball Guns. W'Orr Games Products is the maker of the "Autococker" Semi-Auto Paintball guns. In the early '90s the company founder and owner, W. "Bud" Orr, was approached by some salesman who said "here's a sample of the best lubricant in the world- you should use it in your guns!!". The gun maker poured some of the new lube in a cup, and then threw in an example of all of the seals used in his guns. The next day, there was no trace of any of the test o-rings left to be seen in the cup of test lubricant- they had all dissolved. The owner's manual for these guns carries the warning to this day: "NEVER USE SYNTHETIC LUBRICANTS IN THIS PAINTGUN!!!". A great example of a very bad synthetic lubricant.
My lubricants have never caused a warranty issue with this or any brand of Paintball gun, all brands of Paintball guns approve of the use of my products and the owner of WGP uses my lubricant when he plays, but the owner's manual warning still stands, because there are hundreds of very bad lubricants being sold to ignorant people.
Last edited by manxman; 05-28-2007 at 02:41 PM.
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Oil and oil changes???
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