really? i didnt know that. maybe that's why some folks were running through their stock tires at 12k miles because they were expecting the computer to tell them to rotate the tires...

 

yep a code will come up, i dont rember what it is but some codes are like A1,A2,A3,B1,B2 and so on

 

I would use amsoil 0w20 or 0w30 and amsoil oil filter. amsoil is the best IMO.

 

Interesting about the tire rotation minder. Im over 16k miles and i havent gotten a minder for tire rotation. Where does the code pop up? I mean i have rotated the tires, just have never seen this code.

 

I have 09 red a/t sport. I have built and raced mc and dirt sprint car engines. The thing that hangs me up is this new long 10,000 mile before changing break in oil thing. I always went with the method of putting engine together with molly lube on all bearings and high wear valve components. Using mineral oil. And then at first running getting the engine at operating temp. 180deg. Putting a( load on the engine and letting off decompression 3 times without lugging or over reving) let it cool and do it again. Then changing oil soon. At least within 500 miles. This will get the rings sealed so the exhaust gasses will not contaminate the oil.
I went to dealer to get low down on warrentee and maintainance recomendations and I got a book with recs of 5000 mile oil changes. So I was thinking to keep everyting in check by changing just oil filter at 2500mls. Then changing stock oil out with royal purple break in oil, if I can get it at 5000miles, plus another filter change. Everything is clean plus I still have the engine protection and the rings(compressor)are getting sealed up to keep the oil for getting contaminated over the life of the engine. Then after 10,000 miles when I know the rings are sealed and everything is seated I will run either mobil 1 or royal purple synthetic. for the next 300,000 miles.
This is the plan I came up with so far to keep from going 10,000 mile before an oil change, but still giving my engine plenty of time to break the rings in and have a good reliable sealed up engine. Over 10.000 miles before changing oil like the dash computer says sounds like engine suicide to me from my past experience with engines.
Let me know what you all think! Also I see that royal purple is only selling 10w-30 break in oil but I think it would work just have to give more time to warm the engine up before putting a load on it. Can't seem to find any other break in oil.
Thanks Rodney

 

Yeah, at the rate the mm is going my first oil change won't be before 10,000 miles. Seems to drop 10% every 1,000 miles. I looked at the oil today and it's quite dirty and I'm only at 50%. I'm getting a little nervous now about using that oil for another 5,000 miles. I would never go 10,000 miles on regular oil, only synthetic, but from what I was told by Honda customer service, the factory oil is a special blend that is useful in the engine break in process and to follow the owners manual for that. Oh well, I guess will.

Synthetic is fine at 10,000 miles. Your engine is fully broken in by then. And you do know it's okay to rev past 3K rpm right? You're not going to break the engine or anything like that. Honda engines were made for that style of driving and the Fit is no different. My normal shift point is 3,500 rpms and that seems enough to get me going fast enough to keep up with traffic. The Fit is not a fast car to begin with and shifting it like a granny is sure to piss off the people behind you.

 

I have just over 5000 miles on mine and I frequently put it in sport mode at 2500 rpms and run it up hill to around 5500 and then let it slow back down then do it again for 3 times. Then let it cool. It feels stronger and more responsive all the time as the rings get sealed up. I also got 37.3 mpg on my first tank of gas and this was while I was beating on the thing with one road trip and buy dividing my gals buy milage not going buy the indicator on the dash.
So far I have been really happy with my little red fit. It has passed my expectations as far as performance and comfort. Its alot of fun to bomb around in.
Put the leather center consol in, door threshholds and floor mats.
Makes for a Sweet Ride! LOL

 

I am going to do what Honda suggests vs all the expert opinions expressed here. If the engine fails then Honda can repair it under wty.

Tire rotation etc. I was wondering about other maintenance stuff and decided to READ the manual. The oil change indicator will display other codes as mention above telling you what needs to be done. My tires will be rotated once a year as I also have snow tires to run. Can't wait to put them on to see how the ride differs.

 

I confess! Uncle Gary broke down and changed his oil last Friday! I had 10,000 miles on the original oil and the oil life meter read 20%. I figured that was far enough, so I changed to Mobil 1 5w20 and a Honda oil filter.

By the way, over the first 10,000 miles, the car burned about a half-pint of oil-if that (the level dropped about 1/4" on the dipstick), and the engine is running smooth and strong.

Maybe the engineers at Honda know more about this than we think.

 

i was wondering when to change my oil the first time i only got about 600 miles on my GE so i got a while to go i guess.. 10,000 miles is alot

 

My experience was somewhat different. I drive mostly highway miles (and LOTS of them). At 9500 kms (about 5900 miles) the meter read 50% oil life remaining. I had added about one and a half quarts of oil over that time period to make up for the oil that was depleted during this break-in period. I'm guessing that highway mileage at typical 5th gear/115 km per hour/3400-rpm driving consumes more oil per mile during break-in than city driving does (?).

At 9500 kms the oil looked very contaminated. I switched to Castrol Syntech 5-W-20 at that time. The engine now consumes no oil, and I do my oil changes at 60% oil life remaining, which typically translates to around 9000 kms between oil changes using synthetic. The car now has over 50,000 kms (about 30,000 miles) on it.

One more thing: Wix oil filters are among the best available, certainly as good as any of the OEM filters and much better than some. (For example, Mazda Canada uses Fram filters painted blue(!) and marked up to ten bucks a copy). And guess what---- NAPA's house filters are made by Wix and sold at a fraction of what dealers charge for the ones they sell. I always change my filters when I change my oil. Filters are CHEAP, engines are EXPENSIVE. 'Nuff said.

 

Hello all

I am coming up on 45k on my 2007 Fit Sport AT. Would it be too late to go the full synthetic route? I know my engine is broken in but is there such a thing as "too broken in"?

I know I'll need to change soon, so I was wondering if anyone had recommendations on this? I've never used synthetics but I've been reading up and people seem to rave for synthetic ALOT on the smaller engines we are blessed/cursed with.

Thoughts? Opinions? Heresy?


Thanks

 

yes me.


i dunno what cars you drove in the past, but i have never had an issue with any of the honda dealers i have dealt with. the maintenance minder is meant to be a convenience to us, even roll-up-your-own-sleeves types such as yourself

 

fwiw, the 'code' to rotate your tires is the '1'.

i have yet to see it NOT pop up when the maintenance minder service indicator lights up.


i rotate my tires sooner than the 7k it usually takes me to get to the next oil change, and this is the only part of the maintenance minder to me that is flawed, but i drive kinda aggresively.


honestly i'm suprised how many fit owners are STILL CLUELESS ABOUT THIS SYSTEM, despite the tons of posts on this site and that clever little manual honda includes free with each purchase of a fit!


and to the op: you drive your car SO mildly....why are you switching to synthetic? do you want even LONGER intervals between oil changes?



qft:

'maybe honda knows more than we think'

'I am going to do what Honda suggests vs all the expert opinions expressed here. If the engine fails then Honda can repair it under wty.'


these are the best things have that have been posted on this entire thread.

think about it guys: the poster suggesting you break in your car opposite to what honda says, and all these so called 'experts' opinions...if something goes wrong, you think THEY are going to drive down and pay to have your car fixed?




NO./end thread.

 

just to let you know, i get special deals on amsoil for cheap if anyone is interested (i dont make any money from it) pm me if you want some

 

I might buy into the fundamentalist don't-question-the-manufacturer-recommendations argument if the manufacturer recommendations were actually the best ones for the machine. The fact is, they aren't. We know this because Honda doesn't recommend synthetic oil, they merely allow it. The reason for this, although synthetic oil is better than conventional oil in almost every way, is that the average buyer of a budget car isn't going to be happy about having to buy the most expensive oil on the shelf (or more likely pay for the most expensive oil change at Jiffy Lube). Regular SM oil is good enough and costs a lot less. But some of us will spend more for better than good enough.

Similarly, is 5W20 the viscosity range that protects the engine the best under all load and temperature conditions? Maybe a 30 weight would actually protect a bit better in extreme heat and high loads. Maybe a 10W-30 would be better in San Diego. But of course, heavier oil likely would result in a fraction of a mpg hit, which when multiplied over thousands of units sold, can have an impact on a fleet CAFE average. Once again, was the recommendation the ideal or a compromise to meet some other arbitrary goal?

I'm not saying the "experts" online are right, because as we know, everyone has an opinion. But it's also a mistake to assume that the manufacturer recommendation is the best or the ideal. While safe, those recommendations are a least common denominator, one-size-fits-all guideline; and they are inherently a compromise between engineering goals and budgetary targets in every category from manufacturing to warranty costs to consumer acceptance of maintenance costs and frequency, etc.

 

I own a 2009 Fit and only have 3,320 miles on it after 11 months driving. My engine oil life = 70%.

Will the Oil Change maintenance minder take into account the Time since last oil change versus miles driven. Can I drive 2 years before my first oil change...? I assume oil that is older than 1 year should be changed, or should I rely solely on the maintenance minder...?

In short, should I change the oil after 12 months, 18 months, 2 years or when the bloody light comes on...

Thanks in advance for any recommendations on this.

 

Page 251 of the owner's manual says: "If the message "SERVICE" does not appear more than 12 months after the display is reset, change the engine oil every year."

There you have it: they're telling you to change your oil at least once a year, regardless of how much (or how little) you drive.

 

My 09 Fit uses 5W-20 (not 30). 5W-30 will result is less MPG due to oil thickness.

 

Best to run stock weights on stock motors. Could generate more heat as well, with the 5w-30