I'm assuming you work/worked for honda?

It's a little bothersome that oil consumption on that level is considered within normal tolerances.

I agree completely that the maintenance minder is some straight up bs. My car is definitely getting new oil way more often than it was when I was going by that stupid little thing.

Anybody got any science on how the maintenance minder is supposed to sense (or not) oil quality?

 

I think a lot of the car companies are sticking with the story that 1 quart every thousand miles is reasonable. I think that since most cars don't burn oil, the claim that burning that much oil is 'normal' is offensive. It's like saying that since once in a while you might get hair in your food, don't complain that there's hair in your food.

I also think that changing your oil every 3000 miles in order to head off potential engine problems is a net loss economically, but we've had this discussion enough times already.

Honda doesn't say what the MM formula is but a lot of us assume it's based on the number of cold starts, the number of hot starts, engine revolutions, maybe how often/high the engine revs, etc.

 

So- it doesn't sense 'quality' but rather the factors they think affect quality. That's why you have to reset the MM when you change the oil- it has no idea otherwise.

 

Great advice for your Grandfathers model T.

 

Riiiiiight. Well you keep soon your oil changes when the MM tells you to and let me know how that works out.

The MM calculates oil life percentage based on the type of driving. Short trips in traffic, long cruises at 55mph down an empty back road etc. Obviously the less stress placed on the engine the longer your oil life will be on the MM. No one can
be faulted for following what the car tells them to do but the MM is just another way to make the maintenance cost on the vehicle go down in the short term and up in the long. To each their own though

 

You're right, I have no idea how many oil consumption problems there are.

Can you provide any actual data? Or just "Gee, I've seen Hondas with engine problems."

Because every 8000 miles in 150,000 is 19 oil changes. $20 per change comes to $360. Changing every 3000 means 50 oil changes, or $1000. Difference is $640. The whole car cost me $16,000. So even if I have to throw a NEW car away (and it wouldn't happen, the engine doesn't cost as much as a new car and there's a 3 year warranty) unless there's more than a 1 in 25 chance of a problem... well, draw your own conclusion.

If even 1 in 100 Hondas started suffering major problems from oil there would be lawyers knocking on all our doors.

 

Well way to be a douche. I'm just tryin to let you guys know what if seen. I don't have data for you and if you like adding oil to your car than that's on you. Iv done short blocks and re-ringed hondas with only 60k on them cause of oil consumption. But I guess your the smart guy huh?

 

And if you still think I'm making stuff up just google hond oil consumption. Accords pilots civics and you will see a trend, they are all newer model years with MM. Coincidence? I doubt it.

 

Over the years I have changed my oil by my driving. Short city trips in the summer, changed at 5K long hiway trips up to 12K between changes! 200,000 mile Dorf sitting in the driveway with a good injun!

Now Honda has made it easy for me and many 1000's of other people to do rational oil changes without thinking about it! Brilliant.

If you are not using a drop of oil between oil changes you should stop driving the car and have it towed to the dealer to find the problem! Cars are suppose to use oil. Well, reasonable amounts of oil.

If you have some kind of issue like obsessive disorder and feel the need to change your oil every 3000 mi, go ahead it's a free country. But don't run around trying to tell everyone else it is the only or right way to do it or your motor will be destroyed if you don't. Modern scientific research tells us different.
JIm 0311

 

googled it. There is chatter about Hondas using oil. But there is an equal amount of chatter about Fords, Toyotas, etc.

There are several things happening:Correlation isn't causation.

Check your oil level every time you fill with gas.

 

Honda has always produced a great engine and great cars.

J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study: Top-Rated Cars - Cars.com

I've not known their engines to be plagued with oil consumption issues.

OP came on with an honest observation and has seemed to have understood it might have been something he did or possibly an issue with the engine and is going to watch it for a while. Reasonable conclusion.

Maintaining a vehicle means paying attention to the details and there really aren't that many.

Once a month, before a cold start, pop the hood and check the dipstick and look at the coolant level in the overflow tank and washer fluid in the reservoir.
Take a peak at the brake fluid level, all these are set up with see through markings.
Listen to the engine idle after the end of day driving.
Tune in to unusual odors when you walk past your ride after a drive.

All sorts of things become second nature after a while if your paying attention.

Beating a dead horse gets no one anywhere.

 

Nope, not trying to be a douche. Just asking for numbers- because you're saying we should change our oil more than twice as often as Honda (and Car Talk, and all sorts of other experts) recommend. If you work in a garage you see broken cars. You don't see all the not-broken cars. Doctors see a lot of sick people. The healthy people? Much less often. Doesn't mean everybody's sick, just the ones who walk in complaining.

Another issue- the more often you change (or get your oil changed) the more chances for a mistake- not putting in the right amount (or right type) of oil, filter not screwed on tight enough (or old gasket stuck to the car), misthreaded drain bolt, etc.

Everything you said points to checking your oil more often- that's different from changing it.

I just checked my oil (6000 miles on Fit, no oil change yet) and it's exactly on the Full dot.

I put about 100,000 miles each on a diesel VW Rabbit, an Acura Integra and an Infiniti G-20 and I don't think I've EVER had to add oil to any of them (nor to my parents' Camrys). Until the Fit I changed oil at around 4000-5000 miles (a bit longer when I switched to syn oil a couple of years ago).

 

Ok. Have fun people.

 

wheeeeeeee!

(I did have to add about a quart every 4,000 miles to my '97 Honda Odyssey. But it had 225K miles. When it was a youngster I had to add a quart every 7 thousand miles. Used to annoy me because I changed it religiously according to the mechanical minder every 7,500 miles.)

 

Tuberculosis used to be known as Consumption.

I googled Honda Oil Tuberculosis and got 10,500,000 results.

Conclusion? Driving a Honda causes TB. Or people with TB drive Hondas. Or Google is really screwed up.

 

i didnt read the entire thread but check your oil level using the dip stick in the engine bay every 2-3wks or more.

after you engine is cool, pull out dipstick, wipe off oil with paper towel, dip the stick back and count to 5. then pull out and check reading. add as necessary using 5w20.

sometime i need to add some, sometimes i do not. it depends on how i drive the car.
on the GE ive never had to add oil since my wife drives it mostly and she drives quietly (no redline often like me).

 

qftt. and I can't let Kenchan get the thread-ender bonus points. and I luv beating dead horses; pisses-off the flies.

Seriously, tuning in to the odor thing is essential. Excess gasoline smell. Sickly sweet smell (antifreeze leaking). The last one alerted me to the radiator needing replacement before the overflow tank was noticeably low (not the fit). And check your tire pressure. The 10% margin until the TPMS light goes on has been shown to affect MPG and cause migraines.

 

wat's a thread-ender bonus point? never heard of such thing. i thought i was kililng threads for posting something too good or too boring.

we have this small candy factory about 15min from where we are and depending on wind direction we can smell that sweet candy smell from the hwy. when i first noticed this while driving by there i seriously thought my coolant was leaking somewhere. lol. popped the hood to check and found no issue.

good tip on tire pressure. TPMS only lights up at 28psi which is too low for driving. keep it 32-35psi range cold.

 

Simple stuff, all of it. I've fallen for the sweet smell of the outdoors as well.