Hey everyone, i'm pretty new on the board. I don't have the M. manual with me now.


I got the car in the beginning of jan.2012. I have around 900 miles on it now.

I have a few questions about oild change. Hopefully someone could help me out.

1. since i don't have the manual with me now, when is my FIRST oil change recommended by honda?

2. do you guys go with HOnda recommended oil viscosity? I would like an oil that give the most MPG.

thanks for yous answers.

 

1) As recommended by Honda, you wait until the Maintenance Minder displays 15% to schedule your service, then get the service done before it gets to 0%. Alternative is if you go 1year. In mostly long trip highway driving, it maybe up to 12,000miles before the MM gets to 0%.
Most people will say if you go a bit past it doesn't matter, it is not cinderella at the ball and your car turns into a pumpkin.



2) Honda's recommended viscosity is 5w-20. 0w-20 such as Mobil1 AFE, has claims to give slightly higher MPG(see mobil1 website), but the numbers will be in terms of 0-2%. So if you average in an expected 1%, you go 300miles on a tank, now you can go 303miles. (Point is a lot of other factors and practices can improve your MPG, oil choice is not going to be a giant difference)


Hope that answered your questions. As an oil thread, there are lots of opinions, and obviously no one's car has blown up from doing things the "wrong" way. So I think if you search you will find some good reads.

 

My daughter has an 09 Sport . Honda tells you to go by the maintenance minder. We have done this and average 5-6000 miles. I'm old school 3000 miles so we started using Mobil 1 from the first change. If you change before and reset the minder you won't other reminders such as filters etc. P.S. READ YOUR OWNERS MANUAL .

 

In the process of resetting the MM (before it gets to 15%)... it will display what the next MM would've been. So, you just need to pay attention while you do it.

 

Just to nitpick, I'm fairly certain that for the 2011-2012 Fit, Honda recommends 0w-20. It should be listed in the manual and on the oil filler cap.

I also personally follow the maintenance minder.

 

A 1% increase in mileage is about $10 per oil change, which almost covers the price difference between 0W20 synthetic and any regular oil. And even if it just leads to buying three fewer tanks of gas over the life of your car, well, that's some time and money saved there too in filling up less often.

 

touche! i stand corrected good sir.

 

I just changed my oil for the 2nd time @18000 miles. Coincidentally my 1st oil change was @9000 miles. From recommendations I got here I waited until the 2nd oil change to switch to synthetic (Mobil 1). I stuck with 5W-20.

 

Wow you've gone 9000 miles between changes? I haven't had an oil change yet, currently at 4200 miles. It would be interesting for anybody else to show how many miles they've been getting between oil changes.

 

search, there's a thread for that. some have gone to 12,500 for the mm to actually show the wrench.

 

will do, thanks raytseng.

 

What Honda recommends concerning oil:
Untitled Document
OW-20 with ILSAC GF-5 somewhere in the specs. Honda sells it own oil or you can use Mobil 1 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy synthetic oil. It meets or exceeds the ILSAC GF-5. And Subrau's 0W-20 will also work. Valvoline SynPower® Full Synthetic 0W-20 which also meets ILSAC GF-5.

Just make sure of these two things 0W-20 and ILSAC GF-5 and you will be fine. The oil light will tell you when to change and do not be surprised with going over 10,000 miles on the oil change interval. And do not change the factory fill oil early!! It has a special "moly" additive in it which Honda wants in their for the full time before changing.

 

My son has an '11 fit and just went to mr. tire for an oil change and they told him that it takes some special oil and the oil change will be $100. Please tell me they're full of it.

 

They're full of it.


Honda used to recommend 5 W 20 but with the same engine in newer Fits is now recommending 0 W 20 which is apparently only available in synthetic or synthetic blend. Those are more expensive, by a couple of bucks a quart (car takes less than 4 quarts).


So yeah, they're hosing you.

 

Trust the computer in the car. Use 0w-20 which is again synthetic. If anything the ecu is saving you money. There is no need to change oil every 3k. Hell my Prelude Type SH and most other Hondas back in late 90's did oil change every 7500mi. I always used 0w-20. then Honda changed to using it. Unless you live where there are extreme conditions, bump up to 5w-20.

 

Just a weird question... For the past 1000 miles or so my 09 fit sports oil % reminder has been stuck at 60%... So either this thing is extremely efficient at oil consumption, or Im missing something..

 

Just keep driving... it's about to change real soon.

 

Note: The OP bought the car in Jan 12, it has 900 miles, it's now 2 years old. The manual clearly reads the oil should be changed yearly regardless of miles. So it was due a year ago.


The 0w/20 oil isn't as easy to find as 5w/20 for example but most local parts places have and it and our Wall Mart also has it.


Honda dealers are supposed to have the correct oil. When I asked, they said, yes they have it if I would bring a jug for them to dispense it in. They use bulk oil. I
don't trust them to have the correct oil since the shop is about making money.


It usually takes about 1k miles or more for my oil life indicator to drop 10%. I usually do mixed driving. I'm probably going to get 10k with the current oil because I made two trips to Florida.


Clifton

 

Holy shit! Its only around $20 to do it yourself.

 

I will use 0-20 in the winter as we have weeks on end with 20+ below zero temps... Anything above 32* 5-20 is just fine. I'm particular to mobile one and valvoline syn power full synthetics with wix filters