Just made an apptmnt with honda for oil change next week. Checked the dipstick this morning it is still btwn the max and min. FYI, I drive around 50miles round trip to work day mostly with lots of traffic on the BQE and LIE.

 

Our 2012 Fit that we purchased in January has around 2600 miles and the oil monitor says 70%. 70% of the driving is in town.

 

You are ok the MM just keeps displaying the 15% at start up. I have a 2012 sport and reached 15% at just under 5K and did the first change.

It will be fine until you can schedule the oil change or DIY

 

Make sure to check your dealers website for coupons. I get mine done at Honda Escondido for $35 with a wash using their online coupon. As far as milage, I drive a ton and am averaging about 10K between changes. I have owned my car for 1yr and a week today and just rolled over 37k miles.

 

I am sorry for asking, but I have to.

On my previous cars, I was used to change oil at 5000-6000 kms, which is around 3000-3700 miles. I previously owned a Lancer 2006 and 2010. It was recommended by Mitsubishi to change oil around that time.

I understand that it is recommended by Honda to change oil when the threshold goes below 15% on the dashboard. I've owned my FIT for only 2 months, I've done 5500 kms (3400 miles) and is down to only 80%. I'm not in a hurry to change oil, but it seems weird to me. Plus, call it a placebo effect, but since 2 weeks the car seems to take 1-2 seconds more to start than it used to.

What is different between the FIT engine and other cars which makes our oil change less frequent ? I don't know if anybody here knows the answer, but I'm sure there is one somewhere. Unless the other car manufacturers ask us to change the oil when it is still good...

Another question as well. I understand to you all recommend 0W20 or 0W30. I live in Québec and it gets very cold in Winter. I usually buy Mobil1 5W30 ... will this be fine in the FIT ? Should I buy the "Extended Performance" of Mobil1 instead (which should last 15 000 miles according to Mobil1 website) ?

Thanks,

Neo.

 

I find it odd Mitsubishi required 5,000-6,000km oil changes. Maybe for severe service.

My previous Honda was a 97 Odyssey with a 2.2L 4cyl. The owners manual called for 7,500 mile oil changes for normal service. I followed this schedule and it had no oil related issues by the time I sold it at 225K miles.

Unless the car is under severe service characterized by short trips where the engine never fully warms up, 10k miles (~15K km) is the norm for oil changes. The Fit's ECM considers revolutions and average operating temperature to calculate oil change intervals. Those that drive theirs in "severe service" have been told by their maintenance minders to change around 3,000 miles.

The extra seconds to start are consistent with summer blend fuels and not an indication of anything wrong. I have to crank mine a bit longer now too.

I'd go with 0W20 year round. This is recommended for all North American climates. 0W20 is only available as synthetic so by default this will be "extended performance" regardless of the brand. But the maintenance minder doesn't consider the type of oil (synthetic vs petroleum) so that's just added protection.

 

Roughly, modern engines and modern oils are much better than they used to be. Tolerances are much tighter, so less blow by, the car has much better sensors to put the right amount fuel in to get it warmed up without wasting fuel, etc. In addition, there is more research on what it means for an oil to be "used up". Previously, it was based on oil color or smell rather than how much of the buffering agent was left or dissolved metals. Combined with the car's computer having a formula for how much it is wearing the oil for a given usage, this translates to longer oil change intervals.

As for viscosity, you should be getting 0w-20 if you want to preserve the warranty. In cold, lower numbers are better, or at least stay less viscous, which is what you want. So an engine with 0w-20 will experience less startup wear than one with 5w-20 or 5w-30.

 

In addition, here are some related older threads you can read:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...l-changes.html

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...-indicate.html

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...ce-so-far.html

 

hi all..
I just had an oil/filter and, misc things that came with it, changed at HONDA last week. total cost $39.99+tax(with promo coupon)


but one funny thing, they had placed a sticker on my upper left windshield to remind me of the next oil change which is the NEXT 3000 miles or in 3 month. Why is that? The receipt says that ow-20 oil was used, so why so quick for the next change? Was it a print out typo?

thanks

 

It's called "marketing."

Some dealers are putting "see Maintenance Minder" on the stickers now.

 

No typo, just an SOP for an uninformed consumer/customer...

You should read your owner's manual and the links I posted as well, as an FYI. You should ask your dealer about the story behind "the sticker" after you've done your homework so you can ask the right questions and counter the "snow job" answers they might give you. The more informed you are, hopefully you can make better decisions in the matter.

For an average DD, 3k mi/3 mo. intervals are a waste and more so if you're using synthetic oil... Just my take.

 

Does it matter who changes the oil as far as the warranty? Dealer, mechanic, owner?
15% gives warning suggestion to do it soon, but 0% do it now sounds more like a command.
Does the computer reset automatically or must the dealer reset it to 100%?

 

Doesn't matter who changes it (honda dealer, you, or other) but you should keep receipts in the event of any oil related warranty issues.

The MM does not reset automatically. There is an "end-user" method, just check your owner's manual. Another mechanic may not reset it without asking him to (and then he may not know how).

Edit:

 

Do your part Dave, read your owner's manual for the MM reset. In addition, who does your oil change doesn't matter, doing it right matters... Documentation matters, for warranty purposes.

 

thanks for the info. I did read the manual and things related to 0w20 oils and the time interval for oil changes etc etc BEFORE I drove into the stealers service lot. It was funny that they just placed the sticker on my windshield expecting me to go in after 3000miles.

ANOTHER question.. Since the sticker on the windshield says 3months/3000miles. Could the money hungry dealer set the reminder to come on when it reaches another 3000miles or 3 months whichever comes first?

I will use the DIY and change my oil next time, the only reason i went to honda is that this is my first oil change.

 

Jiffy, Speedee, etc. do the same thing when I used to go to them but haven't in a while. Not too many businesses mind taking your money. Point is if you're giving it away intentionally or don't care, no prob. but if you're doing so because you've been misled or uninformed, then it's on you to make the right (for you) decision.

I'm not knowledgeable in the intricacies of the MM mechanism so I can't tell you that the dealer cannot. After all a computer is a computer. But as a consumer, I would think that would border on "tampering" with serious "liability" and "legal" issues. Much like odo roll-back consequences. I don't think a dealership would stake their reputation and business license on that. Bad tradeoff. Again just my take...

I've been averaging 6k - 6.5k mi for the MM to reach 15% oil life on the Fit. On all my other/previous cars, I've always tried to stay approx. within the 5k mi window, regardless of "the sticker".

 

No, the MM is set by Honda in the Computer and isn't adjustable. It uses it's own algorithm to determine when you need to change your oil. Peel the sticker off and wait for the MM to pop up when it is time for service. Honda engineers who designed the car know it much better than the mechanics who service it.

~SB

 

Don't think too much into a conspiracy.
They don't make that much money on oil changes anyway.
Attribute more of this to laziness and not re-programming the printer they got 10years ago to be smartly printing the right interval or having their employees make the fine distinctions to calculate and use different numbers for different cars.
The fleet still has cars that may have 3k intervals for severe service, so to avoid potential damage there they put the most conservative number; even though this does have the risk of coming off as money-grubbing to the overly-suspicious conspiracy-nut customer who always thinks someones out to get them; yet at the same time doesn't take the time to read the manual.

The REAL sign of a money-hungry conspiracy is when they start getting into suggesting more expensive maintenance procedures when they are not needed.

My independent mechanic gave up on this bs and on my workorder receipts he just has 0 miles in 0 miles out. So to avoid getting called out for giving wrong info due to partial-laziness on say 3mo/3k for this model or 5k/6mo for that, or 7.5k for that other model, or 12k/1yr for the other. He just doesn't want to play that game and goes full-lzay and just leaves all references to mileage blank and leaves it to me (educated owner who read the manual) to schedule maintenance. Of course, if you want things spoonfed to you, he'll tell you when to come back if you ask.

 

Exactly what are we checking here?

Two things- it becomes a pain to clear the message every time once it hits 15%. So when it hits 15%, most will get it in for a change quickly. Also, when you hit 20% it will drop quickly. One long or nasty trip can drop it from 20 to 15% in a shot.

 

Dealerships really don't make any money on oil changes. I believe our dealership makes $.80 per oil change but we also have $20 oil changes. We only make money when we up sell items the car needs. On the 0w20 vehicles the MM usually is OK to run 15%. The 5w20 is not. The conventional oil isn't made to go as far as most people take it. Lots around here are going 7-10k miles before theirs hit 15% on conventional. Whenever I do oil changes I recommend mileage at 4k or 4 months to the newer 5w20 vehicles. Less for 2002 or so and lower. As far as using a higher weight oil I don't recommend BUT when I worked in toyota a man with a Prius that takes 0w20 consistantly made us put 15w40 in it and he always stood there during the service to made sure we put it in. We told him several times that this sSHOULd NOT be put in the car. But he never had any problems out of his car and still doesn't. Anyways back to the matter at hand. In all reality most people do not even go off the sticker or maintenance minder. They just bring it in whenever they want. People are way over the mileage and still have 60% oil life left. It really is just your call when you decide to get your services done. Just my experiences and opinion.