Just curious how the maintenance minder keeps track of service intervals if you reset outside of the interval? Here's why I'm asking...

I've been over enthusiastic about changing my oil, I generally do it at 5k-7k miles and do it myself. I reset the oil life when I do this. I think the maintenance minder generally comes on outside of these intervals, and I'll do the other items associated with the code when it does but not the oil if I know the oil is recent. Then I reset the maintenance minder.

I took my car in for a rotation/alignment today at 44k miles and the service tech asked if I had done the transmission service at 30k. I told him no, and that I wait for the code to do those items, and he seemed surprised and enthusiastic about knocking it out now. I declined, figuring it was just an upsell. But then I started thinking... what if resetting the oil life meter outside of the maintenance minder is affecting when it pops up? I mean I'd imagine it would since, the car know the oil is new now. Or is that a completely independent function? Also, considering how many miles over 30k I am, is there some way to know what my next maintenance minder code is going to be? or what the previous codes that were reset were?

 

I'm at 113k miles. I do oil every 5000 on the dot and reset the oil percentage. I've never had a maintenance reminder come on. Dealer said it's cause I'm clearing it so often YMMV

 

Read your Honda manual. Nothing in mine about a 30k transmission service. That being said, a 30k transmission service is a good idea, recognizing that a fluid drain/refill is the only service that can be done to the CVT.

Yup, like me you're clearing it before a message can appear. If you want to you can simply NOT clear it after doing oil changes and once the mileage builds up enough you will finally get a message.

 

Not even for like the transmission service?

Yeah I saw that the manual says nothing about a 30k service and that it's just bundled under code 3. I guess my question is more along the lines of... does the maintenance minder just have programmed intervals based on engine load? for example, lets say Code 3 is on the 6th maintenance interval. If i do oil change 1 early, and reset the oil life, does the computer say "oh ok, they did the first maintenance early, onto 2..." then when I got to the 6th interval that's supposed to include a transmission service, if I do the oil change early and reset the oil life, does the computer assume I've done the transmission service?

 

The engine oil change seems to be independent from other servicing, like for the transmission. The MM looks at the type of driving you're doing (eg city/highway) and other factors and calculates the engine oil change and transmission service estimates which are different and not dependent on each other.

Lets say the MM calculates you need to change your engine oil every 10k miles and your tranny fluid at the 40k mark. If you unilaterally decide on your own to change your engine oil every 5k miles - which is far more often than necessary according to the MM - there is no reason why that should affect the transmission. As far as the MM is concerned, based on driving conditions, your transmission still needs servicing at the 40k mark and that's where you will get notification.

Anyway that's my understanding of it.

As far as Honzos' question about having missed a transmission MM notice at 30k I'd say baloney. You can't miss what hasn't happened yet. I'd suggest your first transmission MM notice simply hasn't happened yet and will come up at maybe 40k, or 50k or 60k or..... Honda like many other manufacturers seems to think their transmissions are indestructible and have set the service intervals accordingly long.

 

That's good to know. I'm at 44k miles and was a little concerned when the advisor said roughly 30k is when it should happen. So maybe it truly hasn't happened yet... but maybe not a bad idea to service it anyway, relatively cheap piece of mind i suppose.

 

The MM doesn't care whether you change the oil at 1000 or 10,000 miles, at 5% or 50%. When you reset it, it starts the oil clock all over again.

I think that it doesn't give any codes until the oil gets to 15%. Maybe the transmission code is every sixth oil change or whatever. So if you keep resetting it before it ever gets to 15% you'll never get any codes.
Folks who change the oil before 15%- does it ever tell you anything? Or do you never, ever see the MM light up?

 

The first few years I changed oil annually with no MM displaying.

 

Not sure about your transmission but in my cvt, the mm didn't come on till about 50k for the fluid change.

 

If you step to the maintenance minder display then hold the button down until the display starts to flash, the mm will display the codes for the next service due.

 

The MM will never display for an oil change if you reset the oil % display regardless whether you changed the oil or not.

 

I was curious about this myself, and contacted Honda customer support. The oil life indicator is INDEPENDENT of the other MM codes. Resetting the oil life indicator does not reset the other MM codes.

 

The problem I think is that the MM is supposed to wait for upcoming services until oil life goes to 15% in order to combine services.

But if oil life never gets down to 15%, no other codes would show... That's how I take it..

 

You're contradicting what jhass has posted just before you and his information comes directly from Honda customer support. I don't understand why people keep trying to tie other MM notices back to the oil change service when there is no such connection.

 

Has anyone ever had a MM notice that did NOT come on when the MM oil change hit 15%? All mine (2010 and 2016 Fits) have coincided with oil change intervals.

 

This is interesting. It suggests that I need to contact Honda again and ask an even more specific question about whether MM notices are in any way synchronized with the oil change intervals. In your case, it may have been coincidental that the MM notices came on at 15% oil life, due simply to elapsed mileage.

 

That could be possible. When I contacted Honda, perhaps I didn’t ask them exactly the right question.

But consider the scenario of a person like me, who drives about 5K miles a year. I change the oil annually regardless of mileage, as per the owner’s manual, and reset the oil life indicator when I do. The oil life indicator is never below 50% when I reset it. So will I never get a MM notice?

 

I think there is a reason Honda calls it the "Maintenance Minder" and not just the "Oil Change Minder".
It primarily goes by when it thinks it's time to change your oil, but it also takes the opportunity to "remind" you of other routine maintenance steps. Hence the sub-codes.

I just go by the maintenance minder. But if I had decided to simply go by my own Oil Change schedule, I'd keep track of that separately, but then NOT reset the Maintenance Minder when I changed the Oil. That way, I believe the maintenance minder will illuminate as per normal, showing all the codes. You could then decide if you wanted to do the peripheral things suggested. Ignoring the suggestion to change oil...until you reach your personal interval.

I speculate that if you are personally always changing the oil before the maintenance minder illuminates and then resetting at that time, it will never illuminate.
If you want the reminder for all other services, you have to let it go through the cycle.

I think it's designed to remind you of "Maintenance" but operates by simply counting down time between Oil Changes. In other words, even though you might of bought brand new tires on Wednesday, it could illuminate on Thursday and tell you it's time to rotate the tires.

Caveat, I'm not an expert, this is just my understanding of how the system works. I could be wrong.

 

I have just contacted Honda again to try to get a definitive answer.

 

I think a often repeated mistake is some people think of the "MAINTENANCE minder" as ONLY an oil change interval reminder. Which it primarily is..but it is also designed to give you a heads up in regards to other maintenance tasks.
If you want that timed reminder, then I think you need to let the Minder go through it's cycle. Which would mean, if you wish to change the oil on your own cycle, then you keep track of that separately, and do NOT reset the minder before it illuminates.