I'm curious about how many miles some of you have gone before your Maintenance Minder (Is that what it's called?) has indicated that it's time for an oil change, etc. My EX has almost 3,500 miles on it, and it's showing 70%. My son's Fit has about 6,500 miles, and it's showing 40%.

 

It's based on several factors to determine oil life. Mileage is one of them but also how often the car started and how many miles between starts.

Other pieces of maintenance like rotating the tires which is going to be based on miles.

 

5,000...50%

 

..........

 

Well, looks like a bit over 100 miles per percent according to preliminary data.

In order to get some ideal of how Honda's parameters work we also need to know how you drive your car, perhaps on a scale like this:

1. Little Old Lady
2. Episcopal Minister
3. Ordinary Commuter
4. Aggressive A-hole Commuter
5. Little Old Lady on Meth

 

I don't drive much, and just under 500 miles in the last 5 months, I still have 100% shown.

 

So you would be a #1. Or, a combination of a #1 and #2, if you only drive to church on Sunday. Either way, call me when you get ready to sell your car. Nothing better than a low mileage used automobile.

 

OK. I live across from my favorite breakfast place, 1/2 to the store/bank and 2 1/2 miles from the Mall. Stopped long drives now. Have friends that pick me up. I normally keep my Honda's about 17 months on average. Dealer loves me. My next car might be the CR-V again or the 2016 Buick Encore.



3 Civic's
1 CR-V
1 Insight. Hated that one
1 Accord
2 Fits
1 Element

 

I've averaged almost 44 MPG for 3,800 miles, so I'm definitely light-footed. I drive for MPH, unlike in the past, when I kept my foot to the floor. If every car had the MPG indicators that the Fit has, I bet everyone would get better MPG.

 

What I would like to know is this: GM, builder of some lousy cars, makes its MPG program and others spot on. Honda, builder of much better cars, can't seem to get its MPG indicator to be nearly as accurate. This has gone on for a number of years. Makes no sense. Wonder how accurate the oil life monitor is?

 

I think the electronics are accurate because they show how much fuel was used and how far the car traveled. When the owner uses a particular pump to replace the used fuel, both the pump and the owner have control over how much gas goes into the tank. Adding more gas gives a lower MPG figure, while adding a bit less will give a higher figure. My car has always been within around 1 MPG of what the cars says it was. As soon as the pump clicks off, I stop pumping.

 

But my last 3 GM cars, bad as they were, were dead on accurate for the MPG indication. My last 3 Fits, an 09, 10 and 15, were always off. Same fueling technique. Honda admitted in 09 that their programming was off, and if you took it in, which I did, they would re-program free of charge. They did, and it was spot on from then on. My 15 is off by 1-3 mpg consistently. A small matter, in the overall scheme of things, but seems odd for Honda.

 

The pump you buy the gas from is quite accurate as it is regulated by the weights and measures agencies.

What is not accurate is the way you fill the tank. Park the car at a slightly different incline and it might make a half-gallon difference in how much gas you can get into the tank, particularly with the very loooooong fill pipe on a Fit. This is pretty much beyond the driver's control.

In order to get good MPG data you have to calculate it over several tanks, so the half-gallon-or-so variation in fill becomes insignificant.

MPG readouts are also a bit wonky as they rely on fuel injection data. The injectors are open for a certain time and a certain amount of fuel passes in that time. The computer keeps a total of this, but it is not as accurate as measuring the volume of fuel with an in-line flow meter.

In a lot of ways I miss the tanks on my old VWs where you could actually see the fuel level through the filler. Quick and easy to fill, consistent, and the aftermarket supplied larger tanks if you wanted them! I'd love to have a Fit with a 20 gallon tank!

 

 

I just don't know why they don't make the "instant mpg" have a more realistic range. It goes up to 90, which is never going to be reached and is just a waste of space. It would be much easier for a driver to tell what their instant mpg is if it went from 0-50.

 

Much as I love to see a 20 gallon tank on the Fit it adds more weight which hurts MPG overall. I wouldn't mind seeing at least 12 gallon tank as it's a nice round number.

Ah well. Really can't complain since it is a small car.

 

5,000 miles, with almost every in-town tank being off by about 3 mpg is enough of an accuracy check. Highway mpg is very close. in-town..off

 

I've put about 9k miles on mine since last oil change and am at about 20% oil life. I'd say I'm an ordinary commuter. I don't push my car too hard and just use it on longer drives.

 

Can we add delivery driver on there somewhere? I like to think I'm not comparable to a little old lady on meth.....