I picked up a 2015 Honda Fit with 488 miles. The oil life indicator says 70% so I will be changing the oil soon. What is the best for my car? Synthetic??

 

I believe that Honda specs a 0W20 synthetic and up here in Canada at least, the cheapest way to get a 0W20 synthetic oil change is the dealer unless you do it yourself.

 

Cheapest at the dealer? Surely you jest... Dealer near me wants $50-$60 for a full synthetic change.

I just go to Walmart and buy a 5qt jug of 0W-20 Full synthetic. Fit takes about 3.5 QT so I just save the extra for next go around. Eventually you'll have enough left to do an oil change without buying another jug. $23-26 for a jug depending on your flavor.

 

Yeah, it must be different down there. The dealers up here are around $50. Even from Coscto (I hate Wal-Mart) a good synthetic is $35 a jug. So I'd rather spend an extra $15 for the Honda filter and not having to clean up and get rid of the old oil. I maintain my other cars (my one car only gets Motul synthetic) and I have access to a hoist but for my Honda it's cheapest to just get the dealer to do it.

 

$15 for Honda filter seems high too. I bought a multipack of filters and it came in around $6 a filter.

You're right it does take time to do it, but I know I've done it right. I let the dealer change the oil the first time since it was free. Wouldn't you know that was the only time one of the plastic screws on the splashshield came up missing? No need for a hoist, I have a set of ramps and have plenty of clearance to do the work.

While it is more convenient to have someone do it, I prefer to do it myself. By the time I drive 30m to the dealer, I can have the oil change done. If I take it in, I still have to wait at the dealer while the tech checks out the car and suggests additional maintenance. Then I have to tell them no. Then they have to do it. Wait for them to do the paperwork and then pay.

 

The filter is about $6. I included not having to clean up and dispose of the oil as part of the extra $15 cost as well.

You're right about doing it right yourself and I like working on cars but I have a pretty good relationship with my dealer and they are small so I know and trust the tech who usually works on my car. They also know I do some some of my own work and have reusable K&N engine and cabin filters so they never try the upsell.

As for the hoist, I can't go back to ramps. I just did an engine, transmission and differential oil change on my MX-5 last month in a couple of hours. It was awesome. Not to mention my MX-5 is so low I'd need a set of race ramps to get it up and even then there's no way I could change the transmission and differential oil on any sort of ramp.

 

Interesting that the oil life would be down 30% with less than 500 miles. Maybe that 500 miles was driven really hard by the previous owner? Or does the age of the oil factor into the oil life percentage?

One of the benefits of running synthetic oil is less frequent changes. You can safely run the oil life down to 20% or so. The maintenance minder will display the little wrench light at 15% if memory serves.

I'm at 22K on my '16 LX. Got the oil changed around 10K and then again at 17K, as I let my oil change life drop to around 20% before I change it. Shopped around local dealers and got each oil change with filter for around $22 plus disposal fee and tax, but under $25 each time.

There are no aftermarket shops that charge anywhere near that cheap for a full synthetic oil change, so I assume the dealers (two different ones) are using the full synthetic oil change as a loss leader. Yes, they both recommended different add-ons - a tire rotation with the first one (that I got done somewhere else for less) and a tire repair on the second one (same, got it cheaper somewhere else).

 

You can safely run the oil down to 0%. That's what 0% means.

The age of the oil doesn't factor into the MM, which is why they say to change it at least every year.

But it is surprising that it'd be down 30% at 500 miles. Maybe the dealer had the car on the lot for 2 years and started it every day?

 

ive run synthetic down -500 and no issue on the Fit. lol

that obc goes by dino oil, i thinks.

 

I don't have too much choice.
But I will say, it's become a real battle to have the Oil changed correctly at a dealership. They seem to nearly ALWAYS overfill.

Couple that with Honda's nearly impossible plastic ended dipstick, that seems purposed designed to NOT let you know where your oil level is at.....

And I can understand why people would rather do their oil changes themselves.

 

The overfill is not that big of a deal so long as it isn't overfilled too much. Even doing it myself it's slightly overfilled (measuring 3.5qts) but I'm not going to go through the trouble of draining it to get it perfect.

It does take my own time, but it's the same time spent as driving to the dealership and waiting for it to get done. Oil is disposed at the local landfill next time I make the trip so it's free. Plus I know it's done right and my splashshield won't fall off.

 

LOL....yeah, the freakin' dipstick .....I would think it would be cheaper just to produce a totally metal stick with a Full notch and a Low notch than have a plastic bit added to the metal stick, but....what do I know? And yeah, the dipstick on our Fit is one of the worst I've had on any car I've owned. Funny how little things can just make a sane man crazy

 

I would change the oil myself....
I like the idea of being sure it's OK, and done right.
I certainly like the idea also of being able to do it cheaper.

But honestly? I'm too old and out of shape. And I live in an apartment building scenario.

If I was a little younger, and in a little better shape...I'd be investing into the tools needed and doing it myself.

 

Living in an apartment makes it tough to DIY since a lot of apartments forbid doing car maintenance on the grounds.

 

You can say that again...

 

My dad told me he once rebuilt a Mini engine (original, like 30 years ago) in an apartment. Landlord saw it about halfway back together, and was too shocked to remember he was supposed to get angry.

 

I see nothing wrong with that.

 

i think 0w20 only comes in synthetic

 

Yep, always. I actually measured the overfill amount one day (had a lot of free time that day) by draining the oil out with a tube until it was level on the dipstick. It was 4 oz overfilled. Not much but still don't know the reason why it's done. They do it on Civics and Accords too. I checked their levels when I was at the dealership and they were also overfilled. I asked the salesman and he had no answer.

 

some engines burn oil so it could be a good thing. i’ve had the dealer overfill by as much as nearly a qt so ure good. lol this is why i hate dealer service.