Bought the LX on 2/8/15. Oil % is 60 at this point. 4500k roughly. When is the best time to do the initial oil change? 25%? 10%? Thanks.

 

Between 15% and 0%.

 

I'm doing mine around 4,000...

 

The manual calls for a change when the Maintenance Minder comes on, which is roughly 10K miles. If it's a year and no MM or 10K then the manual says change it at that time. I'm in the latter category and will have it done end of June.

 

As mentioned in other discussions, the oil that Honda adds at the factory is a blend that's specifically designed for breaking in a new engine. It's recommended that you change it in accordance with the Maintenance Minder. I plan on changing mine somewhere between 15% and 0%. I'm at 40% now with approx 6200 miles on the odo. This goes against the normal belief that oil must be changed every 5k miles, but hey, I'm good with only changing it every 10k instead.

 

I have been fighting with myself about changing the oil also. I normally go 5000 miles in standard and 10,000 on synthetic, and never over 5000 when the engine is new. I am following Honda on this also and my MM is at 30% now with almost 7000miles. Checking the oil it hasn't used a drop and still looks pretty clean.

 

In this situation would you do the oil change before or after the trip?? I don't want to do it during the trip since my oil change will be free at my dealer.
- I'm currently at 4500 miles and 40% oil.
- In a month I am going to take the Fit on a long trip.
- I will probably be around 5400 miles and 30% oil just prior to the trip.
The trip is Houston to Tucson (approx. 1100 miles away), so I will be around 6500 when I get there and maybe 20% oil.
- I will be in Tucson for 3 weeks for an intensive class so I'll be busy. The class is in the same place I'm staying, so I don't need to drive to it. I'm not sure how much I'll drive while there. I may drive just a few miles for food, gym, etc, or if I take a weekend road trip I may put in a few hundred miles (so maybe 200 to 600 miles, which would put me around 6700 to 7100 miles and maybe 10-15% oil).
- After the three weeks, I am driving back to Houston (so another 1100 miles), which will put me around 8200 miles and maybe 0-5% oil.
- So would you do the oil change before or after the trip??
Thanks if you read up to this point!

 

Judge it a week prior to the trip. Lot's of highway/constant speed driving will not drop the MM percentage very much. Mine didn't even change on the trip we did last weekend that was about 700 miles of highway driving.

 

They told me 5k for the first oil change so Ill do it at that time.

Once I get new synthetic oil I"ll do em every 7-10k.

 

Of course they told you 5K. They told me that too. More money for the dealer if you do that.


Me, I'll do what Honda tells me in the manual (which in my case is at one year, and I'll be lucky to have 4K miles on the car by the end of the month).

 

My dealer gives me free oil changes for life so of course they said "wait until it gets down to 15%"

 

For the trip, based on the numbers you supplied, change the oil after you return. Also you will find that the % will not drop as fast when you are on the road.

 

I agree, as long as you change it before it goes below 0%, you should be fine. My thought is to keep that "starter" oil in as long as possible.

 

I changed mine @ 15%.

If you do it yourself, you'll find the plastic tray has to be removed. All are Philips head screws, except the two toward the back of car. They look like Philips heads but they are pushpins. Pop up the center core of the pushpin and it will come right out. If you try to remove it like a Philips screw it just spins.

 

Does anyone know if the indicator actually goes below 0%?
Would changing the oil below 15%, lets say at 5%, void the warranty since the recommended point is 15%?
My oil maintenance minder has been decreasing by 10% each time - does it decrease by 5% once I get to 15%?

 

Yes, the MM will go below 0%.

No, I don't think there is any way they can void your warranty if you change your oil at 5%. I don't believe its recommended to be changed at 15%, that's just when your MM starts to remind you to get it changed. You should change it before it gets to 0% though, obviously.

The MM decreases in 5% increments when it gets to 20%.

 

My Fit made it to 10,100 when the MM came on showing 15%, and had my first oil change at 10,300. I'm very happy if I can get 10K between oil changes!