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I'll be going to the dealer since I have been to lazy to find a mechanic and a bad back and age prevents me from doing it myself. 2020 Honda Fit LX CVT. I have less then 1500 miles in 12 months. Is the expense of 0W-20 necessary or can I stick with what Honda is offering in their promo?
I wouldn't say "necessary, but I think it's gotta be synth to achieve the 0/20 weight, dunno if conventional comes that "thin". I'd bite the bullet and go synth, think of how much gas $$$ and lower maint costs you're saving from driving low miles. I'm about due for a change, am out of warranty, am going to start going to a good local place in town - not worried about the under shield, as it was missing when I bought it used CPO in '16 but didn't realize it until I joined here and started reading,,,LOL...so that's one thing the local place can't screw up. Due for manual gearbox fluid change, Honda wants $140.....I dunno, have never had the gearbox fluid changed in any manual car I've owned in my life and it feels like it did the day I bought it, might let it ride a bit - just retired and want to see how our income shakes out over the next few months before any "unplanned" expenses, I don't feel it "needs" it.
But, yeah, I'd go synth, better safe than sorry. Did you buy it new? If it's under warranty, I'd definitely go with synth and keep records in case.
Read your owner's manual. It specifies 0W20 (or 0W16). Since 0W20 isn't generally available in conventional oil so you will need synthetic. When you show up at your dealer they will inform you that you must use 0W20 synthetic to maintain your warranty. If you look in your car engine compartment you should see "0W20" stamped on the oil filler cap.
The dealer's playing a bit of a game because they advertise the conventional oil price but they know that pretty much anyone with a recent model Honda is going to need synthetic and you notice that they don;t advertise that price.
[QUOTE=woof;1463081
The dealer's playing a bit of a game because they advertise the conventional oil price but they know that pretty much anyone with a recent model Honda is going to need synthetic and you notice that they don;t advertise that price.[/QUOTE] Yup.... and anyone driving an older car out of warranty that doesn't require synth is not likely to get it changed at dealer prices
Your 2000 miles works out to <40 miles per week. If you drive the car regularly (= multiple times per week) your trips must be quite short and it's unlikely that your engine is getting fully warmed up. In that scenario (basically a severe duty cycle), I would definitely recommend synthetic oil.
Conversely, if you only use the car for a few big trips per year, it's almost certainly cheaper to rent a car when you need one. That way you don't have to worry about oil, or maintenance, or parking, or whatever.
I too will echo the need to adhere to the 0W 20 spec. It matters less about what it is made of as long as it's certified 0W 20. If you're an old timer like myself, you'll remember the even older guys talking about thicker oil for older cars. (Read 10W 50.) That does not hold true for modern cars. The manual will tell you 0W 20 and that's the key thing to stick with.
Conversely, if you only use the car for a few big trips per year, it's almost certainly cheaper to rent a car when you need one. That way you don't have to worry about oil, or maintenance, or parking, or whatever.
i'll echo this statement.
We use our Fit exclusively for city driving and that's what it was designed for (and does very well).
For trips over 1 hour each way, we rent something bigger and comfier.
Saves on wear and tear as well as maintenance on the Fit.
To expand on this answer I'd also recommend sticking with syn. Those reasons are fuel dilution from the direct injection setup and the small oil sump.
Now in regards to the grade, I'd suggest re-examining the needs of your car and the operating conditions.
if you are mostly concerned with fuel economy I'd suggest staying with the 0w20.
If you are more concerned with longevity (or you are driving your FIT more "spiritedly") I'd recommend going with a slightly thicker oil (depending on your location).
For instance, in the Indian market the FIT is specc'd with oils from 0w20 to 10w30. https://www.hondacarindia.com/owners...06278046-13011
For my FIT, I run a slightly thicker Syn mix (roughly 5-10w30) as my ambient temp doesn't go lower than -3 or -5C in the middle of winter.
As a result my engine is quieter through the oil change interval with no noticeable hit on fuel economy.
To expand on this answer I'd also recommend sticking with syn. Those reasons are fuel dilution from the direct injection setup and the small oil sump.
Now in regards to the grade, I'd suggest re-examining the needs of your car and the operating conditions.
if you are mostly concerned with fuel economy I'd suggest staying with the 0w20.
If you are more concerned with longevity (or you are driving your FIT more "spiritedly") I'd recommend going with a slightly thicker oil (depending on your location).
For instance, in the Indian market the FIT is specc'd with oils from 0w20 to 10w30. https://www.hondacarindia.com/owners...06278046-13011
For my FIT, I run a slightly thicker Syn mix (roughly 5-10w30) as my ambient temp doesn't go lower than -3 or -5C in the middle of winter.
As a result my engine is quieter through the oil change interval with no noticeable hit on fuel economy.
i've been getting 6 quart cases of mobil 1 from a local Cosco , works out to $6 and change per quart
I will go against the grain of most of the recommendations and say, actually, you could go up to a slightly thicker oil under some circumstances.
As a minor point, 0W-20 and 5-30 might both be synthetic ... but regardless yes the 0W is more costly to supply.
If you look at older owners' manuals, for a car or mower, they'll often recommend a lower-weight oil for colder climates and a slightly higher weight one for better hot weather lubrication. I am not sure what's in the current manual but in the interest of dumbing down the situation many are now recommending just a single option so nobody has to think too hard about it.
As an example, at one point either me or the dealer put 5W-30 into the car. I was irritated about it, but the car ran fine and I changed it before it got too cold in the winter.
I live in Boston. This isn't exactly an arctic wasteland, actually we are "humid subtropical" now thanks to climate change, but it can still get <10F not infrequently. You live in Vegas. I am aware that deserts do indeed get cold, but generally when I think Las Vegas I think "hot." I would expect, and this comes with all the usual caveats about taking advice from strangers, that you would be perfectly fine with 5W-30. As an added benefit, the car will have less valve noise!!
If they do it. Also tire pressure is different (by a whopping one pound) between front and back. I question whether most dealers would adjust for that when they rotate tires.
>If the dealer is doing a A1/B1 for $50, that is a pretty good deal since it will include tire rotation and inspection.
Yup. Total was about $52 dollars and change out the door. Even though the coupon says synthetic was extra according to the guy that did the invoice he told me it was indeed full synthetic and it was not extra. Money well spent IMO. I hung around to watch since it has been decades since I took a car to a dealership for service and it all went smoothly and ran like a Swiss clock. The million point inspection was a bit of a laugh since the print out listed dozens and dozens of things that were allegedly checked and I did not see him do any of those things though the printed invoice at the end did indicate he added windshield wiper fluid but as for the rest of the checklist I believe he just glossed over it.
>If the dealer is doing a A1/B1 for $50, that is a pretty good deal since it will include tire rotation and inspection.
Yup. Total was about $52 dollars and change out the door. Even though the coupon says synthetic was extra according to the guy that did the invoice he told me it was indeed full synthetic and it was not extra. Money well spent IMO. I hung around to watch since it has been decades since I took a car to a dealership for service and it all went smoothly and ran like a Swiss clock. The million point inspection was a bit of a laugh since the print out listed dozens and dozens of things that were allegedly checked and I did not see him do any of those things though the printed invoice at the end did indicate he added windshield wiper fluid but as for the rest of the checklist I believe he just glossed over it.
One of my previous career paths was as a service writer and I can confirm that this encounter is accurate.
Stick with synthetic. Idk if Honda has fully fixed it yet, but the direct injection was causing unburned fuel to seep into the oil pan. It particularly happens on short trips where the engine doesn’t have enough time to heat up completely. I know there was an update for the CRV but owners reported that it didn’t fully take care of the problem. Since the fuel can accumulate until the oil reservoir is above capacity, it can cause significant engine damage.
There is no conventional 0w20 but Castrol says there are synthetic blends. I go with Valvoline full synthetic and check oil levels regularly and never miss an oil change. The point is that the oil isn’t a place you want to skimp on with this car. I like the detergents in valvoline, but more important is to stick with putting the same brand in your car each time. Switching brands every change causes unknown interactions between additives and leads to buildup and friction.
Stick with synthetic. Idk if Honda has fully fixed it yet, but the direct injection was causing unburned fuel to seep into the oil pan. It particularly happens on short trips where the engine doesn’t have enough time to heat up completely. I know there was an update for the CRV but owners reported that it didn’t fully take care of the problem. Since the fuel can accumulate until the oil reservoir is above capacity, it can cause significant engine damage..
This was never an issue on the Fit. Oil dilution was a problem on the CRV and the Civic which had turbo powered engines. It was not a direct injection problem, it was a turbo problem. No turbo - no problem. As you mention there have a number of half hearted fixes but the problem will only truly be fixed when those cars are eventually scrapped.
