I did not think of your post as a hijack- you were sharing information that you believed, and offered it to help others. I only argue your scientific facts and reasons for believing them. You said "This is what I think", not "This is why I think it".

Dave

 

thedeadpoet000-
I hope that you paid attention to the information being thrown back and forth in this thread- good luck to you.

 

Back to the first post we go. Are you sure it said your vehicle "IS DUE" for service. I receive letters from the dealer on a regular basis and they all ask if it's time for service. Kinda like a reminder that they want me to have them service it.

The dealer has no idea what kind of mileage you're putting on your car so to say it's time for service and the use the maintenance minder to know when it is time for service is contradictory.

The letter always has a coupon for 10% off on stuff too. They send them out about every 3 months it seems so don't sweat it.

As for when to do your oil and what to put in it there are a lot more learned people on here than me when it comes to that. And just as many posts and threads.

There are threads specifically about oil and oil filters just look and you'll find loads of info to make your decision with.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

 

Hey guys, just wanted to get your advice on this...

I've had my Fit for 9 months. In that time I've put about 2700 miles on it... pretty low I know. It's mainly just a weekend car as I take Public transport to work and for a lot of going out. So far the oil life meter says it's still at 60%. Now, I've read conflicting reports of when to get your first oil change. Some say every 6 months, others say at 3000 miles, others say wait for the car to tell you. This makes a newbie car owner like me very confused about what to do.

I haven't felt any problems with the car so far, which makes me wonder if I shouldn't just wait until the car tells me to change the oil before getting the first oil change. Also I check the oil level periodically and for the life of me can't really tell where the oil line is. the oil itself is pretty clean, compared to the almost blackish crap I used to check on my Dad's old junkard cars. Is this something I even need to worry about before the first oil change? And I'm assuming "oil life" which the car keeps track of, and oil amount are different things yes?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, this has been weighing on my mind for a while now.

 

I am no brainiack but I like to change mine every 3000 miles. It's something I do myslelf and it cost about the same as another tank of gas. I can't think of a single thing it hurts to do this, other than the draw on your time and wallet. i trust the engineers at Honda ,,but this is for MY peace of mind. Why wait untill there's a noticable change in color,,that just means you waited to long IMHO.
As far as seeing the oil on the stick,,,pull it out, wipe it off (clean it well!!! you want the stick to be absolutly DRY) and stick it back in. Now pull it out and DO NOT raise the bottom of the stick up above your hand , this will make the oil run UP the stick and give you a false reading while searching for the oil on the stick. Hold the stick at an angle in the light to show where the oil level is. It will look like some part of the stick is wet and the other part is dry if the oil is really that clean. Turn the stick over if you don't see the difference at first. Keep trying untill you get the light just right, it will be obvious, and as long as you don't tip the bottom up you can take as long as you like looking,,,,JMHO

 

Look in your owner's manual. The exception to using the Maintentance Minder for very little-used vehicles is to change the oil at least once a year.

There is a note in the Honda Service Newsletter about resetting the MM for these vehicles so as not to lose track of the other routine services, but I couldn't find it just now.

If you truly can't sleep at night, go ahead and change the oil. You will not hurt your FIT by doing MORE maintenence!

 

While I haven't seen the insides of a Fit filter a dealer nearby has actual cutaways of a previous generation Civic Honda brand filter next to Fram, Prolator, Wix and others. It's obvious that Honda gets away with these tiny oil filters by cramming in a lot of thick filter media. The other filter brands had much thinner media and far few folds of it which results in far less area. Oil pressure relief valves were very different also. Why risk your engine trying to save a few bucks? I bought 6 Honda filters for $27 (Honda Oil Filter Packs (For Most Models) - Bernardi Parts). I included the link because it is hard to find directly.

Yes I know some folk have experience with domestic iron which is appropriate for Ford, GM and Chrysler. Those companies have placed little attention on oil filters as they do on the rest of the car. Their filters have been whored around to whatever vendor was the cheapest. If I had a Ford today I wouldn't expect Auto lite to be the best. Honda and Japanese companies are far different. Their filters are engineered for the application. It may be easy to make filters that look they same but they may not work the same. I'm sure the filters supplied to Honda are made by some OEM. Mann makes Mercedes Benz filters so I don't worry about saving money buying Mann filters. So far I haven't seen any JDM OEM filters. For the tiny difference in price in a single filter and the collective cost over the lifetime of the car why risk it?

 

Yeah!! Why risk it.......

I use Mobil1 or K&N I don't have a lot of money, but won't buy anything else.

 

Thank you for your advice, but more knowledgeable people have already beat this subject to death.

 

Yes...but...but...Costco has the "brand x" filters on sale. 2 Cases for 2 dollars.

 

Pooh. Currently, domestic USA Honda filters are made by FRAM. They are roughly equivalent to the upgrade Toughguard filters but ARE a little better-made.
But as you pointed out, they are available cheaply enough from the discount Internet sellers. So why not protect your Warranty and use the Honda stuff?

 

To dispose of a myth
Using non-Honda brand oil filters WILL NOT void your warranty... Do you work for the finance department of Honda? They tried to tell me doing my own oil changes can void your warranty - trying to bully me into an extended warranty.

If Honda oil filters were required to keep one's warranty intact, Honda would be obligated to give the filters away (for free).

Here's the proof:
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
Title 15, United States Code, Section 2302 (c)

“No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the [Federal Trade] Commission if –

(1) the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and

(2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest. The Commission shall identify in the Federal Register, and permit public comment on, all applications for waiver of the prohibition of this subsection, and shall publish in the Federal Register its disposition of any such application, including the reasons therefor.”


The same debate has raged on for K&N Air filters by some...

 

NO I don't work for Honda but I like their parts as a rule....usually better engineered than aftermarket stuff for street applications.

With the Internet prices for Honda maintenance stuff quite reasonable, why not use it? Takes away just one more thing that the dealers can object to. (Yes the dealers always try to blame someone else...) Not that I have ever had any problems with Honda engines during warranty, anyway.

 

I agree wholeheartedly - their parts are usually superior.

Check out this oil filter comparison, though... A Guy cut open lots of various filters (Honda USDM, Honda JDM, Fram, STP, et-cetera) to compare the filters. Check it out:

NTPOG Oil Filter Review

I'm a proponent of Honda oil filters... but it's kind of interesting read, don't you think?

 

Yes it is, I've seen it before. Good article. Along with the cutaways earlier in this topic which include the HAMP filters.



I also follow the BOBISTHEOILGUY.com site occasionally. There, folks have run filters in Honda engines out quite far in mileage-life, then opened and inspected them, and have found that Honda is correct when they say the filters can last up to 20K miles...

I still change mine every oil change, though... I'm just set in my ways I guess!

 

Can someone confirm that this is the oem filter for the Fit:
15400-PLM-A02

Also, where is the cheapest place i cand find some? I saw one website that charges $39 for 6 including shipping and tax. Does anyone have a cheaper site?

TIA

 

Harvest Honda used that same # for my oil change and 5W20 oil. $6.35
and a washer for the drain plug @ .17
(He gave me 3 spares when I asked.)

The air filter, # 17220-PWAJ-10 was $17.58.

 

Just a reminder to everyone...
I've owned 4 Hondas now and was always told "Don't forget to replace that aluminum washer on the drain plug everytime you change your oil". This is something I do every oil change, but never quite understood why. I was told this is because a steel drain bolt and an aluminum pan? Anyone care to enlighten?

 

The "crush washer" is to keep overzealous oil changers from overtightening the steel plug and stripping the soft aluminum threads in the oil pan. When it's crushed, stop tightening it before you strip the pan threads.
Joe

 

Not sure if this is the right forum, if not, moderators feel free to move it.

I'm rolling up on 1000 miles already (got it last week!!!) and was wondering when I could switch over to synthetic oil. I know that there has been some controversy over the break-in period and the oil in the car from the factory assisting with the break-in process... any information?

Thanks!

~Peace