I was lucky to recently buy a 2007 Orange Fit Sport with 28000 miles, and repair records from a Honda shop with a good reputation. The maintenance gauge estimates 40% life left in the oil; the sticker on the window says it's past due.

I called LHD (local Honda dealer) and they advised conventional oil. A trusted Fit friend advised synthetic oil; new synthetic oil and filter twice a year, if it needs it or not.

I dunno. What do you suggest?

 

Why not follow Honda's recommendation, change it by the maintenance minder. They
do say if the minder doesn't say change oil within a year it should be changed each year.

I bought new Honda's in 1979, their oil change recommendation was 5k miles or six months.
With newer oils you can go longer between changes than we did 35 years ago.

The Fit I recently (2011) owned the minder usually indicated the oil be changed at 8-9k miles.
Others get different results depending on driving conditions. I used 0w-20, all 0-20 I have seen
was synthetic. I think your car may call for 5w-20.


Clifton

 

28k sounds like really low mileage. It might have only had 3 oil changes and a set of filters if one followed the minder system.
3k oil change interval is usually overkill in this day and age.

Where is the oil change sticker from? GypsyLube? Honda?
If unknown oil was used, I might be inclined to change it out then use the correct oil.

If the correct oil was used, you can follow the maintenance minder or change it at one year (per the owners manual).


It calls for 5w20 but Honda says you can safely use 0w20 in it, and that will help in the winter with easier starting and slightly better gas mileage year round. Plus, all 0w oils are synthetic.

My GF is driving a 2007 Fit with over 200k on it, I'm using 0w20 in it.

 

Nice color!




The '07 MM was calibrated for conventional 5W-20 oil. You don't mention your anticipated yearly mileage, but if it's a lot, you could safely extend the oil change intervals by using synthetic. No issues with the life of the filter when you do that, in fact Honda's recommendation was to only replace the oil filter every OTHER change.


Regards the sticker, our daughter asked that we put an old-fashioned sticker on the windshield. She liked that better than relying on the MM, she tends to panic when the 'wrench' lights up...

 

If I drove 50k+ miles a year, I'd consider conventional or synthetic blend but I drive so little that I end up changing my oil only about twice a year. At that rate, I use only the best possible filter and synthetic oil. It increases my oil change budget by about 20-30$ a year so it's no biggie. I do it myself and recommend you do to.

Right now I'm at 5300k miles since my last change and im at 20% oil life. The little maintenance indicator comes on at 15% which is about when I change it which again, Is very conservative. I would have no issue running it until 5% or lower.

 

royal purple once a year unless you do a lot of k's. Then twice it..
Good butt feel dyno.

 

Many Specialty oils (RP, Amsoil, Joe Gibbs, etc) come in street and off road blend make sure your using the street version, the track version is missing some corrosion inhibitors and some other gunk that race cars don't need because its not in there long enough to matter. Your street car likes the gunk.. Especially if you High Mile the oil.

Rotella is a really good bargain in synthetics. Has its roots in the Aircraft industry (Aeroshell) and is rated for diesel use, My 1.8 BMW likes the stuff. Not sure if they have a 0w20.

The thing I notice with different oils in my wifes car(BMW 330) is the vanos/variable valve timing works a little different with different viscosity oil. With a 0w30 vs a 0w50 the power band is quicker with the 0w50 than the 0w30. engine tolerance of various viscosity oils has a lot to do with the crank, rod, cam bearing clearances. engines designed for the thinner oil have slightly tighter bearing tolerances compare to engines designed for a 10w40 or 20W50 oil. So I tend to stick with something in the vicinity of the oil the manufacturer originally came with/recommended.

As far as change intervals, I'm a science guy, send in a sample every 2000 miles until you see it needs a change, 2 cycles and you know what your motor really needs.

in 1985 Toyota recommended 15k oil changes on standard oil.. at 4K that oil was tar...
The manufacturer has no reason to make your vehicle last past warrantee.. Just sayin..

 

Thanks everyone.
Costco had Mobile 1 synthetic on sale, so I got two cases of 5/20. Also got Mobile 1 oil filters online.

 

I still follow the 5k or 6 month interval even on my other cars.

 

I just finished a valve adj on my 2007 Fit at 104K , everything looked spotless under the valve cover. I follow the MM and use Conv oil.