T3KNiQe

How accurate is the oil percentage? When I service my car and reset the maintenance minder (I assume you reset by holding the reset button....) can I just be oblivious to the miles and just drive till the maintenance minder comes on at 15%? I used to watch the miles and have it ingrained in my head when I hit 5k or 7k, so does this new technology really take the guess work out by accurately calculating your driving conditions?

teggsr925

i change my oil between 3-4k. never even look at the minder

SImadness

every 4k for me reguardless of the minder which usually ends up around 25-30%. it may be overdone but its a piece of mind knowing my car has good oil protecting vital engine parts.

av911

Yes I trust it, it's there for a reason. Honda didn't put it there just for kicks.

ajpturbopittsburgh

I love these threads! 3000 miles is old school. That started from your grand paps era.

Honda wants you to go 5000 to 8000 miles on an oil change so you can blow up the engine and they have to replace it under warranty.

I don't think so.

These engines have oil coolers and hold roughly 5 qts of oil in the crankcase so maybe that's why the oil change intervals have been extended.

If you want to change more frequently that's cool, but to ask if you trust the maintainance minder is downright stupid.

i-VTEC_DOHC

the oil percentage goes off how many revolutions your motor makes. so basically it goes by how its been driven, not how far you've driven it.

i-VTEC_DOHC

an external oil cooler is a very good idea =]

K5^

This.

Ben850

do you NEED to change it when it tells you to? unless you beat the crap out of it, probably not. should you do it anyways? most likely.

it's not like the dealership saying you should come in every 3K miles! honda puts that feature in our cars for a reason.

so if you rev it high all day and your car tells you that the oil needs to be changed earlier than you're used to, LISTEN TO IT.

madmatt

Follow it to a tee. Honda does my oil changes anyway, and I have an extended warranty for a reason. Why do people have such a hard time following something that honda spend millions engineering???

1grex

Check the oil level twice a month, change it by 5K. Use the maintenance minder and your owners manual for other service intervals like filters & fluids those seem reasonable, but 6-10K is too long for oil IMO

Si87

What about time?

It will take me the better part of a year to put 3-4k on my Si. Should I look at doing it before the seasons change? i.e. once in early spring, once in early fall?

ajpturbopittsburgh

Why is 6k to 10k too long in your opinion? Have you ever seen an engine oil analysis? I doubt it.

You do realize that black oil doesn't mean anything at all.

Is 6k to 10k too long in your opinion because people have been telling you 3000 miles your whole life. It's hard to let go years of people telling you that.

I've seen AMS oils analysis in my own 92 civic after their recommended 35,000 miles. The oil had still not broken down.

ironworker

I trust it. Thats why its on the car.... You guys that change your oile every 3-4k its a waste of money....After your maintenace minder hits 0% it will start adding up negitive miles..Kinda weird ay.

T3KNiQe

Man, **** off. After dropping over 30 grand on a damn civic, I was just curious how accurate the computer calculation of the oil percentage is. I know Honda didn't put it there for *****'N'giggles, excuse me for being curious.

K5^

Ignore him. He can be entertaining at times but overall he is just the village idiot.

clemsonhatch

If you are worried or just feel like it change just the oil at 50% and the oil and filter at 0%

GoLowDrew

Always a good debate on this subject.

I have a theory on why they seem to extend the oil change intervals. Because cars were lasting too long. How is that bad? 100K miles is expected, but cars should not run 200K or 300K miles.

Manufactures "don't" want you to drive cars that old. Not only will you not buy another product $$$$, an old car is likely to give a bad impression about the brand.

If your 200K Honda breaks down, and get you into an accident, you will never buy a Honda again. Honda sucks.

If your 150K Honda develops a problem, it's time to sell or trade in for......another new Honda. Hondas are great.

I change it 4K+. No more than 5K. Your car. Your money. Either case, you should be good to go no matter what. How long do you plan to keep it? Most of us will starting thinking about a new car once over 100K, right? Some of us, before that.

ajpturbopittsburgh

Well bro, if you already know that they didn't put it in there for shitz n giggles then why did you ask?

Did you expect to hear someone say "when I let the oil percentage go to 0 I get 12mpg and burn oil and the car is sluggish"

And how would you measure how accurate the computer calculation of the oil percentage is?

SIVIC 3

i trust it.

ajpturbopittsburgh

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

That's another one of those grandpap urban legends.

Same as changing your oil every 3k

GoLowDrew

When you live life long enough, didn't you find out that your grandpa was right about a lot of things?

ajpturbopittsburgh

Sure but not all things.

1grex

1. I can't afford sending oil off for analysis I cut the filter open everyonce in a while tho.
2. Black oil means the oil is doing its job; carrying particles in suspension.
3. Ummm, true..The problem is most people don't ever pop their hoods for 6-10K.
4. 35,000 miles thats some damn good oil I don't believe it.

ajpturbopittsburgh

Go to ams oil website. I didn't believe it either. But it's no BS. The guy that I buy my ams oil from gave me the analysis kit and gave him 40 dollars and a sample. It's not that expensive.