Slow&Steady

I have taken over maintenance of my mother's 2013 Accord. They had been taking it to a shop but not recording all the maintenance. To save money, I started doing all that myself. Instead of driving up on racks, I jacked up the front and blocked it up on three 4x4's and one 2x4. However, it could have been a bit higher. The racks dad made from wood are amazingly solid and safe but those are just too heavy to get out and put away so I will stick with jacking and blocking. I was very impressed with the filter location although that plastic guard made gaining hand purchase a bit of a challenge.

I'm going to do a 5K mile oil change schedule, no concern if that is "too early" or not. I am going with a 5K tire rotation as well even though that means "every oil change, a tire rotation." I plan to make a set of wooden blocks specifically for this car to block it up on while doing such work.

Thoughts? Comments?

CD8

Why not do maintenance according to the maintenance minder function of the car? Depending on your driving conditions it may tell you to change sooner than 5k...

Slow&Steady

That "minder" is only a clock, it doesn't actually test the oil in any way. Given as it had been over 8K miles and still showed "20 percent oil life" I'm just not comfortable going that long between changes. Mom has been completely bed fast for months and I guess dad just wasn't making time to take care of the car. I'll do it though. I'm the main driver of it now that my '02 Accord is up on blocks waiting for me to do the fuel and brake line change and I am a VERY conservative driver. I don't go above 55 mph on the interstate unless in a "big hurry."

TomCat39

You do understand that the newer cars use full synthetic oil and as such have a much extended duration over the 5K conventional requirement.

The oil minder is more than just a clock, it also monitors the driving habits and calculates that into the oil life. It's an algorithm. I believe your car requires 0w20 or 5w20 both of which are full synthetics and have a minimum duration of 10,000 miles. Most places advise conservative durations of 7500 miles.

Testing has been done and the Penzoil platinum has been run 13,000 miles (roughly 20,000 KM) and tested only to find that it is now with properties equal to fresh conventional oil off the shelf, and this is after 13,000 miles in operation. Full synthetic has superior qualities as such can be run much longer. Changing it at 5K is throwing significant money away and offering you no additional protection.

https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/tip...-your-oil.html

Slow&Steady

Oh the oil life clock is more than a clock? The manual wasn't specific, but it seems to imply it was just a clock. Concerning oil change frequency, you are probably right (although it seems amazing to me) and I appreciate you trying to save me money, but even 5,000 miles between changes seems too much! No way could I ever wrap my head around 7,000 or (gulp) 10,000 miles! I'm the same way with my 2002 Accord. Dad changed the oil on that every 3,000 and I've kept the same schedule. Twice, before trips to Vermont (900 miles one way), I've changed the oil early to keep under 3,000 miles per change.

How are you guys on tire rotations?

TomCat39

If you read the article, you are also helping contribute to higher pollution/oil dumping/resource waste.

I rotate my tires yearly being I put winters on every winter. I put my best tread tires on the front and most worn on the back until it's time to get 4 new tires. Opposite for rear wheel drive vehicles.

Slow&Steady

I am pretty welded to driving 55 mph on the interstate and have been for 13 years now, so I think I've cut back my carbon footprint enough to justify more frequent oil changes.

On my '02 Accord I do a tire rotation every other oil change (front-to-back) and an "X" rotation every other rotation. So "front to back" every 6,000 miles and an "X" rotation every 12,000 miles. I buy non-directional tires for that purpose. My tires wear very evenly and generally last me three years although one set of Sumic tires lasted me four years. Those tires made a lot of noise but they sure lasted. I run all seasons year-round and put on chains if it gets really nasty. I have considered buying dedicated winter tires but since I stopped renting my ski condo out to ski groups, I don't need to be climbing that condo hill as often so I haven't bought those tires yet. I did get a set of OEM steel rims though but then stopped with the ski rentals. I think I am just about the only non-commercial driver that still uses chains but whoa, they allow some pretty impressive traction!

DCFIVER

The best tires should always go on the rear,regardless of drive line configuration.

The reasoning is the same reason why every commuter car,truck and SUV are aligned to induce under steer. Vehicle control. It is generally easier, safer to come out of an under steer scenario for probably 99% of the drivers on the road.

This has been tested and proven and is the industry standard for years. Anyone that tells you different is wrong.

Slow&Steady

This has been tested and proven and is the industry standard for years. Anyone that tells you different is wrong.

Do you really feel that way or are you just messing with us? LOL (Just messing with you man).

That's an interesting argument DCFIVER, I've never heard it before though. It may be so. What is "under steer?" Seriously, I don't know.

shipo

"The best tires should always be on the rear" is advice which may well save your life, so yes, he was dead serious.

As for what "understeer" is, that is when you turn the wheel and the car and the front end of the car effectively "plows" on either straight, or turns less than the angle of the wheels would induce were it the front tires had full traction. The opposite is called "oversteer", a condition where the front end maintains grip and the back end of the car starts to swing around; this in turn requires the driver to turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction to steer into the spin.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understeer_and_oversteer

Slow&Steady

shipo,

Thanks man! I have suffered through many car magazine articles and TV shows not knowing what "understeer" was. For all I knew it was a "undersized cow" or "submerged cow." LOL

I've heard "fishtailing" many times and knew what that was, but never heard the term "oversteer" before. I have experienced both situations but only when I was younger and drove way too fast for the road conditions. Hmm...that's interesting....when I was younger dad was doing all the car maintenance and his tire rotation was nothing like mine. I think he put the best tires on the front (front wheel drive) and I think he bought two tires at once.....so maybe DCFIVER is correct.

However, all my instances of fishtailing (oversteer) occurred when it was snowing, icy, or raining, and I was just going way too fast.

DCFIVER

Its not an argument,just stating the facts. My intention is to inform,not be argumentative.




Your best bet is to Google understeer videos to see what it looks like.

Slow&Steady

I don't use the term "argument" as in "angry disagreement" but only as a "position one holds or makes."

We are not "arguing" in the angry sense, I am not at least. If you took it that way I didn't mean for you to and apologize.

This thread has been informative for me. I have been told "put best tires on the drive wheels" but I do my crazy tire rotation scheme* and all my tires wear so evenly there are no "best two tires." In my posts with shipo above, it should be apparent I had accepted your argument ("position", "stance," "belief") that "the best tread should go on the back to prevent oversteer." I even stated "maybe DCFIVER is correct" and why, showing that I had come around to accept or strongly suspect your position ("argument") was correct. I have you to thank for that DCFIVER....thank you!

*The only car I drive very much is my 2002 Accord. Every 6,000 miles I do a "front-to-back" rotation and every 12,000 miles an "X" tire rotation. I buy non-directional tires to allow such without issue. Wear is perfectly even or near so. My dad and everyone else (except a mechanic I met) thinks I am crazy. It's OK, I used to jump out of planes for fun so "crazy" is fine with me.

DCFIVER

If the tires are evenly worn and rotations are done on a regular basis,then most manufactures have a particular pattern that they suggest one follows.(side to side, X patterns...etc) This is done because of the alignment angles and weight of the vehicle varies at its 4 corners.

If the tires are worn evenly, then the manufactures recommendations will yield the best tire life,otherwise the front to rear scenario for unevenly worn tires is best.

I'd say you're doing fine.

Slow&Steady

Thanks man and very glad you didn't think I was angry with you. I gave up FB in part since any disagreement was often perceived as "a personal attack." It's not as bad on discussion forums but can happen. I like this one and don't want to have it happen here.

A Honda tech told me "front-to-back only" while a Sears mechanic really bragged on my extensive system. A mechanic on another car forum really bragged on it also.

I like my system. I've been doing it, oh gosh, I'd have to check the logbook to see for how long. Several years certainly.

Quicksight87

Do some research on synthetic oils. Watch “engineering explained” on the mobile one annual oil change claim or 15,000 mile oil. It’s very informative and will explain some science about it instead of just trusting some billion dollar companies claim! I was hesitant as well. I still won’t ever go 15,000 miles lol but I will go 5,000 no problem. Maybe. A bit longer as long as the level is good spot on. I own a 2014 accord V6 BTW

shipo

Even changing your oil every 5,000 miles means you will be throwing away perfectly good oil with thousands of miles of useful life. Said another way, if you're going to change your oil so frequently, you might as well use the cheapest 5W-20 you can find and call it a day, it will make no difference in how long your engine lasts.

Quicksight87

So how often would you change synthetic oil? (Full synthetic)

Slow&Steady

What kind of driving? 15,000 miles of low friction highway driving at a set speed or 15,000 miles of short driving, where friction is much increased? Was "engineering explained" a sponsored video? Was that person paid to say something?

Engines are kinda expensive but oil is kinda cheap. I'll stick with 3K on my car and 5K on mom's car. *I change my push mower oil every year also. How many people do that? (Not enough).

shipo

Sorry, but there is no such a thing as "short driving, where friction is much increased". The fact is, if you are using quality oil, then there is no type of driving you can do which will render it exhausted after only three-thousand miles. Don't believe me? No problem; take a sample of your oil and have it analyzed, that will give you all of the confirmation you need.

shipo

I run 0W-20 synthetic in my TL (and ran the same in my Accord); I've sent samples of used oil out from both cars after 10,000 miles, and both came back showing the oil still had a few thousand miles of life. What I do now is just change the oil on even 10,000 mile increments.

Quicksight87

You should change lawn mower oil more than once a year...it gets much dirtier than a car engine oil does. No filter. Every 8 hours would be pretty normal (my pressure washer suggests 8 hours (Honda GX380) and my dirt bike also says 8 hours (Yamaha YZ450F)