07 Honda fit Question

Have my new Fit Sport and love it. I am used to changing my oil very
frequently but on the Fit it has the Oil life indicator which suggests time
to change the oil.

Its been a lot of kms and still the oil life indicator is just at 30% life
left. 10,250kms. (6,369 miles) I am used to changing oil every 8,000
kms(4,970miles) and 10,250 seems to be quite far on the first oil... and if
I did the math I wouldn't have to change the oil until approximately 14,643
kms (9,099).... too far for comfort.

I do almost exclusively highway, long trip between 100 and 120kph (60 - 75
mph)... but still 14,000 per oil change... I don't think so.

Anybody have 0.02 to add about Honda and Oil Life?

DR

 

The Honda engineers know what they're doing.

If you think you know better, go right ahead. But if you know better,
then why aren't you a Honda engineer?

 

Your Oil Life is still high due to the type of driving you do. Highway
driving is very easy on the oil.

You will be just fine leaving it until the readout shows 15%, and you
should not change the oil until then.

Afterwards, you may ignore the Minder and change the oil and filter as
often as you like. Remember to use Honda's specified 5W-20, which you can
buy at Canadian Tire. Read your Owner's Manual for how to reset the Oil
Life readout.

My sister bought a Fit recently and she loves it.

 

When I bought my '07 Fit, I received a coupon from the dealer for a
complimentary 3,750 mile service which includes oil & filter change, along
with inspection and checking of other items. The coupon states "Offer
Expires at 6,000 miles." I only have about 2,500 miles on it now, and the
oil life indicators shows 60% oil life remaining. If I interpret this
correctly, I should take it to the dealer before 6,000 miles are gone, even
if the oil life indicator reads plenty of life remaining. Is this correct.
(and no, I am not a Honda engineer, nor do I claim to be one). Thanks for
the help.

Robert A. Cunningham

 

No.

The dealership has his own schedule he'd like you to keep, and it
involves giving him money that you don't have to give him.

Just because someone asks you for money, doesn't mean you're obligated
to give it to him.

 

You're not an engineer, and neither is the marketing guy at the dealership
who had the coupon printed and mailed.

Who do you trust more, the engineer or some marketing guy?

 

You're not an engineer, and neither is the marketing guy at the dealership
who had the coupon printed and mailed.

Who do you trust more, the engineer or some marketing guy?[/QUOTE]

This is the same mentality that, back when houses were first wired with
electricity, caused people to be scared of electrical outlets--just
*sure* that they were spouting electricity out of them at all times.

 

From what I've read, the oil put in at the factory is special and you're
supposed to leave it in until the indicator says you need a change --
changing it earlier can cause problems -- or at least lessen the effects of
the factory oil; I'm not sure exactly what you risk if you change early.

 

The dealer is trying to soak you.

Forget this one, and resign yourself to being $30 poorer when oil change
time does come around.

What's $30 in the context of what you will spend on the car over the next
x-years?

 

Well, I may be missing something here, but the coupon is for a FREE service
(hence the term "complimentary"). It was promised to me even before I
signed the papers for the purchase. While I normally don't have a very high
opinion of some car dealers (based upon my experience with Nissan dealers),
I kind of doubt that I will get charged for this one. Of course, if they
do attempt to charge me for this "free" service, I'll post it, along with
the dealer's name. Thanks for the information.

Robert A. Cunningham

 

Missed the freebie part. But I still wouldn't do the first oil change
before the Minder tells you.

 

I am new to this group... new Honda owner and all. I do know that every
group has one... and this groups' is named Elmo P. Shagnasty. You know, the
one know-it-all that has to add something even if they have nothing
intelligent to add.

Hey Elmo, why not go to ott.general, that group is full of people just like
you.

DR.

 

Funny think is that Elmo is right. The Honda engineers know what they're
doing. There is no need to change the oil more frequently than
indicated by oil life indicator. The quality of the oils have increased
over the years.

Whether or not Elmo is a know-it-all, at least he knew better than to
top post, which is rude and makes it hard to follow the thread. And was
correct.

Jeff

 

It's not *top* posting that makes a thread hard to read, it's *POGO*
posting. So long as a thread retains top or bottom posting through the life
of the thread, you know which way to go when you read it.

"Pogo posting" is where the thread bounces from top to bottom posting with
each successive reply. You then need to count the ">" brackets and match
that up to the list of posters at the top of the message so you can tell
who wrote what and when.

Pogo posters are typically Microsoft Outlook Express users. And newbies.
These pay no attention to the tendency of the thread, but simply start
typing wherever their newsreader dropped them when they hit "Reply".

I'm not even going to mention (hey I just did...) Microsoft's habit of
stripping trailing spaces (which makes OE unable to recognize compliant
signatures), and its serious and thus far uncorrected quote problems. OE
badly fractures quoted lines, and is unable to keep long URL's contiguous.

I do not understand this. Microsoft is one of the world's best software
companies. Why on earth can't they get these simple things right?

 

The oil put in at thr factory is a "break in oil".
It has special conditioners and additives to help properly break in the
motor. Especially critical is proper piston ring break in, or your Fit may
burn oil if not broken in properly.
Don't change your first oil until at least 15% or less.
As others have said, the engineers know. The maintenance minder system
measures your driving (speed, temperature, load, time, etc.) and calculates
the proper time to change your oil as well as other maintenance items as
indicated. It may vary by a few thousand miles depending on what it
measures. Modern oils are formulated to last a lot longer these days. Trust
the factory. question the dealer.

 

The engineers know more than you or I do. The system works. I prefer to
use it.

If you want to do oil changes on your schedule, that is fine (after the
first change), but all it will amount to is a waste of your money...

 

Unless he works for the government... ;-)

 

If he's single and good looking the marketing guy wins my vote ;-)

Donna

 

I do oil+oil filter change every 32,000Km. The oil is good for
55,000Km under normal driving conditions and 32,000Km under sever
service. I have 335,000Km on 2003 Accord 4 cyl(80% highway driving). I
was a lead-footed driver until the new 50Km over the speed limit
kicked in (Ontario). I have had no repairs or adjustments of any kind
so far. So why are you worried about few thousand kilometers here and
there. If you're not sure about Honda's semisyn (it's good stuff)
switch to their new fully synthetic oil. When I got my car in 2003 I
did not change the factory oil until 16,000Km (That's the service
interval on 2003 Accord). I have been using the synthetic oil since
early 70s. I've done the same thing with a 76 Chevette. Put 217,000
miles on it before I fell through the rusted floor.