I have about 3600 miles on the car and it is sitting at about 50% oil life left, if that is what it means. When can I expect to need the first oil change? Thanks.

 

I'd guess . . . 7,000.
--doug

 

I did mine around 7K (with M1 0W-20) and the oil life indicator read 20%. I would probably try to hold out a little longer to change the oil.

Take Care!

 

Wait until the oil life indicator goes to 0% or wait until 10K miles. let the initial fill oil clean out the engine castings completely for you. You are wasting perfectly good oil if you drain it out any earlier. I have done oil analysis on my initial change out at 9100 miles, and all was good. The current fill is synthetic, and will go 11K miles to get back into a 10K interval.

Also I would recommend changing the filter at every oil change, contrary to Hondas recommendation of a 20K mile interval for the filter.

 

Why is that?

 

IMO, it's cheap insurance. The filter could be clogged or damaged inside (and you wouldn't know). Heck, depending on where you get them, it's about $4-7 a filter. No need to risk damaging the engine to save a few bucks.

 

There are 2 reasons for me:

1. I want to remove as much of the old oil as possible when I do an oil change. A filter can hold up to a pint of old oil.

2. A filter is designed to trap solid particles and other materials larger than a certain size. I would prefer to remove those trapped particles from the lubrication system at the same interval as the old oil and not contaminate the new oil.

Plus a filter is only $4, and is no big deal to change while I am under there.