Do I detect some sort of anomaly here? We try to save the last thimbleful of gas by going to extreme lengths, but when it comes to engine oil we allow ourselves to be hoodwinked by avaricious dealers. Come on guys. Honda knows what it is doing trust them! As I have said elsewhere,the European Union (keen to protect it's consumers) lays down a standard for the HCHII made in Suzuka like ours which Honda meets and includes in it's warranty booklet - 12,500 miles or 1 year (whichever comes first) between oil changes. Why doesn't the Home of the Free do the same for us? Is it capitalism working against the little man?

 

Tulip-I couldn't have said it better.

Honda engines will last longer than the car...they are nearly bulletproof...

Trust Honda.

 

I think it is capitalism working for big oil.

 

Personally, I plan on doing it somewhere in the 5-15% range just on account of having a rather chaotic life, and that way, I've got some leeway on when to schedule myself in since I don't have anything to assist in changing the oil myself yet.

 

On my STi I changed the oil at 500 miles and 3500, on the civic we'll be doing it at 3,500 and then see how oil life is down the road. Now it's ever 5k w/ synthetic. Tolerances are substantially better than they used to be, so in most cases you don't have the same level of metal particles in a new engine.

It doesn't hurt to do that first change early on, but after that either follow the meter or do a Used Oil Analysis. The key is to save oil, by doing a UOA you can see how your oil is holding up under YOUR driving conditions. When you get to a change interval you are OK with then follow that. I just like knowing for a fact how the engine/oil is holding up.

 

I have a side question to this topic. When I picked up my HCH II five weeks ago the salesman said it was very important to come in for the "First Service" on the car when told to. He said they do a lot of checks, clean the area around the brakes of brake dust, and just make sure the car is breaking in properly. Well a few days after getting the car I got a letter to remind me about the "First Service" and that I should schedule it when I have close to 3500 miles.

Is this something Honda recommends for all of their hybrids?

Just curious!

Mark

 

Meggert, your dealer is just subscribing to a turn-key maintenance reminder direct-mail program. They don't have any special coding for Hybrid vehicles, so you get the same letter every other Honda customer gets! The dealer is also anxious to get you into his service department... to build the relationship with you. Their goal is a lifetime customer... they get you the car, then sell you the service (hopefully keeping you happy for the life of your vehicle), then sell you the NEXT car.

In this case, they goofed a bit by just dumping you in with all the other sales customers. Your Hybrid is different, though! The best thing you can do is ignore the service reminders from the dealer and follow the built-in maintenance reminder on your dash! That, and the detailed maintenance instructions in your owner's manual are all you need to follow!

Sure, go ahead and get those services done at the dealer (if you choose to), but please ignore the "generic" 3,500 mile maintenance mailing from them! Wait until your car tells you to get the service done.

 

I took mine with 7700 mi on it and 15% oil life to have the oil changed a couple of weeks ago. The maintenance minder had just come out when starting the engine.

Took to the Dealer (had a coupon for a $20.99 oil change including a car wash) and when I got the car back, they told me to change the oil at 5000 miles, that the oil was like sludge, that the 0w20 oil on the car was like water and I should not trust it.

Yes, this was a Honda Dealer, Power Honda in Valencia, CA. I told them I had checked the oil before taking the car in and yes, it was a bit dirty, and had to be changed on the near future. But it was no sludge.

I also complained about some other things when dropping the car, namely valve noise that I can hear from inside the car with the radio off, and possible alignement issues.

They did not have the car ready for the day I wanted it back (I dropped it Saturday afternoon to be picked up Monday Afternoon), they where supossed to do the oil change, wheel alignement and valve clearance check. Since it was not ready, they where going to provide me with a rental (cool, good service I thought).

Ok, by the time I got there this is what happened: They handed me the car, "ready", with the comments about the oil, plus they said they did not do the valve clearance since they put another car next to it and it made the same "noise"... I wonder if they where driving one next to the other to ear the valve noise... about the alignement, they did some alignement. Sort of.When leaving, I notice that the print out listed "03-05 HCH", not 06. I returned to the dealer and asked "My service advisor (Jessie)" about that. He then BS'd me that the 06 was actually "Bolted on top of the 03-05 frame, and that specs where the same". BS, I finally got hold of the specs of the 06 and they are not the same. Not much different, but not the same.

THey did not wash the car, and even when they took my coupon for the $20.99, they charged full price for the oil change ($29.99). I know, that was a bargain for an oil change at the dealer, but still...

Oh, now I have a sticker on my window reminding me ot change the oil 3k mi later... I may do the change actually, somewhere else, to get some 0w20 mobil 1 if I can find it.

So, Power Honda Valencia, bad.

 

I am amazed at the stories we read on this site of the fantasies or BS that the dealers invent to try to make their modest crumb! Cars are made to go much greater distances between services than hitherto look at Mercedes VW Toyota so don't you think you can trust Honda, perhaps the best all round maker of engines in the world?

Put cotton wool in your ears when you go to the dealers so that you cannot hear their sweet talk and trust your warranty statement, owners manual and oil reminder gauge. Honda is trying to help you the owner but does not want to hurt its dealers by rubbishing their claims publicly! I am sure that is why the oil reminder gauge is installed in the US, whereas in Europe oil changes are done on time and distance

 

And you paid it???