I just asked my Honda dealer/service shop if they had the Mobile 1 0W20 oil. They said they have their own Honda brand 0W20 (not made by Mobile) which they put in all their hybrids. Is this what others get from their Honda service depts? There's nothing special about having "Mobile brand" is there?

 

Question. Why do Honda, who should know best, set the service intervals in Europe but not in the USA? .....................

 

that is a very run-of-the-mill technique for determining oil condition without going through a chemical/microscopic analysis. Powerplants and ships have used visual inspection against known color/clarity standards for a century...this is the automated version and is in use lots of places.

Whether or not its in use on the HCH-II...well, I would certainly suspect it is not there. But the technology is very comonplace nevertheless (like nbalthasar said).

 

Mobil1 0W20 has the lowest viscosity of any commercially available motoroil. Its only a small bit 'thinner' than Pennzoil's 0W20 or amsoil, but it is thinner. (They are all in the specified range for whatever 'defines' the 0, or cold-start, viscosity, though) Unfortunately I cannot find the link with the specs now.

 

Look at it this way, if you ever need to make a drivetrain warranty claim (remember the drivetrain warranty is 8 year/80,000 or 120,000 miles depending on the state) and you use Honda branded oil, you know that they can't claim you didn't use recommended motor oil and disallow the claim on that basis.

I plan to use my dealer to do my oil changes and service, but at the factory recommended intervals, not their intervals. In the days of 10W 30, 40 and 50, and even 20W, I can understand the need to change the oil every 3000 miles, but with 0W20 and a low friction engine, I don't see why you'd want to change oil so often.

There's a reason Mercedes is now on a 13 month service interval for everything, and Acura now puts in a maintenance minder in most vehicles. The cars all self-diagnose.

 

I don't think the Honda 0-20W is a synthetic oil. The Mobile 0-20W is a synthetic oil. I've wondered about the pro/cons. I just had the dealer do my 1st oil change ($ 37.49). I think they reset the tire pressure at 35psi. How hard are those plastic tabs to remove? I'm planning on doing my own changes from now on. Is Fram still a good oil filter? The last time I used them they had a "rough texture" paint on the lower half that made it much easier to get a grip, and were a two stage filter. Any comments by other do- it-yourselfers?
Thanks,

 

I stand corrected regarding the technology for determining when an oil change is needed, but I also don't think it's on the Civic -- When I got close to 1,000 miles, it started reading 90% and went like that until I had over 9k miles and it read 10%. Pretty much right on target with the recommended oil change interval for the HCHII.

Both my wife's HiHy and my HCHII were purchased from Family automotive group in So Cal. and we both get free oil changes for the life of the cars (and car washes). So, the dealer certainly isn't recommending 3k oil changes for us. Whatever -- it maintains the excellent warranties we have on our vehicles.

Don

 

Okay-I finally spoke to Honda Customer Service in Torrance.

As many of you said, don't change the oil until the Maintenance Minder tells you to. The additives help the break-in and that's when it should be done.

I told them what my dealer said and they may take it up with them, however they are independent and can advise whatever they want...even if it is incorrect.

It would seem to me that those considering changing to Mobil 1 or doing a change early, not do it until the maintenance minder comes on.

My thoughts,

Michael

 

Well here is the cherry on top...

My dealer, via OwnerLink sent me a message reminding me to follow the Maintenance Minder and telling me (in a canned message from Honda) all about the Maintenance Minder. This after the dealer told me to do the first change at 3,500 miles and every 3000 thereafter...

 

I doubt the optical sensor in an automotive engine, simply because you are free to use any brand of oil you want, and I seriously doubt that all oil have the same refractive index for the sensor to work. The way Honda implements it with the engine rpm, starts and stops and probably ambient temp is better at determining oil change intervals.