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oil changes
I recently purchased a new honda accord V6. I have been told by several people that instead of the first oil change at 7000miles (like the owner manual says) I should first change it at 500 miles. Is there any damage in doing that? Why would Honda recommend 7000 miles for the first oil change?
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Keep the oil in for around 3500 miles. It has special additives in it for break in.
After that, you can either follow the manual, or do it more often like I do. I change mine around 4000 miles.
Hope that helps.
Truth is, I doubt if it would make a twit of difference if the initial oil was changed at 500 miles, 2000 miles or 5000 miles!
So, jmsintx, I don't think you can definitively say there is no such thing as "break-in" oil. It's not like the dealers are making extra profit from turning away initial service customers.
For an definitve answer, I'd call the 800 customer service number for American Honda in your owner's manual. If you do, please come back here and tell us what they say.
I know of some recent brand new Hondas that have had their oil changed very early and they seem to be fine ... but those same people baby their cars and often use synthetic oil. That kind of tretment could easily make up for a somewhat improper "break-in" procedure.
To be safe, I'd split the difference and leave the factory oil in for 2-3 thousand miles and then change it.
--- Bror Jace
When I build a new race motor for my VW, I use the cheapest non-detergent oil I can find. Then change it after the first 5 minuets of running before I even get 1 mile on it.
I just bought a brand new F250. I will make first oil change at 1500 miles, then every 4000 after that using 5w20 as recommended by Ford.
Remember the owners manual gives the MAXIMUM oil change intervals. you can change it more often if you wish.
For the East Coast, it's in New Jersey. The regional tech center does the training for the Honda Techs.
hope this helps.
Does anyone else have this Quest dipstick?? Is it just me who has difficulty with it?
As to "sand" from the casting process, well, not too many modern mfg. even use sand anymore in the molds. Mostly a plastic is used that vaporizes in the process leaving NO foreign material to clog up the oil galleries etc. Ahhhh, modern technology. The next thing you know they'll be running cars on fuel cells LOL.
hudrahead
Stuff works
If you change oil every 3000 miles any ole liquid called oil that meets the SL standard will work.
Beyond 3000 or so, synthetics
I have Syn in one car that works very hard, really like it for very cold weather startup, but frankly for the 15--20 degree winter nights, both start well.
Hydrocracked is essentially a molecular reshaping from crude oil. Not quite as good as pure synthetics, but they are very good on seals (sounds good to me since I have replace seals on 2 cars this year). It also is very good on high temperature protection, and oil consumption. It is also very good at resisting sludge formation.
Personally for my next change on a car I want to keep for a long time I will put in 3 quarts of Maxlife and 1 quart of synpower and see how that runs in the long term.
No, not unless American Honda was in on it for a while. About a year ago they had the information from all owner’s manuals on their official website and the issue of break-in oil was addressed there in detail. So, it was part of the official Honda policy. Even if they have since changed their practices and policy (I don’t have a brand new Honda), the break-in issue cannot qualify as an “urban myth”.
Sometime last spring, Honda pulled all this info down. Read into that what you will.
wwaite1, you are best to post your filter question (dust & pollen filter?) in the Accord threads as that is a vehicle-specific query. This thread is about oil changes in general and the average participant will be unable to help you.
--- Bror Jace
So American Honda was in on it? I'm skeptical of things I feel are actual urban legends ... but one thing I never buy into are conspiracy theories.
--- Bror Jace
My understanding is most engines are much less sensitive to break-in, in general, than was the case say 20-30 years ago...one could guess that may reduce the need for special oils, but it depends on the individal OEM "design philosophy" execution of course.
Follow the owners manual is ALWAYS my boring and simple advice.
FWIW I change at 5K, and have never seen a bad oil analysis (or even close) when I test---which is not that often as with a 5K change testing is a waste. Major brand engine oil is high-tech, and very impressively engineered product, that most oil suppliers sell very inexpensively due to intense competition.
I am a ChE working in finished lubricant sales for one of the largest multinational energy companies in the world...in other words on this arcane subject I know of what I speak (but not on most other subjects according to my spouse!!!)
Merritt
(info and opinions are my own)
So my two cents is follow the manual. Good luck with your Honda.
I don't do many miles on my cars. 3 cars 2 drivers really cuts the per car mileage down. so I do a hybrid for the around town car. I always change the oil on the severe miles, but not if I have gone 7.5 months. Then I change regardless. ON one car I had only gone 3000 miles in the 7.5 months. Had an analysis. Came back that it was ok, but ready to be changed.
If I take a long trip, then I use the normal schedule.
Tom and Ray of cartalk.cars.com and National Public Radio believe that going longer than 5000 miles is one of the ways you can be ruining your car without knowing it. Certainly with a Toyota I wouldn't exceed that limit.
I am currently trying 6000 with a synthetic. In a few months I'll have the oil analyzed to see if it's ok.
http://www.btinternet.com/~d.brooks1/servicing.htm
I was really surprised to see a copy of the Nissan maintenace schedule scanned on to the web site. It showed the manufacturer's recommended oil change interval to be 9,000 miles or 12 months. No distinction was made for severe or normal service. I've owned Nissans for 6 years, and every "American" model owner manuals that I have shows the 3K (severe) or 7500 mile (normal) oil service interval. I understand Nissan only makes the Maxima in one plant in Japan, and only puts a V6 engine in them. Granted, there are different variations of that V6 engine design, but to see such a dramatically different oil change interval was jaw dropping, to say the least. I've often wondered if 3K mile oil changes were overkill. This sort of discovery only tends to confirm my suspicions. Is this news to others too? Or have I lead a sheltered life?
Chuck
I wouldn't do anything longer than recommended without oil analysis. I did 3k over a 7.5 month interval, had analyzed. The oil needed to be changed. TBN was 3.5. Could have gone a little longer, not much. Use a trend of analysis if you want to extend to see what your particular car can do.
Your Honda engine was delivered with an oil that is specially formulated for new engines that have not yet developed their "natural" wear patterns and may contain minute particles from the manufacturing process.
American Honda strongly recommends this special oil be left in the engine long enough for these wear patterns to develop, usually until the first maintenance interval specified in your Owner's Manual, based on your specific driving conditions.
Primary reason is that 95% of the time I start that engine I drive at least 10 miles. Maybe if not heated up I would consider changing at 6 months but it just seems to be a pure waste of time and money to change oil at 6 months with 2000 miles on it. In my experience it makes no difference! Yea, heard the moisture arguements etc but reams of analysis print outs do not indidate those comemtns have any validity
There you go. Hope it works. This is in the owners section of their website. I am a member so Im not sure if you have some problem. Its real, I was VERY suprised. I always that all that crap was urban legend, but apparetly its not. Im glad I follow the manual!
Also, the gas is different. It is higher octane in Europe. That is a contributing factor also.
So cars are different for different markets. For instance in Europe the Maxima comes with a 3 liter V6 that has 190 HP. In the USA we have the new 3.5 liter Maxima, and even the previous version had a 3 liter 222HP engine. The engines are tuned differently to satisfy the emissions for the specific market where the cars are sold.
European cars have lower emission requirements.
I meant to say the requirements are less strict, i.e. Euro cars allow higher emissions.
Any help is appreciated.
www.fumotovalve.com
I don't think I'd use one for my oil, but they may be helpful in differentials or trannies.
each time I've always taken the drain plug out just to see how much was left in the pan, it usually took 15min for a drip to form and fall into the pan.
Now I don't bother I use this apparatus and it works beautifully