Fit Maint Minder: 70% oil life at 5k miles?

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: Phishin
I am just surprised that anyone would follow any OLM. But most people are lazy and mindless. And if anyone can let themselves off the hook for being responsible, accountable, and informed....they typically latch onto any flimsy reed they can wrap their feeble fingers around.

Where is common sense?

Why push oil to its absolute limit beyond when every day you can get FAR oil? Why push the limits of a $20 oil change when a new engine is $5k? Are people on here that cheap? I know many on here change oil brand/types based onwhatever is on sale. But come on....change your darn oil. Whats wrong with you people? You are maintaining your car....not a fleet.


"Trust but verify". Run the oil out to where the computer says to change it, and verify it's right by UOA. If it's right, trust it. If it's wrong, at least the computer is keeping track, and change it when the computer reaches the percentage it needs to be changed at.

I'd much rather not spend all my time/money changing oil, especially when the needed grades/specifications ARE NOT available FAR.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: Phishin
I am just surprised that anyone would follow any OLM. But most people are lazy and mindless.


Irony: it never goes out of style...

Originally Posted By: Phishin
Where is common sense?


generally, sensibility isn't really that common. Your post seems to be a good example.

Originally Posted By: Phishin
Why push oil to its absolute limit beyond when every day you can get FAR oil? Why push the limits of a $20 oil change when a new engine is $5k? Are people on here that cheap? I know many on here change oil brand/types based onwhatever is on sale. But come on....change your darn oil. Whats wrong with you people? You are maintaining your car....not a fleet.


1. why do you think OLM's push oil to the limit? I haven't seen much evidence that's the case

2. why do you assume cost has anything to do with it? Generally, I run oil for reasonably long OCI's because it provides for marginally less wear (until, of course, it doesn't). Except for those very few examples where the OLM's aren't calibrated correctly, I don't see OLM's pushing the oil to the limit, and I see zero benefit to changing it early in a mechanically sound engine since wear generally trends down slightly as the oil ages a bit. I don't get all of the doom and gloom.

 

[AdamL]

I'm following the OLM in my pilot. I only let the first change run down to 15%, though. In went the mobil 1 which I'll run to zero or one year per honda. I may do one uoa just to be sure. 15% was about 6000 miles over 10 months.

 

[BrianWC]

I actually just mentioned this in the "extended OC are foolish" thread. I had a 2009 Fit Sport auto that saw about 99% highway. My OLM/MM always took me out to 12-14k miles. The oil always looked fine and golden on the dipstick and I never had a lick of consumption. In three years (well, 2 years, 11 months, 2 weeks) of ownership, I drove the car 90+ thousand miles. I don't think I ever used synth. I barely ever used 5W20, just whatever odd stash oil I felt like throwing in it. I only got rid of it out of boredom, slowness, and the fact that I was tired of looking like I was a pizza guy driving through my new neighborhood.

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: JOD

2. why do you assume cost has anything to do with it? Generally, I run oil for reasonably long OCI's because it provides for marginally less wear (until, of course, it doesn't). Except for those very few examples where the OLM's aren't calibrated correctly, I don't see OLM's pushing the oil to the limit, and I see zero benefit to changing it early in a mechanically sound engine since wear generally trends down slightly as the oil ages a bit. I don't get all of the doom and gloom.


I don't spend enough money on a car or truck to have one with a OLM....but from what I see on here, and just recently reported, people that are going by their OLM's can go 15-20k miles on dino oil before they get low numbers on their OLM. That seems kinda crazy to me. I can't imagine having the courage to drive 15k on dino oil in a nice car. I'd go nuts.

And if you just happen to have one of those nice engines that never seem to shear oil or throw metals, good for you. But most engines aren't like that. The reason they put OLM's on vehicles is to help reduce "ownership costs" because people are still afraid to go over 3k miles on an OC, but if the car tells me them it's okay, it must be. And I think nearly all the time, 5-7k on any oil is fine. But some of these OLM readings vs. miles driven is getting ridiculous. But hey, it's your car. Do with it as you want. It's your business.

 

[BrianWC]

For me, it was a combo of:

1. Ambivalence about the car. It was basic transport purchased since we needed to up the family fleet by one.

2. I drive all highway steady state so figured oil would stay relatively clean.

3. I got big into running about the same time I bought the car and didn't want to hassle with changing oil when I could be logging extra miles, lol.

 

[JavierG]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Our Fit will go 11-12k miles per OCI according to the Maintenance Minder. We've done UOA's, and it's fine for that mileage on full synthetic 0w-20.

I'd stick with the OLM, or 10k miles, whichever goes off first. The L15A7 is pretty easy on oil.

This is the way it should be. Follow the OLM and then get a UOA.

The OLM on my Ridgeline hits 0% anywhere from 6200 - 7500 miles. Not an extended OCI by any means.

 

[Coprolite]

Phishin, I haven't seen anyone quote >15k on an OLM. The most I have seen is from sciphi and BrianWC.

 

[zanzabar]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Our Fit will go 11-12k miles per OCI according to the Maintenance Minder. We've done UOA's, and it's fine for that mileage on full synthetic 0w-20.

I'd stick with the OLM, or 10k miles, whichever goes off first. The L15A7 is pretty easy on oil.


Same here, I'm doing about 10k on synth which puts the MM at around 20%, or I might start doing 8000ish on dino at some point in the future.

 

[dave1251]

I have had two GM products with a OLM a Silverado and Tahoe. The OLM would go off between 7 and 9K. From personal experience anything more that a 10K OCI has been the exception not the rule.

 

[jca]

Originally Posted By: Coprolite
Phishin, I haven't seen anyone quote >15k on an OLM.

If I went with the CBS for the BMW it would go about 19,000. I've kind of settled on 15,000 as being long enough, but the last UOA showed the oil was still in fine shape.

 

[4x4chevydude]

I recently bought a car that the PO changed the oil when the change oil light came on...based on records it was usually 6-8k...however they never checked the oil in between and becuase it is a GM 3.4 that had oil consumption it was usually 2 qts down by the end of an interval as I found out when I checked under the hood and no oil was on the dipstick....I put it up for sale right there because I would rahter not find out how much longer the engine will hold up past 148k like that....the OLM are fine but people have to be smart about it and check the oil especially after the car turns 100k there are possibilities for leaks/consumption and the OLM obviously doenst consider that until the oil light comes on becuase your pan is dry

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: 4x4chevydude
I recently bought a car that the PO changed the oil when the change oil light came on...based on records it was usually 6-8k...however they never checked the oil in between and becuase it is a GM 3.4 that had oil consumption it was usually 2 qts down by the end of an interval as I found out when I checked under the hood and no oil was on the dipstick....I put it up for sale right there because I would rahter not find out how much longer the engine will hold up past 148k like that....the OLM are fine but people have to be smart about it and check the oil especially after the car turns 100k there are possibilities for leaks/consumption and the OLM obviously doenst consider that until the oil light comes on becuase your pan is dry


Some folks are discovering this w/ the new Civic Si 2.4l. They are following the MM and then they get a nice oil light pop on when they are like 2 quarts or so down. Oddly, it seems to be happening a lot on that "special" Honda factory fill to lots but not so much after first OCI.

 

[4x4chevydude]

Ya this one I dont think ever triggered a light but to a trained ear the engine did not sound like it was running top notch....I wouldnt not buy a car just for it but I would be careful and make sure the PO did check the oil once in a while and not jsut took it to quickielube every 8k for a change