New To The MM (Maintenance Minder)

[Globalksp]

In my 35 years, I've only ever owned cars that are a decade or more old. That trend continues with my new-to-me 2007 Honda Fit with 89,000 miles on it. However, the times have caught up with me and the Fit has a maintenance minder. I've always performed my routine maintenance the old fashioned way, by keep track of it in a log.

After purchase, I changed the oil and filter, cabin air filter, air filter, and spark plugs. I'll be changing the manual transmission fluid at the end of the month since I don't think the car was well looked after by its previous owner (and since I have free fluid, score!). I reset the MM after changing those first 4 things so it now reads 100%.

My questions are: Did I reset it for all maintenance tasks? Or just engine oil? Are they as smart and reliable as I've read (calculating intervals based on driving style and conditions), or should I just stick to my UOA and do what makes me feel comfortable?

Thanks.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Yes, you reset it for all tasks. It will be fun to see what the minder suggests! Also, the OE plugs are iridium and usually good for over 100k miles (the cost about $20 each from the dealer, or $10 from Rock Auto)

Yes, they are as smart and reliable as you may have read. The Fit isn't hard on oil. You can still do a UOA after the MM-suggested OCI and see how everything looks. And of course, you can still keep a log

 

[Globalksp]

Thanks!

I replaced the plugs with the OE spec NGK Laser Iridiums for $29!!

I put in Pennzoil HM 5W-20 so for this first go around I'll be waiting on the MM and will be excited to see what the UOA looks like after 5,7,8 thousand miles!

 

[slacktide_bitog]

$29 is a good price for all four! Did the MM tell you to replace the spark plugs? Or did you just do it because that's what you do any time you buy a used cars? (just asking because it seems kind of early for it to suggest new plugs, and you did say you're new to the MM concept)

What kind of oil filter did you use?

 

[maverickfhs]

From one of the Honda forum expert, applicable to almost all Hondas (Though he was commenting about a Civic, but he KNOWS his stuff) :

"
Maintenance minder is weird to most people. It was intended to make services more flexible and not all come at once, like the older (pre MM) cars had you do a major service every 30k.

You can do maintenance however you wish, some stuff may be overkill IMO and other stuff needs more frequency IMO.

Oil change intervals vary greatly depending on your driving conditions. I see them range anywhere from 4000 to beyond 10k miles. If the correct spec oil is used, it's not usually a problem.
If you use cheap/low quality/wrong spec oil, don't follow the minder.

The biggest issue is nobody is ever in the habit of checking their oil so if your engine consumes oil as it ages and you never check it, you're gonna have problems.

Personally, I have been changing my oil at 5k...and the minder has said anywhere from 15 to 50% life remaining when I change it.

The minder system is based entirely on a model, and that model depends on "normal" situations. It has no way to physically monitor any of the services it recommends. That's up to you to check and decide what's needed.


Item 1: Rotate tires usually goes along with oil changes, if the tires allow it.

Item 2: It will tell you to replace the engine and cabin filters around 25k.

Item 3: We (at our shop) recommend ATF services every 30k or more frequently. MM lets it go far too long on many cars IMO.

Thorough inspections along with every service. Leaks, lights, brake checks, suspension checks. etc. etc. etc.

There is no way for you to alter the mileage intervals the MM comes up with, that's all in the programming. Same for resetting individual items, you don't get that option.
Reset the oil change and you reset all the other items that showed up with it. (We at the dealer may or may not be able to reset individual maintenance items with the scanner-----not all of the cars allow this.)
IMO your best bet is to keep track of what services you do and make your own schedules.
I keep a little service log book in the glovebox of my car, and all the other family cars I take care of."

Good Luck

 

[gregk24]

Resetting the MM does not reset all tasks. I can't remember which ones it does, but I can tell you its not all. I choose to err on the side of caution and normally change my oil every 6 months / 5000 miles since I drive primarily short trips.

 

[Indydriver]

I assume all Fits have 4 cyls so the MM will be between 8-9000.

We have a 2011 Accord with V6. I have watched this engine very closely as it is part of the class action lawsuit over Honda's cylinder deactivation scheme. I did the first few OCs at MM mileage with Honda brand oil and got UOAs at Blackstone. This was consistently at 6200-6300 on the V6. According to everything people watch with oil analysis, the only anomaly we had was super high copper during breakin that gradually went away. The TBNs on Honda oil at 5-10% MM were always above Blackstone's minimum of 1.0. Accordingly, I have a high level of confidence in Honda's MM on this car.

The car now has about 55,000 miles on it. I used PP for the last oil change hoping to clear up what appears to be heavy varnish through the oil fill cap. For the first time, it is using some oil, about 1/3 qt half way through the OC cycle.

I have been doing oil changes for 45 years so I've gone through the same evolution you are now. 3000 mile oil changes are definitely out! It's still a good idea to keep a log but now you need to do it on your iPad!

 

[kjbock]

I believe the Fit is very easy on oil, based on what I've seen doing research and my own vehicle. I think 8,000-9,000 miles is easily doable following the MM with a synthetic oil.

If it is not consuming any oil, I see no reason to go with a HM oil. We have a 2009 with 120,000+ miles, with zero consumption and using PUP (previous owner used semi-syn Kendall 5w30).

 

[Globalksp]

Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
$29 is a good price for all four! Did the MM tell you to replace the spark plugs? Or did you just do it because that's what you do any time you buy a used cars? (just asking because it seems kind of early for it to suggest new plugs, and you did say you're new to the MM concept)

What kind of oil filter did you use?





Replaced the plugs because of the latter. And because on the first tank of gas which was mostly highway mileage, I averaged 32 MPG.
Used a Fram Ultra.

 

[Globalksp]

Originally Posted By: maverickfhs
From one of the Honda forum expert, applicable to almost all Hondas (Though he was commenting about a Civic, but he KNOWS his stuff) :

"
Maintenance minder is weird to most people. It was intended to make services more flexible and not all come at once, like the older (pre MM) cars had you do a major service every 30k.

You can do maintenance however you wish, some stuff may be overkill IMO and other stuff needs more frequency IMO.

Oil change intervals vary greatly depending on your driving conditions. I see them range anywhere from 4000 to beyond 10k miles. If the correct spec oil is used, it's not usually a problem.
If you use cheap/low quality/wrong spec oil, don't follow the minder.

The biggest issue is nobody is ever in the habit of checking their oil so if your engine consumes oil as it ages and you never check it, you're gonna have problems.

Personally, I have been changing my oil at 5k...and the minder has said anywhere from 15 to 50% life remaining when I change it.

The minder system is based entirely on a model, and that model depends on "normal" situations. It has no way to physically monitor any of the services it recommends. That's up to you to check and decide what's needed.


Item 1: Rotate tires usually goes along with oil changes, if the tires allow it.

Item 2: It will tell you to replace the engine and cabin filters around 25k.

Item 3: We (at our shop) recommend ATF services every 30k or more frequently. MM lets it go far too long on many cars IMO.

Thorough inspections along with every service. Leaks, lights, brake checks, suspension checks. etc. etc. etc.

There is no way for you to alter the mileage intervals the MM comes up with, that's all in the programming. Same for resetting individual items, you don't get that option.
Reset the oil change and you reset all the other items that showed up with it. (We at the dealer may or may not be able to reset individual maintenance items with the scanner-----not all of the cars allow this.)
IMO your best bet is to keep track of what services you do and make your own schedules.
I keep a little service log book in the glovebox of my car, and all the other family cars I take care of."

Good Luck


This is great, thanks for forwarding!