1st oil change improves performance?

After a tough 300 mile trip, launching and towing my boat over Vermont mountains, the computer told me to change the oil and rotate the tires. 15% oil life remaining @ 5,858 miles. Ordinarily I consider myself too old and lazy to do this myself, but I wanted to do the first one to see how everything worked and see what's under there.

I used a Honda filter and 5W-20 synthetic. I have always used conventional oil in my vehicles, but decided to try the synthetic after all the posts and recommendations here on the R.O.C.

It is hard to believe, but there is a noticable difference in performance...

1) The engine is idleing even quieter.
2) Got 22 mpg on first tank after the change (some in town driving).
3) It drives different. The truck just wants to GO now more than ever. The whole machine is running smoother.

Is it my imagination or can synthetic oils make that big a difference?


By the way, I'm not crazy about the jack. It goes to almost full extension before lifting the wheels. It rubbed or pinched some of the undercoat material off of the lift points on the body. I guess "it works" is the best I can say.

What synthetic oil did you use?

What synthetic oil did you use?
Penzoil "Platinum" 5W-20. Label says it's made for newer Fords and Hondas. Got it at Walmart.

Hey Steve, can't wait to change my oil now! I need to "feel the power"!! BTW, will hard rubber pads help with the Jack?

That is what I want to hear. My salesman had told me that Gas mileage should improve after the first oil change and I should bring my truck in at 3500 miles for its first free Oil change. I was not sure I beleived him or if he was just blowing smoke. I am approaching 4000 miles with 60% Vescoscity remaining. Based on your post I think I will have the oil changed next week.

...will hard rubber pads help with the Jack?
I used a piece of 2" by 6" scrap lumber and it did help.

I used a piece of 2" by 6" scrap lumber and it did help.

ATTENTION ROClanders!! Pack something with your jack now!! Don't wait till you HAVE to use the jack!! :cool: Thanks Steve for the heads-up!

ATTENTION ROClanders!! Pack something with your jack now!! Don't wait till you HAVE to use the jack!! :cool: Thanks Steve for the heads-up!

Thanks Steve and Tex.

That is what I want to here. My salesman had told me that Gas mileage should improve after the first oil change and I should bring my truck in at 3500 miles for its first free Oil change. I was not sure I beleived him or if he was just blowing smoke. I am approaching 4000 miles with 60% Vescoscity remaining. Based on your post I think I will have the oil changed next week.
whiterl, just a friendly suggestion..............be patient and leave the break in oil for the full ride down to atleast 15% oil life.

I still don't understand why so many Dealers are recommending first oil change before HAL say's so. Mine said 3000 miles and they will filter the drain oil to check for any excessive engine wear. It isn't the money because the oil change is free for me. Don't they get educated? Is this HAL thing unique to The Ridgeline, or is it on other Honda's, too? I know what the manual say's, but why the lack of consistency on this issue :confused: ?

I still don't understand why so many Dealers are recommending first oil change before HAL say's so. Mine said 3000 miles and they will filter the drain oil to check for any excessive engine wear. It isn't the money because the oil change is free for me. Don't they get educated? Is this HAL thing unique to The Ridgeline, or is it on other Honda's, too? I know what the manual say's, but why the lack of consistency on this issue :confused: ?
they just want to get you in the door........... :rolleyes:

I think they believe if you will come in for a free oil change at 3,000 miles they will be able to get you in every 3,000 thereafter. I bet they will put a sticker on your windshield that will show next oil service due at something like 6,000 or 7,000 miles. They won't put one on that says next service due when HAL says so.

Changing oil every 3,000 miles is a waste of oil, time and money in newer engines and especially with the new oil formulations and additive packages that have come out in recent years. BUT, this is how service departments make money. If you have them change your oil every 6,000 miles rather than 3,000 they lose half of the profit they could have made - and they know it. Many, many people still subscribe to the old habit of 3,000 mile oil changes but hey, if someone needs peace of mind by doing this type of oil change interval let them go for it - it ain't worth loosing sleep over. There may be some isolated cases where unusual driving conditions warrant 3,000 mile oil change intervals but they would be rare.

The Honda oil life monitor is not unique to Honda as GM has had a similar one for several years. Unlike "idiot lights" or mileage counters, this system measures things meaningful to oil wear such as temps, revolutions and some other driving conditions and habits. It gathers this information and makes assumptions. Of course, it does not know if you top off oil now and then, which rejuvenates the oil, not does it know if you use synthetics which will normally last longer than regular dino oil. Only a chemical analysis will be accurate as to how well your engine is being protected by a certain oil. Although the Honda system is not perfect, it is built to monitor this particular engine and the Honda engineers have always been regarded as pretty smart people. So, I will go with what it tells me.

BTW, to the original poster, the Penzoil synthetic is indeed suppose to be a good one but don't be fooled by "Made for Honda/Ford" or similar signs on the bottle. Only in recent years have some manufactures built a lot of engines calling for 5W20 oil. The engines would run just fine on 5W30 too but they are trying to squeeze out every mile per gallon and meet government regulations (CAFE). The label you see is for that reason, the weight of the oil, not because it contains any special formulation that is required or specified by Honda or Ford. In fact, Motorcraft, which is Ford's oil brand, is a synthetic blend type and is also highly regarded by many oil geeks and would work well in Honda engines as well. Any top brand 5W20 should do just fine in our Ridgelines. Nonetheless, having said all this, I am sure you will get great service out of that Penzoil synthetic for many, many miles.

BTW, to the original poster, the Penzoil synthetic is indeed suppose to be a good one but don't be fooled by "Made for Honda/Ford" or similar signs on the bottle.
I wasn't fooled. The Penzoil was the only 5W-20 synthetic on the shelf when I stopped at Walmart. They had Mobil 1 but not in 5-20. I just thought the use of the Honda name was interesting. I agree, any good quality sythetic will probably work if the viscosity numbers are close.

Question? Does Honda use synthetic oil for the first change? Can you request that they do?

but why the lack of consistency on this issue :confused: ?

yeah, I know it's frustrating, but I'm sticking with Hal. I'm going to make the assumption the stellar Honda engineeriing team knows more than the salesman with ketchup stains on his tie.

yeah, I know it's frustrating, but I'm sticking with Hal. I'm going to make the assumption the stellar Honda engineeriing team knows more than the salesman with ketchup stains on his tie.

Good call. :)

Question? Does Honda use synthetic oil for the first change? Can you request that they do?

They wouldn't use it unless you requested it. I think I'll stick with Dino until 12,000 miles and switch to Synthetic then. There is so much info out there, but I've heard, and this makes sense to me anyway, that Synthetic will cause your engine to run significantly cooler which is a very good thing, but not before the rings and everything else has seated and heat helps that process. It sounds like a sound principle to me. I figure it certainly won't hurt anything to wait to 12,000 miles. I want my Honda engine to be the best it can be.

I'm wondering if those of you that have switched to synthetic have noticed that the needle on your temp gauge is lower now than it was before.

Not mine. Gas mileage is similar to dino, too.

I changed oil at 2500 miles. There was no change.

I changed oil at 2500 miles. There was no change.
Old habits die hard. ;)

Wanted Penzoil "Platinum" 5W-20. Label says it's made for newer Fords and Hondas. Got it at Walmart.
Just wanted to share my first oil change had very positive results.
I have used systhetic oil in my personal car for 18 years and when I purchased the Ridgeline in April, it now has 7500 miles.
I took the truck to the local Honda Dealer and brought 5 qts of Castrol Syntec
SAE 5W-30.
The engine runs cooler and smoother. My gas milage which had been a big dissapointment in town driving was below 12mpg. This is mostly due to extreme tied up traffic conditions in the area where I live and until the roads are completed, we have to live with this mess.
I am already up to 14.8mpg in town same conditions as mentioned. My highway trips mostly interstate driving have been average 19.8 to 20.8mpg.

I love everything about the truck, my wife loves it. It was a retirement present to myself. I have a 1986 Nissan 300ZX with 59,000 miles and it is in Mint condition. I plan on having the Ridgeline equally as long and it will be in Mint condition. If you take care of the vehicle and do the prescribed maintainence, it should last for a very long time.

Cajun Country Ridgeline :cool:

Did the dealer actually suggest the 5W30 or did you insist that is what you wanted? I ask because the Ridgeline specifically calls for 5W20 although 5W30 could be run it with no problem. I ask also because I've heard that if there is an oil related problem with the engine the warranty could be voided if they find a different weight oil in there than the one they specify. After the warranty the heavier weight might even protect better under some conditions but during warranty I would be afraid to use other than what Honda specifies.

No reason to wait till 12,000 miles to switch to synthetic you can use it for your first change, Bmw, Chevy Corvette, Ferrari, and allot of other companies use it right from the factory mobil1, I used it on my first change i use mobil1 in my 1996 maxima it now has 127,000 miles on it and doesn't burn a drop of oil and still does a daily 100 mile trip a day to work getting 28-30 mpg, my father has a 1991 mazda 626 with 295,000 using mobil1 since new he does 100 plus miles a day driving also doesnt burn any oil and he still get 36-38 mpg, I put Amsoil synthetic in my ridgeline first time trying it a few friends swear by it so i decided to give it a shot so far so good i can't tell the difference between it and mobil1, The tranny fluid Honda puts in the ridgeline is synthetic according to the service guy at the dealer so i am not going to bother to change that next step is a drain and flush of the brake and power steering fluid and a fill with synthetic fluid