[fmd2020]

Hello - have a Ridgeline 2020 RTL-E. Bought right after Covid started (5/29/20) and only have 5200 miles on it since I have been working from home and this is our 2nd vehicle. One oil change to date (last June).

Should I be going in once/yr or wait until the maintenance minder tells me to go in?

Thank you

 

[rahtx]

Hello - have a Ridgeline 2020 RTL-E. Bought right after Covid started (5/29/20) and only have 5200 miles on it since I have been working from home and this is our 2nd vehicle. One oil change to date (last June).

Should I be going in once/yr or wait until the maintenance minder tells me to go in?

Thank you

Once a year, per the owner's manual:

 

[fmd2020]

Once a year, per the owner's manual:
View attachment 426056

Thank you - missed that

 

[njamesj]

Once a year, per the owner's manual:
View attachment 426056

I agree...however, does that reset of the MM at 1 year prevent the MM from alerting to future maintenance needs?

 

[zroger73]

It could if you repeatedly reset the MM before the indicated oil life reaches 15% in which case it will never display any maintenance codes.

If a year passes since the last oil change, but you don't expect that to happen next time, reset the MM. The codes that would have appeared when the oil life reached 15% will appear the next time the oil life reaches 15%.

If a year passes since the last oil change and you expect that to continue happening, do NOT reset the MM.

The owner's manual states to change the oil at least every year. It also states to reset the MM whenever the oil is changed, but that's NOT good advice for someone who drives so little that the oil life NEVER reaches 15% in a year. That's not a problem for the vast majority of drivers who drive ~8,500 miles per year or more. The problem occurs with vehicles that are always driven less than this.

 

[rahtx]

I agree...however, does that reset of the MM at 1 year prevent the MM from alerting to future maintenance needs?

Apparently so, but maybe others will chime in. @zroger73 seems to be the Keeper of Knowledge regarding the deceptively simple, but black box-like system that is the Maintenance Minder 😋

I guess you're supposed to not reset the MM if you do the oil change before it reaches 15%. That keeps the other services on schedule, but then I'm wondering what happens with the oil life monitor - do you just have to keep to your own schedule for that from then on out, or what? I don't know... I feel like I'm a reasonably smart person, but dealing with the MM system as a DIYer quickly squashes that notion 🤣

@fmd2020: it sounds like you are taking it in to a shop or dealership instead of DIY. In that case, ask them to only reset the oil monitor with their scan tool - for sure a Honda/Acura service department can do that, I'm not sure if you go to an independent mechanic.

*Edit: ha, spoke too soon, see above

 

[zroger73]

@fmd2020: it sounds like you are taking it in to a shop or dealership instead of DIY. In that case, ask them to only reset the oil monitor with their scan tool - for sure a Honda/Acura service department can do that, I'm not sure if you go to an independent mechanic.

Just as a reminder: Resetting the MM before the oil life reaches 15% resets only the oil life. The only time other codes are reset when resetting the MM is when they are displayed when the oil life reaches 15%.

So, let's say you drive 5,000 miles per year and you change your oil every year and reset the MM before the oil life reaches 15%. If you keep doing that perpetually, you'll miss code 6 at around 15,000 miles for the first rear differential oil change and all other maintenance codes because you'll never see them. Once you begin driving the vehicle more (or you sell it to someone else who does), the next time the oil life reaches 15%, all those codes that have been "suppressed" will appear.

To put it another way, a 5,000-mile/year driver who constantly resets his MM every year before the oil life reaches 15% for 105,000 miles will never see ANY maintenance codes. But, let's say I buy the vehicle used and I drive 15,000 miles/year - the first time the oil life does reach 15%, I'll see every code that would have displayed over those 105,000 miles (probably A/B123456!).

 

[rahtx]

Just as a reminder: Resetting the MM before the oil life reaches 15% resets only the oil life. The only time other codes are reset when resetting the MM is when they are displayed when the oil life reaches 15%.

See, I've seen dozens of posts from you trying to explain this system to us mere mortals, and today I learn something new

 

[spredvan]

Just as a reminder: Resetting the MM before the oil life reaches 15% resets only the oil life. The only time other codes are reset when resetting the MM is when they are displayed when the oil life reaches 15%.

This puzzles me.

Honda went to the trouble of programming the system to reset oil life only, if the MM is reset early, and continue timing on other monitors. However, they do not include programming to display the other codes when they are actually due, but rather when they are (most likely) slightly past due, at the time of the next oil change required message, IF the MM ever reaches 15%, at all.

If an owner, continually drives infrequently, performs annual oil changes and resets the MM each time, then the MM is useless if used this way, as you noted @zroger73.

Honda should be more forthcoming in the OM about this.

I guess they screwed up when allowing the system to display a percentage (probably thinking most owners want a more consistent expectation on when maintenance will be due), as opposed to irregular, individual codes for each maintenance item, which would be more accurate, albeit inconvenient.

They should have provided some method of displaying past due codes at some point.

I'm in the low mileage group, so I will perform oil/oil filter changes annually and not reset the MM until it alerts. Then I will ignore the oil/oil filter code, perform other maintenance items, if any, and reset.

 

[SeattleR]

All people need to do is reset the MM only when it displays maintenance codes. If you do maintenance before the maintenance code triggers (e.g. changing oil at the one year interval) then just log the maintenance yourself (a book, on your computer, on Honda's owners' maintenance website, on Carfax owners' maintenance website, etc) and leave the MM alone.

 

[jseeski]

Just as a reminder: Resetting the MM before the oil life reaches 15% resets only the oil life. The only time other codes are reset when resetting the MM is when they are displayed when the oil life reaches 15%.

So, let's say you drive 5,000 miles per year and you change your oil every year and reset the MM before the oil life reaches 15%. If you keep doing that perpetually, you'll miss code 6 at around 15,000 miles for the first rear differential oil change and all other maintenance codes because you'll never see them. Once you begin driving the vehicle more (or you sell it to someone else who does), the next time the oil life reaches 15%, all those codes that have been "suppressed" will appear.

To put it another way, a 5,000-mile/year driver who constantly resets his MM every year before the oil life reaches 15% for 105,000 miles will never see ANY maintenance codes. But, let's say I buy the vehicle used and I drive 15,000 miles/year - the first time the oil life does reach 15%, I'll see every code that would have displayed over those 105,000 miles (probably A/B123456!).

I have a 2021 Canadian RL. I just had the first oil change done at about 10 months and 9,000 miles. The oil life was at 20%, but it was time to remove the snow tires, so I wanted to get it all done at once. Since many of the 9,000 miles were done on a rough, muddy road to the nearest ski area, I asked for the B1 service as well, to include a new oil filter and a thorough brake/undercarriage inspection and cleaning. It turns out the local Honda dealership replaces the filter with every oil change even though the A service doesn't call for it. They also only use synthetic oil, even though the manual does not specifically require it. (But then, does anybody even make 0W-20 mineral oil?) I approve of both practices.

I reset the MM. Since the engine is now broken in and I know it has a fresh filter, I'll take it to 15% next time around. We'll see what displays!

 

[Ned Puddleman]

Not a fan of the truck telling me when it needs maintenance. I change the oil every 5K miles or 1 year. Doing that I have managed to get all but 1 of my vehicles in the last 20 years over 200k miles. I live by "oil and fluids are cheap; engines and major parts are not". As a vehicle owner if you can't follow or create a simple maintenance chart, you probably shouldn't have a driver's license.

 

[Farther]

As a vehicle owner, if you can’t follow the maintenance minder or read an owner’s manual, you probably shouldn’t have a driver’s license.

 

[BehindBars]

This puzzles me.

Honda went to the trouble of programming the system to reset oil life only, if the MM is reset early, and continue timing on other monitors. However, they do not include programming to display the other codes when they are actually due, but rather when they are (most likely) slightly past due, at the time of the next oil change required message, IF the MM ever reaches 15%, at all.

If an owner, continually drives infrequently, performs annual oil changes and resets the MM each time, then the MM is useless if used this way, as you noted @zroger73.

Honda should be more forthcoming in the OM about this.

I guess they screwed up when allowing the system to display a percentage (probably thinking most owners want a more consistent expectation on when maintenance will be due), as opposed to irregular, individual codes for each maintenance item, which would be more accurate, albeit inconvenient.

They should have provided some method of displaying past due codes at some point.

I'm in the low mileage group, so I will perform oil/oil filter changes annually and not reset the MM until it alerts. Then I will ignore the oil/oil filter code, perform other maintenance items, if any, and reset.

I agree completely that Honda has some holes in their MM programming. They seem to have assumed that all owners would reach the 15% oil life point before 1 year had passed since the last oil change. They could have fixed this, if the annual oil change was actually important, by including a timer/calendar function in the oil life caculator. But since that feature is absent, I feel Honda is not serious enough about the annual oil change recommendation to even bother to program it into the Maintenance Minder.

I easily solve this problem buy ignoring annual oil changes (as I do in all my vehicles) and go strictly by the Maintenance Minder. I save resources, my vehicles all work fine and last a long time, and I sleep well.

 

[zroger73]

They could have fixed this, if the annual oil change was actually important, by including a timer/calendar function in the oil life caculator.

Honda added time as a function in calculating oil life to the 2018 Odyssey. It gets added to other models as they are redesigned. The Ridgeline is also the last Honda model that doesn't allow owners to reset individual maintenance items.

 

[speedlever]

I agree completely that Honda has some holes in their MM programming. They seem to have assumed that all owners would reach the 15% oil life point before 1 year had passed since the last oil change. They could have fixed this, if the annual oil change was actually important, by including a timer/calendar function in the oil life caculator. But since that feature is absent, I feel Honda is not serious enough about the annual oil change recommendation to even bother to program it into the Maintenance Minder.

I easily solve this problem buy ignoring annual oil changes (as I do in all my vehicles) and go strictly by the Maintenance Minder. I save resources, my vehicles all work fine and last a long time, and I sleep well.

Another hole in their MM system is for owners who fit the severe service category.

 

[molson.david]

Hello - have a Ridgeline 2020 RTL-E. Bought right after Covid started (5/29/20) and only have 5200 miles on it since I have been working from home and this is our 2nd vehicle. One oil change to date (last June).

Should I be going in once/yr or wait until the maintenance minder tells me to go in?

Thank you

If your oil doesn't look dirty or smell bad you can go longer than 1 year. I know, it's not "by the book", but I know a few people driving 3-5K a year and doing oil changes once every 2 and even 2+ years and nothing wrong with their 12-15 years old cars.

 

[Sparkland]

Another hole in their MM system is for owners who fit the severe service category.

You are absolutely correct, @speedlever. Severe service throws the entire MM schedule off.

 

[Farther]

You are absolutely correct, @speedlever. Severe service throws the entire MM schedule off.

Then I’m either misinformed or misunderstood the maintenance minder algorithm. Doesn’t the MM algorithm account for different driving styles and conditions?

 

[dbbd1]

So...

Like others, this intrigues me.
Assuming that Honda can and will only reset the MM, then all is well with other maintenance codes that will pop up.

What if it's all or nothing? Even Honda has to reset MM completely or do nothing at all. Will you then get annoying popups on your dash, saying that your oil change is over due?

So, can Honda and/or other automotive shops reset only the oil life in the MM?