[Ridgeline owner wannabe]

Let me get my head straight here....for the last 30 years I have owned cars/vans/bikes/trucks...I had to change the oil every 3 months or 5000km which ever came first...I have stuck with that rule no matter what cuz thats what the car manufacturers were pushing. Now the Ridge has its own set of rules...for example if the percent stays above 15 oil life...but your months are at twelve then you should change the oil...like WTF. Can oil stay in the crank case that long. Should I be nervous...or just keep doing what I have been doing and ignore what Honda suggests for the Ridge. I drive about 9000km (6000 miles ) per year

 

[Truckin']

We're going with the Ridge telling us when to change. We also went synthetic. If we all used our oil for it's full capacity instead of some arbitrary date/mileage rule just to make it easy to remember, we will stretch out a precious resource.

 

[ninefive0]

I change mine every 3 months which equals out to about every 2,500 miles or less. It's cheap insurance for an exspensive vehicle.

I change the filter every other oil change as the filters can last up to 7,500 miles.

My first oil change was at 650 miles to get all the break in particles out.

 

[shortspark]

Like Truckin' said, go by the oil life monitor as to when to change your oil. A lot of work and research went into the development of that monitor and it has proven to be more accurate as to oil change intervals than some arbitrary date and mileage figure. To be really sure if your OLM is accurate with the oil life expectancy shown on your monitor, you could have a used oil analysis conducted now and then. I plan on doing this myself only for peace of mind but I do think the OLM is a great tool.

The 3 mo./3000 mile interval might have been a good rule of thumb 20 years ago but today's high tech engines and improved oils makes that mentality dated. Assuming you drive under "normal" conditions (sever conditions would be different), simply trust the OLM's modern technology, protect your engine, save your money on changes and conserve a precious resource - can't ask for more than that!

 

[Kellcut]

I change mine every 3 months which equals out to about every 2,500 miles or less. It's cheap insurance for an exspensive vehicle.

I change the filter every other oil change as the filters can last up to 7,500 miles.

My first oil change was at 650 miles to get all the break in particles out.

I know you've already changed your oil, but Honda really recommends that you leave the first oil in until the change is due because it's a different oil that is specially made as a break in oil. All the smart oil people on this board will tell you what's in it.

As far as oil changes go, even my TrailBlazer had an oil change monitor and the oil lasted longer than the 3K that many people base their oil changes on. Most newer cars use synthetic blends that are better than the old oils.

I'm going by the monitor and in fact it's going in today for her first change. Just over 6K miles on it.

 

[Ridgeline owner wannabe]

you are absolutely correct about the break-in oil is unique. I will atleast wait until it signals a change before my first service. After that I am going to do some research on this subject just to settle my mind. Would be really nice to only change my oil once a year..ha

 

[shingles]

The ridgeline didn't change the rules. check out some of the other new cars. Engines are better now, oil is better, oil filter is better... changing oil at 5000km/3 month is a thing of the past, like VHS, beta max, cassettes, etc.

 

[oldguy]

Every 5,000 miles, and that will have my monitor with 30% or 20% left.Why the 5,000? Its easier for me to remember,5,10,15,...etc.

 

[Webwader]

Its easier for me to remember,5,10,15,...etc.

Why bother to remember when your RL is going to tell you when it's time and then remind you every time you start it until you get the job done.

 

[Kellcut]

Why bother to remember when your RL is going to tell you when it's time and then remind you every time you start it until you get the job done.

I agree. If the car can remind me, I don't have to remember it myself!

 

[jeffiam]

The ridgeline didn't change the rules. check out some of the other new cars. Engines are better now, oil is better, oil filter is better... changing oil at 5000km/3 month is a thing of the past, like VHS, beta max, cassettes, etc.

lol...lol........good one.

i also would like to point out that changing the oil early and resetting the maintenance minder will also "push up" all other maint reminders thus increasing your operating costs or making the system useless to you. this is new to me as well but i think i will go with it.

 

[swampler]

3,000 miles is the "severe duty" cycle that oil change places push, i.e. the people who are going to make twice the money from you. Every vehicle I've ever owned has been either 7500 or 5000 for normal use with severe duty at 3000 (or 3750 for the Ridgeline).

As it turns out, I've been changing my oil on the RL about every 3 months, which is at 10% oil life remaining (6500 to 7000 miles).

 

[basils]

DO NOT change out the oil earlier than 3 to 5k miles. The assembly oil has high concentrations of moly and other (from what I've read) lubrication chemicals to aid in proper break-in. The oil filter easily picks up any metal shavings (minimal) from being new, so this old style thought process is obsolescent. I plan on changing mine out at 5k (which will put me at about 15 to 20% anyway). After that I'll probably use Mobil 1 5w-20 and a Purolator filter and continue with 5k oci's.

 

[Bob79]

Doing it every 3,000 miles certainly won't hurt your vehicle. But it doesn't do it any good either.

My better half has been going every 3,000 miles on her 2001 Civic, and upon me looking in the owner's manual it says that under SEVERE conditions you should change it every 5,000 miles. So I told her next time to put in Mobil 1 and she'll only have to do two oil changes a year with the low amount of miles she drives a year.

My Ridge is currently at 2,600 miles with 70% oil life. I plan on following the monitor up to 7,500 miles, if I hit that number I'm going to have it changed regardless of what my oil life percentage read out is, and I'm going to Mobil 1. Bottom line is, you can NEVER go wrong with following the manual, and it says to follow the computer.

 

[GJRUGBY]

Strange thing today...I was filling up with gas at BP-Amoco (87 octane for $2.3599999) 1,888 miles on the odometer and I decided the check my oil...I do this about every month or so. Turns out I have used about "half" of the dipstick. I checked it twice to be sure, YEP, the line of oil was down about halfway on the "xxx" part, between fill and full.

And besides that, the oil looked pretty "dirty."

I am sure this is no bid deal, as the additives and such are still there. I see no leaks in the garage, so I guess it is just "burning" it off through the engine. No exhaust smoke, either.

Cheers,
George

 

[swampler]

I see no leaks in the garage, so I guess it is just "burning" it off through the engine. No exhaust smoke, either.

It shouldn't be burning oil, and if it did, you should see smoke. Are you sure it was completely filled when it was changed? And, if it sits there for 30 minutes or so, does it measure higher? When I filled my oil at my last oil change, I had put in slightly more than the 4.5 quarts, but the dipstick showed less than full. I checked again the next day after it had been sitting a while and it was slightly over the full mark.

 

[gonzo's rt]

This is not new. BMW's, Corvette's and many other vehicles have a computerized oil change monitor also. Typically 12,000 miles or every year. I use Mobil-1 synthetic and let it in there for 1-year. No problems in the last 15-years with my Honda's!
The 3,000 mile oil changes was created by the Jiffy Lubes of the world to make more $$$. No need to waste oil that way. If Honda, BMW, Corvette's etc. use this system, I will too!

 

[hofffam]

I am surrounded by people who continue to use the "cheap insurance" argument for 3,000 mile oil changes. These are people who grew up with crappy Ford/Chevy engines that needed babying and of course the oils were far worse. My Jaguar S-Type 4.0 specified a 10,000 mile oil change interval, which shocked me. I was used to cars with a 6,000 or 7,500 mile interval. I changed the oil at 7,500. I just sold the car (replaced with the Ridgeline) with 124,000 miles in five years and the engine was perfect. Same MPG, same performance, not a whisper of smoke.

 

[Lingered_I]

The 3,000 mile oil changes was created by the Jiffy Lubes of the world to make more $$$.

How right you are! I mentioned on another thread my questioning of the US hankering for 3000mile changes, when I know that identical vehicles in the UK are 12,000miles or more. But then, we don't have Jiffy Lube.

 

[Truckin']

There is nothing cheap about oil if we factor in the environmental, human and political costs. We all need to be looking at ways to reduce our use of this precious resource.