Honda's new oil change interval

Not sure if anyone has posted this but I just wanted to make the group
aware that with the new MM system, if you take your car to the dealer,
the dealer is not obligated to replace the filter on the A1 changes,
just the B1 changes. It's part of Honda's ecco-friendly image.

I can't think that going 15k miles without changing the oil filter can
be good for the engine. While I do my own oil changes I thought I
would mention it to the group and find out from your repair shop the
next time you get it done.

 

I imagine the dealer is obligated--at the very least, happy--to do
whatever extra services you ask for.

That Honda doesn't specify the filter be changed is merely a checkmark
in the comparison charts that Honda uses for marketing purposes.

Under the maintenance minder, Honda doesn't specify a mileage for
changing your oil. But the dealer will be happy to do it ever 3000
miles for you if that's what you want.

This is amusing. We've now moved the argument away from "it can't be
good to wait (insert miles here) to change the oil" and have moved on to
"it can't be good to wait (insert miles here) to change the filter".

Just as people have decided to ignore the maintenance minder for oil
changes and do it on their own schedule, they're free to do so for the
filter, too.

 

Most dealers will anything as frequently as you don't want, and have no
need for! They promote revenue maximization intervals.

 

As I recall, BMW calls for oil service at 15k on its cars.

 

As I recall, BMW calls for oil service at 15k on its cars.

 

The fact is that the filter is just fine for two oil changes. This used
to be the norm back in the olden days of 3000 mile oil changes, when a
filter cost was much higher than the cost of the oil, and many more
people did their own oil changes. An older filter won't let any more
dirt through, but the flow rate will be very slightly reduced.

I think most people change the filter at every oil change just because
the cost of doing so is so low, but it's not necessary and provides no
benefit. There's also the issue that the filter is holding some dirty
oil, but it's a lot less these days with the small filters than it was
back in the days of the huge filters.

Just be sure to use genuine Honda filters, and not an after-market
filter, since the construction quality of most after-market filters is
abysmal (especially the orange ones, but I won't name names). My
mechanic keeps a stock of Honda filters even though he pays 3x the
price of the jobber filters ($3 versus $1).

When Honda first started using 5W20 oil he couldn't get it from his oil
distributor so he was buying it from the dealer, which was very
expensive, even at the discounted price that they sell parts to
independent garages. The parts guy at the Honda dealer told him that the
dealer's service department didn't even use the 5W20, they used 5W30
because it was cheaper. The independent shops have to be careful about
not using the wrong oil since if there's an engine problem down the road
they could have customers blaming them based on using the wrong oil

 

have you ever thought of having oil analysis done so that you don't
/have/ to think? that's what honda did afterall...

 

thats not "most", that's "some". many oil filter brands are just great.
denso [who are an oem supplier], npn [who are an oem supplier],
champion labs [who do filters for mobil, bosch, and others.], etc. the
latter also make house brand filters for woolmort that sell for a
pittance. some of these after-market filters even have anti-drainback
valves that work, unlike some domestically sourced honda filters.

 

So Jim you are telling me that you personally would follow changing it
every other change? I for one rather spend the extra $5 for a filter
than $5k for a new engine. Honda just started this back in 2006 for
their MM cars. Time will tell just how well this recommendation is.

 

effectively, yes. i'm on a 15+k mile service interval, based on oil
analysis, and i leave the same oil filter on for all that time.

modern engine management and modern higher quality oils mean combustion
product load is less and the oil degrades less quickly, so the longer
intervals are entirely appropriate.

 

and those canister oil filters were HUGE. At least twice the size of
today's normal oil filter, probably 3 times the size of a Honda
filter. Sure, the filtering media was kinda like my furnace filter but
that was then.

, when a

If the engine was clean to begin with...

the oil circulating thru the filter isn't any more dirty than the oil
circulating thru the engine. Oil filter media traps what dirt it can,
the rest circulates.

A huge filter with the same media as a small filter will provide
better flow over time (smaller filter gets clogged faster) if
everything else is similar. Many quality after market filters are
larger than OEM.

the after-market is not only Fram, there's lots of quality stuff
available. You are kidding yourself about Honda oil filter quality.

if you think 5W20 comes out of an engine after 7500 miles still
meeting 5W20 specs, you should spend a little time reading oil
analysis reports at Bobistheoilguy.com 5W20 and 5W30 may be
indistinguishable.

has anyone heard of a warranty claim being denied due to 5W30 use
instead of 5W20? all the oil related warranty issues I'm aware of have
been over oil change interval or owner neglect (oil level).

 

And you're not? Evidence, please.

And I don't mean the sort of evidence that results from some Texas Prelude
idiot named Todd cutting filters open and passing judgement based on the
visual appeal of the entrails he finds therein.

 

physical size doesn't mean much. more important is the filter medium
quality and its surface area.

that doesn't mean much.

that's kinda sorta true, but over simplifies and somewhat
mischaracterizes the truth. yes, "the rest circulates", but those
particles that get through a healthy filter are too small to be of
consequence.

untrue. what matters is the filter medium area. and even that is not
as important as the medium quality. a large can with a small medium
area and low medium quality is going to be worse than a small can with
the opposite internals.

depends on medium area and quality.

for a honda? no way.

on that we agree. every honda filter i've used in years has had crummy
anti-drainback performance - it's almost totally ineffective.

my last oil analysis had 5w-30 coming out as 5w-30 after 12k miles...

 

In the old days it used to a filter every other oil change. So looks
like we're heading back again. No problems with that except filter
particle loading. It might have been better if Honda went with
cartridge style elements like on European cars -- less landfill
materials.

Mercedes, using oil monitor info, goes up to 20K miles, nominal 18K
miles; BMW up to 15K miles; VW/Audi up to 10K miles. Honda/GM up to
12K miles (w/ monitor). All Toyota/Lexus up to 5000 miles (!).

 

In the old days it used to a filter every other oil change. So looks
like we're heading back again. No problems with that except filter
particle loading. It might have been better if Honda went with
cartridge style elements like on European cars -- less landfill
materials.

Mercedes, using oil monitor info, goes up to 20K miles, nominal 18K
miles; BMW up to 15K miles; VW/Audi up to 10K miles. Honda/GM up to
12K miles (w/ monitor). All Toyota/Lexus up to 5000 miles (!).

 

My local dealer likes to sell you a "minor service $150" for at least
every other A1 oil-change visit, but at least that includes the
filter!

 

My local dealer likes to sell you a "minor service $150" for at least
every other A1 oil-change visit, but at least that includes the
filter!