11th Gen Civic Forum banner

Following Maintenance Minder for the long haul

575 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  cleanneon98
My hatch is my first brand new car and I bought it with the goal of keeping for many years.
I’m at 5500 miles and MM is still showing 20% oil life. Coming from an early 2000s accord that needed oil every 3k miles, it feels wrong. Tried to change it at 30% at the dealership using the free Service Pass but all the dealerships around me won’t touch it for free until it’s at 15%.

What are your alls thoughts about the recommended service schedule? Is it the bare minimum that Honda suggests to keep a car for an average life time? Or do you think it’s based on rigorous testing that demonstrates no benefits of more frequent changes? I’m likely atypical in being the type that will keep a car for 15 years or so, therefore wondering if I need to go on a shorter oil cycle than maintenance minder suggested
  • Like
Reactions: 1
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
Theres lots of differing opinions on this. My sport was at 7k and still said 50 % oil life, I didnt feel comfortable going to nearly 14k miles for an oil change so I just changed it myself. The free oil changes woulda been nice, but IMO thats just too many miles.
  • Like
Reactions: 2
My hatch is my first brand new car and I bought it with the goal of keeping for many years.
I’m at 5500 miles and MM is still showing 20% oil life. Coming from an early 2000s accord that needed oil every 3k miles, it feels wrong. Tried to change it at 30% at the dealership using the free Service Pass but all the dealerships around me won’t touch it for free until it’s at 15%.

What are your alls thoughts about the recommended service schedule? Is it the bare minimum that Honda suggests to keep a car for an average life time? Or do you think it’s based on rigorous testing that demonstrates no benefits of more frequent changes? I’m likely atypical in being the type that will keep a car for 15 years or so, therefore wondering if I need to go on a shorter oil cycle than maintenance minder suggested
There are so many opinions about this. Doing my own oil changes maintenance with uploading videos here. With all my current knowledge of the vehicle.
In my opinion I wouldn't go over five thousand miles max. I would be changing the oil filter every single change also. Something you might not know about those dealer oil changes. They have a schedule A and a schedule B in the maintenance minder. Schedule B is oil and filter changed schedule A is just oil. I think the max the maintenance minder goes out to a 7,500 MI. Then it triggers a schedule A change. So you can see the dilemma here you're only getting a new oil filter every 15,000 miles or so. As schedule B won't show up for another 7,500 MI. Another interesting thing the sub codes for maintenance minder in regards to CVT transmission. They just drain and fill the fluid they don't replace the CVT filter ever. I'm nearing a CVT fluid and filter change. I'll be doing a video on that pretty soon. If you're feeling ambitious and want to attempt this yourself. Check out some of my other created discussions I've got full torque specs part numbers all that jazz.
See less See more
If I were you, and you have the means, forget about the dealership free oil changes and just take it to a reputable place and pay for the oil change whenever you feel it's necessary. Even go to the dealer, but just pay.
From your post it sounds like you will regret it if you don't get it changed when you want to and something happens. I would as well.
  • Like
Reactions: 3
It depends which civic you have. The 1.5 are less forgiving on oil changes, IMO, due to the extra heat from the turbo, and some of the inherent direct injection problems. My 1.5 gets QUALITY oil and filter every 5k, you couldn’t pay me to take those free oil changes at the dealer because nobody knows what synthetic blend nonsense they’re even using, and they often can’t even be trusted to tighten your shit back up (friend’s brother in law popped his 11th gen Si engine 2 miles from the dealer after his second free oil change because they didn’t tighten the filter down)
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Unfortunately I've seen that happen too. A buddy of mine's vehicle I said hey that looks to be leaking oil? He was like no I just had it changed sure enough loose oil filter. Made one heck of a mess engine didn't last long after either. Them dealers I'm convinced just use the cheapest barrel oil they can get their hands on. Put a spigot on it and roll with it 😐 world's getting wicked ain't nobody honest no more it seems. A rare quality indeed 👍.
Unfortunately I've seen that happen too. A buddy of mine's vehicle I said hey that looks to be leaking oil? He was like no I just had it changed sure enough loose oil filter. Made one heck of a mess engine didn't last long after either. Them dealers I'm convinced just use the cheapest barrel oil they can get their hands on. Put a spigot on it and roll with it 😐 world's getting wicked ain't nobody honest no more it seems. A rare quality indeed 👍.
My local one runs a “special” for the civic, quoted me 79 for synthetic blend change, 100 for full synthetic. Literally out of their mind, but they know that 90% of people don’t know any better and will pay. And they will try to sell you 5 cleaning services you don’t need. Those service “advisors” are really salesmen just like the guys up front at the dealership
  • Like
Reactions: 1
that seems long on factory/break-in oil which just gets littered with wear debris. Generally the OCI counter does a decent job past break-in but before that I would do oil changes at 3quarters or half the recommended interval. Excessive wear debris is normal for break-in but it does beget more wear. I doubt going this long has or will cause future issues but if you want peace of mind go 3quarters/ half interval. Oil is cheap. I work at an oil analysis lab and from what i've seen break-in wear on commuter gasoline engines tends to finalize by 12k miles.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I work at an oil analysis lab
So what’s the best oil we can use? I’m currently on M1 0w-20, was debating moving to the EP for better additives, but also debating a 0-30 or even a 5-30.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
So what’s the best oil we can use? I’m currently on M1 0w-20, was debating moving to the EP for better additives, but also debating a 0-30 or even a 5-30.
I don't know much about the EP formula. I imagine it would be good. I would be curious to know if it has the gasket swellers conditioners like the high mileage. Coming from better stock oil though is always a plus.
I’ll probably just stick to my diet of 0w-20 AFE and factory A02 filters. My buddy who’s a tech at Mazda, runs that same combo on his FK8 with the same 5k intervals I do. Just one less thing to overthink
  • Like
Reactions: 1
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
Top