what oil and how often?

[heman]

what oil do you use and how often do you change it, and what filtter do you use? i am at 2600 miles so i am starting to think about it and was wondering what you all do?

[manxman]

Amsoil 0W20 Wt. Full Synthetic with Amsoil Synthetic Filter. The oil has a service life of 25,000 miles, but I drive far less than that in a year, so I change it once a year to get rid of water from condensation.

[heman]

wow, one oil change a year is a far cry from what i grew up with, every 3000miles or every 4months, i guess i am wondering what honda requirs for the warrenty. also is the guage in the car trustworthy does my oil realy have 70percent oil life left after 2500miles???

[EXWRX]

For normal oil, the oil life meter should be quite accurate. Honda engineers set it up to take a bunch of things into account, how long you drive at a stretch, engine temperature, # of engine revolutions. . . The only concern is if they set it up to keep the engine lasting as long as possible or with an expiration date well after the warranty goes out, but since the Fit has been named one of the most reliable cars in Europe, I think we're pretty safe.

[manxman]

wow, one oil change a year is a far cry from what i grew up with, every 3000miles or every 4months, i guess i am wondering what honda requirs for the warrenty. also is the guage in the car trustworthy does my oil realy have 70percent oil life left after 2500miles???
I only drive about 6000 miles in a year, and the "oil minder" never gets below 60% oil life. Conventional refined crude oil goes through major chemical changes in your engine and its wear resistant properties go away. Synthetic oil does not experience the same deterioration- that's why Amsoil guarantees a service life of 25,000 miles.

For Honda to deny engine warranty coverage based on engine oil change frequency, they would first have to prove that the engine oil has deficient properties and was responsible for whatever failure brought warranty coverage into consideration. Lack of proper lubricating properties occurring in the 25,000 mile service life is not possible with Amsoil synthetic products in normal use. It would require some other form of failure, such as a blown head gasket leaking coolant into the crankcase, to cause the engine oil to become harmful to crankcase components.

Or, for the not so smart first time drivers with no training, they might like the sound that comes from taking off the intake system and air filter, and drive around the desert like that for months. That would aspirate enough dirt and grit to pollute the oil badly enough to eventually cause engine bearing failure. But the excess particulates were not a byproduct of the synthetic oil, just the byproduct of stupidity.

[Davo]

I'm following the oil change reminder and changed the oil in my wife's 2009 CR-V at "20% remaining". That equated to about 7500 miles. I plan to do the same in my 2010 Fit Sport. I will probably run standard oil for one oil change and then consider Amsoil from that point on. I live in central Texas and the temps in summer can get really intense. I don't think I will get 7500 miles between oil changes through the heat of summer.

Edit on 6/21/10:
I changed the oil for the first time on my 2010 Fit with 20% Oil Life remaining at nearly 8500 miles! I used Honda Genuine 20w-50 just as I did for the first oil change on our 2009 CR-V. I don't think I will let it go that long between changes again for my own personal comfort level. The CR-V is coming up on 15,000 miles so I'll do the 1X transmission fluid change at that time.

[heman]

i think i will more then likely just stick with reg oil and do it every 3-4000 miles

[macbuddy]

Amsoil 0W20 Wt. Full Synthetic with Amsoil Synthetic Filter. The oil has a service life of 25,000 miles, but I drive far less than that in a year, so I change it once a year to get rid of water from condensation.

Both manxman and mrFroge recommended Amsoil Full Synthetic. The fact that I only need to change the oil once a year was good enough a reason for me to use it. Every year, I spend about $100 for the change. This includes 8 quarts of Amsoil 0W20Wt and one Amsoil Filter (I get extra quarts to keep it topped up during the year). I am at 106K right now, and I am ready to get my 5th oil change since April 2006. I change every 4th of July whether I need it or not! :)