Okay my E has over 3,000 miles and normally I would be getting my oil changed, but I know the owner's manual states every 10,000, but I am not sure if I am comfortable with that.....so here is my question....

Who has had the oil changed on their E??

What was the mileage?

What type of oil did you use? (weight and brand)

Did you go to your dealer or a chain (Jiffy Lube, etc)?

Any performance improvements/declines since?

Any other info/tips will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks a Bunch!

I had the exact same question. I"m at just over 4K and was thinking about an oil change with the same questions. Anyone?

I had the same question. Honda states that oil changes be made every 10,000 mile / 8,000 KM. Like the service department said, this isn't Saturn...LOL.

For the first oil change I'll be taking mine to the dealer just in case there are other things needed to be done. My Honda Dealer, Sterling Honda in Hamilton have a Quick Lube service available.

Did ours at 3200 miles - went to Honda dealer (most of them have an express lube option now) - seemed to be Mobil oil (that's what the reminder sticker they put on it says) - no decline/improvements after that - oh, didn't note what weight oil.

I'll be using the severe conditions schedule (typical here in SF); for that the first change is at 6,000, then at 10, 15, 20, 25, etc.

Weeks ago someone wrote (via a Honda service rep) on one of our boards to:
Change Filter at 3,000 miles; BUT KEEP the BREAK-IN OIL in the CRANKCASE
until 5- or 6,000 miles. At SF Honda they swapped the filter FOR FREE
at 3k/mi while Keeping most of the EXOTIC/MYTHICAL Breakin-in Oil in the engine, and added a little straight goo to satisfy the dipstick.
Now, with almost 5000mi she's close to gettin' the LESS MYTHICAL engine
oil; but under the rough service mine gets in the city and dirt trackin' I'm
glad I took full advantage of the mysterious virtues of the Holy Grail among
auto lubricants...which is typically discarded without even a little silent
prayer to the fallen field warrior who leaves his precious bodily fluids on
the ramparts or the hustings...beepbeep
tblask SF Bay Area GalaGeenBullPup

if the engineers who designed and built this car think that an E's first oil change is at (approx.) 10k miles why are we second guessing them and changing the oil so much earlier?

And why does my dealer recommend (and provide free of charge) an initial oil change at 3500 miles?

foxtail,

is every oil change free of charge or just that first one?

My dealer said that if I brought mine in for an oil change before 5000 miles, they would send it back out without doing it - that 5000 was the minimum time recommended by Honda for the break-in oil and if an oil change was actually needed before that point for some reason, they'd put new break-in oil back in.

It seems to me that dealers and oil companies have a vested interest in getting us to change oil as frequently as possible, but only the people who build the engine know what service intervals are really needed.

is every oil change free of charge or just that first one?

Just the first one, though they gave me a bunch of coupons for getting the oil changed at the dealer. With the coupons, the price is similar to that of the quick-lube places.

foxtail,
it sounds like your dealer is trying to get you hooked on oil changes every 3.5k miles (much like drug dealers will often give you the first dose for free). i still maintain that the people who designed and built the engine know best.

My dealer said that if I brought mine in for an oil change before 5000 miles, they would send it back out without doing it - that 5000 was the minimum time recommended by Honda for the break-in oil and if an oil change was actually needed before that point for some reason, they'd put new break-in oil back in.



I'm going to read the Honda information again, then talk to the service manager at my dealer. I'm sure that what the dealer recommends is not what Honda is recommending...and the dealer 100K warranty is dependent on following the dealer service schedule.

my 100k extended warrantee is from honda, and has nothing to do with the dealer as far as i know; if i am wrong about that please correct me.

No, this isn't the Honda extended warranty. This is one offered free by my dealer.

[quote:168cae7d58="foxtail"]No, this isn't the Honda extended warranty. This is one offered free by my dealer.[/quote:168cae7d58]

The response I got from Honda when I spoke to them about oil-change intervals is that if I wanted to waste my money, I could change more regularly than 10,000 miles (5K in extreme conditions) and it would do no harm, but would do no good either. They also said that dealers were aware that MINIMUM recommended oil change intervals was 5,000 and that there was no information provided to dealers that would encourage them to more frequent oil changes than that. My dealer confirmed this. As for prices for oil changes, many Honda dealers now have fast-lube type facilities that charge no more than similar establishments on the high street - mine certainly does and no coupon is required.

At 2500 miles, I changed the oil filter only (left original oil in and topped it off as indicated by the dipstick).

At 5000 miles I changed the oil and filter. I will continue changing the oil and filter every 5000 miles. (I'm at 8000 miles now)

There have been Accord service bulletins regarding lifter noise and some mechanical issues that were lubrication related. Many felt this problem was directly attributed to the overly generous recommended 10,000 mile oil changes.

Penguin - here's some straight forward replies to your questions:

a. i changed the oil at about 4500 miles. I now have about 7800 miles on the E.
b. Did it myself. It is very easy to do - don't even have to jack it up. I'm 5' 10", 180lbs and was able to wiggle in under her to get the job done.
c. I used pennzoil 5W-20 oil (5.5 qts). I went with the larger (85 mm) "standard" honda oil filter instead of the small "tomato sauce can" filter that comes as original equipment. They are interchangable with full factory concurrence.
d. Since I have always used the 85mm filters, i did have to buy another filter wrench for the small filter (less than 5 bucks at pepboys).
e. the only other tool you will need is a 17mm socket and ratchet (please don't use a crescent wrench!)
f. Good luck and give it a try!!

5W 20 IS WHAT HONDA RECOMENDS YEAR ROUND, I WAS GOING TO CHANGE MINE AT AROUND 1000 MILES INCASE OF MANUFACTURING DEBREE UNTIL SOMEONE MENTIONED AN ADDITIVE THAT HELPS WITH THE BREAKIN PERIOD. MY QUESTION IS CAN USING SOMETHING LIKE 5W 30 IN THE SUMMER DO ANY HARM, I WAS THINKING THAT THE 5W 20 MAY BREAK DOWN MEANING LOOSING VISCOSITY.

Again, Honda, the engine manufacturer, state that 5W20 is the correct grade of oil for the tolerances of the engine all year round. I'm told (by Honda rather than an arm-chair mechanic) that other grades of oil will compromise the efficient/effective lubrication of the engine.

Surely one might make at least a general assumption that Honda know their own product reasonably well enough to know what they are talking about? They make some of the best and most reliable race engines and have a reputation for quality-build and reliability that would be severely compromised by them providing the wrong information to owners.

I have 4900 miles on mine- will head to the dealership for my free oil change at 5000. I didn't ask what their recommendation was, though.

I noticed that alot of people are talking about free first oil changes, is this a honda thing or a dealer specific thng because I heard nothing from mine.

10,000 just scares some people because Jiffy Lube and the oil companies have a very effective campaign.

All the testing shows 10,000 to be Conservative and cautious.

My dealership gave me a free membership where I receive free oil changes for the life of the car, but I do pay for the Honda filter (9.00).

Ion,

What is the difference between the bigger filter than the small filter? Does Honda recommend using the bigger filter and would it void our warranty?

Thanks

Element - The E comes with a 65mm (diameter) oil filter. There is a Honda factory bulletin sent to dealers that allows the use of the larger diameter 80 mm oil filters. The 80 mm filter has a larger filtering media and thus is better for your engine. This substutuion is completely authorized by the factory and will not void your warranty. You can see a copy of it at Handa under the oil filter section for E parts.

5W 20 IS WHAT HONDA RECOMENDS YEAR ROUND, I WAS GOING TO CHANGE MINE AT AROUND 1000 MILES INCASE OF MANUFACTURING DEBREE UNTIL SOMEONE MENTIONED AN ADDITIVE THAT HELPS WITH THE BREAKIN PERIOD. MY QUESTION IS CAN USING SOMETHING LIKE 5W 30 IN THE SUMMER DO ANY HARM, I WAS THINKING THAT THE 5W 20 MAY BREAK DOWN MEANING LOOSING VISCOSITY.[/quote:9f11b6caf8]

I just registered on the Honda Owner's site, and when I went to their "My Element" page, the first thing I see is:

[quote]DID YOU KNOW...
Honda recommends using a 5W30 motor oil year-round. Heavy oils make an engine harder to start, which can strain the electrical system. Lighter oils flow easier once the cold engine starts, bringing vital lubrication to moving parts.

I've seen many vehical manuals that recommend 5000-7000 mile oil changes. However, the reason people know about the 3000 mile rule is because the MECHANICS that fix cars all across the country use that as the rule of thumb. Why? precicely because oil degradation and the resulting friction damage to engines without frequent oil changes is the most common cause of car problems for any make, model or year.

I don't care what the manual says. When I get my new E, the moment I get over 3000 mi. it's going to the nearest Jiffy lube, or I'll change it myself. Heck, my old Subaru told us to change oil every 7000 mi. and what a joke that was...

I've never heard of "Break-in oil" and tend to doubt the voracity of such a beast. Oil is meant to lubricate, nothing more. I've heard that Z Max is a pretty good additive however, if you want to do something to make sure the engine keeps running, then keep changing the oil early and often, and do the plugs every 10,000 to 12,000, whether they need it or not. Do that and you'll never have to worry about your engine.

doubro,

are you a mechanic?

My dealer is pushing the oil & filter change every 3500. I changed at ~4100. Now have over 7000. Should I get back onto the 5000 schedule?

So I saw that the stock honda filter is 65 mm dia. and honda said that the one that is 80 mm dia. is good to use. The larger oil filter part number is P/N 15400-P0H-305 or H/C 4908182 but what is this in Fram or Wix or any other after mkt. filter????[/img]

We bought an 02 Odyssey last year and it specified 7500 miles before the first oil change. And I did read somewhere that the initial oil is special in some way- perhaps teflon impregnated or something.

I wish we could get the straight scoop from somewhere.

My incliniation was to change it long before 7500, using the old-school logic of very frequent oil changes during the break in- like 500, 1500, 3000, 6000, every 3500 after...but I think Honda knows what they are doing here, and I'll go with their advice.

On our ody, after the first 2 oil changes with 5w20, i am now using Mobile-1 synthetic 0w-20, which is a direct synthetic replacement for 5w-20. I have been running synthetic in all my engines for about a decade now, and none of em' burn any oil after mucho miles. And they start better in the winter.

I have read that you should not break an engine in on syntheic oil- the rings will not seat properly. Ring seating relies on a slight wearing process and the synth prevents that.

If it didn't void the warranty, I'd consider a motor-guard filter (toilet paper insert) on my new hondas. Alas, the dealer would freak out if he saw that...but these are CLEARLY the best way to protect an engine.

Mark Landon - Let me give you a little advice on Hondas - Don't use anything except genuine Honda filters. They are superior to every brand out there. I learned about this thru automobile racing. The Honda engine building specialists will only use factory filters. If you want to see the difference have someone cut a FRAM and a Honda factory filter in half. The difference is amazing. Shop around and you can find factory filters for less than $5.00 which is about the same as aftermarket. Use the best and you'll never regret it.

lon-

If I take my E to the Dealership to have my oil changed will I need to ask for a Honda Filter or will they use one automatically? I saw your above post about how easy it is to change the oil, but I have never been very mechanically advanced (neither is my husband), so I think I will just take my E to the dealership.

The dealers will always factory oil filters. Why don't you get a mechanically inclined friend to show you how its done. It's very easy and rewarding to know that you're taking full responsibility for your E. Any way, have fun with your E. :D

The Element I test drove last night had a sticker in the corner of the window tha stated the first oil change was due at mile 3750...what an odd number.
:shock:

That sticker was put there by the dealer. I had a similar one.

Hmmm. I changed at 5k because I have driven in some extreem conditions. My wife has a Benz and it tells you when you need a change. If you drive it hard it may need a change in under 10k. We drove easy and we were almost at 13k when the change instruction came up. Big difference here is it hold over 8qts. I will change at about 5k but I'm not to worried about it. Every car I have owned I have put over 200k on before I traded it (with one exception). Always changed it at about 5k. Never a single problem.

I just hit 600 (that's right - six hundred) miles and I will be changing my oil this weekend. The reason I do this so soon is to help remove any dirt or metal shavings that accumulated in the block during assembly and initial break-in. Also, the manual says initial engine break-in is 600 miles.

From then on I will be changing my oil every 3000 miles. I've done this with every car I've owned and never had any engine problems. My last two cars were a 2001 Audi TT 225Q and a 2000 Audi TT 185Q. I also own a 1970 Dodge Challenger RT Convertible with a 383Magnum V8 and a 1940 Ford with a 350 Chevy V8.

Bottom line - you can change your oil and filter every day, it will have no negative effect on your engine.

Now lets have that Fram part number for the 85mm oil filter - it's a hassle to go to the dealership for just a filter.

Brado

I have to agree with za9ra22, my honda dealer told me that its recommended at every 10,000 miles. the first oil change will be at 5000 miles due to the break in oil in the engine. If I took my E to any dealer in the country for just an oil change, they should refuse me. I have always been told and have always done the every 3000 miles oil change on every car I have ever owned. Being concerned I asked AGAIN about this.... I was told again the same thing.... engines today built under even more presice requirements, the oil change is not needed as often. I got the extended plan as well as all maintenance for free for the first 45,000 miles! SO I will be doing what they tell me. I also was told if you wanted to change your oil more, then go ahead and waste your money...for me, I will be in when I am due,,,, 5K 10K etc....always with the filter being replaced!.. I was also told that the 5w20 weight oil if very light and more durable than years past...it also improves gas mileage,,, thats why all of these big SUV's on the road all have it.... they need the gas mileage..... feel free to share some thoughts......
BATMAN

5k at the Honda dealer for free oil change! No problems at all.

This is a great topic with a LOT of interest. I would have to agree with recommendations for using only Honda filters. But the interval is a hard thing to pin down. In my business I have had the joy of changing oil in some fairly large marine diesel engines (15 GALLONS in a pair of Caterpillar 3196 for instance...) and I've always thought Caterpillar had the right idea - oil change interval should be based on the amount of fuel burned through the engine. Of course, boats don't have odometers so most intervals are based on engine hours. But this is a pretty loose guide as hours of slow speed idle are valued the same as hours of 85 to 90% load running.

Auto odometer based intervals are similar, valuing all miles the same regardless of conditions, cargo, speed, etc. The owner is left to make the overall determination if his or her driving is "harsh condition" or "normal".

Caterpillar's newer electronically controlled engines track fuel consumption in the engine computer. I suspect our car's computer is tracking that info as well and I wonder if it would be better if somehow we could base the oil change interval on fuel consumption, ie. every 250 gallons?

Perhaps this is how Merecedes (and others) are determining and then notifying the driver that it's time to change the oil(?)

K

P.S. For those interested in the comparison - a boat with a pair of 660HP CAT 3196 engines requires 15 gallons of oil, oil filters, primary fuel filters, secondary fuel filters, and approx. 10 pencil zincs for a standard service interval/fluid and filter change. Labor and materials will cost about $1,000. Here in a year-round boating climate plan on needing this at least twice a year. Oh yeah - you gotta pay to play this game!

I'm not so sure about now, but a few years ago BMW was reccomending oil changes at 10,000 miles for their European cars, and 3000 for their American cars. This was supposedly based on consumer preferences and the price of oil, which is much higher in Europe. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Honda was on the 10k schedule. My understanding is that the 3k rule of thumb is from decades back when oil degraded much faster and cars were built poorly. Me, I'm willing to move into the 00's and go for the 10k oil changes. I'll let you know in a few years how my engine is holding up.

Okay, I just went to my New Car Owner Clinic at Gunn Honda in San Antonio, Texas. The break-in fluid is synthetic and very important for the first 5000 miles. The regular oil change should be at 10,000 unless you meet any of the severe conditioned noted in the owners manual. Here in HOT, HOT South Texas we meet that classification and should get oil changes at 1/2 the handbook recommendation or at 5000 miles. That's what I plan to do. It also states that if you drive a short distance to work and back, that qualifies as severe conditions as well. I do both hot & short. I checked my oil level at 1600 miles and thought I should put more in but forgot to let it sit for a hour or so to cool down. Now my husband checked it while the engine was cool and the oil level is fine.

Every Honda dealership should have the New Car Clinics. I learned a lot!

Happy driving!

my dealer recommended my first oil change at 5000 and even made the appointment for me when I picked it up. My dealer gave me the first 4 oil changes free - so I guess I am good to go for till 35,000. What a deal. I was just at a new car clinic at my dealership last night and the were really pushing for maintence at the dealership because of some little part that Jiffy Lube isn't going to have - but I can't remember the name of it.

Up here the manual says 7,500km (4500m) and dealer/manual/dipstick says 5w20. Dealer said oil was synthetic, that's why the longer oil changes. First oil change was free so I didn't pay attention. Just got second oil change and was charged $2.95cdn (2.00US) for quart of oil. I've never seen synthetic that cheap. Gonna call and find out what they're putting in it. I will switch, had an '93 Civic with big miles, all synthetic and no leaks, no burning, no nothing.

I've got a 5yr old Chev truck and Honda ATV that get used pretty tough, I run Castrol Syntec (after mineral oil break in) and no problems

ThirstE

I'm at 2800 now. My Service Manager told me he'd run me off if I showed up for an oil change prior to 6000. The sticker on my vehicle from when I drove it off the lot says 7500. I figure I'll get the oil changed somewhere between 6K and 7.5K..........which falls somewhere between the normal and severe maintenance schedules. Either schedule is not wrong. One simply costs more than the other, but does provide extra eyes at more frequent intervals.

I never heard of break in oil before.... I know that you cannot use synthetic oil to break in a motor but I never heard of break in oil........... But then what do i Know.. i was going to change the oil when i hit 1000... now Im reconsidering.... Shoud I?

Yes you should be reconsidering. The break-in oil contains additives that help bed the moving parts in properly and is deisgned to be left in there for the first full service interval. Taking it out earlier will risk increasing the wear rate in the engine and causing premature failures.

Well I broke my own policy. I changed my oil at 2800 miles. Really wanted to get that little filter off and change to synthetic with all the hot stop and go driving ahead (already begun).

You might be interested in some of the comments and pictures here (http://www.hondaelement.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=511&perpage=10&pagenumber=4).

I'm going to do what the Owner's Manual suggests. Change it every 5000 miles (severe service) except that I WILL change the filter each time. BTW, my Acura TSX requires 5W-30. Interesting.

What do you do if your dealer uses oil other than that recommended by Honda, and/or recommends service intervals not recommended by Honda? My vehicle is leased, so I intend to have my dealer perform all service so that everything is documented.

I just got my free oil change today at 2000 miles.. It was free at the dealership. I know the manual says this and that but Its never bad to change your oil... At my next oil change at 5000 miles im going to switch over to Synthetic Mobil ONE...........

my dealership gave me a schedule that mentions to change the oil at every 3750 miles. The schedule mentions that because of the climatic range and driving conditions in the North East that this is reccomended.

Wow! Thanks for that info, I went on "My Element" link myself, Low and behold 5w 30 year round. I guess I will be bringing this to my dealer's attention next week when I go for my oil change.

[quote:9a63d786f3="ShaneS"]5W 20 IS WHAT HONDA RECOMENDS YEAR ROUND, I WAS GOING TO CHANGE MINE AT AROUND 1000 MILES INCASE OF MANUFACTURING DEBREE UNTIL SOMEONE MENTIONED AN ADDITIVE THAT HELPS WITH THE BREAKIN PERIOD. MY QUESTION IS CAN USING SOMETHING LIKE 5W 30 IN THE SUMMER DO ANY HARM, I WAS THINKING THAT THE 5W 20 MAY BREAK DOWN MEANING LOOSING VISCOSITY.[/quote:9a63d786f3]

I just registered on the Honda Owner's site, and when I went to their "My Element" page, the first thing I see is:

[quote]DID YOU KNOW...
Honda recommends using a 5W30 motor oil year-round. Heavy oils make an engine harder to start, which can strain the electrical system. Lighter oils flow easier once the cold engine starts, bringing vital lubrication to moving parts. [/quote:9a63d786f3]

Just got the oil changed today at 3242 miles. Had the dealer do it and put in Castrol Syntec 5w-30. I'll get the oil changed every 7500 miles and that should be fine. Had them put the tire pressue to 38 lbs as suggested on another thread. Better ride immediately. :D

oil change:

5W-20 Redline synthectic. Face it, oil is cheap compaired to a new engine.

In addition many new vehicles arrive from their perspective factories with synthectic oil, ie: Porche and Corvette to name a couple. Now Harley-Davidson makes a synthetic, SYN3, that can be used for break in without harm!

My dealer told me to change the oil about every 7500 miles. Where in the owner's manual does it state 10,000 miles? I looked through it and must have missed where it states the mileage for an oil change. :roll:

I am suspicious about break in oil. Anybody got a part number for it?

I saw on another thread a picture of the drain plug. I assume it is not magnetic. Anybody know where you can get a magnetic plug for the element? The best thing I have ever done for engine longevity is install a magnetic drain plug and clean it every time you change your oil. You'll be amazed how much junk is stuck to it every time. Oh, and I agree with the post above that the oem filters are better than the aftermarket. I've cut open them all and the only aftermarket ones worth a damn were the WIX brand.

my wife's E has close to 3k ...I will take it to the dealer when it reaches 5k...and after that i will change it myself...right now for those of you who love Wallmart ( I know who you r.... :wink: )...they're running a sale on Mobil 1, a 5qt. container for $15 american....and most likely I'll pick up a filter or 2 at the dealer when I get my 1st oil change done.....

Someone from another board...(the one I get info for my RSX-S)
...recommends not to switch to synthetic until you have 10 to 15k....reasons...for one the seals need to sit properly...also note that once you go synthetic.....you can't go back to conventional oil..... trust me that one...

NOT true... this is a nasty rumor.

[quote:3f086a725e="HEK"]once you go synthetic.....you can't go back to conventional oil..... trust me that one...[/quote:3f086a725e]

I agree einstein, just an old rumor, along with the one that you will spring leaks on high mileage vehicles if you switch to synthetic. IIRC when synthetics first came out they did not have seal sweling additives which they do have now, switched my 93 Landcruiser over at 178k miles, no leaks.

[quote:46b0fa607c="Einstein"]NOT true... this is a nasty rumor.

[quote:46b0fa607c="HEK"]once you go synthetic.....you can't go back to conventional oil..... trust me that one...[/quote:46b0fa607c][/quote:46b0fa607c]

......well, let me put it this way...I won't...and let me know what happens when you or someone that does read this does.... :wink: ....

10,000 miles equals 16,000 KM, or twice the distance recommended in Canada for oil changes.

I suggest taking it in long before 10,000 miles, say 4,000-5,000 mile

Be careful taking Miles to KM. Someone earlier said that 10,000 is 8,000 KM. Not so. 1 mile - 1.64 KM and 1KM = 0.61 miles.

d

- reply to the two earlier messages (excerpts below)


Joined: 25 Mar 2003
Posts: 787
Location: St. Louis
Oil Change....anyone???? Reply with quote

Okay my E has over 3,000 miles and normally I would be getting my oil changed, but I know the owner's manual states every 10,000, but I am not sure if I am comfortable with that.....so here is my question....


'03 4WD EX Eternal Blue Pearl Element
Roof Rack, Side Steps, 10 Disc CD Changer, Steelhorse Console, Mud Flaps, Viper Remote Keyless Entry and Alarm, Honda Cargo Organizer, tri-colored bungee seat backs.

Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 138
Location: Hamilton Ontario
Reply with quote

I had the same question. Honda states that oil changes be made every 10,000 mile / 8,000 KM. Like the service department said, this isn't Saturn...LOL.

For the first oil change I'll be taking mine to the dealer just in case there are other things needed to be done. My Honda Dealer, Sterling Honda in Hamilton have a Quick Lube service available.

My Element has just over 700 miles on it. We took it in last weekend to have the central locking/alarm installed at the dealership and I asked about the oil change.
The Service rep. told me to BRING IT IN AT 3,000 MILES FOR AN OIL CHANGE.
The Service rep. did not seem comfortable with the 10,000 mile thing.
Spoke to a co-worker who just bought a CRV...same thing in his owner's manual....change the oil every 10,000 miles. He is not comfortable either. I prefer to have the dealer do my oil changes. You could eat off of the floor in his service bays. I love this car....and I'm not taking it to jiffy lube!

Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but the chart in my manual says the first change is at 10,000 miles. I was also told the same number at my dealer when I bought, but now I've got a card from the same dealer saying I'm due for service. I'm only at 4600 or so, so I asked them when I called if they were aware of the 10,000 mi. number... the service department there acted as if it was totally news to them. Odd.

I got a card aldo in the mail and when I bought my E i recieved a maintanance schedual that is fot the north east and it reccomends serviceing at 3750 miles and that includes oil changes, also it reccomends changing the auto trans fluid every 15000 miles which is frequent but I figure I will do that because a transmission is expensive as hell and the more the fluid gets changed the merrier.

[quote:5cd0ec408d="Drew"]Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but the chart in my manual says the first change is at 10,000 miles. I was also told the same number at my dealer when I bought, but now I've got a card from the same dealer saying I'm due for service. I'm only at 4600 or so, so I asked them when I called if they were aware of the 10,000 mi. number... the service department there acted as if it was totally news to them. Odd.[/quote:5cd0ec408d]

I got a card also in the mail and when I bought my E i recieved a mantainance schedual that is for the north east and it reccomends serviceing at 3750 miles and that includes oil changes, also it reccomends changing the auto trans fluid every 15,000 miles which is frequent but I figure I will do that because a transmission is expensive as hell and the more the fluid gets changed the merrier.

[quote:fcf3ff2d44="Drew"]Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but the chart in my manual says the first change is at 10,000 miles. I was also told the same number at my dealer when I bought, but now I've got a card from the same dealer saying I'm due for service. I'm only at 4600 or so, so I asked them when I called if they were aware of the 10,000 mi. number... the service department there acted as if it was totally news to them. Odd.[/quote:fcf3ff2d44]

Okay I took my E to get it's first oil change last week. I had 5K on the my E....if it wasn't summer in St. Louis I probably would have waited for the 10K mark, but due to the "extreme" driving conditions....high temps, all city driving, air on constantly, etc.


The service dept. at my dealer was also "not aware" of the 10K rules, even though it was one of the highlights that my salesman pointed out....and even when they had done the oil change they still put that stupid lil' sticker in my window that said I should bring it back at 8K! ARG!!!

I also had a problem with the service department....they gave me a really hard time about using the larger filter. They finally agreed, but after all the hassle they gave me I went and had a chat with the General Manger of the dealership...we had a great chat the night we bought the E, and she was very apologentic about the service department and she gave me a coupon for a free oil change. My husband had to take the E back in this Monday for them to check the fuel line and they were as nice as could be...humm go figure!

But the oil change went well, and I was surprised at how resonably priced it was at the dealership.

Funny how all the salesman know the oil change interval is 10k miles and use that fact to promote the low ownership costs, but the service dept. "doesn't know" about it. They are each looking to make the dealership rich in their own way. READ YOUR OWNERS MANUAL PEOPLE, it tells you exactly what the Honda engineers who have developed your car require to keep it maintained. It isn't the 60's, 70's, or 80's anymore you don't need an oil change every 3k. I will trust the engineers as I did on my last Honda, 92 Accord wagon, 7500 mile oil changes as factory recommended never had any problems, w/160k. Remember every oil change shop, service dept wants to get you in more frequently and make more money, Corporate Honda gives you reasonable maintenance requirements which will keep their engines running for a long time and keep their reputation at the top of the reliability surveys. My owners manual says first and subsequent oil /filter changes at 10k, 5k for severe conditions. If you've got free oil changes, use 'em up but if you stick w/ manufacturers recommendations you should be okay.

I have been driving Honda's for about the last 10 years and total my family has have 13. I hope that next week I get my new "E". I the reason I bring this up is I like to be a "Do It Yourself" but when it comes to my car 98% of the time it goes to the dealer. I know that in the past Honda has informed me to change the oil every 3K, but with the changes to the eng. ex different seals and attitives to the oil, that I don't think you can find at your locat oil change store, Honda now lets you go 7500. But keep in mind that if you change it at 3K it can't heart.

:lol:

My dealer gave me a card that tells me to do service intervals at every 3750 mi because of the climatatic changes in the NE so I will go with that. this is ok with me because I always changed my oil every 3-5k for piece of mind anyway.

Shane, that's BS from your dealer, it has more to do with them wanting your money than "climate". My dealer recommended 3750 as well. Look in your owners manual it covers "climate" conditions under the severe service schedule, which still gets you 5k oil changes. We got free oil changes to 50k miles and they will change every 3750, so we will take advantage of that while it is free, but when that runs out I'll change w/synthetic every 7500-10000. If you have the time and money go for short interval oil changes, but you probably won't see any difference.

Do all you guys go to your dealers to have the oil changed?? I can't seem to coordinate a time with mine to get my E in. First time around it wasn't a problem but now its in 5 weeks and I can't commit to that kind of lead time and I"m also gearing up for a road trip in a week so I wan't to get a change before I go. I'm going to have to go to the local jiffy lube. They've done our Volvo for years so service wise they're great. Any thoughts. G1

I just finished my first oil change. Did it myself at 6K instead of the 10K recommended in owners manual.
Problem is this: Owners manual indicates 4.4 Qts US is the engine oil capacity including the filter.
I bought a 5 Qt container of Castrol 5W-20 and poured it until until I had approx 1/2 Qt left in the container, thinking this was the correct amount to fill the crankcase. After letting the oil settle in and running the engine to check for leaks, I found that the oil level on the dip stick was below the "Add" mark (lower button on dipstick). I re-parked it on a level spot, and checked it again..... same thing! I went ahead and put the remaining 1/2 qt into the engine, and it brought it up just beyond the add mark.

Anyone else have this issue... I want to make sure that I run enough oil in the crankcase, but what the manual says and what is fact, are two different things !! Comments !!

I just changed the oil in my Element and found the same thing. I put in 4.4 US Qts and it still shows a quart low. I checked the owners manual. On page 306 it says: Oil with filter 4.4, Oil without filter change 4.2. Total 5.6. What's up with that? What is the difference in oil with filter at 4.4 and Total as 5.6?????

Obviously it must be the 5.6, so I called my dealer to check. They said they put 4.5 in. Does that mean that every E that goes out of their dealership is a quart low???

Also, my husband is a oil filter nut. He cuts them apart, checks them out, etc. He cut apart a new Honda oil filter and compared it to the FRAM filter. It is the same as the cheapest FRAM from Wal-Mart. We are both a little disappointed that Honda wouldn't use a better filter..

[quote:7cc81f8563="Element-ary"] What's up with that? What is the difference in oil with filter at 4.4 and Total as 5.6?????[/quote:7cc81f8563]

I haven't changed my oil yet, so don't know what it takes to fill it in real life. The specs are for oil change with filter removal, what you did, and "total", which would include all the oil currently sitting in the oil galleys, coating pistons, cylinders, valve train, sides of the oil pan, oil pump, etc., etc. In other words "total" includes all the residual oil that you could never remove unless you disassemble the engine.

I used the larger 80mm filter, and it took a total of 5.2 quarts to fill up to the top hole on the dipstick at an oil change including filter. Front of the car was up on 8" ramps, oil was measured on level ground.

(This was the drain I installed the fumoto drain valve, so the drain valve wasn't installed, incase you think I didn't get a full drain.)

I haven't changed my oil yet, so don't know what it takes to fill it in real life. The specs are for oil change with filter removal, what you did, and "total", which would include all the oil currently sitting in the oil galleys, coating pistons, cylinders, valve train, sides of the oil pan, oil pump, etc., etc. In other words "total" includes all the residual oil that you could never remove unless you disassemble the engine.

Wow. That means that 1.2 qts is left in the engine each oil change. That really seems like a lot. It seems that the engine life would be reduced due to failure to keep clean oil in the crankcase. I know you don't get all the oil and residue out each time, but 1.2 qts seems excessive.

It took 5.25 qts. to get the oil to the full mark. We also used ramps, then put in the 4.4 qts, put it on a level surface, then topped it off.

Thought I'd throw my 2cents in for good measure...

if you drive basic city, then first oil change should be at 10,000

if you drive heavy traffic situations (as I do), then every 5,000


use only the 5-20 oil

that's all from me!



tony j.