Question on oil change interval. The last time I had the oil changed on my 2007 Honda CR-v the oil indicator was only down to 20% and there were over 8K miles on the oil. Is this really OK to let the oil go this many miles? The oil is 5W20 Pennzoil. It may be a blend but I’m not sure.
You are not violating the warranty, but using this thin oil for 8000 miles is dicey, especially in a hot environment.
If I was in your shoes I would use 0W30 full synthetic and change it every 5000 miles to make the engine last as long as the body, i.e. 20 years or so.
Forget what the computer said, what did the oil look like?? A few years ago, they said change your oil every 5000 miles…Now, all of a sudden people are going 8-10K miles because a computer program said it was Ok…I don’t see what has changed to allow the change interval to double. Engines got sludged up when people changed at 5000 miles. All of a sudden, they feel 10,000 miles is OK?? But hey, it’s your car…
If you plan on keeping this vehicle 150k miles(longer than majority of new car buyers) it will be fine to use oil monitor and whatever it states. The only important thing is check oil level peridically.
If you plan on longer life of vehicle you may want 5k oil change intervals, I would not bother with synthetic unless it makes you feel better.
Where do you live that you can get 20 years out of a body? In western NY we are doing good to get 10 years without gaping holes and weakened body structure. Still, that’s better than the 5 years we used to get in the 50s. I guess that’s why I think that some of the maintenance recommendations on this site are overkill , I have never kept a car over 130,000 miles because rust makes it impossible unless I would drive more than 12,000 miles a year.
How did the old oil look on the dipstick at 8K+?
You are looking at the dipstick from time to time, right? I recommend once a month or 1K miles.
Every car owner should be doing this.
When you can’t read the markings on the dipstick through the oil, it’s time to change the oil…
Good question, oldtimer. Because of the geographic variations some of us worry about very long term problems with cars. I live just East of the Rocky Mountains in a very dry area, and according to corrosion charts, where you live (Great Lakes Rust Belt) it’s 26 times more corrosive than here.
A fellow down the street has a 1956 Chevy with no rust whatsoever, but he does not drive it a lot. Another guy in town has a 1983 Celica with over a million miles on it. The white paint has some rust specs on it, however. My wife’s 1994 Nissan Sentra has some rust around the rocker panels.
Other cars owned and age at which disposed of:
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1977 Dodge Colt; 20 years
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1984 Impala; 20 years
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1988 Caprice; 19 years
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1976 Ford Granada; 13 years
None of the above cars were totally rusted out, but the Colt and Granada (which originated in the East) had floor panels rusted.