I read the previous 2007 discussion about changing oil on a Honda Fit, using the “oil life remaining” indicator on the dash. Honda recommends not changing oil until the oil life reaches 20%. I have a new 2009 Accord V6. Normally, as soon as I get home with a new car, I change the oil to Mobil 1 and install another new Honda filter. This time I did not because I learned this new car comes with Honda’s break-in oil containing special additives. The instructions specifically state: Don’t change until the oil life is 20%. I have had this car for nine months. It has only 3500 miles. The oil life is at 60%. At this rate the remaining 40% of its life won’t arrive for nine more months - at 7000 miles. Also, the car has consumed an entire quart of break-in oil in its first 3500 miles (which I replaced with Mobil 1 -mixing the two together. I hope that wasn’t a mistake)? Questions: Do I leave the break-in oil in the car for 7000 miles or 18 months, when the oil life may reach 20%? This seems wrong. 18 months (or even 9 months)seems too long. Shouldn’t the oil and filter be changed anyway at some earlier time, like now? And what do you think about, or what have you heard about oil consumption during break-in? Isn’t a quart in the first 3500 miles excessive and something to tell the dealer? Other than this, the car is absolutely wonderful. I do all of my own maintenance and would never take the car to a dealer unless I have to (something breaks under warranty).
At 3500 miles and nine months, the car is well broken in. I would not hesitate to drain the oil and chnage it now. With your leisurely driving pattern, I would change oil at the 50% point, that would mean 2 oil changes per year, a good compromise.
Honda also states in the owners manual to change the oil at the one year mark if the oil life doesn’t reach 20%, so i’d wait until it’s been a full year, then change it.
Where did you learn that “this car comes with Honda’s break-in oil?”
Maybe it’s true, but, sorry, until I read it in the owner’s manual I don’t believe it.
You didn’t say your information came from the owner’s manual.
If I had a new car that consumed a quart of oil in the first 3,500 miles I’d tell the dealer. This shouldn’t be. I have a Honda that’s 13 years old and it still doesn’t use any oil between changes (every 5,000 miles, conventional 5w-30 oil).
You can spend your money on synthetic oil if you want, but I still haven’t been convinced it makes any difference in a normal passenger car.
If your Accord really did consume a quart of oil in 3,500 miles, I suggest you take it to the dealer. I don’t like dealers any more than you do, but you need to start a documentation process on this car.
While it doesn’t specifically say in the owners manual that there’s a special break-in oil, it does specifically say not to change the factory fill out early. In addition, it has been shown through used oil analysis that the factory fill from Honda is a special formulation that is vastly different than the bottled oil they sell at the dealership as “Genuine Honda motor oil”. Frankly, I believe they must have a reason for specifically saying “NOT” to change the oil early, it’s not like they’re just saying you don’t have to, they’re telling you not to.
or they’re trying to make their cars look more maintenance free
But why would they only require that the break-in oil not be changed early? And wouldn’t they just list a longer oil-change interval, rather than telling the customer specifically not to change it early?
Here is another post regarding oil changes…people spend $25,000 to $30,000 on a new vehicle and then worry about spending an extra $25/year for an oil change…Routine oil changes at 5000 miles doesn’t cost that much over the life of a car…forget the computer and use mileage.
You can decide because you own it. 3500 miles is not too early to change oil. I don’t consider it to be doing unnecessary work, especially after nine months. I would trust your judgement more than I trust the 80% oil monitor, especially with the lost quart of oil.
You should forget these oil life remaining indicators and change your oil based on how the mileage is put on the car and the environmental conditions.
If you do a lot of short hop driving then change it at 3-3500 miles. If you do a lot of highway driving then you can bump it up to 5k, etc.
Dusty and/or humid conditions mean changing the oil more often.
My opinion is that the oil should be changed now and I also have a question. Did you buy this car brand new (as in 4 or 5 miles on it) or was it purchased as a dealer demonstrator (100 miles, etc.)?
In all reality, this car should not have used a quart of oil in 3500 miles.
I have driven Honda automobiles for 25 years and have heard the story about break-in oil . . . . honestly I don’t believe it but can’t prove otherwise. I don’t believe in “miracle oils” (I acknowledge that some additives are used for some reasons) and therefore believe that on a brand new car an oil change at the first 3000 would be ok. I have done that and continue to do it (just bought a 2010 Civic, changed oil and filter at 3000). Did you check the oil level when you took delivery on the '09? A full quart of use seems like a lot for the initial 3500 miles. I would document this oil use with the dealer from the get-go. Did Honda move the location of the filter on the Accord? They chnaged the location to an easier place on our new '10 Civic, now it’s a breeze, an oil & filter change will now much easier (filter used to be under the intake on the backside of the block and was hard to reach). Good luck with the '09 Accord! My '89 Accord has 513,000 miles on it. Rocketman
The issue I have with this one is the oil consumption. If this car is blowing through a quart in the first 3500 miles what’s it going to be doing at the 50k miles mark, or the 100k miles mark?
The only car I’ve owned that went through oil that fast was my old Mercury Sable and it only did that when the mileage got up over 300k+.
OK… Shouldn’t a newer engine (before it gets to 10k miles) be allowed to consume some oil, while in the breakin process? Or are the new engines so much better build nowadays, that 1q at 3500 is not good?