How often should I change the oil in my new car?

[Nigel Mansell]

The car finally went down to 15% at around 9600 kms. I need to get the oil changed. Problem is, the car is 900 kms from Calgary. Advice? Can I just run it right down to 5% before getting it changed? Should I change it now, even though it is a pain in the butt finding a mechanic in Fort McMurray?

[revelations]

If it were my car, and it was a straight drive to a dealer in Calgary, I would just add a little oil to it and just drive the 900kms if its that hard to get done where youre at.

[410440]

wait what...... 900kms and calgary is your closest honda dealer?

Do you live straight above us in space?

[xviper]

Originally posted by Nigel Mansell
The car finally went down to 15% at around 9600 kms. I need to get the oil changed. Problem is, the car is 900 kms from Calgary. Advice? Can I just run it right down to 5% before getting it changed? Should I change it now, even though it is a pain in the butt finding a mechanic in Fort McMurray?

You can run it down to 0%. That's what it means. Nothing says you have to have it changed before that. The minder comes on so you know you have to plan for it. It doesn't mean you have to do something as soon as it comes on. It won't magically explode just because you run it even past 0%.
Just make sure it's topped up if it's using oil.
Wouldn't Edmonton be closer? Why do you have to come to Calgary. An oil change isn't rocket science. An oil town like Ft. Mac should be full of auto service shops. Have the right filter and oil and almost anyone can do it.

[Nigel Mansell]

It is tough for me to make it even to Fort Mac, as I live and work an hour north of there. It is not like a regular job where you can go and get your oil changed on weekends or one day after work. I'd rather not go into the town itself at all, I'd rather just drive home to Calgary.

I don't want to stop in Edmonton as the last thing I want on a nine hour trip home is a one or two hour stop for an oil change.

[Nigel Mansell]

Originally posted by xviper

You can run it down to 0%. That's what it means. Nothing says you have to have it changed before that. The minder comes on so you know you have to plan for it. It doesn't mean you have to do something as soon as it comes on. It won't magically explode just because you run it even past 0%.
Just make sure it's topped up if it's using oil.
Wouldn't Edmonton be closer? Why do you have to come to Calgary. An oil change isn't rocket science. An oil town like Ft. Mac should be full of auto service shops. Have the right filter and oil and almost anyone can do it.

Thanks. This is what I was looking for. I will drive home and get it changed on my days off this weekend.

[Stealth13]

make sure you fill up the vtec with this
http://asia.vtec.net/topics/oil1.html

If it's a vtec, didnt specify in o.p

[Kamen]

Most cars are so sophisticated these days, you can just change it whenever the onboard computer tells you to; that will cover your regular driving just fine imo.

[xviper]

Originally posted by Stealth13
make sure you fill up the vtec with this
http://asia.vtec.net/topics/oil1.html

If it's a vtec, didnt specify in o.p

What??!!!
I hope you're joking because if you are serious, please don't fill this thread with drivel like this. It only serves to confuse people who might actually think you know something.
1. Anyone who has the slightest clue about a Honda S2000 knows that the AP1 and AP2 engines have VTEC technology. He didn't have to state it. Besides, having VTEC doesn't make it mandatory to have to use a Honda oil or that it has to be synthetic or not.
2. It really doesn't matter whether you put in a full synthetic, synthetic blend or non synthetic oil, so long as it meets API service grade "SJ" and so long as it satisfies the SAE requirements. You DO NOT put in a 15W40 weight of oil into an S2000 (as seen in your link). And you don't have to put in a "mineral" 10W30 either. A 5W40 will also work, synthetic or not.
3. Nothing says you have to use a Honda oil. In N. America, Honda oils are simply rebadged oils from whatever oil company Honda makes a deal with at the time. For many years, Honda oil was a rebadged Mobil Drive Clean. It could be almost anything today.

Originally posted by Kamen
Most cars are so sophisticated these days, you can just change it whenever the onboard computer tells you to; that will cover your regular driving just fine imo.

Yes, it will. The "Oil Minder" on a late model S2000 is smart enough, it will know if you are driving it "regularly" or even "atypically". Following this will also keep your warranty intact. It is still up to the owner to see to it that the level is always kept at the correct place and that the proper oil be used (API and SAE).

[88jbody]

I do mine every 4000-5000 kms with non-synthetic, but doing an oil change early will never hurt your car, doing it late though it is possible to be too late.

when I ran synthetic in one of my other cars I was changing it about every 7000 kms

but also remember there is a time it is due as well as kms

so I never go over 6 months but usually 3 or 4 months

[xviper]

Originally posted by 88jbody
I do mine every 4000-5000 kms with non-synthetic, but doing an oil change early will never hurt your car, doing it late though it is possible to be too late.

when I ran synthetic in one of my other cars I was changing it about every 7000 kms

but also remember there is a time it is due as well as kms

so I never go over 6 months but usually 3 or 4 months

Just as a point of reference, it has been documented in several cases that an S2000 running non-synthetic oil has gone 7500 miles (that's 12,000 km). The subsequent oil analysis has indicated that there was still oil life left and there was no abnormal wear. This is merely to point out that modern day oils have come a long way.
Having said that, I also change my oil about twice a year. I only put on about 10K per year and I use full synthetic. I could go once a year but I like to run a thinner oil during the cold months just to make for easier cranking on my daily driven S2000.

[nonlinear]

i was raised in a family of mechanics (i'm 3rd generation), and prior to trip computers, was always taught to change oil at 3000 miles (or 5K km). however, in my current cars that have trip computers, the computer suggests that i should change my oil far less often than the old rule-of-thumb that my dad and grandpa taught me. i'm not sure if that's from improved engine design, improved capability to sense oil wear (i.e. nice tri[p computer), or something else like 'planned obsolesce' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence). at any rate, oil changes are relatively cheap, and it never hurts to do a fresh GOF, even if the oil can still endure some clicks. if you don't have a good trip computer, or if you don't trust those corporate motherfuckers, i would stick with the 5k km rule-of-thumb. you might be able to go longer, depending on the age of your engine, etc., but it definitely doesn't hurt to change the oil and filter often.

[xviper]

Originally posted by nonlinear
i was raised in a family of mechanics (i'm 3rd generation), and prior to trip computers, was always taught to change oil at 3000 miles (or 5K km). however, in my current cars that have trip computers, the computer suggests that i should change my oil far less often than the old rule-of-thumb that my dad and grandpa taught me. i'm not sure if that's from improved engine design, improved capability to sense oil wear (i.e. nice tri[p computer), or something else like 'planned obsolesce' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence). at any rate, oil changes are relatively cheap, and it never hurts to do a fresh GOF, even if the oil can still endure some clicks. if you don't have a good trip computer, or if you don't trust those corporate motherfuckers, i would stick with the 5k km rule-of-thumb. you might be able to go longer, depending on the age of your engine, etc., but it definitely doesn't hurt to change the oil and filter often.

Or does it????
I'm not saying I'm an advocate of the following, just presenting another opinion.
BTW, this other opinion comes from a well known and respected tribologist (oil expert).

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php...post&p=4205938

Actually, you can over change it, and that is not restricted to synoils - it is a little known issue hwoever, and worth looking at with a scientist's eye (not a Jiffy Lube or Uncle Ed's anecdotes).

The additives in an quart of oil are suspended in a carrier oil, which consists of light faction oils, usually paraffins. These carrier oils are very volatile, so they are inclined to burn or boil off early in the oil's lifecycle. Some of the chemistry in the add pack, like phosphorous, will therefore, get into the oil, and can harm the catalytic converter over time. This is why the API-SL spec reduced the amounts of ZDP allowed - to benefit the mfr's who have to cover the cat for at least 70k, and longer in California. So they made the companies reduce the most effective anti-wear compounds known to lubrication science to benefit:
1) you? Nope. 2) Themselves? Right!!!!!

Get it?

Some mfr's chose not to reduce the protection of their oils - LE is one of them - 8130 is SH-rated. But since it can easily go 7500 miles between changes, by your oil change interval, that would be over twice as much SL-oil, and the likelihood is high that you would be actually dumping more of the cat-harming material into the cat than the LE oil. Now, it may be that the SL oils have adequate additive chemistry to protect for 100k, 150k, or more. But I think there simply is not enough experience yet to know for sure - certainly, race oils have not dropped the ZDP levels one part per million!

I agree that if you insist in changing every 3K, use a good minoil like Motorcraft's. But you really are wasting you money, and the world's resources.

Honda has gone away from any pre-set OCI in the TL, Ford has settled on 5K even for severe service, and GM is going to have oil life programs in all its cars soon. The 3K oil change is a relic, and it seems to be hard for some people to shake, but based on your background, you should be able to understand the science of it, and get over it.

I do 3K oil changes - am I a hypocrite? No, that represents 1 year of driving for me, and the acidification that might occur from the US' high sulfur fuel puts my engine at risk, even though LE and Delvac (my choices, see my sig) are highly acid buffered, with hight TBN's.

Engines are vastly different today than they were for those of our previous generations. The same can be said of motor oils. Today's motor oils are technologically more advanced than anything we've ever seen before in our lifetimes.
BTW .................... Oil analysis don't lie.

[Wrinkly]

I am about to change the oil in mine for the very first time at 2,000km (although the dash cheerfully lights up with "Service in 365 days" when I turn on the ignition - LOL). Why? Because I intend to baby this one and take very good care of it. You can NEVER change the oil too frequently (especially in a new engine), you can, however; leave it too long - and the longer you leave it the more wear occurs. The extra expense could well translate into savings in more major repairs down the road.

The manufacturers want us to believe our cars can go 25k km between oil changes and up to or more than a year before a service. IMO this is BS. They WANT them to wear out, and the sooner the better - that way they get us to buy/lease a new one sooner. Also, as someone mentioned already - many are now offering 'free' scheduled maintenance which is an added expense for them. If they did it to a level that is truly optimal for engine health and longevity, they would very soon be out of pocket.

Of course - to most people who change their cars frequently and don't really care that much it's a non issue - it makes sense to just get the scheduled maintenance because it will likely never be a problem for them as they won't own the vehicle long enough - all of that becomes the problem of future owners; but for most enthusiasts who are passionate about their cars it's a different story.

Just my two cents - you don't have to agree with it

[Wrinkly]

Originally posted by xviper
[B]
Or does it????
I'm not saying I'm an advocate of the following, just presenting another opinion.
BTW, this other opinion comes from a well known and respected tribologist (oil expert).

Thanks for posting that - food for thought, for sure!

It inspires me to want to start a 'real life' long term experiment with two or three identical brand new vehicles each following a different schedule. But as I can't afford to do that myself.....

Anyone?

[bonjoey]

just did an oil change in my civic, 22,000kms in 3 weeks. i should kept a few sample for oil analysis. half a million clicks here i come!