which guide to follow: 3K miles, 3 months or oil indicator

[bubbleguy]

I used to follow 3K mile or 3 months rule for oil change. Now with Pilot 2011, there is an oil indicator. I'm just wondering which guide I should follow.

I don't drive a lot, so I typically change oil every 3 months, even though I don't understand why. Once I asked a Honda technician, who explained to me that the engine oil would deposit over time. So even if I don't drive at all, the engine oil still needs to be changed after a certain time period, which is recommended to be 3 months.

Adding one more piece of confusion is the oil indicator,which is typically about 60-80% at 3 month interval for my case. Does anyone know exactly what parameter this oil indicator measure to know it is time to change engine oil?

[roarkrd]

Originally Posted by bubbleguy

I used to follow 3K mile or 3 months rule for oil change. Now with Pilot 2011, there is an oil indicator. I'm just wondering which guide I should follow.

I don't drive a lot, so I typically change oil every 3 months, even though I don't understand why. Once I asked a Honda technician, who explained to me that the engine oil would deposit over time. So even if I don't drive at all, the engine oil still needs to be changed after a certain time period, which is recommended to be 3 months.

Adding one more piece of confusion is the oil indicator,which is typically about 60-80% at 3 month interval for my case. Does anyone know exactly what parameter this oil indicator measure to know it is time to change engine oil?

I'm not completely sure about the 2011, but I know the mileage interval for oil changes on a 2003 are 7500 miles. Also, most people I know follow the MM including myself. If you want to, for the piece of mind, change it every 3000 or 3 months.

[humanoid]

Just follow the MM, the Honda engineers put it there for a reason. But if you're still too stubborn or if it makes you sleep better at night then stay with the 3K/3mo or whatever interval you want. If it were me, I'd stick with what the MM suggests.

[rocky]

follow the MM.

[1YESfan]

I change my regular oil on my 11 every three thousand miles ( yeah, overkill for some but "I" know my driving conditions). When I feel I have broken my engine in I will go to synthetic and go to five. According to some ( mine hasn't seen anything but minimal oil loss, if any) if you go by the m.m. you hold off on the frequent oil changes but add oil as it burns ( according to many here and be sure to check your oil levels because the technology isn't that great and you'll be down one to two quarts). Yeah, oil has improved but the government frowns on what use to be considered regular oil change intervals as well. Nothing more important than the oil. You want your Pilot to last an avg. life, do the minimum on all the recommendations. I did that with my last new car instead of being proactive and guess how long that lasted? Less than any other car or vehicle I've owned.

[N_Jay]

So Rob, what was the short lived car, and what do you normally get?

[1YESfan]

2002 Chevy Malibu bought in 2001 it's why I bought my Pilot. ;-) Not even 100,000 miles, Jay. Other cars 14 to over 20 years. Motorcycles never died unless hit by cars.

[N_Jay]

I think it may have much more to do with the make than the maintenance.

We have had a LOT of people on this forum in the last 10 years, and engine failures are very rare. Oil related issues have been just about unheard of.

Go with the MM, if you are learly, just chage teh poil at 25% life remaining instead of 0-10%

[silvergga]

Just go with the MM. If you are willing to pay for an extra layer of protection, you can go with synthetic (eg Mobil 1 / Pennzoil Platinum), or the higher tier synthetics (eg Mobil 1 Extended Performance / Pennzoil Ultra). That should create enough safety margin.

[94eg!]

Do whatever helps you sleep at night.

That being said, I follow the MM and run synthetic (change oil myself). I sleep well.

[jjgoff2012]

I was always a 3k mile guy on oil changes for years. The 04 Acura I had before my Pilot had the maintenance-minder in it...oil change due was indicated about every 5k miles. I talked to the service guy at my Honda dealership after I bought my 2012 Pilot and he told me Honda uses a break-in oil from the factory that I should run to about 15%. He also alerted me that Honda recommends the 0W20 synthetic oil in the 2012 Pilot, as well as other models, and that I should be able to get at least 6k miles out of...he said I probably don't want to go much over 7k tho. I've run synthetic is some performance vehicles I have, but this will be the first time for a daily driver. I figure even if it cost twice as much to use synthetic, I only have to change it half as much. While some people think at this point changing your oil every 3k miles is just "old school", I look at it as the engines are engineered to use synthetic oils. Synthetic oil lasts 6k miles or better. I'm going to do what the engineers at Honda recommend...they know more about their engines than I do.

[94eg!]

The motors are not engineered for synthetic. They are engineered for regular mineral (dino) oil. The only oil tested in Honda motors is Honda own brand oil. With the exception of the Turbo RDX, Honda oil is NOT sythetic. Whichever oil is recommended in your owners manual is the oil by which your maintenece minder is calibrated. As far as I know Honda 0w20 is not a synthetic. If you use a synthetic, you can be sure it will last the full length the MM suggests.

[mrcheap]

last time i checked honda does not own an oil company. so it's most likely a reputable oil company making "honda" oil for honda.

i've never seen 0w-20 dino oil. walk into any walmart or pep boys and 0w-20 = synthetic
i doubt honda engineered a dino 0w-20 BEFORE a reputable oil company like mobil or castrol.

btw 09-11 pilots is 5w-20 and 12 pilots are 0w-20

[94eg!]

Nowhere does Honda say it's oil is synthetic. If it were, you would think they would put it all over the bottle like their RDX oil to sell better. BITOG has an ongoing debate.



And all versions of the pilot motor were tested okay for use of Honda's magic 0w20 non/semi synthetic.

[94eg!]

A little more research shows that the original 08798-9036 shown above was relabeled a synthetic blend.



Honda now has a new version 08798-9037 that is a full synthetic.