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You can't cite any evidence that your very frequent oil changes have prevented an engine rebuild. You say you "know better" but what does that mean? The color of oil on the dipstick isn't dark? That isn't proof of anything other than the oil isn't new.
Your point about city driving is a good one - which is why a long trip is easy on oil and no reason to change it early and often as you apparently do.
I have been driving since 1974, and in our history of owing cars (parents plus my family) we have had one rebuild. It was a poorly maintained car. I'll guess over that time period there are several million miles. But my experience is just an anecdote.
i actually dont change my oil that often, perhaps two or three times a year. but i do have a degree in automotive technology, and i do have experience building race cars, as well as street cars. i also know that oil has changed over the years as far as the additive package that gets put in the oil but that also fails over time and needs replacing. my decisions as to when to change the oil in my cars has developed over a long period of time. by the way i started driving in 1975, so we are not far off age wise.
remember it isnt just mileage that you have to deal with when considering when to change the oil, but time as well. even when i dont put many miles on a car, i will still change the oil twice per year, as i said the additive package in the oil breaks down over time, and its the additive package that helps keep engine clean and well lubricated. remember that part of that additive package is antiwear ingredients, and they break down the fastest, along with the detergents in the oil.
60-70 yrs ago the US car had a sticker on the glove box door telling the NEW owner the breaking in procedure of what speed they were to drive.
Things have changed to where the engines are all pre run and broken in so to speak.
You could drive a NEW car off the showroom floor and go whatever speed your heart chose. I sold NEW 58 Plymouths and that is what I knew then.
Now for the foreign import cars mfg here or brought to our shores another matter.
As a former mechanic/engine builder/business owner I cannot fathom any NEW car being sold now days without an engine having been pre tested and broke in correctly on a engine stand before installation.....saves any headaches after being sold.
As for changing the oil sooner then the book shows..........heck , it's cheaper then cigs or beer.....then again I quit the last two vices decades ago.
i actually dont change my oil that often, perhaps two or three times a year. but i do have a degree in automotive technology, and i do have experience building race cars, as well as street cars. i also know that oil has changed over the years as far as the additive package that gets put in the oil but that also fails over time and needs replacing. my decisions as to when to change the oil in my cars has developed over a long period of time. by the way i started driving in 1975, so we are not far off age wise.
remember it isnt just mileage that you have to deal with when considering when to change the oil, but time as well. even when i dont put many miles on a car, i will still change the oil twice per year, as i said the additive package in the oil breaks down over time, and its the additive package that helps keep engine clean and well lubricated. remember that part of that additive package is antiwear ingredients, and they break down the fastest, along with the detergents in the oil.
I don't disagree necessarily with what you posted - just that almost none of that really matters in real use. If you change the oil at 5000 miles or 6000 miles there will be no material difference in the life of the engine assuming the same operating conditions. You won't be able to measure any additional wear on the camshaft or the piston rings.
Have you had your oil tested? I have - on my Honda Ridgeline. And I am waiting on the results of an analysis on my NSX. My Ridgeline now has 117K miles and I usually change my oil when the Honda maintenance minder says 5% of oil life left. The interval ends up being between 6500-7000 miles. Blackstone labs says my engine shows less wear then usual for vehicles of its age.
I don't disagree necessarily with what you posted - just that almost none of that really matters in real use. If you change the oil at 5000 miles or 6000 miles there will be no material difference in the life of the engine assuming the same operating conditions. You won't be able to measure any additional wear on the camshaft or the piston rings.
Have you had your oil tested? I have - on my Honda Ridgeline. And I am waiting on the results of an analysis on my NSX. My Ridgeline now has 117K miles and I usually change my oil when the Honda maintenance minder says 5% of oil life left. The interval ends up being between 6500-7000 miles. Blackstone labs says my engine shows less wear then usual for vehicles of its age.
and you complain that i spend money needlessly by changing my oil before i go on a trip? how much does it cost to have your oil tested? and compare that to the cost of having the oil changed.
and you are right, if i changed the oil and then checked the wear on the cam i wont see a difference. that is not my intent on changing oil when i do. my intent is to maximize the wear additives before i go on a trip, as well as the rest of the additive package in the oil. will it make a difference in the short run? no, it wont, so what? but it will make a difference in the long run, which is why i do it. if you want to send you oil out for testing, fine you do just that, if i were flying an airplane, i would do the same thing. but since i dont have to worry about slamming into the side of a mountain because an engine failed when i needed the power, having my oil tested doesnt matter.
one other thing to consider, is there is an internal engine issue, when i drain the oil, i will notice that their might be a problem that i can head off right then, rather than buy a short block in resume speed iowa or moose breath montana, and then wait for the local mechanic to get around to installing it for me while i take in the local sights, what are they again?
I own a 2013 Honda Civic as well. Do not change the engine oil until the maintenance minder tells you to do so. This is especially important while you still have the factory oil in. As stated in this thread before, the factory oil is specially formulated to aid the engine break in process, and changing early could cause issues with the longevity and performance over the life of the engine. As far as the trip, you have NOTHING to worry about regarding the oil. You still have a few thousand miles left on that oil. I'd be more concerned about the tire pressure which is very simple to check.
Just stopping by to let you all know that we went on vacation and came back without any issues. The car now has 5200 miles, and the oil life, according to the maintenance minder, is currently only at 50%. All I did was the tire rotation the day after I got back. Other than that, all good!
Hey, everybody. I have a '13 Civic with about 3800 miles on it so far. Nothing but fairly light-footed driving.
We're going on vacation to Ohio (425 miles there, about 100 miles worth of driving around, 425 miles back) in the next couple weeks.
I should have 4000 miles on the day we leave. I'm wondering if I should change the oil before we go. According to Honda, the oil is to be changed every 5000 miles. Even at 3800 miles, the maintenance info in the car says my oil life is at 60%.
Should I play it safe and change it, or should I just wait until I get back? I REALLY don't want to mess my car up. Any advice is appreciated.
I would for sure. Put synthetic in her and don't change it for at least 10,000 miles. 5000 is overkill.
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