In my 2016 MDX, 198 miles since the oil change, the maintenance minder switched from 100% to 90%. Typically, the car goes about 7,000 miles before it hits 0%, which i have done once or twice, but generally look to switch at about 6,000 miles. This is not the first time I have noticed this non- linearity and wonder if anyone has an explanation. Personally, I am leaning toward the idea that the maintenance minder provides almost no usable, useful information.
Acura maintenance minder meshuggenah
- Thread starter TomYoung
- Start date
6000 miles would be around 15% which be the most popular time to change the oil 
The minder isn't just a mileage counter. It is based off driving conditions and other parameters of the engine. For example, short trips will make it go down quicker than long highway miles.
How long does it take you to drive the 6-7000 miles?
The minder isn't just a mileage counter. It is based off driving conditions and other parameters of the engine. For example, short trips will make it go down quicker than long highway miles.
How long does it take you to drive the 6-7000 miles?
6000 miles would be around 15% which be the most popular time to change the oil
The minder isn't just a mileage counter. It is based off driving conditions and other parameters of the engine. For example, short trips will make it go down quicker than long highway miles.
How long does it take you to drive the 6-7000 miles?
Usually about four to six months.6000 miles would be around 15% which be the most popular time to change the oil
The minder isn't just a mileage counter. It is based off driving conditions and other parameters of the engine. For example, short trips will make it go down quicker than long highway miles.
How long does it take you to drive the 6-7000 miles?
If you start at 100%, the first few miles would have the value drop to 99.9999%, and so on. At some point, it would get to 95%, then 94.99999%. Since the Maintenance Minder goes by 10% increments until the time it gets to 15%, the jump from 100% to 90% is actually a jump from 100% to 94.9999% if it uses "rounding" as I'd expect it to. Besides; it doesn't matter what it's indicating until it gets to levels where it really is time to consider changing it...which would be in the lower % range. I believe you'll see it uses 20%, 15%, 10%, 5% at the lower ranges, which are appropriately more sensitive than at the beginning of the OCI.
This is a bit opposite of what many Fuel gauges do. Fill up the tank, and MANY fuel gauges stay on FULL for perhaps 75 miles. My newest car is much more sensitive and comes off of Full within 30 miles, but it's not really meaningful when the fuel is nearly full. Where it's meaningful is once it gets to about 1/4 full and lower...and gauges I've seen are very responsive at the lower fuel levels.
This is a bit opposite of what many Fuel gauges do. Fill up the tank, and MANY fuel gauges stay on FULL for perhaps 75 miles. My newest car is much more sensitive and comes off of Full within 30 miles, but it's not really meaningful when the fuel is nearly full. Where it's meaningful is once it gets to about 1/4 full and lower...and gauges I've seen are very responsive at the lower fuel levels.
Patman
Staff member
This is why I like the oil life monitor in my Corvette, it changes in 1% increments. My Civic’s monitor moves in 10% increments until it gets to 15% and then it goes down by 5s.
At the same time, don’t get too worried about how it’s tracking down. Just change the oil when it gets to 10% or less and if you’re using a quality oil it will be fine. Manufacturers do a lot of testing with their oil life monitors and they are generally set up on the conservative side. I’ve done used oil analysis on a few of my cars after going below 0 on the OLM and the oil was still in good condition
At the same time, don’t get too worried about how it’s tracking down. Just change the oil when it gets to 10% or less and if you’re using a quality oil it will be fine. Manufacturers do a lot of testing with their oil life monitors and they are generally set up on the conservative side. I’ve done used oil analysis on a few of my cars after going below 0 on the OLM and the oil was still in good condition
So you're driving 15-20k a year, so more likely to have enough long trip highway driving, which is easier on the oil.
Mostly suburban stop and go for this vehicle…
It definitely counts down as you describe from 15 percent on down. The idea that it rounds down past the 95 percent is a good explanation, but I don’t really understand why it would be designed that way…
Absolutely. I change the oil when I see the 20 percent mark or thereabouts. I don’t worry about it as my oil spidy sense goes off at 5,000 miles. I am making the point that the maintenance minder is only sending a vibe, very little real info!
My oil gets changed at 5k, which is basically twice a year. Never paid a lick of mind to the OLM on any vehicle.
At least the Honda/Acura version seems to adjust for different driving conditions that you can see to presume it is actually using inputs. My father-in-laws '16 Jeep Renegade does not show anything to see life. Supposedly it adjusts but just pops on when it says to get it changed. That version with his idling and around town was about 7500 miles. That version on a lot of dealer bulk 0W-20 also earned him a new motor under warranty at 82k.
My daughter-in-laws '21 Tucson and daughters boyfriends '21 Sonata have a set time/mileage, you pick the intervals. I think Tucson was 7500 miles/1 year, I had to reset it to 3k/6 months based on fuel dilution and short trips.
Reading on the Honda forums I'm on, some people reset the MM when they get to 20% or even higher if they do it early. Some mentioned never getting the prompts for other mileage based services doing that. On 3 Honda's I'm doing approximately 5k changes and reset the MM at about 5% unless I get annoyed with the constant push button acknowledgement each time I start the car.
My son's '10 Forte has nothing. Keep track yourself on window sticker/log book. You can't even use trip odometer as it only goes to 999.9 then flips back to 0.
My daughter-in-laws '21 Tucson and daughters boyfriends '21 Sonata have a set time/mileage, you pick the intervals. I think Tucson was 7500 miles/1 year, I had to reset it to 3k/6 months based on fuel dilution and short trips.
Reading on the Honda forums I'm on, some people reset the MM when they get to 20% or even higher if they do it early. Some mentioned never getting the prompts for other mileage based services doing that. On 3 Honda's I'm doing approximately 5k changes and reset the MM at about 5% unless I get annoyed with the constant push button acknowledgement each time I start the car.
My son's '10 Forte has nothing. Keep track yourself on window sticker/log book. You can't even use trip odometer as it only goes to 999.9 then flips back to 0.