Dealer vs. OEM OCI Recommendations

[millerl]

Having just purchased a new 05 Honda Accord {

} I've been chatting with the local dealerships about the recommended service intervals. From what I've discovered, there is no wonder people don't know what OCI to use.

My saga started with a reading of the owner's manual, which pretty clearly shows 5k "severe" service and 10k "standard" service OCIs with a filter change every other OCI. WOW! I figured I must be in the "severe" category given the summer heat here in Oklahoma. I had the chance to speak to Honda USA, so I asked for clarification, and Honda said no, I was in the "standard" 10k OCI because I wouldn't be doing the majority of my driving above 90F. OK.

So I checked with all 4 of the local dealerships. They assured me that we are AT LEAST "severe" if not worse. Every one of them, and I do mean every one of them, recommended a 3k OCI with filter. Two use Castrol bulk, one uses Citgo bulk, and one uses Exxon bulk.

If you were the usual customer (not the addicted BITOG maniac

) you'd fall for the dealership's service department pitch too.

Looks to me like XOM has got a lot of work to do along with auto manufacturers to overcome the info being put out by the dealerships, Jiffy, etc. How are we ever going to get going towards longer OCIs with all the bad info out there?

Seems so odd to be coming back from Europe where (thanks to the EXTREMELY high price of oil) you can't hardly find a car that isn't doing 15,000 km or longer OCIs.

 

[Frank D]

The 3,000 mile OCI will always be pushed by the dealers and Jiffy lubes because it is a cash cow for them. I have been using a 5,000 mile OCI on my vehicles for 10 years now using conventional oil. Now that I have switched to synthetic, I will be pushing even longer.

 

[Bryanccfshr]

Dealer service departments want to get as many cars in there bays as often as possible. It's a high profit operation and giving it up is not in the best interest of most service departments.
This falls back to the following question. How many people really take an interest in what's in the owners manual? That's how many that will question the dealership recomendations.

 

[The_Jeff]

I remember watching a video from Oldsmobile when they brought out the Achieva import-fighter.

They drove a fleet of Achievas, Camrys, and Accords in a caravan cross country 100,000 miles within a year or so. All vehicles were maintained by their respective dealers, per the maintenance schedule in the manual. They used the excuse that the cars were 24-hour courier vehicles to explain the mileage.

The Achieva came out way ahead in maintenance expenses. (duh, it was their "experiment".)

It would be neat if a manufacturer could exert enough control over their dealers to stop this nonsense. Then they could set up a similar test and publicize its results. (Ask at every service interval, "Is there anything I need"-- and have it done, recording the price.) I suspect the Achieva "test" was not entirely scientific but they pretended to try.

 

[pitzel]

The scam that the VW dealers like to pull is the 15k mile oil change. In a nutshell, VW corporate has a policy of sending a reminder letter for the 5k mile, and 10k mile oil change, and the dealers will send a nearly identical-looking letter at 15k miles asking for the vehicle to have its oil changed again.

Of course, on VW's, the oil change interval is 5k miles for the first 2 oil change intervals, and then 10k miles thereafter. Thus oil changes are specified at 5k, 10k, 20k, 30k, 40k, ....

 

[Mike_dup1]

quote:

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It would be neat if a manufacturer could exert enough control over their dealers to stop this nonsense.

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GM is by telling it customers to change the oil when the light comes on BUT all to many have bought into the 3000 miles or 3 months and are afraid to go any longer. LOL

A long time friend has a service center just down the road from me. He tells me he has customers come on for oil changes every 3 months and only have 500 to 1000 miles in this time. Most all of these people are 40 yo and older and have been in this time warp all their lives. tell them they could could 5000 miles or one year and they will cringe. I seen it happen, they think he is foolish to even suggest it. He laughs all the way to the bank.

 

[rpn453]

I just got a letter from my Mazda dealership telling me that I'm due for a service and that I should change the oil every 3 months or 4000km. I'm going with the assumption that the engineers at Mazda are more knowledgeable than the salesmen, so I'm sticking to the manufacturer's recommended severe (and Canadian) interval (4mo, 8000km) until warranty is up. Then I'll extend it during summers to the non-severe schedule (6mo, 12000km) and stay with the severe schedule for winter. I'm currently using Mobil 1 0W-20.

 

[jthorner]

The new car sales section of most car dealerships is only marginally profitable with a very few exceptions.

The money is made on used cars and service. New cars feed the whole animal by creating service customers (many new car buyers go to the dealer at least through the warranty period) and by bringing in good late model trade ins. Most of the trade ins which come in from used car purchasers are wholesaled off to used car only lots.

The dealers financial interest is to get you into those service bays as often as possible and almost every car dealer I have ever seen recommends maintenance well above and beyond what the owner's manual says.

John

 

[Pablo]

quote:

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So I checked with all 4 of the local dealerships. They assured me that we are AT LEAST "severe" if not worse. Every one of them, and I do mean every one of them, recommended a 3k OCI with filter.

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Definitely is not about science and certainly is not eco friendly.....

The dealers know they can't squeal if you follow the manufacturer's book - but I start to wonder if it isn't best to always follow the severe schedule.... especially....:

quote:

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Two use Castrol bulk, one uses Citgo bulk, and one uses Exxon bulk.

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Not that these oils can't go 10K, but.....