Early OCI or Let It Ride?

[rstsco]

I did the second oil/filter change on the Honda Pilot using AMSOIL Signature Series 0w20 with 4k on the oil and 4.5k on the odometer. I will be going to London this week and won't be home until the evening before my wife is taking the car on a trip from central Texas to Wisconsin, Canada, and back home. I'm guessing it will be close to 4.5k to 5k miles of driving by the time she gets home.

The current oil will have about 1.5k miles on it when she leaves. The oil life monitor just ticked over to 80%, but almost all of the driving has been short trips. Zero consumption in those miles.

Would you change the oil before the trip? Or would you let it ride with the expectation the OLM will see all the highway miles and slow its decent towards zero? Even at the current rate, it shouldn't hit zero before she gets home, but I don't like when it get too low.

Secondary question: I have enough AMSOIL Signature Series on the shelf for two more OCIs, but bought four cases of HPL Premium Plus PCMO during their Independence Day sale. This is going to be my "forever oil". Would you use up the AMSOIL Signature Series before switching, or would you make the switch to the HPL and give the Amsoil to another BITOG member?

 

[Nessism1]

Drive on...

 

[hemitom]

use up the Amsoil first.

 

[Zee09]

Lay on Macduff

 

[JRay’07]

Let it ride since you are using a capable boutique oil.

Secondary answer: Use up the oil with the oldest blending date.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Use the oldest oil first. use up the Amsoil before the switch. Keep what's in there until the minder tells you to change it

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Go with Bachman–Turner Overdrive from way back and.....

Let It Ride

 

[ATex7239]

Let it ride and give unwanted oil to any member who’s name starts with A and ends with 9. Best advice here.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Change the oil and filter due to break in metals / shavings

 

[rstsco]

Your point on break-in wear metals is why I asked for other's opinions. It's had two oil changes since new. First at ~500 miles and second at ~4500. Here are the used oil analysis from the first and second oil changes. Both filters were cut open and had no metal shavings, but the UOA still has some elevated wear metals, particularly Cu. Si is due to how the engine was built, so expected. There was a small amount of oil consumption during the first part of the second oil change, but there has been zero on this oil change. I suspect things were still breaking in and have now stabilized.

Remember as you're looking at the results below, sample PC-00662 is only 494 miles, while RP-00038 has 8x more miles.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Better on # 2. Looks like you're good to go, but change it when the trip is over. You're using good oil anyway. Personally, I never did these tests. Old school. My 13' CRV when new had 1st at 1k,,,,2nd at 2k,,,,3rd at 5k. Then 3k or 3 months ( whichever came first) for the remainder of it's life. It now has 614,895k on it. All just plain ole 0W20 synthetic with an OEM filter. Oil burning at 300k. EPR 109 took care of that.....and it's still going. K-24 engine ( 4 banger plain fuel injected )

 

[rstsco]

Better on # 2. Looks like you're good to go, but change it when the trip is over. You're using good oil anyway.

The wife made it home yesterday from Wisconsin/Canada. The AMSOIL Signature Series has 6.2k miles on it and the OLM is showing 50%. Based on the dipstick, not an ounce of oil has been consumed since the last oil change.

This morning I dumped a bottle of Red Line Si-1 in the tank and filled with Shell V-Power premium. My wife knows my preference is for her to use Top Tier gas, but also consider her safety on when and where to fill when traveling. When this tank has been mostly consumed, I'll change the oil, filter, and install the new magnetic drain plug. Still undecided about whether to use the AMSOIL Signature Series I still have on the shelf or just make a clean break from Amsoil and start using the HPL Premium Plus PCMO. Should I go with the HPL, I'm just guessing, but it sounds like @ATex7239 might be willing to lighten my shelf and take the Amsoil off my hands... as long as he doesn't charge me for his service.

 

[ATex7239]

The wife made it home yesterday from Wisconsin/Canada. The AMSOIL Signature Series has 6.2k miles on it and the OLM is showing 50%. Based on the dipstick, not an ounce of oil has been consumed since the last oil change.

This morning I dumped a bottle of Red Line Si-1 in the tank and filled with Shell V-Power premium. My wife knows my preference is for her to use Top Tier gas, but also consider her safety on when and where to fill when traveling. When this tank has been mostly consumed, I'll change the oil, filter, and install the new magnetic drain plug. Still undecided about whether to use the AMSOIL Signature Series I still have on the shelf or just make a clean break from Amsoil and start using the HPL Premium Plus PCMO. Should I go with the HPL, I'm just guessing, but it sounds like @ATex7239 might be willing to lighten my shelf and take the Amsoil off my hands... as long as he doesn't charge me for his service.

I’m here to serve.

 

[KrisZ]

Did many trips from Austin to Toronto and back with my minivan, fully loaded with family and luggage as well. It’s an easy trip with not too many elevation changes and plenty of Pilot, Loves, Flying J stations, all of which have good gas and plenty of turnover. Never had a problem using their gas.

 

[GW.]

The wife made it home yesterday from Wisconsin/Canada. The AMSOIL Signature Series has 6.2k miles on it and the OLM is showing 50%. Based on the dipstick, not an ounce of oil has been consumed since the last oil change.

This morning I dumped a bottle of Red Line Si-1 in the tank and filled with Shell V-Power premium. My wife knows my preference is for her to use Top Tier gas, but also consider her safety on when and where to fill when traveling. When this tank has been mostly consumed, I'll change the oil, filter, and install the new magnetic drain plug. Still undecided about whether to use the AMSOIL Signature Series I still have on the shelf or just make a clean break from Amsoil and start using the HPL Premium Plus PCMO. Should I go with the HPL, I'm just guessing, but it sounds like @ATex7239 might be willing to lighten my shelf and take the Amsoil off my hands... as long as he doesn't charge me for his service.

Tough call. Both some of the best.

I’m really curious what the SS formula change is going to look like? Of course Amsoil will show all kinds of test data when it does come out!

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Never had a problem with BJ's gas either. Always a line for fuel.,,meaning high turnover for gas. Never got a bad tank. 87 octane works well. Throw in a bottle of Techron every so often since it's not top tier fuel. Vehicles are old anyway. No GDI's or turbos in them. Just plain ole fuel injected engines.

 

[rstsco]

Tough call. Both some of the best.

I’m really curious what the SS formula change is going to look like? Of course Amsoil will show all kinds of test data when it does come out!

After using Amsoil for almost 50 years, due to the EA15K13 filter debacle, I've lost confidence in them. Their Product Data Bulletin still shows the old construction of this filter and not the actual Champ-sourced POS which they're shipping.