First oil change at 10,000 miles ???

[big_dog]

I purchased a new 2003 Accord. As part of the engine break-in the manual says to not change the oil before the first scheduled change (10,000 miles) because they have a special oil in the new car to help break-in the engine. I want to change the oil every 3,000 miles in general. Should I wait until 10K for the first oil change???

 

[Bror Jace]

10,000 miles?

I've heard of the first change at 5,000 miles ... which I would go along with ... but not 10,000. That seems really, really wrong.

I'd call the 800 number in your manual and verify that with Honda HQ.

--- Bror Jace

 

[Jay]

If you read the manual closely it says 10,000 miles for the "normal service" driver, that is, one who drives predominantly highway miles and stays off of dirt roads. The "severe service" interval is 5,000 miles which includes everybody else.

I did oil analysis on the factory-fill oil in my '02 RSX at 5,000 miles. It held up very well for that interval and I'm a severe-service driver.
Leave the factory-fill oil in at least 5,000 miles. Also, you are wasting oil by changing more often than every 5,000 miles.

[ December 01, 2002, 04:38 PM: Message edited by: Jay ]

 

[buster]

Honda claims the oil has some kind of additive for the car. I was going to buy a Civic at one point and they told me this. I don't know what can be so different about this oil.

 

[Jay]

The additive most likely is moly. There was a whopping 982ppm in my factory-fill oil.

 

[Toy4x4]

If moly is the reason, it seem like this MIGHT be a good idea: Change the oil after 500-700 miles to get all the manufacturing process garbage out and the refill with Redline which has a ton of moly in it. Seems like cars can use syn from early on since a lot of manufactureres are doing original factory fills with it.
Any thoughts on this idea?

 

[BOBISTHEOILGUY]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Toy4x4:
If moly is the reason, it seem like this MIGHT be a good idea: Change the oil after 500-700 miles to get all the manufacturing process garbage out and the refill with Redline which has a ton of moly in it. Seems like cars can use syn from early on since a lot of manufactureres are doing original factory fills with it.
Any thoughts on this idea?

---

doesn't work that way..

 

[Toy4x4]

"doesn't work that way"

Could you explain, Bob?

 

[BOBISTHEOILGUY]

All that moly justs floats around suspended and is not used. After about 200ppm of moly, it's a waste of moly and drives the cost of the oil up more than needed. It's almost as bad as taking a can of moly additive and just adding it to your oil, it becomes over balanced with fm's and in some cases can cause it to not function as well as it might if it was better balanced with less.

If you take a virgin sample of the oil prior to use, do a voa on it, then run for say 5k, then rerun another sample, you'll find moly depletion would be less than 200ppm, meaning, the rest is wasted.

Someone gave a good analogy of this, 1 bar of chocolate candy good, eat 2, still not bad but now try eating 10 bars of chocolate, starting to get a little sick? too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.

[ December 01, 2002, 11:13 PM: Message edited by: BOBISTHEOILGUY ]

 

[Toy4x4]

Ah yes...the moly overkill thing. Cleared up. Thanks.

 

[Patman]

Glad to see you using my dad's chocolate bar theory Bob!

I don't believe Honda's break in oil needs to be kept in the car very long in order to do it's job. I changed out the factory fill in my wife's 00 Civic at just 434 miles. Her car now has just under 40k on it and it doesn't use any oil between changes (last run was 5000 miles and the dipstick level did not change at all)

 

[kreativ]

Any word on whether Toyota also uses a break-in oil like Honda's?

 

[satterfi]

Interesting about the Honda factory fill having 982 ppm moly.

Suzuki uses and sells a "break-in" oil for their motorcycles that has over 500ppm moly.