Following your owner’s manual

D

doublebase

Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Messages
2,846
I see this a lot around here...just follow your owner’s manual. When discussing oil type and OCI.

Someone wrote this bellow, when discussing why owners manuals and scheduled maintenance may be different in the US compared to Canada or other countries...

First of all, maintenance schedules are set by the individual marketing territories, and not by engineers at the factory (despite what many think). The marketing departments in each territory also pay for and therefore determine the warranty coverage details.

Reason why this is the case include:
  • Each Marketing territory is responsible for their own warranty expense.
  • Warranties are regulated by governments to some degree.
  • Competition differs in each market with regard to maintenance schedules and warranty.
  • Different climates in each territory.
Would this ^^^ explain why an oil change interval might be different from one country to the other? Or why here in the US you may be told that you have a “lifetime” fluid in your transmission, while in Canada it’s a 60,000 mile transmission fluid...or in the Middle East it’s a 50,000 change interval? Or is it all rubbish? That the service intervals are the same all around the world, along with recommended oil viscosity?
 
owners manual is just a guideline BUT with warranty concerns its good to actually READ + pick the fluids + change times that meet or exceed manufacturers specs! theres a lot of BULL on line but a lot of good info as well on forums like this to guide your choices!
 
With lifetime fluids, often the concern is that dirt can get inside the equipment (usually transmissions) due to the change. That would indeed be more detrimental than just leaving it sealed.
 
In the US, many will own 20 vehicles in their lifetime, if not more. A vehicle is as disposal as a pair of shoes.
In some markets, a vehicle is a family purchase and might be expected to last several generations.

Maintenance intervals in Canada address the typically colder climates.
Maintenance intervals in the USA address the 'lower the cost of ownership' to put you into something more fancy/optioned than needed. Keeping up with the Joneses.... should've bought the Camry/Accord but leasing the MB/BMW mentality.d

CAFE/EPA/CARB isn't forced in the rest of the world.

Owners manual is a good read. Concerning intervals and fluids, they are just recommendations and can be adjusted for your expectations of the vehicle.

Do you want your great grandkids to drive your car when they get their license in high school? Or, do you like wasting money and lease or trade in every 2-3 years? Adapt and adjust as needed. You reap what you sow.
 
Greasymechtech said:
In the US, many will own 20 vehicles in their lifetime, if not more. A vehicle is as disposal as a pair of shoes.
In some markets, a vehicle is a family purchase and might be expected to last several generations.

Maintenance intervals in Canada address the typically colder climates.
Maintenance intervals in the USA address the 'lower the cost of ownership' to put you into something more fancy/optioned than needed. Keeping up with the Joneses.... should've bought the Camry/Accord but leasing the MB/BMW mentality.d

CAFE/EPA/CARB isn't forced in the rest of the world.

Owners manual is a good read. Concerning intervals and fluids, they are just recommendations and can be adjusted for your expectations of the vehicle.

Do you want your great grandkids to drive your car when they get their license in high school? Or, do you like wasting money and lease or trade in every 2-3 years? Adapt and adjust as needed. You reap what you sow.
Click to expand...
Good post. And up until yesterday I always assumed that the owners manual was written and spec’d by the engineers that designed and built the cars. And by the way people talk about them, only further cemented that thought.
 
And it's not only OCI and other fluid exchanges, but also fuel where in other countries they say to use premium, but over here they say that one may use regular and even this "may" is viewed by many as a recommendation. The truth is that we are loath to spend on maintenance and the marketing departments know this.
 
GSCJR said:
Toyota also. 1MZ-FE and 2GR-FE will use anything from 0w-20 to 20w-50 in other parts of the world and probably other engines by them too.
Click to expand...
I was going to start a thread asking about the 2GR-FE engine and oil (because that is what I have), but there were other threads I read through about it already. By the sounds of it, bumping up to a 5w30 shouldn't be an issue...the threads were a bit older and my car is a 2016, so I wasn't sure if I'd still qualify.
 
I went from 0w-20 to 5w-20 in mine for the 2nd time this past year. I'm due for an OC soon and I'm bumping up to 5w-30 or even 10w-30 conventional. Furthermore, some original 2GR-FE engines originally called for 5w-30. See my signature and yes, you can do the same in the 2016 engines.
 
Last edited:
doublebase said:
I see this a lot around here...just follow your owner’s manual. When discussing oil type and OCI.

Someone wrote this bellow, when discussing why owners manuals and scheduled maintenance may be different in the US compared to Canada or other countries...

First of all, maintenance schedules are set by the individual marketing territories, and not by engineers at the factory (despite what many think). The marketing departments in each territory also pay for and therefore determine the warranty coverage details.

Reason why this is the case include:
  • Each Marketing territory is responsible for their own warranty expense.
  • Warranties are regulated by governments to some degree.
  • Competition differs in each market with regard to maintenance schedules and warranty.
  • Different climates in each territory.
Would this ^^^ explain why an oil change interval might be different from one country to the other? Or why here in the US you may be told that you have a “lifetime” fluid in your transmission, while in Canada it’s a 60,000 mile transmission fluid...or in the Middle East it’s a 50,000 change interval? Or is it all rubbish? That the service intervals are the same all around the world, along with recommended oil viscosity?
Click to expand...
If my memory is correct, pretty sure Canadian gas had higher sulphur content and that’s why the OCI was lower ( same “cold “ climate in Buffalo NY versus Toronto ) at least when I owned my last fixed milage ( 5000 miles OCI no matter if driving “normal” vs “ severe” ) oil change Honda Civic ( 2001 model ).

I could be wrong but am pretty sure quality of fuel has something to do with it. The u.s had better quality gas.
 
lurker said:
If my memory is correct, pretty sure Canadian gas had higher sulphur content and that’s why the OCI was lower ( same “cold “ climate in Buffalo NY versus Toronto ) at least when I owned my last fixed milage ( 5000 miles OCI no matter if driving “normal” vs “ severe” ) oil change Honda Civic ( 2001 model ).

I could be wrong but am pretty sure quality of fuel has something to do with it. The u.s had better quality gas.
Click to expand...
Maybe you’re right, but I don’t think it would explain the transmission service interval in Canada. Toyota is a “lifetime fluid” in the US...in Canada it’s a 60,000 mile fluid.
 
doublebase said:
Maybe you’re right, but I don’t think it would explain the transmission service interval in Canada. Toyota is a “lifetime fluid” in the US...in Canada it’s a 60,000 mile fluid.
Click to expand...
Your right about the transmission fluid part. All I can say is, last car that I could actually tell how long owners could go between services ( fixed oil change Intervals , no MM ) was my 2001 Honda Civic ( put on 207,000 miles in 5 years ) and I recall u.s owners could follow the “normal” service schedule ( even in northern u.s ) if appropriate whereas Canadians had to follow the ”severe” service even 1/8 a mile north of the u.s border.

I can’t recall exactly the reason why ( think I sent a “letter” to Honda Canada and asked why ) but something about better fuel in the u.s ( sulphur ).

I really wanted an answer back then as I was driving even more miles back then as I was driving around 42000 miles a year and sick of 5000 mile oil changes ( over 7 oil changes a year ) and wanted to cut them in half but Honda said I had to stick with the “severe“ service.

With Honda, the maintenance schedule revolves around the oil change intervals. 1996 Civic: oil change 3750 and brake service at 7500. 2001 Civic: oil change 5000 and brake service at 10,000. With the MM OLM....brake service every second oil change.

Just the more restrictive oil change up here resulted in more PM according to the manual.

FWIW, because I do so much ( well, when I still worked pre pandemic ) driving for work, I put a lot of research into not only brand reliability but how often their cars need to be serviced.

Honda requires the least PM for those who follow their owners manual service schedule. Hyundai are old school, still 5000 mile oil changes. No thanks.
Subaru every 7500, Mazda wants the car brought in ( same with Toyota ) every 5000 miles for “service” but the oil only needs changed every other “service” ( changed every 10,000 miles ). This is in Canada.

Wanted a Audi A4 but the “major service“ ( with major higher charge ) every 18,750 scares me.

This is why I still drive my trusty “old” 2012 Civic with over 300,000 miles lol.
 
Last edited:
lurker said:
Your right about the transmission fluid part. All I can say is, last car that I could actually tell how long owners could go between services ( fixed oil change Intervals , no MM ) was my 2001 Honda Civic ( put on 207,000 miles in 5 years ) and I recall u.s owners could follow the “normal” service schedule ( even in northern u.s ) if appropriate whereas Canadians had to follow the ”severe” service even 1/8 a mile north of the u.s border.

I can’t recall exactly the reason why ( think I sent a “letter” to Honda Canada and asked why ) but something about better fuel in the u.s ( sulphur ).

I really wanted an answer back then as I was driving even more miles back then as I was driving around 42000 miles a year and sick of 5000 mile oil changes ( over 7 oil changes a year ) and wanted to cut them in half but Honda said I had to stick with the “severe“ service.

With Honda, the maintenance schedule revolves around the oil change intervals. 1996 Civic: oil change 3750 and brake service at 7500. 2001 Civic: oil change 5000 and brake service at 10,000. With the MM OLM....brake service every second oil change.

Just the more restrictive oil change up here resulted in more PM according to the manual.

FWIW, because I do so much ( well, when I still worked pre pandemic ) driving for work, I put a lot of research into not only brand reliability but how often their cars need to be serviced.

Honda requires the least PM for those who follow their owners manual service schedule. Hyundai are old school, still 5000 mile oil changes. No thanks.
Subaru every 7500, Mazda wants the car brought in ( same with Toyota ) every 5000 miles for “service” but the oil only needs changed every other “service” ( changed every 10,000 miles ). This is in Canada.

Wanted a Audi A4 but the “major service“ ( with major higher charge ) every 18,750 scares me.

This is why I still drive my trusty “old” 2012 Civic with over 300,000 miles lol.
Click to expand...
Good god you drive a lot. I used to do close to 30,000 a year but I’ve since moved and drive somewhere around 22,000 miles. I usually just change my oil at 5,000 miles (as it’s no big deal for me - I can work on my own cars), but if I was drying your amount and I couldn’t work on them myself...yeah, I guess I’d try to stretch it out a bit or maybe go with an Amsoil and a filter change in the middle and see if I could push it to 10,000-12,000 miles.

But over 300,000 miles in a 2012 civic? That’s a ton of miles in a short amount of time. Wow.
 
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