Has anyone seen oil related problems before 50K miles?

[martyi]

I ask for a couple reasons. First, I see post after post where people say (and I have said the same thing on occassion) that, under most normal conditions, you could run any oil on the market, not worry about things like UOAs or filter quality and go 5000 mile OCIs without worry. In otherwords, a mind set that says that as long as you run an oil approved in the owners manual, a bare minimum engine oil maintenance should get you to 50,000 miles now days.

Second, I am one of those who puts on very few miles on my Honda (less than 10000 miles per year) and I plan on trading to new models every 5 years. I want the vehicle to be in good shape for the next owner of course but my main concern is my own use and engine condition.

I still will maintain my autos like I will keep them forever (I use Havoline oil, LC20 and FP60, etc.) because that is how I am, but I was just wondering if today's modern engines and oils make them bullet proof, almost abuse proof, to that magic 50,000 miles mark?

Has anyone seen any major problems in today's modern vehicles at under 50,000 miles that have been directly related to oil issues?

 

[Bill in Utah]

Your Ridgeline has a 5 year 60k power train warrenty.

If you change the oil out every 5k or 6 months using ANY SL/SM oil by itself will get you to your trade in 5 years with EASE .

Run a good Dino, a Supertech 7317 filter and drive it.

You're well protected, the engine will be clean, safe and sound.

I would not worry a bit. No UOAs, nothing.

My Dad has the same engine using Pennzoil 5w-20 and going 5k or 6mo and his UOA was excellent.

If you do have a engine problem (doubt it) the warrenty will cover it. Your doing better than the OLM so Honda will not have any ammo.

Take care, Bill

 

[thooks]

Pretty much all you need to do with a Honda is change the oil and filter regularly. In your case, I'd change it every 6 months, regardless of mileage, conventional or synthetic.

I'd quit the FP60, LC20, etc, etc, etc. Don't need all that mess in a Honda.

Keep using Havoline.

IMO, the best thing you can do before getting rid of it is change the oil. You will do the next owner a huge favor. I can't stand to see someone sell a car (or trade one in) that needs tires, brakes, radiator fluid flushed, transmission fluid flushed, air filter, plugs, fuel filter, and oil change. And most of that was usually needed 10k miles before they got rid of it.

Change the air filter, fuel filter and transmission fluid every 20K miles.

 

[ruking77]

In addition to engine warranty issues due to oil almost being absolutely REMOTE, the bar has literally been raised. You do not say which Honda you run, but the oem on my 2004 Honda Civic recommends 10,000 miles OCI on 5w20 conventional oil and every other OCI or 20,000 miles for the oil filter change. So given 5 years and less than 10,000 miles a year that could mean changing oil 5 or less times in that period of ownership.

While I think the LC20 and FP60 are GREAT products, for your application, time and operational horizons, I would not use it at all. It is almost total overkill and because of it, a waste of money.

I ran the OEM fill for 10,000 miles and did indeed switch to Mobil One 0w20. After the meager warranty period 3 years/36,000 miles I would have no qualms in doing 20,000 mile OCI's. At 20,000 miles I changed the oil filter. At 26,000 miles it runs like the proverbial top, with absolutely no engine issues (due to oil), or any issues at all for that matter.

[ March 31, 2006, 12:11 PM: Message edited by: ruking77 ]

 

[martyi]

Thanks guys. I guess the LC and FP are overkill but I have a gallon of each so I'll use it up and then probably not even worry about it.

As far as the oem recommendation all it says in the manual is change oil when the OLM says to. If you put so few miles on that the notice does not come on, it says change oil once a year.

I've had one notice come on since I have had the truck (bought it last May) and it was at around 6000 miles. I've got 8300 miles on it now. I changed it at that time and the OLM showed I still had 15% oil life expectancy. I probably could have gone another 1000 miles before it hit zero and the service past due notice lit up but I will change oil (and filter) when the first service notice comes on so that should be every 6000 miles or so. The maintenance minder indicates filter change every other time but I'll replace it with each oil change (some habits are hard to break!).

There is no "severe" schedule listed for oil. I guess they figure the OLM will detect short trips, engine temps and other stuff.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

I would not call FP60 and LC20 "a mess".

These are both fine products that really work/improve things.

Do you call VSOT "snake oil" also?

 

[boone88rr]

Definitely not a "mess".

I started using FP60 in my 6 month old Tacoma and within half a tank felt a difference in the fuel injection. Without a doubt smoother.

For $0.75 a fill-up I think it's cheap insurance. You could probably quit the LC20. I'd say stick with the FP60, the quality of gasoline is never a constant.

 

[Matt89]

You could make 50K on one or two oil changes as long as you kept it topped off.

Obviously a stupid idea, but my point is that 50K is nothing these days if you simply follow what the owners' manual recommends.

I have no data to support it, but my guess is that 10-12 years or 150K is a no brainer if you follow the owners' manual and don't overheat, run out of oil etc. I guess this due to the ages of cars I see on the road and the (low) level of maintenance that I believe the average person pursues.

 

[JohnnyO]

In your case I would either change the oil every 5k with dino or once a year with a synthetic. Any vehicle even halfway decently maintained will make it to 50k no problem.
About 20 years ago I was working at an Olds/Cadillac dealer. A tow truck arrived with an '83 Cutlass on the hook that a lady had bought new from us two years earlier. She never thought to change or even check the oil, just drove it until it quit running. Had a bit under 30k on it. We put in a new engine, so it was an expensive lesson, or at least I hoped she learned anyway.

 

[ruking77]

quote:

---

Originally posted by martyi:
Thanks guys. I guess the LC and FP are overkill but I have a gallon of each so I'll use it up and then probably not even worry about it.

As far as the oem recommendation all it says in the manual is change oil when the OLM says to. If you put so few miles on that the notice does not come on, it says change oil once a year.

I've had one notice come on since I have had the truck (bought it last May) and it was at around 6000 miles. I've got 8300 miles on it now. I changed it at that time and the OLM showed I still had 15% oil life expectancy. I probably could have gone another 1000 miles before it hit zero and the service past due notice lit up but I will change oil (and filter) when the first service notice comes on so that should be every 6000 miles or so. The maintenance minder indicates filter change every other time but I'll replace it with each oil change (some habits are hard to break!).

There is no "severe" schedule listed for oil. I guess they figure the OLM will detect short trips, engine temps and other stuff.

---

Then I would say let the OLM be the ultimate guide. I do not have one on my Honda product. However I do have one on my Corvette Z06 product. I usually seem to change oil at app 15,000 miles actually between 13,500-14,800 miles. It has 73,000 miles and I perceive it a no brainer to reach 150,000 miles. The caveat is of course the OLM is calibrated for Mobil One 5w30 factory fill.

I would defer to the experts on FP60 and or LP20. I read in passing somewhere in their technical postings that both products have shelf lives, i.e., short. So yes to keep either or both of these products on the shelf, or NOT USE, in fact according to their information, would let them degrade.

[ March 31, 2006, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: ruking77 ]

 

[ruking77]

 

[JohnBrowning]

As a young aprentice in Germany I once had young officer with a tarus wagon with issues. He had about 50,000 miles on this wagon and had never changed the oil. He did not know you needed to change the oil and had only been topping off the oil as it used oil. He brought it in to the shop when it would no longer run well. Some of the valves were so carboned up that they were not able to close all the way. Sludge every place and the piston rings were so far gone that you could push down on one piston and the other 5 would rotate.

 

[Bill in Utah]

He has a Ridgeline. 3.5 V6 with a 5 year 60k warrenty.

Bill

 

[ruking77]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bill in Utah:
He has a Ridgeline. 3.5 V6 with a 5 year 60k warrenty.

Bill

---

Given your quote, what does the oem recommend both for normal and severe operations?

 

[Curious Kid]

"...a bare minimum engine oil maintenance should get you to 50,000 miles now days."

For all we know, the engine could go further than that w/o trouble, but I doubt anyone here's willing to find this out.

I'm sure there's many other behavior factors that come into play for the basis of this minimum.

 

[bmwtechguy]

Some friends of ours call the other day with a loud ticking noise in their 2003 Buick Rendezvous 3.4L He brought it over to my shop and I heard one lifter in the back of the transverse V6 really clacking. First thing I noticed was coolant reservoir was empty and radiator was about 1/3 down. Engine oil was slightly overfilled and had orangish hue to it. He had it changed just 2000 miles ago, but it was dark already. Saw significant coolant had leak out at the intake manifold gasket and down to the valley area. We drained the oil and put in 1 gal. diesel 15W-40 and engine flush and ran it about 15 minutes until lifter began working again and got quiet, then ran another 15 minutes and changed it all out with some WM brand 5W-30 oil and filter he had bought on the way over. He's taking it Monday to his mechanic, who told him yesterday that he repairs 3-4 of these GM V6's a month. Point is at 49,000 miles you should never have problems like this, and out of warranty, too! I told him after it's fixed to keep an eye on his coolant level better. Don't all the new cars have a low level sensor? He never had any warning he said, just that his engine began ticking very loudly.

 

[The Critic]

quote:

---

Don't all the new cars have a low level sensor?

---

My '96 Saturn SL2 with the 1.9L DOHC engine has a low coolant level sensor. Mine was only down about 12oz and it'd come on intermittently during driving. Of course, my intake manifold gasket was not the cause of coolant loss, but instead, I think it had something to do with the "evaporation loss" involved with someone driving the car for 10-12 miles without a water pump...possibly causing the 50/50 rusted, 2-yr old DexCool to boil...