Guys, why is there a continuing "mystery" about this???? Three years ago, right from the Honda Service News mouth, linked above, we see these comments:
Quote:
At PDI, does the factory-fill engine oil look less
like Texas Tea and more like Oklahoma Crude?
Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with the
engine. The engine oil looks that way because of
molybdenum (that’s “moly” for short), a special
lubricant applied by the factory to critical engine
components during assembly.
When the engine is test-run, that molybdenum
mixes with the engine oil, turning it a dark
metallic color often within the first 5 minutes of
running. And just how dark that engine oil turns
seems to vary between vehicle models, engine
types, and engine assembly plants...
continuing after the illustration,
Quote:
What’s really important to remember here is this:
Don’t change the factory-fill engine oil because it
looks dark; just make sure it’s at the right fluid
level. To ensure proper engine break-in, the
factory-fill engine oil needs to remain in the
engine until the first scheduled maintenance
interval.
This information appeared almost three years ago. Unlike many other car makers, Honda is actually telling us what they're up to. They put valuable assembly lube on critical parts, and they want you to leave the resulting moly-in-oil combo in the engine for the first OCI. If anyone still has heartburn about this idea, replace the filter, and top off. Then cut the original factory filter open and examine it. Any potentially harmful debris will be right there in the element.