Oil change Interval based on "Months in Engine".

[Bill7]

All,

Our vehicle is driven for a lot of short trips (Pure soccer mom driving: 1 to 2 mile trip in the morning, and maybe 1 to 2 mile trip in the afternoon). Over a 9 month period, we drive about 3,500 miles.

We have a 2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L with 3.5 Liter V-6 (with VCM) with 57k miles.
This type of engine is prone to sludge, as the 3 cylinders turned on during VCM tend to get hot
and can overheat the oil, causing sludge (Special Thanks to "Trav" for his photos of the sludge of other Honday Odyssey's from this same generation from his previous posts).

We use Mobil 1 Synthetic 5W-20 (Regular not extended) with Puroplator Pure One filter, and change oil about every 9 months (which is about 3,500 miles on the odomoter of soccer mom driving for us). This is when the Honda Maintanance minder tells us to change it.

Our main interest is to prevent sludge build up. We want to keep the engine factory 100% clean inside.
Is the 9 month interval too long, or too short?

 

[147_Grain]

Welcome to the Forum!

I'd stick with your current maintenance plan of Mobil 1 and perhaps use a 0W-20 with a new Purolator Pure One oil filter for each OCI.

What percentage does the Honda Maintenance Minder say when you're changing the oil?

 

[domer10]

Months Does not matter, just because its prone to sludge doesn't mean 1 month or 9 moth is going to change it. Its still based on mileage and quality of those miles. If its the type of miles you speak of, I would go 5000 with that motor. Now if it takes 12 months to hit 5000 then wait 12 months, if it takes 3 months, change it in 3 months. The oil would still be fine after 3500 mi and 9 months, with active additive still left. Take a sample and see for yourself.

 

[Cujet]

Your oil is good for much longer than 1 year. I regularly send out very old oil samples for UOA. Oil that is 2 years old still tests perfectly, when little use is on the oil. If I were to guess, I'd say that Mobil 1 lasts at least 5 years.

In fact, I have 8 year old Mobil 1 in one of my generators and it still is like new. I'd bet a dollar it's UOA results would be excellent and the TBN would still be near 10!

 

[Bill7]

Hi.

Thanks for your reply.

After 9 months with 3,500 miles driven, the Honda Maintanance Minder on the dashboard says the oil has 5% life left, so I change the oil at that point. So the MM is correctly shortening the expected oil life based on the soccer mom driving style. The idea here is that soccer mom driving is the worst thing for a motor oil, as the engine doesn't run long enough on a trip to burn off the impuraties, and you end up with toxic oil polluted with combustion by-products.

I just had the PCV valve changed at Honda dealer, to help keep the oil system running without clogging / sludging (as preventative maintance).

But main question is, should I limit time in the engine to 6 months, or is the difference between 6 months and 9 months not important, as on Mobil 1 Website, it says Mobil 1 Synthetic (Regular, not the extended version) is warranteed for 12 months / 10k miles?

 

[Jiblet]

I'd keep following the oil minder. You're using a high-quality oil and high-quality filter. Likely far better than the oil minder "expects" you to be using. No need to shorten the interval.

 

[domer10]

Originally Posted By: Bill7
Hi.

Thanks for your reply.

After 9 months with 3,500 miles driven, the Honda Maintanance Minder on the dashboard says the oil has 5% life left, so I change the oil at that point. So the MM is correctly shortening the expected oil life based on the soccer mom driving style. The idea here is that soccer mom driving is the worst thing for a motor oil, as the engine doesn't run long enough on a trip to burn off the impuraties, and you end up with toxic oil polluted with combustion by-products.





I just had the PCV valve changed at Honda dealer, to help keep the oil system running without clogging / sludging (as preventative maintance).

But main question is, should I limit time in the engine to 6 months, or is the difference between 6 months and 9 months not important, as on Mobil 1 Website, it says Mobil 1 Synthetic (Regular, not the extended version) is warranteed for 12 months / 10k miles?





Again with the months. IT does not MATTER. Go to 5000 MILES, then change. You are worried about sludge with a oil that can go to 10 k because that engine is prone to sludge, that is correct, so go to 5000 miles. Weater its one month or 12.

 

[Merkava_4]

If you go by the Honda oil life monitor, you're gonna end up with a varnish infested engine.

 

[bigt61]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
If you go by the Honda oil life monitor, you're gonna end up with a varnish infested engine.

LOL - Merkava's favorite horror move...."A Nightmare on Varnish Street". Just follow the MM and change it at 0% or a little over as long as you're using any quality full synthetic. 5000 miles would probably be safe though. As always, keep it topped off if it's using any oil.

 

[virginoil]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
If you go by the Honda oil life monitor, you're gonna end up with a varnish infested engine.

LOL - Merkava's favorite horror move...."A Nightmare on Varnish Street". Just follow the MM and change it at 0% or a little over as long as you're using any quality full synthetic. 5000 miles would probably be safe though. As always, keep it topped off if it's using any oil.


So long as it is quality varnish deposited at a quality rate from a quality Honda approved oil to match the Honda quality image.

 

[Cujet]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
If you go by the Honda oil life monitor, you're gonna end up with a varnish infested engine.


Extremely unlikely given the choice of oil.

 

[kschachn]

Sometimes the stuff you make up is just phenomenal.

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
If you go by the Honda oil life monitor, you're gonna end up with a varnish infested engine.

 

[threeputtpar]

With the 1 to 2 mile trips you say is the SOP of this Ody, the VCM is likely not operating very much so the potential of overheating the oil is minimal. It's when cruising at a steady highway speed that the VCM is in operation and thus heating up the bank that is running. With those short trips, the oil is probably not even getting up to normal temp much less high enough temp to start to oxidize and begin to leave deposits.

Stick with what you're doing and change the oil and fiter at 5% on the MM no matter how many months that is. Using M1 is a good idea, but really any off the shelf synthetic in 5W-20 or 0W-20 will be just as good.

 

[Bill7]

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I notice when going lower speeds, like 20 MPH to 30 MPH and coasting, the VCM light on the dashboard comes on (as I drive with a light foot).

But it seems 9 months of soccer mom driving at 3,500k miles on Mobil 1 Synthetic (even in a hot sludge prone engine) is nothing to worry about according to the members on this forum.

One more question please: Hypothetically, if I instead had one of those sludgemobiles (1999 Toyota Sienna engines, or Chrysler Sebring 2.7 Liter engines) both of which get too hot and are prone to a lot of sludge...

Would you still say its safe to do 9 month soccer mom driving 3,500k oil changes on Mobil 1 Synthetic, and still have a 100% factory clean inside of the engine.

Or would you limit the # of months for OCI to 3 or 6 months for those engines?

Kind Regards,

Bill

 

[domer10]

Originally Posted By: Bill7
Hi,

Thanks for your response. I notice when going lower speeds, like 20 MPH to 30 MPH and coasting, the VCM light on the dashboard comes on (as I drive with a light foot).

But it seems 9 months of soccer mom driving at 3,500k miles on Mobil 1 Synthetic (even in a hot sludge prone engine) is nothing to worry about according to the members on this forum.

One more question please: Hypothetically, if I instead had one of those sludgemobiles (1999 Toyota Sienna engines, or Chrysler Sebring 2.7 Liter engines) both of which get too hot and are prone to a lot of sludge...

Would you still say its safe to do 9 month soccer mom driving 3,500k oil changes on Mobil 1 Synthetic, and still have a 100% factory clean inside of the engine.

Or would you limit the # of months for OCI to 3 or 6 months for those engines?

Kind Regards,

Bill



Like talking to a wall lol. 5000 miles. Change your oil, write down the miles at which you changed it at. Then once it is in for 5000 miles, change it. You will not have to worry about anything. Sounds like you just want to burn your money. 3 months...lol....6 months.....lol, what if you only travel 3000 miles in that time. You are changing perfectly serviceable oil. I don't understand why you can't grasp this. You keep coming back with months. IT does not MATTER.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: domer10
You keep coming back with months. IT does not MATTER.


I think many OEM manufacturers seem to disagree with you. As well as Honda, as the mileage minder system is calculating an oil change at 3500 miles at 9 months. If it didn't take into account time, then it would ask for an oil change at 6K-7K miles.

The OP should just continue doing what he is doing, it is fine.

 

[Redpatches]

I do a 6 month OCI on my Odyssey every Spring and Autumn so I don't get stuck having to do an oil change in the middle of Winter. The Oil Life Monitor is usually around 20% when I change the oil this way but since the VCM engine is prone to sludge/varnish I don't mind changing early. Just keep using a good Synthetic oil and you'll be fine.

 

[domer10]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: domer10
You keep coming back with months. IT does not MATTER.


I think many OEM manufacturers seem to disagree with you. As well as Honda, as the mileage minder system is calculating an oil change at 3500 miles at 9 months. If it didn't take into account time, then it would ask for an oil change at 6K-7K miles.

The OP should just continue doing what he is doing, it is fine.


Sure keep doing what he's doing, if he's fine with throwing away perfectly serviceable oil, by all means go for it. I did fall/spring changes, but i knew I had over 5 on the odo. Anything under is a waste, and trust me i have done my fair sure of throwing away good oil. Just about maximizing dollar as well. If he's fine with that so be it.