Zephrem

Hey everyone, I purchased a 2006 TSX today after much research (thanks for everything, by the way)... ABP/Quartz, really great car. One question... what is the maintenance schedule for the 2006 by miles?

The reason why I ask is because the 2006 manual does not have a maintenance schedule based upon miles. (see pgs. 266-76) Instead, it is based upon a "Maintenance Minder" in the multi-information display.

For those who aren't exposed to this device (and although I read about it in other posts I really didn't "get" it until reading the manual and seeing it in real life), the MM actually does a countdown of oil life (starting at 100%) until it states "service due now." In addition, it groups additional maintenance items together. Relying solely upon an electronic device... well, let's say I'm having some difficulty with that concept.

To make matters more confusing, my dealer (although otherwise an extremely pleasant experience for purchasing a car) included its own schedule in the delivery documents that contained a schedule very similar to some of our earlier Hondas, including the suggestion that I should come in at 4000 miles to have my first oil change (due to the "ambiguity of the manual" -- per salesperson).

Of course, the FAQ contains a maintenance schedule for both normal and severe conditions that is very helpful, but it looks like it applies to 2004 and 2005 TSXs.

I did a search and it seems that this topic has not been discussed before (other than references to the MM in the 2006 spec/they're here threads). Is the 2006 schedule different from the schedule posted in the FAQ, or will I expect to see the MM tell me "service due now" sometime between 5000 and 10,000 miles? I just want to treat this car properly... Thanks!

fast1

I would adhere to what the '04 amd '05s have for maintenance and then anything that the MM tells you to do on top of that just for my own piece of mind. While I trust the sensors are accurate- we're not talking about an expensive jumbo jet where various sensors run into multiple thousands of dollars each!

moda_way

vwong

I think the 06 TSX MM is the same as the 05 Odyssey MM. If that's the case, it should be the same as the 04 and 05 TSX. My parents' 05 Odyssey had the reminder come on just before 5k and 10k miles.

desktop

I have been wondering about this too. What if the sensors go kupuy!

It is good to know about the 04 and 05 maintenance schedule available at this site. I will have to use it as a guide in addition to the Maintenance Reminder sensors.

UNC05

Hello all:

I recently bought an '06 TSX w/ Navi (Glacier Blue/Ebony), and after a/b 1,500 miles, I'm showing 80% oil life. Also, in the '06 owner's manual it states that this is anywhere from 71-80%.

I figure that I'll end up changing somewhere between the old "severe" and "normal" schedules.

Another question is this:
Have owner's of '06 TSXs noticed that, according to our manual, the Maintenance Minder could theoretically advise you to change the oil but NOT the filter (requirement "A" vs. requirement "B," respectively)? Any thoughts on this? I just thought this was weird.

Take care.

LuvMyTSX

Yup, I'd follow the 04-05 maintenance schedule. Should be the same intervals, no reason to suspect any different. Just use the 04-05 maint. interval as a guide to approximately when your TSX will need service.

I know what you mean, it's hard to trust the electronics to just "know" that you need service, so keep an eye on the mileage and go from there.

STL

I am begining to wonder if the MM system in my 2006 is working correctly. Based on what it is telling me, I'll need an (A1) oil change at around 5,000 miles. Looking that the '04/'05 schedule in the FAQ that's the "severe conditions" schedule, but I rarely ever fit into the severe condition listed. Furhtermore, when I first got the car I did a couple road trips so at one point 85% of the car miles were highway miles, and at the according to the MM's oil life meter (at the time) I was on schedule for a 5k oil change -- which doesn't make much sense. I get the feeling that either: 1) MM really sucks or 2) mine is broken.

BulldogHockey

My '06 said I was at 0-5% of oil life at 4995 miles when I got it changed, so right on par with yours. I suppose there is no way to tell the car which schedule you will follow, so it chooses the more conservative one. If you want to go longer there is a way to manually reset the MM.

STL

Hmmm, maybe the MM system is setup so all first oil changes are at 5k miles? If that was the case, you'd think the manual might explain that though (and I don't believe it does).

According to Acura, "Maintenance Minder also uses the MID to display timely service reminders, according to engine performance." That implies it using more than just mileage, but I can't help but wonder if simply mileage (and maybe number of starts) is all it really uses. It would be nice if Acura would just come out an say exactly what their MM system is using.

jpt

I would assume the oil life on the first oil fill from the factory is less than average for the car due to metal shavings from break-in being in the oil. On the other hand, it's a little sketchy that you two and I all had the oil life hit 0% at exactly 5000. If it really is just using a mile counter I will be disappointed (not that it matters to me, since I get free oil changes for life at my dealer anyway).

BulldogHockey

Yeah I don't know exactly how the oil life thing works. I thought I remembered reading it was combination of mileage factored with engine speed? Like you said, maybe this is nullified for the first oil change. It seems my second change is tracking right along though.

Anyway while it's kind of nice, it's really a way for the dealerships to bring in more vehicles for service. Show Them the Money!

STL

Actually that's not even quite right because the severe schedule says to only change the oil (and not the filter) at 5k miles -- and doesn't A1 mean and oil and filter change? That said, you still might be onto something though. I wonder if there is a way for the dealers to set which schedule (normal or severe) that the MM uses. Anyone have a 2006 Service Manual (because the info would be in there)?

jpt

A1 is oil and rotate tires. B1 is tires, oil and filter (and "inspect" the brakes, e-brake, tie rod ends, steering gearbox, suspension components, driveshaft boots, exhaust, and fuel lines i.e. glance in the general direction of the bottom of the car)

J.A.S.

My oil hit 15% and got the "maint. due soon message" at about 5,600 miles. I believe that it is supposed to be based on the type of driving you do as well as mileage. The more stop and go, city-type driving, the shorter the oil life tends to be.

One thing though, if you tend to change the oil at 7,500 or more, make sure that you install an oil filter designed for the longer life. I saw that tip on an auto TV show recently, although I can't remember which one.

russduck

I hit the 15% maintenance minder at about 5600 miles too. I waited basically to change at the minder, rather than my standard every 3000 miles, because of all the comments ad nauseum about the "special oil" that is put in at the factory. After this service I plan on reverting to my 3000 mile interval. I've owned 10 Hondas and have had zero problems mechanically.

trekuk

Acura clearly states there is no benefit whatsoever in changing oil more frequently than indicated by the system. I'm sure they know a thing or two about their own cars, and they probably have a generous margin in their numbers as well. Does your 3k miles old oil look worn/burnt/thin/thick/etc when you change it? No offense indended here, just curious if you have some "real evidence" that 3k intervals are necessary, or if it's just a "can't hurt" and "better safe than sorry" thing.

I'll report back when I hit 15%.. At 3300 miles now and 60%.

thorium

I remember reading somewhere in the manual that the engine oil life is calculated based on engine revolutions. If they can make an odometer that is 99.99% accurate, they can probably count engine revolutions just as well, so the system is probably pretty reliable.

The manual does say you should wait until the recommended time for the first oil change, who knows whats in honda's original batch of oil that might have to do with break in.

STL

I couldn't agree more! I can't understand why someone would change the oil at 3k when both their car and the manufacturer's maintenance schedule (using the '04/'05 one) is telling them otherwise. I often used the longer "normal" interval (which was 7500 miles) on my old Civic and never had a problem with that car -- and I drove it for 11 years (and I recently heard it's still doing fine from the new owner). That's proof enough for me that the old 3k figure some people are so used to no longer applies anymore!

STL

I know it's suppose to do that, but I really question that it does. Like I said, there was a point whne 80% of the miles on my car were highway miles and according to the MM I was on schedule for a 5k oil change -- that doesn't make sense at all.

Sounds like marketing BS to me! You don't need any special filter if the manufacturer says you can go that far between changes. I often did that (on my Civic) and only used the regular OEM Honda filters.

J.A.S.

I guess my point was that not everybody hits 100% at 5K. Mine car hit 85% at 5,600.

On the television show, they had examples of oil fiters with the tops cut off. You could see that those designed for more miles had more filter material inside. The one designed. I'm no mechanic but it seemed to make sense.

STL

So we know the first oil change isn't fixed at 5k. I still wonder if there is a non-user setting for this MM system. If only someone here had a 2006 service manual...

Just because it has more filter material doesn't mean you really need it. It could be complete overkill -- like changing ones oil every 3k! LOL

STL

I found an Accord owner who's MM system is still reporting 60% oil life after 5000 miles and he says 80% of that is city driving -- more proof this MM system is junk!

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

My MM told me I needed my first service at around 3750 miles. I did mostly city driving and I figured that with the break-in oil, it seems to make sense.

Also, I think that if you are being good about checking your oil and adding some when needed at gas stops, you'll extend the oil life.

joerockt

The wife has an 06 Accord. She had about 20% left when she hit 5K. About 80% of her driving is city as well, however, she has a lead foot, plus I drive it once in a while as well and I'm with it.

So it really depends on the driver. Maybe the guy you mentioned goes easy. I dont see why Honda would add this to their cars if it didnt work properly. In fact, the dealers must hate it because they probably get questioned now on scheduled mant for oil changes...

STL

That's what I initially thought too, but the more I see it in action I think it's something the dealers came up with! Like I said, I know for a fact I fall in the "normal" conditions (based on what the older TSX manual says and experience with past Hondas) yet my MM has me doing more than (the '04/'05 manual) "severe".

STL

Another question...
Looking at the Maintenance FAQ posted here, "Normal" saying to only change the oil (and not the filter) at 10k miles -- is that really correct?

SidewinderTL

!!!!!!!!!

All,

Let me see if I can describe how these systems work in almost all modern cars, (not just the new TSX) . Your car as you start it, run it, restart it, drive it monitors all of these variables. It counts things like cold starts, hot starts, miles per trip etc to determine how "hard" you are being on your oil (and other things) Things like rotating tired belts etc are more tightly tied to Mileage, but there is no reason that 7500 is a magic number to rotator your tires, so they group things together to make the maintenance more convenient. So to the root of the question, should you listen to this system. Of course! it knows a lot more about your car than you do, and it is trying to do what is right. Modern Oil (even non-synthetic) can easily go the mileage they talk about in here, you actually have more of a problem with the filter going bad than the oil. This is actually one thing I don't agree with, is during the A1 service it actually doesn't say to change the filter, but I would always change the filter with the Oil, there is no reason not to. When I had my TL in for its first A1 service they changed the filter as well.

Now to some of the other questions... how do you know if the sensors go bad? Well here is the thing, the same system that is keep track of this is also keeping track of everything about your car, it is the central computer, and if something went wrong with that, you would know. Electronics are very reliable with things like this. The data is stored in non volatile memory, so even after batteries being removed it isn't going to 'forget' what happened. Not that really are a lot of sensors required in this monitoring, because it is really more just like timers, and odometers. There is also a line in the manual that if the light hasn’t come on after a year, or so many miles, to go ahead and perform the service.

Ok for some of this “am I a sever driver” talk. The answer is most likely YES! 90% of people drive their car In a sever manner. IS this bad? NO!!! sever doesn’t mean bad, it just means that your driving style is harder on your engine oil, and requires you to take this into account. Normal is a standard that was set back in the 50’s probably, and for most of us that live in a city, and drive our cars on short hops, that is hard on the engine. The shorter you drive your car… the less time the engine has to warm up, impurities like gas can get into the oil when cold, thin the oil down, and reduce its efficiency. 10,000 miles for an oil change Is possible, but most likely you will be somewhere between 6-7k I would think.

So, in conclusion, if you all don’t understand any of this, all the more reason to listen to what the computer is telling you about your car. If you are really worried and want to change your oil every 4-5 miles, go right ahead, just remember to perform the other service as needed and reset the computer each time so that it knows you are performing service.

This was my first post here, so I don’t have a profile or anything, but I was just felt so bad I had to say something!

Sidewinder

2006 TL AT – A-Spec

bradykp

i never got the A1 indication, mine went right to B1 at about 5200 miles i think. i'm at 9,000 now, and i'm changing the oil/filter myself from now on. probably every 3,000-4,500 miles. the filter if you get it at a honda dealership is $6, if you get it at an acura dealership it's $8.25! how about that! SAME EXACT PART.

my dad's buddy is the GM of a honda dealership, and he said he's going to start advertising service for acuras, and charge $10 more than service for a honda, and still be cheaper than the acura dealership.

acura charged me $150 for the B1 service.

if i can figure out if it's worth my time/effort to rotate tires on my own, i'll never be at the dealer again!

bradykp

my dad's mechanic almost choked when i told him i changed the oil at 5500 miles. he is a little crazy, but he thinks 3k is the worst case scenario. i think it's just being too careful, but i also don't like leaving oil in past 4500 miles. no scientific proof though.

bradykp

one oil filter my mechanic likes has an extra flap on it to keep the filtered materials in, some cheaper filters don't have those.

SidewinderTL

Guys,

Ok this might be more than my , but I want you all to understand this...

Seriously... Mechanics, of course would love for you to bring your car in ever 3000 miles no matter what so you can pay them $30 to change the oil... and find some other stupid problem to charge you $100 for. 3000 is an old rule from days when many things were different. For one, engine tolerances were not a tight as they are today, nor engine efficiency causing more impurities into the oil. If you don’t realize it, engines have come a long way. The other thing is that even though it just looks like oil, oil has come a long way also, it is much less likely to break down, and contains detergents that capture impurities and maintain them in suspension to keep them from damaging an engine. Could you need to change your oil ever 3000 miles… maybe, but probably not likely. If you change it ever 3000 miles will it hurt? Of course not (except wasting good oil). With today’s modern cars, 6000 is probably a better guideline… but just don’t think that you need to have your brand new 06 TSX up on blocks every 3000 miles. Unless of course you drive it 20 miles ever weekend, and never take it out and run it a bit.

For everyone that is getting told to change it at close to 5000 miles maybe that is what makes sense for the car! Just because some Mechanical engineer came up with guidelines for sever/normal driving and put a mileage number next to it, doesn’t mean that has anything to do with when your driving habits dictate when your oil should be changed.

If you want another way to think about it… who would you typically trust, the people and engineers who made a system to monitor your engines oil life given even thing the computer has access to (i.e. odometer, average RPM, motor revolutions, fuel mixture, hold/cold starts… etc etc etc) (I’m not saying it does use all these things it just could). And also keep in mind that these are the people that have a vested interest in making sure your care last a long time, so that you will come back and buy another one later… OR the guy you pay $30 to change your oil as often as the sticker tells you to? Think on it

PS as for break in oil, I talked with the dealer about this, and even though there is probably something special about the first batch of oil that runs through the car, it isn’t as different as it used to be. Again, modern tolerances we shouldn’t have a lot of “pieces” of metal floating around inside that engine. At least we hope not!

Later Guys!

Sidewinder
2006 TL A-Spec

bradykp

ok, i wasn't entirely clear. our "mechanic" is my dad's buddy from high school. i guess a lot of people have a negative connotation with the word mechanic. he actually doesn't change our oil, but if he did, it's only $15 for him to do it. and he's the type of guy like the mechanic in seinfeld, where if you're not taking care of your car, he'll yell at you. he's just anal about cars. when i say he thinks 3,000 miles is excessive to wait, i mean he really thinks that, and changes his OWN cars every 2,000 miles. he's OCD or something, and i agree, oil does not need to be changed every 3,000 miles. i'd say 5,000 is enough of a wait though. i'm more concerned with the filter i guess, which is why i wouldn't want to wait more than 5,000 miles.

my TSX gave me the warning at 5200, and the "Service due now" closer to 6,000. i changed it then, and it's at 9,200 now and says 60% for oil life. i was just about to change the oil today, before i read this thread, and now i'm reconisidering. if the car is right, i still have another 3,000 miles to go before it "needs" to be changed.


i'm getting cynical with alot of companies, not just car companies. i think products are being designed to last less time, so you have to go back and buy more. i know honda is grea quality, but i don't think companies have a vested intered in making sure you take car of you car, they'd rather you have to come in and buy a new one then have your car last 10-15 years.

DC_TSX

just to throw my 2 cents into this about the MM. I hit 15% at 4700 miles, so i think i probably would have eclipsed 5000 before i hit 0%. I do about 80% city driving. I dont think there is anything wrong with it and i think it works just fine, its all about your driving style.

SidewinderTL

I will agree, you never know, it is sad how we live in a throw away world sometimes, but most likely in this day, I don't think the engine is going to be what fails. I still think that they want to try and make you take care of the car though... I just can't think of any reason not to! Oh well I just don't want people thinking that the MM system is made up, it really does try its best I think.

crunktastic

I think the MM is just what it is.... a reminder for people that typically don't pay much attention to oil change intervals, mileage, etc. so that they will know that they need to get some maintenance service done... Here's my point.....
At around 4500 miles I got the "SERVICE DUE SOON--- A1" on the MM everytime I turned on the car and would have to select out of the display to get to the normal odometer/mpg screens. The OIL LIFE was at 15% at that point, and I found it quite annoying that the indicator would always pop on along with the (always on) orange " I" Information indicator. Knowing that I wouldn't forget to change the oil once it hit 5k miles, I decided to reset the MM so that I would no longer be bothered by the alert at start-up. So, as per directions in the manual, I reset the MM (4563 miles at the time).... Low and behold, at 4923 miles I am still at 100% OIL LIFE since resetting the MM without changing the oil yet...... Thus, I don't think there's that much to the reminder.... If it were truly depicting oil life and wear and such, it would have detected that the oil had not been changed and should have resumed back to 15% OIL LIFE instead of starting (and staying) at 100% OIL LIFE...... Take it for what you will, but that's my

bradykp

it's not actually running scientific experiments on the oil, it's estimating the life of the oil based on what it knows about the car and what it's programmed to react to how you are driving it.

if you tell it you changed the oil, it thinks you did, and starts all over. it's programming, not science.

SodaLuvr

Lesser filter material can be equally as effective as more filter material...

The amount of media is deceving...a smaller amount of more efficient media will ALWAYS outperform a larger amount of less efficient media.

So comparing media amounts is pointless...and silly. Get over it.

Follow the maintenance minder system. It works fine. Most oils can go 7500 miles now without problems. If you're using conventional oil, oil changes @ < 5000 miles may keep your engine a bit cleaner though...

psteng19

My 06 has about 3800 miles and the MID is reporting 40% oil life left (still original oil).

What have you other 06 owners been following for oil changes?
The MID schedule, or going by your mileage and driving habits/conditions?

Also, at what mileage did you perform your first oil change?

subdued

Hmmm. very timely.... This weekend on my 06 MT coming back from my Portland trip, the Service Soon message showed up on the MID. That was at around 3850 miles and now (at 3950) oil life is at 5%. I am going to the dealer for change this week.