In August I unfortunately sold my 2002 TL-S but got a 2009 Honda Accord. I love it! Not quite as sporty but still very nice. I have about 5300 miles on it so far but the oil life still says 50%. I've always been very good at changing my oil at 5000 miles since I didn't have the oil life gauge. So my question is, should I change my oil based on the 5300 miles I currently have? or change it when the oil life gets to 20%?

 

Isn't there a specific number of miles you're supposed to change the oil at with a new car? I'd contact your dealer and ask them.

 

oil life is a complicated algorithm that takes engine speed, time on, temperature, etc. to compute how long the oil is good for (mileage wise). However you should change the oil at least once a year to prevent it from becoming to acidic.

If you want to change the oil, you are fine to do so, however it's just going to be a waste of money since the oil is still perfectly fine.

 

just do it every 5k miles, it's like 20 bucks right?

And, offtopic but going from 2002 TL-S to 2009 Accord EXL V6 would be an upgrade in my opinion. lol

 

I wonder the same thing in my Odyssey as well. However, the service indicator usually comes on when you have about 15-20 percent of oil life left. I usually weight around that time..which is right about every 5500-6k miles or so.

 

On my 06 Accord V6 I go 10k with full syn oil. It doesn burn a drop ever. Doesn matter if its M1, Syntec, Synpower. Its a Honda motor so it just goes.

 

Like others have said, you can change it, but really no need. You can also pull the dipstick and take a look at the oil. If it is really dark brown to black, you may want to replace it. I doubt that it is, seeing the car is new.

It's not a bad idea to keep your interval in the 5-15K range, depending on your driving habits.

 

Wait, wait-- is this the original or break-in oil?
If so, I think Honda recommends that you leave it in until 10% or 5% remaining oil life-- at least that is the case with the Acura TL.

Otherwise, might as well wait until the Maintenance Minder gets to 10%>, or change once a year.

When in doubt, !!

 

Color doesnt mean its bad

 

Wow, I didn't realize that the break in oil should be kept that long. I was planning on calling the dealership anyways. They screwed up the first time I bought it in to get the LoJack installed and kept me waiting an hour AFTER they called me to come down and pick up the car. I'm getting 2 free oil changes so I can change it anytime. I'll see what they say. I check the dipstick and the oil actually looks clear and smooth, barely even used oil. Guess I'll keep it in for a little while longer. I did hear however that you don't get to your true mpg until after your first oil change. Any truth to that?

 

Not sure it takes quite that long, but yes, a new engine is tight until broken in, and MPG will increase after a few K miles.

FWIW i had a new MINI Cooper S in 2003 and it drove me nuts but it wasn't due for its first oil change til 10,000 miles.

 

I say wait until the MID tells you to change the oil.

 

Wait until the indicator reads 5%, they are pretty slick, when you reach 10% oil life it flashes on and reminds you when you fire up the car, so anytime after that is a wise decision. I just did my first oil change on the Si, it was around 6,200 miles when the 5% came on. I gathered the filter and oil when it reached 10% and just performed the oil change on the first warmish day after it hit 5%. With these modern, efficient cars there is no benefit to over maintaining.

My father has a 08 Accord and his first oil change ended up being due around 7,500 miles.

 

csmeance pretty much nailed it. The car determines when you should change the oil based on how you drive the car and the conditions you drive it in. The only problem with replacing the oil early (and resetting the oil life when you do), is that the car will call for other services (filters/tire rotation) with the oil change but you won't know about it as you already reset the maintenance minder.

The only people who are telling you to change your oil between 3k and 5k are people with names like Valvoline, Mobil, Pennzoil, and Jiffy Lube.

I would wait until you hit the 15% mark then take care of it. You should still check you oil via the dipstick. Oil life tells you nothing about oil level