Oil Change Advice Honda CR-V

ColoradoRick · Post by **ColoradoRick** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 3:05 pm

Hello any shade tree mechanics....my DW & I bought here a new Honda CR-V last August. I asked her to get the oil changed and the dealer service department said wait until the light goes on. She drives very little (2500 miles so far) but also besides milage isn't there a time when oil starts to break down? Thanks in advance for the advice.

sport · Post by **sport** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 3:08 pm

ColoradoRick wrote:Hello any shade tree mechanics....my DW & I bought here a new Honda CR-V last August. I asked her to get the oil changed and the dealer service department said wait until the light goes on. She drives very little (2500 miles so far) but also besides milage isn't there a time when oil starts to break down? Thanks in advance for the advice.

What does the owner's manual recommend? IMO, that is the authoritative source for maintenance requirements.

deanbrew · Post by **deanbrew** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 3:27 pm

Most new cars have reminders/gauges/lights for oil changes, using some sort of algorithm. I honestly can't say how complex or accurate the algorithm is, as in whether it considers time, cold starts, warm starts, average speed, highway miles, outside temperatures, etc. I suspect it doesn't truly factor all of these things in, but I can't say for sure.

My wife's Odyssey has it, counting down from 100%...90%...80%, etc. You are allowed/supposed to wait until the indicator says you have 10% or 20% oil life left. I ignore it and have the oil changed every 5,000 miles. At that point, the oil indicator is still at 50% or more. I'm probably wasting some money, but I am a bit wary of going 10k miles or more between oil changes.

Chip · Post by **Chip** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 3:28 pm

I agree with sport; follow the owner's manual. If it's the same advice as for my 2013 Accord, it will be "change when the maintenance minder tells you to", which is with 15% oil life remaining or less. The exception to this is that it should be changed no less than once per year. If she's only driven 2500 miles since August you'll probably be changing it this coming August. But again, that's MY owner's manual. You should follow what yours says.

How much oil life does your maintenance minder tell you have remaining?

blastoff · Post by **blastoff** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:01 pm

If it takes you 50 years to drive 2500 miles, I'd advise you change your oil based on time, and not mileage.

I don't drive that much - maybe 5000-7000 miles a year. I try to change the oil roughly twice per year regardless of mileage. It's possible to argue for a longer interval, but I think more than a year is probably not advisable.

jharkin · Post by **jharkin** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:20 pm

I forget what the book says exactly but the usual reccomendaion is to do it no less than once per year if you dont drive enough miles for the maintenance minder to come up.

The mileage based MM interval on that CR-V might be 10k miles.... Not unusual at all on new cars using all synthetic oils.

Jack FFR1846 · Post by **Jack FFR1846** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:37 pm

As a shade tree mechanic and observant person, I change oil at 5k miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. If a minder or schedule or dealer says to wait for 10k miles or green lights to turn red or a full year, I'm changing it on my schedule. If, on the other hand, one of the above says to do it at 2500 miles, I'll do it at 2500 miles. Nobody will tell you that changing the oil too often will hurt your car. It will cost you twice as much to change it at 5k than at 10k. If you want to be cheap, stretch it out.

From memory, when I had my Audi with free service, the oil interval was 7500 miles. I changed the oil twice between the free changes.

shorty313 · Post by **shorty313** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:40 pm

My Honda manual didn't give much guidance. I usually go somewhere between 5-7k miles. The oil life indicator is usually around 30-40% at that time. My mechanic recommends going until 10-20% like above but usually something comes up like an upcoming road trip that I want to change it a bit sooner.

munemaker · Post by **munemaker** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 5:20 pm

There should be a book in the glove compartment that is titled "Owner's Manual" or something to that effect.

Read it for instructions on oil change interval.

I have a 2009 CRV. With my driving, the Maintenance Minder says to change the oil every 12,000 miles. I have always liked to over-maintain my cars so I change it at 10,000 miles. The Maintenance Minder will tell you when to have other maintenance done too, such as oil filter change, engine & cabin air filters, tire rotation, spark plug changes, valve adjustments, transmission fluid change and (for AWD models) rear end fluid.

You don't have to rely on advice from strangers on the internet; read the Owner's Manual.

PS: I have 192,500 miles on my CR-V and it is running great!

adamthesmythe · Post by **adamthesmythe** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 5:29 pm

Even if not recommended in the owner's manual, I think it is sensible to change the oil early the first time.

After that, whatever they say in the manual.

emoore · Post by **emoore** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 5:38 pm

I use synthetic and change once a year or 10k miles.

jharkin · Post by **jharkin** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 7:25 pm

Jack FFR1846 wrote:Nobody will tell you that changing the oil too often will hurt your car.

Not quite.. There was some study once (supposedly SouthWest Research Institute? but I cant find it) that found some indications that very short intervals actually can hurt engine longevity. I don't know if the results have been duplicated and I'm not sure if I believe it - but the question has been hotly debated on sites like BITOG.

OTOH, there is a TON of proven reaseach based on lab analysis proving that 3k-5k intervals are completely necessary with modern synthetics.

This is just one reference i found... a 5 minute google search will find days of reading...
https://www.dtsc.ca.gov/TechnologyDevel ... ilters.cfm

adamthesmythe wrote:Even if not recommended in the owner's manual, I think it is sensible to change the oil early the first time.

After that, whatever they say in the manual.

Again, not always. Certain manufacturers put in special break in oils at hte factory with extra additives (lots of extra Molybdinum, etc) to help the break in process. Honda is known to be one who does so, and they specifically recommend against a short first interval for this reason.

Some cars DO need it. BMW calls for it on all M- cars for example.

The manufacturers spend millions of dollars researching to develop these recommendation. They really do know more about it then us garage monkeys.

mortfree · Post by **mortfree** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 7:30 pm

the first oil change on a Honda is "special" as someone else mentioned in really great detail. they really want you to run it down until the system tells you it is time for the oil to be changed.

I have an Accord that I drive daily (400 miles/week) so that gets changed at about 15%.

I have a Pilot that is more of a weekend vehicle, so that gets an oil change every 6 months or so.

CyclingDuo · Post by **CyclingDuo** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:44 am

ColoradoRick wrote:Hello any shade tree mechanics....my DW & I bought here a new Honda CR-V last August. I asked her to get the oil changed and the dealer service department said wait until the light goes on. She drives very little (2500 miles so far) but also besides milage isn't there a time when oil starts to break down? Thanks in advance for the advice.

You are good to go changing your oil in a Honda every 10K. I've owned Honda products since 1982. We currently have two 2005's that I've only changed every 10K (both have over 200K on them), and one 2010 Insight which we change every 10K as well.

We've owned two Civics, two Elements, one Odyssey, one Insight, one Acura Integra, and two Accords over the years. 10K has been my benchmark for doing an oil change (which I DIY these days it is so easy).

bottlecap · Post by **bottlecap** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:47 am

I would double check the manual, but the onboard system that tells you when to change is reliable,

Oil can get thicker as it gets old, especially in cold climates, so changing at least once a year is recommended, maybe twice.

JT

Toons · Post by **Toons** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:56 am

I own a 2015 Crv
I actually called Honda Of America on this one as I drive mine about 6k per year.
They advised me to have oil changed according to maintenance minder OR annually.

Frisco Kid · Post by **Frisco Kid** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 9:01 am

+1 for yearly OR 10,000 miles using premium FULL synthetic oil and an OEM or BETTER oil filter, not consumer lines like Fram, etc. I suggest Amsoil or Redline brand products. Check the oil level from time to time, don't leave the hood closed between changes and don't rely on the low oil level idiot light. Many modern cars use smaller filters and hold less oil than in days gone by and maintaining proper oil level and changing oil and filter at proper intervals is crucial to the life of your engine.

munemaker · Post by **munemaker** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 9:23 am

Frisco Kid wrote:+1 for yearly OR 10,000 miles using premium FULL synthetic oil and an OEM or BETTER oil filter, not consumer lines like Fram, etc. I suggest Amsoil or Redline brand products. Check the oil level from time to time, don't leave the hood closed between changes and don't rely on the low oil level idiot light. Many modern cars use smaller filters and hold less oil than in days gone by and maintaining proper oil level and changing oil and filter at proper intervals is crucial to the life of your engine.

I think you are wrong about the criticality of the oil filter. Honda Maintenance Minder says to change every other oil change, and that is with 12,000 mile oil changes. Now customarily most people change the filter with every oil change, so I think you are way ahead of the game in doing that.

I do agree on checking the oil level. With 10,000 to 12,000 mile change intervals, you are going to have to top off the oil from time to time.

MOBY DICK · Post by **MOBY DICK** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 9:37 am

If you read your owners manual I think you'd find you fall in the "severe service" category and thus more frequent oil changes would serve you best. Contaminants are building up in your oil that these short trips won't achieve the heat necessary to send them out your exhaust. Keep in mind that the oil service reminders are designed by people who's best interest is selling another car, not having them last forever.

tennisplyr · Post by **tennisplyr** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:01 am

Frisco Kid wrote:+1 for yearly OR 10,000 miles using premium FULL synthetic oil and an OEM or BETTER oil filter, not consumer lines like Fram, etc. I suggest Amsoil or Redline brand products. Check the oil level from time to time, don't leave the hood closed between changes and don't rely on the low oil level idiot light. Many modern cars use smaller filters and hold less oil than in days gone by and maintaining proper oil level and changing oil and filter at proper intervals is crucial to the life of your engine.

+1 Owned Hondas since 1983 and never had problems. Newer models I've changed 7-10k.

myleaf · Post by **myleaf** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:17 am

I have been DIY my cars oil for the past 40 years. I started back when the recommended oil change interval was 3,000 miles. What I have learned is that the modern oils are vastly improved over the available oils back then. About 10 years ago, I started using an oil analysis service to try to increase my oil change interval. Based on the analysis, I was able to increase my oil change interval by 2X and change my oil filter every other oil change. The main issue regarding needing to replace your oil is the depletion of additives in the oil. My son bought a Toyota Camry that has a recommended oil change interval of 10K miles. I had an analysis done at 5K miles and based on the results, felt comfortable with the 10K mile service. From what I understand the oil minder light is pretty accurate, it considers many parameters such as engine load, temperature, time, etc. I would recommend that you follow the manufacturer's recommendations and use the recommended oil. Full Synthetic generally will have the best lubricating and wear characteristics. A good forum for oil nuts is bobistheoilguy_dot_com

TheGreyingDuke · Post by **TheGreyingDuke** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:19 am

https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/tips-a ... r-oil.html

Going with some historical interval for oil changes, based on the engines of the 1960's, makes little economic sense (except for the purveyors), causes serious environmental problems, and is akin to buying a high fee mutual fund based on the counsel of your "advisor".

takeshi · Post by **takeshi** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:21 am

You don't need a shade tree mechanic. Every manufacturer provides a maintenance schedule for their vehicles. If your CRV is a 2017 and you don't have a copy of your manual you can find it here.
http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs ... 1717OM.pdf

From page 545:

If a Maintenance Minder indicator does not appear more than 12 months after the display is reset,
change the engine oil every year.

If you suspect the manufacturer's maintenance schedule to be insufficient or your specific vehicle to have issues that make the standard schedule unsuitable then the way to go about investigating is to get a Used Oil Analysis (UOA) performed and then adjust oil change intervals based on the findings of the UOA. Blackstone is a popular option but there are other companies that can perform UOA's.

myleaf · Post by **myleaf** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:32 am

while we are on this subject:

A good place to buy engine oil is Walmart
I would recommend you just use the manufacurer's oil filter
And as mentioned by others, follow the manufacture's oil change recommendations
Keep records of the oil changes to support any warranty claims

ataloss · Post by **ataloss** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:40 am

I would get it changed when the year is up. Owner's manual for our 2010 says 1 year or according to maintenance minder. We usually get to 8,000 to get to 5% oil life. The mechanic who gets paid for oil changes may tell you to change at some higher % but that isn't Honda's recommendation

emanuel_v19 · Post by **emanuel_v19** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:52 am

It's important you maintain appropriate oil level even if old but as far as oil changes, from what i have seen, 3-5k miles intervals. Consistency is key. My sister has a 2001 CRV with over 300k miles and still running strong. Awesome car but wish they had a tab bit better suspension.

Dilbydog · Post by **Dilbydog** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 11:15 am

Order a oil test kit, from say Blackstone. Send off a sample after your next change. Let the analysis report dictate future change intervals. Blackstone also provides a narrative based on their database of your engine type, and judges your wear metals against their data. I don't work for them, I have zero vested interest, I just get some piece of mind knowing how my engines internals are wearing, especially when I want to keep something for 200k plus miles.

Post by **LadyGeek** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 11:17 am

I own a 2012 CR-V. When I was using it for very short commutes (under 10 minutes, which is considered severe engine service), the oil was changed about once every 9 months. Now that I have a much longer commute, I change the oil whenever the service reminder turns on.

My local dealer has oil change specials which cost about the same as doing this myself. Access to the CR-V's oil filter is a pain if you don't have adequate clearance under the car. IOW, you need a lift. To the dealer it goes.

adamthesmythe · Post by **adamthesmythe** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 11:32 am

jharkin wrote:
Jack FFR1846 wrote:Nobody will tell you that changing the oil too often will hurt your car.
Not quite.. There was some study once (supposedly SouthWest Research Institute? but I cant find it) that found some indications that very short intervals actually can hurt engine longevity. I don't know if the results have been duplicated and I'm not sure if I believe it - but the question has been hotly debated on sites like BITOG.

OTOH, there is a TON of proven reaseach based on lab analysis proving that 3k-5k intervals are completely necessary with modern synthetics.

This is just one reference i found... a 5 minute google search will find days of reading...
https://www.dtsc.ca.gov/TechnologyDevel ... ilters.cfm

adamthesmythe wrote:Even if not recommended in the owner's manual, I think it is sensible to change the oil early the first time.

After that, whatever they say in the manual.
Again, not always. Certain manufacturers put in special break in oils at hte factory with extra additives (lots of extra Molybdinum, etc) to help the break in process. Honda is known to be one who does so, and they specifically recommend against a short first interval for this reason.

Some cars DO need it. BMW calls for it on all M- cars for example.

The manufacturers spend millions of dollars researching to develop these recommendation. They really do know more about it then us garage monkeys.

Interesting about the break-in oil. I am persuaded by that. So now it's simple- follow the manual no matter what.

myleaf · Post by **myleaf** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 12:45 pm

If anyone is curious as to what a Used Oil Analysis, i have uploaded an image of our car (with most of the personal information removed). Besides measuring the level of wear metals, other analysis are performed to detect problems with your engine. Such as detection of the amount of fuel in the oil, particulate levels, and for the presence of coolant in the oil.

myleaf · Post by **myleaf** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 12:52 pm

Try it again with higher resolution

whomever · Post by **whomever** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:35 pm

If you know the car is going to sit idle for an extended period (like you're getting deployed overseas or something) change the oil at the start of the interval (and maybe after as well).

If you only drive the car 1000 miles a year, two things come to mind:
1)changing the oil every year won't hurt anything, but also:
2)if you only drive 1000 miles a year, the car is going to eventually be junked because of some issue other
than mechanical wear to the engine, even if you never change the oil. The electronic doodads will break, or
you won't be able to buy some little plastic emissions widget, or something, but the engine internals will
still be working at 10 yrs/20k miles on the original oil. It may well have more wear than if you changed the
oil every six months, but not enough to change the outcome.

munemaker · Post by **munemaker** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:52 pm

MOBY DICK wrote:If you read your owners manual I think you'd find you fall in the "severe service" category and thus more frequent oil changes would serve you best. Contaminants are building up in your oil that these short trips won't achieve the heat necessary to send them out your exhaust. Keep in mind that the oil service reminders are designed by people who's best interest is selling another car, not having them last forever.

Severe service is old school terminology, at least for Honda's. The Maintenance Minder takes all that into account.

Kevin22751 · Post by **Kevin22751** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 2:44 pm

Just traded-in my 2007 Accord with 205,000 for a new Accord (my 5th Accord). My advice is to service the vehicle at the dealer, and follow the Maintenance Minder codes exactly... no more, no less. If the code says B2, get a B2 and nothing more. Also, be sure to shop Honda dealers and ask the price of a B2, and all other codes. My Honda dealer even printed out a price list for me of all the scheduled maintenance items per the Maintenance Minder codes. Best of Luck to you !!

Epsilon Delta · Post by **Epsilon Delta** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 4:11 pm

jharkin wrote:
Jack FFR1846 wrote:Nobody will tell you that changing the oil too often will hurt your car.
Not quite.. There was some study once (supposedly SouthWest Research Institute? but I cant find it) that found some indications that very short intervals actually can hurt engine longevity. I don't know if the results have been duplicated and I'm not sure if I believe it - but the question has been hotly debated on sites like BITOG.

Further, every time you change the oil you risk stripping drain plug threads, dropping the car off the lift, or something equally boneheaded. These are not huge risks, but they are not zero

bottlecap · Post by **bottlecap** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 6:47 pm

MOBY DICK wrote: Keep in mind that the oil service reminders are designed by people who's best interest is selling another car, not having them last forever.

But the oil service reminder is designed by the same people that wrote the owner's manual...

I looked into this because my wife's vehicle has one and I wasn't sure about it. By all accounts, even from folks who sent their oil in to be analyzed, they are quite accurate.

I don't know how they do it, but it's pretty amazing.

JT

researcher · Post by **researcher** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:13 pm

Just traded-in my 2007 Accord with 205,000 for a new Accord (my 5th Accord). My advice is to service the vehicle at the dealer...

Why in the world would you recommend having the vehicle serviced at the dealer?

inbox788 · Post by **inbox788** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:36 pm

ColoradoRick wrote:Hello any shade tree mechanics....my DW & I bought here a new Honda CR-V last August. I asked her to get the oil changed and the dealer service department said wait until the light goes on. She drives very little (2500 miles so far) but also besides milage isn't there a time when oil starts to break down? Thanks in advance for the advice.

IMO, that's not very little miles. Around 5000 miles per year is low and below average, but not that atypical for low mileage owners. Change the oil once a year and don't stress. I have driven cars very little and have ignored the annual oil change. I do check the level regularly and eyeball the consistency/color. I've pushed 18 months to 2 years without much issue (recognizing the risks and tradeoffs). I don't think I'd push beyond 3 years.

I have considered doing oil analysis, but just not worth the trouble and cost for me. I almost sent in a sample almost 2 years old but only 2000 miles, which looked better than 3 months/3000 miles used oil. But I figured the money was better spent on an oil change itself.

Material Guy · Post by **Material Guy** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:47 pm

Honda CR-V owner for almost 10 years now. I specifically talked to the dealer about oil changes and have had discussions with a Honda mechanic. Here are recommendations for a new Honda.

(1) Follow the oil change minder/indicator. It takes the quality of the oil into account, not just mileage. 15% is a good indication to change the oil.
(2) The oil that comes with the new Honda has a special composition and lasts longer than the regular oil. Again follow the oil change indicator in the car.
(3) If it goes past 1 year, I would change the oil, even if mileage is low.
(4) Preferably, do not use synthetics, just regular oil.
(5) After many experiments, I now get oil changes done at the dealership. They sometimes have coupons and there is a bit of a wait sometimes but I figured that is best. Our dealership service department appears to be honest and I have been happy with their service.

Enjoy the CR-V.

munemaker · Post by **munemaker** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:55 pm

Material Guy wrote:Honda CR-V owner for almost 10 years now. I specifically talked to the dealer about oil changes and have had discussions with a Honda mechanic. Here are recommendations for a new Honda.

(1) Follow the oil change minder/indicator. It takes the quality of the oil into account, not just mileage. 15% is a good indication to change the oil.
(2) The oil that comes with the new Honda has a special composition and lasts longer than the regular oil. Again follow the oil change indicator in the car.
(3) If it goes past 1 year, I would change the oil, even if mileage is low.
(4) Preferably, do not use synthetics, just regular oil.
(5) After many experiments, I now get oil changes done at the dealership. They sometimes have coupons and there is a bit of a wait sometimes but I figured that is best. Our dealership service department appears to be honest and I have been happy with their service.

Enjoy the CR-V.

I think the newer Honda's call for 0W20 oil. I believe it only comes in synthetic. It is really thin to get that last .01 mpg.

sunny_socal · Post by **sunny_socal** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:29 pm

Predictable answers, just like every single oil thread on the internet:
- "I change my oil every 5k regardless" (I fall in this camp, LOL)
- "Just follow the maintenance minder"
- "Only change your filter every 5k, change the oil itself every 10k"
- "Get a used oil analysis just to be sure you even needed to change your oil. BTW that's another $25 in addition to your $25 oil change..."
- "Forget synthetic, just use dino oil"
- "Forget dino oil, definitely go with synthetic"

I really think it doesn't even matter any more. Just change the oil regularly according to some pattern and you'll be fine.