Asked a Honda engineer about the factory fill and whether there was any benefit to keeping it in longer

[TypeRD]

It definitely seems like it was an afterthought. Most of the gray box talks about overheating the steering & unrelated things. Then a tiny blurb at the end about don’t thrash the motor for 600 miles.

Yes! The manuals are basically generic Civic manuals with gray box blurbs sprinkled throughout for the Type R. It’s just that they forgot some important gray boxes for 2023. Glad they made improvements.

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[cryptolime]

ask him if they fixed the sticky steering on the new racks being replaced. going to be pissed if i have to replace mine a 2nd time.

 

[optronix]

ask him if they fixed the sticky steering on the new racks being replaced. going to be pissed if i have to replace mine a 2nd time.

That... doesn't sound like a topic for an engine engineer.

 

[svvitch]

I'm still gonna trust my "gut" and BITOG

JK this is great info thanks for LinkedIn stalking

 

[cryptolime]

I'm still gonna trust my "gut" and BITOG

JK this is great info thanks for LinkedIn stalking

are you on that HPL yet?? lol

 

[egxflash]

I'm still gonna trust my "gut" and BITOG

JK this is great info thanks for LinkedIn stalking

BITOG is just as bad though - it feels split right down the middle and there's "evidence" supporting both sides....

 

[atucker80]

I asked a trusted Honda tech years ago about what he thought about the maintenance minder intervals and got a surprisingly simple answer. He asked what the oil on the dip stick looked like at 3k, 5k, or 7k miles, etc. If it looks dirty change it regardless of the oil life remaining on the dash. Haven't trusted the oil life calculations since.

 

[Gansan]

GM was on the forefront of oil life monitors and here's a description of how it works. I'm pretty sure Honda's system is similar.

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/zdp-depletion-and-gm-oil-life-monitor.9644/

 

[xpeng]

It’s 1000 kms (~620 mi). It is recommended in some owner’s manuals (EU and Japan at least), but does not appear in the in the US owner’s manual. No one knows why, but there’s definitely some weird info omissions / inconsistencies in the US manuals. As such, the general recommendation is to follow the break-in period (listed in those other manuals). It can’t hurt, so may as well be patient and do it.

600 miles, it does appear in the US owner’s manual.

 

[TypeRD]

600 miles, it does appear in the US owner’s manual.

Yes, I have been informed that Honda updated the US manual at some point (read above).

 

[slysamba]

Yes, I have been informed that Honda updated the US manual at some point (read above).

It's on page 498 of my 2023 manual.

 

[TypeRD]

It's on page 498 of my 2023 manual.

OK. So they made the correction at some point for MY2023 and so primarily early 2023’s have “incomplete” owner’s manuals, apparently. Cool! Good to know.

My intent was not to stir up a debate about the info in the manuals. I only knew it affected at least some US 2023’s and I posted the info to be helpful just in case Honda continued producing these same owner’s manuals for an extended period…which thankfully they didn’t.

 

[TypeRD]

I asked a trusted Honda tech years ago about what he thought about the maintenance minder intervals and got a surprisingly simple answer. He asked what the oil on the dip stick looked like at 3k, 5k, or 7k miles, etc. If it looks dirty change it regardless of the oil life remaining on the dash. Haven't trusted the oil life calculations since.

Yep. Assuming the car is used for normal driving (not tracking), the most significant thing the maintenance minder cannot calculate for are environmental factors, beyond temperature. It doesn’t compensate for how dusty nor how humid the environment is. Both of these will affect oil life and I’m certain this is why the tech told you what he did. The maintenance minder is a very good general guide, but isn’t a replacement for periodically checking the oil yourself.

 

[TDC50]

I see what you did here qinqcong, clever, very clever but I caught you

 

[menikmati]

I asked a trusted Honda tech years ago about what he thought about the maintenance minder intervals and got a surprisingly simple answer. He asked what the oil on the dip stick looked like at 3k, 5k, or 7k miles, etc. If it looks dirty change it regardless of the oil life remaining on the dash. Haven't trusted the oil life calculations since.

I doubt most oils will show a visible visual difference after the first couple of hundred miles and is a poor indicator of the condition of the oil. There would be little color difference between 3k/5k/7k.

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