Should I listen to the oil life system or go by the 3000 mile sticker?

Ok, I have an '08 Civic which tells me how much oil life I have left before the next change. Now I know that going by 3000 miles is going to be said by a lot of people, but I've also read that nowadays you can trust the oil monitor.





So, which method would you go by? Listen to the oil monitor or do it every 3000 miles?Should I listen to the oil life system or go by the 3000 mile sticker?
The oil life monitor takes into account factors other than simple ';cumulative mileage';. Like time spent idling but not moving. Engine RPM's. Duration of trips. It is definitely a better gauge of oil condition.





';Many modern cars now list somewhat higher intervals for changing of oil and filter, with the constraint of ';severe'; service requiring more frequent changes with less-than ideal driving; contrary to what most people think, this applies to short trips of under 10 miles, where the oil does not get to full operating temps long enough to burn off condensation, excess fuel, and other contamination that leads to ';sludge';, ';varnish';, ';acids';, or other deposits. In contrast, an engine which runs continually for hours, such as for a taxi, or long-distance driving, is considered ';normal'; service. Many manufacturers have engine computer calculations to estimate the oil's condition based on the factors which degrade it such as RPMs, temperatures, and trip length; and one system adds an optical sensor for determining the clarity of the oil in the engine. These systems are commonly known as Oil Life Monitors or OLMs.';





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_oil#M鈥?/a>Should I listen to the oil life system or go by the 3000 mile sticker?
I used to work for Firestone and I grew up in a family of mechanics. They sent me to school for this type of thing and they said that 4000 miles is the proper interval for oil changes. A lot of the cars and trucks past 1982 will tell you in the manual that you can run the oil 7000 to 7500 miles. that is wrong because after 4500 to 5000 miles the oil's viscosity or lubricating agents are gone. Change the oil every 4000 miles or as close to it as you can and it will be fine.
You'll get answers on both sides of the fence no doubt, and it is a matter of opinion more than fact. Maximum interval would definitely be the oil monitor. For the monitor to work, the oil would have degraded to some defined detectable point. Don't go much beyond that. If you want to go by mileage, new cars and oils can easily go 5000 miles. Sometimes we overlook the obvious though. Cars have dipsticks for a reason. You can check the oil level, but you can also get a sense for the condition of the oil and how dirty it is. So if you decide to go with the oil monitor, be sure to check the oil level and oil condition. It should never get so dirty that it becomes non-translucent and when a drop is put on a surface, should not spread more than the size of dime or so.
The oil monitor was designed through millions of dollars spent on research conducted by highly trained, experienced engineers.





A guy who makes money changing your oil put that sticker on your windshield.





The 3000 mile oil change is a leftover from the days of carbureated engines. A carb will run rich most of the time and unburnt fuel will blow by your piston rings, getting into your crankcase and thinning and dirtying your oil. With fuel injection, your oil doesn't get dirty and thinned out so you don't need to change it as often.
For our '06 Mariner, I change the oil every 5,000 miles even when using Mobile 1 full synthetic (not the extended mileage) and the oil life monitor indicates to change the oil around that time also.





For the '99 Accord, I change it every 3,000 miles because I use high mileage oil and some of it gets burned up between changes.





Read the owners manual and follow the severe driving conditions to be on the safe side. It's probably more than 3,000 miles under the severe condition.
Ask yourself 2 questions and then use a little common sense.





What maker has a reputation of producing long lasting reliable cars?


Do you think that manufacturer wants to do anything to jeopardize their reputation?





What is your answer?


That's right! ';Honda'; and ';No'; are the answers.





I change the oil every 7,500 miles on my '96 Accord and every 10,000 miles on my '02 CR-V per Honda's recommendations. I do mostly highway driving with very few short trip and no periods of long idling etc. With the oil monitor you don't have to concern yourself with how you drive and whether to follow the severe use or normal use maintenance schedule. The monitor figures it out for you.





Trust the oil monitor. The 3000 mile oil change is a myth promoted by oil change chains that want your money. changing your oil every 3000 miles is not only a waste of money but also a waste of natural resources. Many many Honda owner's have driven their Hondas 200,000 to 300,000 miles or more following Honda's suggestions.


http://www.moneybluebook.com/the-3000-mi鈥?/a>





You say, ';I've also read that nowadays you can trust the oil monitor'; So if you don't trust what you already read why would you trust any thing anyone here says? To really be sure and to have peace of mind you need to convince yourself. The only way to do this is to get your oil analyzed.


You can get a kit that uses a suction bottle to suck sample oil through the dipstick tube. You send in that sample and the lab will send you the results and advise you when to sample the oil again or if it needs to be changed. http://youroil.net/single_sample_kit.htm鈥?/a>
thats a tough question i have a 05 accord and the owners manuel says change every 10 k but I change full synthetic every 7k mi. what kind of oil? on my saturn i use mobile 5000 and its good for 5k.





when you check your oil look at the oils color and thickness, golden is brand new, light thick black is around 3k, its ok if it will stick to the dipstick for a while, but if its very black and thin, running off dipstick quickly then it is not sticking to your engine parts,
myself i go about every 2,000 miles and i'd be willing to bet even 3,000 would be sooner than those monitors. all they are is another things that can fail. i'd take it the same way the auto manufacturers say in their own manuals about their tire pressure monitoring systems. basically check your air pressure regularly do not rely on the system.
every 3000 miles or when the oil monitor says to change. whatever comes first. it wont hurt the car at all to change the oil more than necessary.
Trust the system designed by the people who built the car.