Why Should I Regularly Change My Honda’s Oil?

Inside your engine, you’ll find a number of metal parts all moving together to keep your car in motion. Motor oil is necessary to keep these pieces lubricated and absorb the heat that’s created by friction. Without motor oil, your engine would quickly overheat and break down.

The longer you go between Honda oil changes, the more your engine’s oil is exposed to things like moisture, oxygen, and dirt particles. The oil will begin to oxidize and slow down your engine.  If you regularly drive in dusty areas or extreme temperatures, this process speeds up as the oil experiences more severe influence from the environment.

This gunk makes it harder for your engine to operate properly and puts dangerous pressure on it. Ignoring this problem can lead to undesirable outcomes, such as:

• Decreased engine performance: The engine will get hotter with old oil, reducing your vehicle’s horsepower.
• Lower fuel economy: The engine must work harder when oil is sludgy.
• Seized engine: Metal parts get locked together due to insufficient oil lubrication.

You can avoid larger and more time-consuming repairs in the future by making regularly scheduled maintenance appointments.

How Often Should I Change the Oil in My Honda?

Your owner’s manual will advise you on exactly how many miles your vehicle can go between oil changes, but many Honda vehicles from the last few years can go a pretty long time without this service.

The rule that many drivers learned about changing your oil every 3,000 miles applies to older vehicles and conventional oil. With the advent of synthetic oils, most modern cars can go a long time without an oil change compared to their predecessors.

As an example, many Honda vehicles now encourage an oil change every 7,500 miles. If you’re not putting a lot of miles on your car, then you should still get an oil change at least once a year.

In addition to your manual’s helpful information, many Honda vehicles come equipped with Maintenance Reminder. This internal system clocks the date of your last oil change and will put an alert on your dashboard when the next one is due.

When you have questions or need dependable service, turn to our team of honest experts. We understand that with our busy lives, you’re working hard to fit an oil change into your schedule. Here’s some great news: When executed by a trained technician, an oil and filter change can actually be a very quick and easy process!

Common Signs That an Oil Change is Needed

Life is full of surprises, and sometimes those surprises involve an oil change. In addition to staying aware of the regular maintenance intervals for your Honda, the following signs may indicate the need for new oil:

• Dashboard light
• Low oil levels
• Noisy engine
• A lot of recent driving
• Dark exhaust smoke

Now, we’ll dig into these signs in a little more detail.

It’s recommended that you check your oil levels about once a month. If the levels are dropping quickly compared to the amount of mileage you’ve driven, there might be a larger issue to attend to. Sometimes your vehicle notices that it needs oil before you do. In this case, you may see a light or message pop up on your dashboard.

Keep your ears and nose open on the road. Clanking and grinding noises while you drive or a ticking noise when you start the engine indicate that parts are grinding together. That could damage the engine if fresh oil isn’t added.

Dark exhaust from your tail pipe doesn’t just smell funny, it’s also indicative of an oil leak or older oil beginning to burn.