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When should I get my car serviced?

QuidQuid Definitely not a bananaRegistered User regular
I have a 2018 Honda Fit. It’s generally due for service every 7,500 Miles but there’s a hiccup for me. I take a train to work and assuming I don’t ride my bike at any point I only put about 30 miles a week on it tops.

I assume there’s a certain amount of time that passes where I should bring it in regardless of mileage? I’m not sure because I grew up with 3,000 miles or 3 months which isn’t a thing anymore I guess.

Posts

  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    I'd just purposely put a few more miles on it once a week

  • OrogogusOrogogus San DiegoRegistered User regular
    Xaquin wrote: »
    I'd just purposely put a few more miles on it once a week

    I don't think that's going to get him to 7,500, though. I think six months is the general recommendation for newer cars.

  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    edited October 2018
    I am not a mechanic. I own a 2003 Odyssey and a 2014 Honda CR-V. I take my Odyssey in right at 3000 miles. My mechanic told me to stop bringing in my CR-V because those ridiculous sounding quotes for maintenance are legit.

    Edit: If you have bad winters, starting it every day to keep the battery charged seems like good advice outside of under the hood maintenance issues.

    joshgotro on
  • Nova_CNova_C I have the need The need for speedRegistered User regular
    From what my mechanic says, 6 months with normal oil, a year for synthetic. I have the same issue : I put few miles on my car. I change the oil every may.

  • knitdanknitdan In ur base Killin ur guysRegistered User regular
    Quid you should have a recommended maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual that came with the car.

    Use that for things like brakes, filters, etc. Oil changes, I’d just check the level every month or so and otherwise just take it in at 7500.

    But yeah, drive more! Enjoy the car, take a trip somewhere on the weekend.

    “I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
    -Indiana Solo, runner of blades
  • TOGSolidTOGSolid Drunk sailor Seattle, WashingtonRegistered User regular
    I spend half the year out of town for work and don't have any sort of daily commute on my car so I just take it in every six months to my nearby VW dealer for the inexpensive routine checks like brakes, oil, etc.

    You do want to come up with excuses to drive it at least a little bit regularly since that helps keep the fluids circulating, battery charged, etc. etc.

    wWuzwvJ.png
  • mRahmanimRahmani DetroitRegistered User regular
    Yeah just follow the recommendations in the owner's manual.

    You do want to take it in longer trips every so often - nothing crazy, maybe a half hour once every couple weeks. Getting the engine up to full operating temperature for an extended time is important for longevity. One of the things they covered in my engine design class was how moisture condenses inside an engine after it cools. Simulating a winter's worth of short drives without letting the engine warm up resulted in over a quart of water sitting in the bottom of the oil pan!

  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited October 2018
    Suppose I’ll have to find things I want to to that the train can’t take me to. Otherwise this seems solved. I’ll change the oil every six months and otherwise follow the manual for the other stuff.

    Quid on
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    edited October 2018
    If you follow the recommendations in this thread and start and run the engine long enough to get it up to operating temperature on a weekly basis (or more), you shouldn't worry about stretching your oil changes to annually, mineral oil or no. Just as long as the oil is the correct spec and you are fitting a quality oil filter, the oil doesn't magically go bad from just sitting around. It does absorb water from the atmosphere but that's much less of a problem with newer cars with positive crankcase ventilation than it was back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. What mRahmani said about condensation buildup from running the engine without getting it to operating temperature is much MUCH more important, so just be sure to run the motor until the temperature gauge is sitting happily in the middle where it belongs, and you'll be set. This can include just leaving the car idling in your garage (with a window open to let fresh air in so you don't gas yourself when you go back in to shut the car off) in Park with the e-brake applied for 10 minutes if you don't have anywhere you want to go.

    @joshgotro an oil change every 3000 miles on a 2004 Odyssey is WAY too much. At least double the frequency you could possibly actually need on a car like that. You're just pissing money into the wind.

    EDIT: I forgot, you can just buy a cheap "battery conditioner" (trickle charger) and park your car up for months at a time if you want with zero ill-effect.

    Donovan Puppyfucker on
  • joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    @chrishallett83 I don't won't to speak ill will of my baby but she leaks and runs hard. 3000 miles also comes in at like 7 months time.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    That's still a shitload of oil changes.

  • WiseManTobesWiseManTobes Registered User regular
    If it's a 2018 you should still have some service plans on it too? ( Unless sacrificed those for less payments or something) so if delaying over a cost thing, phone your dealership and see if you have some free services alongside your new vehicle

    Steam! Battlenet:Wisemantobes#1508
  • SwashbucklerXXSwashbucklerXX Swashbucklin' Canuck Registered User regular
    Welcome to Fit World! They are fabulous little cars. We're on our second Fit, a 2019. Our 2010 Fit would have lasted at least five more years if some asshole hadn't run a red into my husband and totaled it. The crumple zone did an admirable job, btw, and he walked away only needing a couple massage therapy sessions.

    Some maintenance tips:

    a) You definitely don't need to go in more often than every 6 months. If your local Honda dealer tries to pressure you into coming in more often, be wary of that service department. A good Honda dealer sticks with the 6 month recommendation for their newer models.

    b) Check your warranty and see if it stipulates any particular service schedule. If so, go with that until the warranty's out. If not, Honda will likely recommend you do Maintenance Minder A at 6 months and B at the year mark, but you might not need to do everything from the (kinda pricey) Minder B... especially since your car is new and you're not putting a lot of mileage on it. See:

    c) Newer Fits are rather communicative about their needs. Check your manual and see what kinds of things your car will warn you about (needing an oil change is definitely one of them!). That way when you take it in for service and they recommend doing something, you'll know if it's on the list of things your car will tell you about and can say, "No thanks, I'll wait for the Fit to tell me it needs it."

    Have fun! Google Maps interfaces brilliantly with the fancy schmancy panel, so plug your phone in and let the GPS take you somewhere cool sometimes. :)

    Want to find me on a gaming service? I'm SwashbucklerXX everywhere.
  • defreakdefreak Registered User regular
    Your Fit has an oil life indicator, which is part of the Maintenance Minder system, it'll let you know when the oil needs changing. It takes into account a lot of variables and is a reliable indicator to go by.

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    You should change your oil within 1k miles of buying a new car because the engine "machines itself" and you'll have metal shavings in the oil. Every 6 months after is what most people do these days.

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