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Originally Posted by XeNonCiViC
Ouch, $38 is expensive, even for a dealer. My local Honda dealer only charges $29.89.
Lately, I have been buying my own synthetic blend oil and taking in to the dealership. $14.50 for 4 quarts of Castrol Synthetic Blend (technically 4.2 quarts, but I just have the dealership top off with regular oil), then only $20 to the dealership since I brought my own oil. $34.50 total for a synthetic blend oil change this way.
Generally, 5000-7000 miles is the recommended mileage between oil changes, depending on the driving conditions. The maintainence minder should be sufficient for most people to follow. I've already done 3 oil changes (20,459 miles on my EX), and the MM usually went off every 6,000 miles of driving. The reason any auto service shop gives you an oil change sticker is so you change oil more often then needed. The mileage and date they write on the sticker is always going tell you to change your oil before it is needed. There is a common misconception that oil changes should be done every 3,000 miles or 3 months because your "quick" lube type places have really pushed their misinformation to increase their profits.
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3 month 3000 miles thing came around a while ago and was a good idea before additives. Today's oils can last longer no doubt, but I would not trust a normal dino oil more than 4,000 miles without getting it tested. To say a dino oil can go 6,000 miles seems a bit off from what I've seen, most UOA's show most dino breaking down and having a TBN of 1.1-1.2 around 4,500-5,000 miles, hence the reason I go about 4,000 miles between oil changes. Like I said MM in no actually measures the oil in you car, it's like some controlling the heating/cooling in your house, but they are in a different country, and don't know the temperature of your house, but they know the temperature out side and that's it. Not very accurate for me, and the car is a huge investment compared to a couple extra oil changes, but that's just IMO.