Another oil question - orig. oil and long trip

civicdoody · 04-22-2006, 02:40 AM

I am planning an extended driving trip in a couple of months at which time I will probably have about 3500 miles on my lx auto. Will it be ok to drive 80-90 mph in the heat for hours on end with the break-in oil in the crankcase? I plan on keeping this car a long time, but I'm not sure if changing it too soon is the right way to go.

BTW, I'm sure the oil minder is tied to rpm's 'cause I have 800 miles on it and have been driving like my nuts are on the gas pedal and my indicator just went to 90%.
Thanks.

C17chief · 04-22-2006, 04:06 PM

3500mi before your trip? or after? If before, how many miles do you expect the trip to be?

At either rate, unless you have 3500mi now, and plan on doubling that like coast to coast, you should be fine.

I dunno if I buy into this go with the maintenance minder with the initial oil thing since most people seem to be getting between 7000 and 8000mi before it says it's time, but after the first change I wouldnt hesitate at all going 8k mi between with synthetic oil. I dumped my original oil at 5k. happy medium between the conventional way of thinking and what honda recomends.

civicdoody · 04-23-2006, 02:31 AM

I'm expecting to have about 3500 before the trip. Chicago to Alabama, southern Florida, South Carolina and maybe up the East coast and back. At least a couple thousand miles.

Better judgement tells me to change the oil first, I normally do before a long trip, but I've been reading how important the break-in oil is. I just don't want it to wear out mid-trip. (the oil)

I'm old school and haven't had experience with synthetic oil. I've had about 20 cars and beat the crap out of half of them, always using Quaker State or Castrol and only one gave me any oil related problems. (valve guides and lifters)

C17chief · 04-23-2006, 11:45 AM

I'd let it ride myself and change it when you get back. Highway miles are the easiest miles for the engine anyways. It's the cold starting and stop an go driving that puts the stress on a motor anyways.

Anyways, pretty much always used dino oil myself. Only vehicle I've kept long enough to show what you can get away with was an 88 Ford Bronco2. I had that thing over 10yrs, dino oil every 5k, sold it with 301,000mi on it and still ran great. Never been rebuilt, never had any oil related engine problem, just the occasional sensor, alternator, crap like that. Got to where it burned about 1qt between changes by then.

I think the typical 3k is a little short and leans towards oil company marketing myself, but dont know if I would trust dino oil to last the 8k or so it looks like the maintenance minder typicaly runs to. Since most 5W20 is semi-synthetic anyways, it's probably good for it, but the way I see it, I would run full synthetic in any normal engine for 8k. So to me, full synthetic to 8k or wherever the minder trips seems like a good cost effective and piece of mind balance between the conventional 3 to 5k dino oil changes and the extended honda recomended intervals.

04-22-2006, 02:40 AM	#1 (permalink)
civicdoody Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 22 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Another oil question - orig. oil and long trip I am planning an extended driving trip in a couple of months at which time I will probably have about 3500 miles on my lx auto. Will it be ok to drive 80-90 mph in the heat for hours on end with the break-in oil in the crankcase? I plan on keeping this car a long time, but I'm not sure if changing it too soon is the right way to go. BTW, I'm sure the oil minder is tied to rpm's 'cause I have 800 miles on it and have been driving like my nuts are on the gas pedal and my indicator just went to 90%. Thanks.

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04-22-2006, 04:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
C17chief Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Age: 32 Posts: 143 iTrader: 0 / 0%	3500mi before your trip? or after? If before, how many miles do you expect the trip to be? At either rate, unless you have 3500mi now, and plan on doubling that like coast to coast, you should be fine. I dunno if I buy into this go with the maintenance minder with the initial oil thing since most people seem to be getting between 7000 and 8000mi before it says it's time, but after the first change I wouldnt hesitate at all going 8k mi between with synthetic oil. I dumped my original oil at 5k. happy medium between the conventional way of thinking and what honda recomends.

04-23-2006, 02:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
civicdoody Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 22 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I'm expecting to have about 3500 before the trip. Chicago to Alabama, southern Florida, South Carolina and maybe up the East coast and back. At least a couple thousand miles. Better judgement tells me to change the oil first, I normally do before a long trip, but I've been reading how important the break-in oil is. I just don't want it to wear out mid-trip. (the oil) I'm old school and haven't had experience with synthetic oil. I've had about 20 cars and beat the crap out of half of them, always using Quaker State or Castrol and only one gave me any oil related problems. (valve guides and lifters)

04-23-2006, 11:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
C17chief Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Age: 32 Posts: 143 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I'd let it ride myself and change it when you get back. Highway miles are the easiest miles for the engine anyways. It's the cold starting and stop an go driving that puts the stress on a motor anyways. Anyways, pretty much always used dino oil myself. Only vehicle I've kept long enough to show what you can get away with was an 88 Ford Bronco2. I had that thing over 10yrs, dino oil every 5k, sold it with 301,000mi on it and still ran great. Never been rebuilt, never had any oil related engine problem, just the occasional sensor, alternator, crap like that. Got to where it burned about 1qt between changes by then. I think the typical 3k is a little short and leans towards oil company marketing myself, but dont know if I would trust dino oil to last the 8k or so it looks like the maintenance minder typicaly runs to. Since most 5W20 is semi-synthetic anyways, it's probably good for it, but the way I see it, I would run full synthetic in any normal engine for 8k. So to me, full synthetic to 8k or wherever the minder trips seems like a good cost effective and piece of mind balance between the conventional 3 to 5k dino oil changes and the extended honda recomended intervals.