First oil change...6-8 more mpg??!

2024 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Rick, Nov 8, 2004

SPeacock

Discussion Starter · Nov 6, 2004

6500 miles more or less, and stopped in for a routine first check, fit and fill at local Honda (big dealership in Long Beach CA).

First of all, it must have been the first Insight they had ever serviced or changed oil, as they were scratching their heads about what had to be removed to gain access, had a service manual out with three guys arguing about it, the public rep was amazed at the price of the oil change and the amount of time it was scheduled to be...and everybody huddled around to look at it.

Sooo, 1.5 hours later I pay and leave.

Next day is a 240 mile round trip north of Los Angeles - high speed (80+) freeway almost all the way. I normally drive 50 mile r/t commute in mixed urban and rush hour freeway traffic. On one stretch of 25 miles, flat, a very very slight down hill (600 feet in 25 miles), and just letting the instant mpg guide my gas foot I got 102mpg

. I started at 75 mph and ended up doing the last couple of miles at about 45-50mph (lumbering trucks WHOOOSHING by :shock: )

But the amazing part is that my routine gas mileage has jumped about 6 to 8 mpg since the oil change (depending upon the average speed).

Honda says all they do is check fluids and change oil on first service trip.

I think that I will go in next week for another 1.5 hour service :!: .

I am thinking maybe the guys in Japan used 10W30 for break in? Or the Long Beach gents put in sewing machine oil.

Save

1 - 5 of 5 Posts

figgy

· #2 · Nov 6, 2004

Most folks use the synthetic mobile 1 0w20 and either do it themselves or bring in the 2.6 quarts to hand to the Honda guys for them to use if they are doing it at a dealer.

Dealers also almost always overfill. If you have one of those pella pump oil extractor things, it is easy to remove a little overfill from the dealer - assuming they use the right oil in the first place.

Save

b1shmu63

· #3 · Nov 7, 2004

That break in oil must have been glue based! Don't ya hate it when they do that? Congradulations on your new found efficiency, but I'd be a little cautious about getting your hopes up tooooo much. Did you check the level? Perhaps the oil was overfilled before you got it changed.

Save

SPeacock

Discussion Starter · #4 · Nov 8, 2004

Oil levels were good both before and after.

More checking..

Going down/south on the I-710 in the right lanes - 50-60 mph, I get 83 mpg. Returning north I get 74. There is a slight down hill over the 22 miles or so and it undulates up and down a bit.

Going south in the left lane staying with traffic (80mph) and being more agressive I get 57mpg and 56 on the return. This was on a weekend early morning traffic.

If I want to get to work/home faster (what, 3 min difference?) it will cost me about a dollar more.

Save

Rick

· #5 · Nov 8, 2004

I think your car's just getting broken in. I wouldn't personally think of keeping oil in it that long, but after my second oil change (I do them every 3,500 miles) I noticed it was loosening up.

Save

1 - 5 of 5 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month