Oil Change

i'm loathe to advise you do /anything/ to this vehicle until you locate the owners manual. and read it.

Any name brand of 5W-20 oil should be suitable. Exxon Superflo seems to be nearly identical to Honda branded oil (in the US). Get fresh stock with GF-4 noted on the label.

Oil filter is under the car and you will want a small sized oil filter strap wrench for removing it.

Also of course you need the usual oil change supplies and a correct way to dispose of the used oil and filter. In our area the curbside recycling pickup offers used oil bottles (look like milk jugs) and special bags for the old filter.

John

Do you have an owner's manual? It will tell you what oil to use. Or you can call your local dealer's service center and ask them. (I'm betting they'll say to use synthetic, for one thing.) The manual will also give you steps for changing the oil, possibly with drawings.

I would buy an OEM filter from an online parts site (like the one below) or the dealer. Then go to Wal-Mart or Pep Boys and buy a cap filter wrench that fits the new filter you just bought. (It should fit the filter on your car, too. Different makes of filter may require different wrench sizes, even for the same car.)

With the new filter in hand, go looking for it on your Pilot. It may or may not be the same color. The shape should be identical, though. From the site below, it looks like you'll have to get under the car to get to the old filter. If so, I recommend buying a pair of "Rhino ramps" for oil change jobs. These are heavy-duty plastic ramps onto which one drives the front of one's car, to raise the front and give the technician plenty of room to work. I'd say for most cars, they're darn near essential. They're about $20 to $30 at Autozone and Wal-Mart. (Last I noticed, I think Autozone had the best deal in town.)

special tool

Although the old one may be fatter- IIRC it was less than a year ago Honda changed to the new, slimmer filters.

Mike

That's unusual. I don't change oil any longer because you have find a auto parts store that takes the oil and then pay them. So, unless you enjoy changing oil, you really don't save anything over the $20.00 charged by your local Honda dealer. And, you have proof of service as well.

Recycling considerations must vary a lot by location. Here in Arizona I believe it is a requirement for any place that sells oil to take used oil in for recycling, free of charge. All the chains take recycle oil and most advertise it to attract traffic into the store. I take mine to Checker and buy oil there - fair is fair. I also get to have a look under the car and not have to schedule anything.

Mike

same thing up here in Manitoba Canada they have to take it for free, in fact one shop I know of uses the recycled oil to heat their shop. He runs it through some kind of filter and then burns it.

dunno if this is a clean way to get rid of it though.... but he says he saves about $3000 a month in heating.

Michael Pardee wrote:

My understanding is that most recycled oil ends up in heating oil, so he probably isn't off the beam. There is some concern about suspended heavy metals (particularly cadmium) but I don't see how that applies to engine oil.

Mike

These are pretty common in areas where regulations allow them. See:

i'm surprised it's allowed. some of the antioxidants used in motor oil in the u.s. are not only banned everywhere else, but their disposal is supposed to be regulated. not to mention wear products like lead.

Where does the lead come from?

Mike