Author Topic: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?  (Read 10700 times)

CutieJazzy

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: Mk4 - Honda Jazz EX 2022
I was wondering if I should get my oil checked and topped up at a garage or if I can do it myself?

I’m a first time car owner, and feel nervous! It seems the Jazz needs 0W20 oil. Do I order the genuine Honda Jazz oil? Where can I order it from?

Also, how often does everyone check their oil here?

Thank you!

Bristol_Crosstar

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 383
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2023 Jazz Advance Sport
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2024, 09:50:30 AM »
If you get your car regularly serviced by a Honda dealership you shouldn't need to top up the oil on the hybrid models, I don't even check mine these days.

coldstart

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 265
  • Country: ch
  • Fuel economy:
  • My Honda: Advance MY24
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2024, 10:23:44 AM »
I was wondering if I should get my oil checked and topped up at a garage or if I can do it myself?

I’m a first time car owner, and feel nervous! It seems the Jazz needs 0W20 oil. Do I order the genuine Honda Jazz oil?

Welcome to the Jazz owner's club  :)

You can check the oil by yourself it is no rocket science. Just make sure the car is standing level and has stood for some time before checking.

You don't need to use genuine Honda oil. Just make sure it is 0W-20 and meets the ACEA C5 specification.
This information usually is somewhere in the small print on the oil can.

As per frequency: Like Bristol_Crosstar has pointed out our cars usually don't use additional oil between services.

As a new car owner I made monthly checks but meanwhile only check before longer travels, as the oil level hasn't noticably changed.

Enjoy your new car!

RomanianJazz

  • Registered Member
  • *
  • Posts: 9
  • Country: ro
  • My Honda: Jazz EX 2021
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2024, 11:19:30 AM »
Find the owner's manual online and use CTRL + F to search for whatever.

Whiteshark

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 191
  • Country: england
  • My Honda: Mk 4 jazz Hybrid EX Chrystal Red
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2024, 11:26:24 AM »
If it is your first car, under warranty and serviced by a Honda main agent, your first port of call really should be the Honda garage. It would be extremely unusual to need oil between services, and they would tell you that. It is probably good routine to check the oil level every now and again, and they would show you how.
I once towed a boat from Uk to Spain, maximum weight limit with an automatic petrol CRV. On return I checked the oil, not a drop used.

CutieJazzy

  • Topic Starter
  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: Mk4 - Honda Jazz EX 2022
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2024, 12:00:28 PM »
If it is your first car, under warranty and serviced by a Honda main agent, your first port of call really should be the Honda garage. It would be extremely unusual to need oil between services, and they would tell you that. It is probably good routine to check the oil level every now and again, and they would show you how.
I once towed a boat from Uk to Spain, maximum weight limit with an automatic petrol CRV. On return I checked the oil, not a drop used.

Wow! I had no idea we didn’t need to change or top-up the oil that often.

I’ve only driven 2500 miles since I bought my car 7 months ago so maybe my oil isn’t even that low right now.

Thanks so much for the advice and help!

Lord Voltermore

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1963
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2021 Jazz EX
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2024, 01:10:48 PM »
The  handbook is a bit over cautious.   It recommends doing it every time you refuel, and suggests oil consumption could be as high  as  a litre per 1000 km (625 miles)  :o   Although this is possible on a  very high mileage engine,   in practice I have never needed to top up engine oil between services on a reasonably low mileage car.

Best to learn how to do all the the under bonnet checks  as shown in the handbook. -  oil dipstick and a visual check on brake fluid and  engine coolant level.
I just check them whenever I top up the windscreen washer bottle , which i would do anyway before a long journey. 

In theory checking the oil dipstick is easy  but its not always easy to see very clean oil on the orange marker section that indicates maximum and  minimum.    A useful tip is to gently lay some absorbent tissue  against the oil.  It will show up better as it soaks into the tissue.

If you have already done half your expected annual mileage  and the oil level has only dropped by say a quarter so far   its not necessary to top  the oil back up to maximum.

The brake fluid is a see through container with the max and minimum level marked.   The coolant bottle is see through. The correct level is not full up.  The maximum and minimum level are marked  by bars.   Check this while the engine is cold as  levels can vary by temperature   Despite what the handbook says I  dont advise attempting to top up brake fluid or coolant yourself if you think the level is low.  Its not normal for their levels to drop in service. Consult a mechanic. 
« Last Edit: April 07, 2024, 01:36:58 PM by Lord Voltermore »
  Trust a dog to guard your house  , but not your sandwich

ColinS

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 901
  • Country: england
  • My Honda: 2018 HR-V EX-Navi CVT
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2024, 03:49:11 PM »
The  handbook is a bit over cautious.   It recommends doing it every time you refuel, and suggests oil consumption could be as high  as  a litre per 1000 km (625 miles)  :o

Don't think you would need to check it.  The trail of blue cloud you would see in your rear view mirror would be a clue :D

PaulC

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 111
  • Country: nz
  • My Honda: Jazz eHEV Luxe
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2024, 09:16:01 PM »
Putting non-Honda oil into the engine for a topup might invalidate your Honda warranty?

Lord Voltermore

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1963
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2021 Jazz EX
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2024, 07:58:54 AM »
Putting non-Honda oil into the engine for a topup might invalidate your Honda warranty?
No , the only requirement is to use the correct specification oil.   Honda dont make oil.  They do deals with various oil blenders to package their oil under Hondas own brand name,  or  a financial  deal for it to be marketed as a leading oil Brand with endorsements such as 'meets Honda specification'. And rather than ship packaged oil from Japan to Europe more local sources, from a different oil company may be used.   . Maybe from Japan to NZ. So you may well have different oil than cars serviced in europe.   

The same oil blender may market other brands of oil filled  from the same tank. And much cheaper as it misses out the  middle man of Honda or 'premium' oil brand.  I have read that Main dealers in the  UK sometimes source their oil direct from the  actual blender rather than Honda.  Especially if they hold franchises for various car brands. 

Anyway how would they know?   Topping up  3 litres of correct oil remaining in the engine
 with maybe half a litre of oil of the correct,or very nearly correct, specification is unlikely to do any harm.  Honda would only investigate if you do a complete oil change  with completely wrong oil and wreck the engine.   
  Trust a dog to guard your house  , but not your sandwich

John Ratsey

  • Approved Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2674
  • Country: gb
  • My Honda: 2022 HR-V Elegance
Re: New driver and Jazz owner for 7 months. Should I top-up oil myself?
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2024, 08:47:29 AM »
I've never needed to add oil to a Honda engine between services. I occasionally check it and always find that it's difficult to see on the dipstick as it's so clean. Unlike my first car where the oil had turned black after a 1,000 miles and would need topping up.
2022 HR-V Elegance, previously 2020 Jazz Crosstar

Tags:
 

anything
Back to top