2010 v6 accord bought new. mixed city/road driving. dealer did first 2 oil changes. had 3rd done at a shop i know and trust. no oil on stick. it was a little low when my on board monitor said 20% life. at 5% we drained the oil and it was at least 2 quarts low. 7000 is wayyyyyy too long for standard oil. maybe synthetic can go 7k. now at 21,000 miles i wonder how much damage this ridiculous 7k change frequency with dino oil has caused. go ahead and chastise me for not checking oil more frequently but its a new car serviced at the dealer for the 1st 15k. my previous v8 didnt burn a drop w/synthetic every 7k until i sold it with 140k mikes on the clock. the monitoring system, to me is a misleading feature not to trusted....md in illinois

 

we are all allowed our opinions....the reminder is ONLY for oil life, not as an oil level sensor....so yes you should check the level more often, if there is a leak, document it, take it to the dealer an find out why. I follow the owners manual or the "life" monitor as to when to change it, not when to check it...I have OCD about that and at most go 3~4 weeks before "checking" the oil, and the other need items to keep at car running.....the six Honda's I own, well over 1 Million miles...215K + 245K + 210K + 195K + 367K + 75K....oldest to newest, not counting the Chevelle. I use dino in all but the '07....BTW, the older ones get changed ~ 6k, if they need it or not. This thread is nothing but a debate, I just put my two cents in...as said to each their own.

 

As Poorman stated, it is an oil life monitor, not a gauge to measure how much is in the sump. They haven't digitalized the dipstick yet...but I'm sure that Apple is working on an app for that! LOL

 

a little net searching has revealed oil consumption for v6 accords is well documented.
some are burning 1qt every 1000 miles. some noted that the variable cylinder use could be a cause. just checked my oil...burning a qt every 3k. i am convinced that 7k intervals on dino oil is too long. the "complimentary" oil changes the dealers perform are not watching the amount of discharged oil coming out of these new cars after 7000 miles. i will bet most are 2.5-3.5 qts as most folks are watching the oil monitor.

 

My 2008 Honda Accord EX-L Sedan, 2.4 L, 4 cylinder.
Last oil change at 15% Oil life 26,711 miles, Nov. 19, 2010.
Now oil change at 15% Oil life 38,711 miles, May 02, 2012.

After 14 months and 11,873 miles my Accord's computer says to change the oil! Obviously I don't put a lot of miles on my car but, it's incredible to me this long interval.
I use 5W20 as Honda prescribes and I also use synthetic.
Anybody have similar experience?

Later I looked at the Owner's Manual a it says "Change Engine Oil, at least, once a year"

 

As a current automotive student, I actually just learned this yesterday btw, as a rule of thumb it is best to change your oil every 2000-3000 miles. For synthetic its about every 5000 miles. Honestly, I change my oil every 3000 miles for better protection since my car has 270k on it. The thing is, it really can change depending on serve vs. light driving conditions. The oil itself NEVER goes bad. Just the additive in it get burnt out basically. Oil is the single most important fluid in your engine and that being said, I would change it every 3000 miles. At about 20$ an oil change, its a small price for all the good it does for your engine.

You can never change your oil too much. But if your getting above the 7000 mile mark, your only shortening the life of your engine by a small percentage, but that adds up quick if its habit.

 

Follow the advice in the manual.....unless you race or are driving a '52 plymouth there is no need to change oil more than 2x a year....it's a waste of time, money, and oil....newer vehicle can go almost 12,000 miles between changes.....I've always put about 160,000 miles on all my cars/Hondas before selling....never changed more than 2X a year....oil doesn't break down as it used to....good luck....