03 CRV - first oil change recommendations

[Audioquest]

I'm coming up on my 03 CRV's first oil change at 8,000kms. This is a leased vehicle and I will probably not be keeping it after the lease. I will be retaining all my receipts for warranty purposes.

I'm going with a "white" Quaker State oil filter (manufactured by Purolator) but have not decided what oil yet.

Should I go dino or synthetic? Should I use 5W20? Remember, my only concern is maintaining the warranty situation. Any particular brand recommendations?

 

[Audioquest]

CORRECTION: That should read 2005 CRV, not 2003.

 

[Pablo]

Choose any of the 5W-20's from $1.XX qt to $5.00 qt.

 

[BrianWC]

I was wondering how you let oil sit in it for 3 years!!!

Well, I've run mostly synth in mine but lately gone to dino. The thing seems soft on oil so as long as it's a good oil, don't worry.

 

[hominid7]

Exxon Superflo 5w20, an excellent oil at an excellent price, and also the factory fill (or pretty close to it).

If all else fails, since it's a lease, you could also use walmart supertech.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

If maintaining the warranty is your main concern, go with the Superflo hominid7 recommended or Honda's oil if you're really concerned, change every 5k, and use a Wix/Napa Gold filter. Cheapest way to go but still quality.
PS---Be prepared to get oil all over whatever your CR-V is sitting on. Also, you should get a pie tin (throwaway version) to hold up under the filter when taking it off (if you can get it off, that is!) and catch the oil. If you do not do this, you will get oil in the frame/suspension rails. Once it's parked on a front-slanting slope, you will go crazy thinking you're leaking lots of oil when in fact it's only running out of the suspension rails that have holes in the bottom. That will last about a week.
I know because I own a 2005 CR-V.

 

[Buzzsaw]

On my '03 CR-V I use Havoline 5w20 with lube control and a Honda Filtech filter. I plan on driving mine for 10+ years.

 

[STSinNYC]

You'll find a number of very good UOAs for Honda engines on this site for both dinos and syns -- Exxon Superflo, Havoline, Pennzoil dinos among them. You can do fine with a well-maintained Honda with any of them.

 

[Audioquest]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chris Meutsch:
If maintaining the warranty is your main concern, go with the Superflo hominid7 recommended or Honda's oil if you're really concerned, change every 5k, and use a Wix/Napa Gold filter. Cheapest way to go but still quality.
PS---Be prepared to get oil all over whatever your CR-V is sitting on. Also, you should get a pie tin (throwaway version) to hold up under the filter when taking it off (if you can get it off, that is!) and catch the oil. If you do not do this, you will get oil in the frame/suspension rails. Once it's parked on a front-slanting slope, you will go crazy thinking you're leaking lots of oil when in fact it's only running out of the suspension rails that have holes in the bottom. That will last about a week.
I know because I own a 2005 CR-V.

---

My CRV is also a 2005 (the 03 was a typing error). How tight is the factory filter screwed on? My plan was to use a cap-style filter wrench. If the filter won't budge, I'll wrap the outside of the filter with fine grit sandpaper, then tap the cap wrench on lightly over the sandpaper with a hammer. This way, it won't slip while you're turning the wrench.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

It was the tightest filter I've ever tried to take off. I also had taken off my 2001 Civic's factory filter and this was much, much harder. I have a band-style wrench that goes on the end of my socket wrench and was lifting myself off the garage floor with the torque being applied. It finally began to loosen after about 10 minutes of wrenching on it. It also doesn't help when Honda makes the space to put your hands in smaller and smaller on each car!
Working on the Civic is like a '77 Chevy truck compared to the CR-V.

 

[greg_J35]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Audioquest:
I'm coming up on my 03 CRV's first oil change at 8,000kms. This is a leased vehicle and I will probably not be keeping it after the lease. I will be retaining all my receipts for warranty purposes.

I'm going with a "white" Quaker State oil filter (manufactured by Purolator) but have not decided what oil yet.

Should I go dino or synthetic? Should I use 5W20? Remember, my only concern is maintaining the warranty situation. Any particular brand recommendations?

---

I have a 2003 Accord 2.4 and use Pennzoil platinum 5w20 oil and Wix filter at 5000 mile intervals with no problems. Avoid fram filters and use any oil that meets the Honda specification.

 

[pmwalter]

I found that reaching through the right front wheel well will give you much better access to the oil filter. That is the best angle under the CRV to loosen and tighten the filter. Reaching up directly under the CRV is too hard. In addition, it's easier to see the filter mount.

 

[hominid7]

A good cap-style oil filter wrench and a nice 18" breaker bar should do the job. Changing the filter (or at least getting it broken free) when the engine is nice and hot will be easier (assuming you dont burn yourself).

Surgical gloves also do wonders to protect ones hands while changing the oil.

 

[sxg6]

a breaker bar should never, ever be necessary to remove an oil filter. i just use oil filter pliers to get it started if i cant do it by hand.

in your shoes, id use a regular old dino 5w-20 and change it twice a year. unless you drive over 24,000km a year.

 

[Cutehumor]

a lease? if your not going to keep it, run the cheapest SM oil 5w-20 and run the manufactuer oci spec. since honda say 10k oci for normal driving, I would check oil every month to make sure oil is full.

 

[Auto-Union]

I went with Havoline 5w-20 for my 1st change due to the high moly. Filter came right off my Acura...but I have a chain vice-grip. No filter has defied it. Great tool.

 

[BrianWC]

From now on it's SuperTech 5W30 (or maybe 10W30 HM) with a bit of LC. Quite a bit cheaper than the strict Mobil1 diet she was on for the first 60k miles. Given my wife runs her 80 mph on the interstate every day for about 12-14 miles, in addition to the stop and go, I think the oil wears nicely.

But really, the cheapest 5W20 would be fine!

 

[Audioquest]

I took the advice of many and purchased the next-to-cheapest 5W20 that I could find: Castrol GTX. For some reason, Walmart hasn't raised the price on this oil. It was still $3.48 per litre while all the rest of the oils were up to almost $4.00 for dino! (crude oil prices are getting a little out of control). I could have purchased the Walmart brand Tech 2000 5W20 for a little over $2.00/litre, but something in the back of my head kept saying no, no, no...