06 Civic 5w20 Recommendations

[Dad2leia]

Good point Bill. I do realize that you can't always cover everything, although to give you a Stealership story real fast, here ya go:

Took my CR-V in for the 10K mile service. Told them not to touch the engine oil, as I was using synthetic at the time (Redline at that point), they said OK, not a problem. Well considering that the form automatically prints up for the techs what to do for a 10K service on each specific model of Honda at this dealer, they did the OC anyway.

Went back, told them about it, and they replaced it free of charge (the oil, anyway, not my special filter, and I won't use Honda filters after reading about them here), and wouldn't you know it, they gave me Redline 5w30!! Yep, 5w30, even though it is spec'd for 5w20. I asked about it, and they said not a problem. I looked behind the parts counter where they keep their stash, and lo and behold, 5w30 is right there with 5w20 and 0w20 for the hybrids.

Go figure, but CYA'ing is a smart thing to do. So now, I use what I want for my protection level, and keep the OCI's reasonable. He's already got 33K+miles, and will see 100K+ long before I'd have to worry about my warranty stuff kicking in I'm sure.

My stuff always goes wrong AFTER the warranty is up, so I pay for it anyway!!!

 

[AndyH]

quote:

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Originally posted by gerhardb:
Pictures can be seen here:

http://elabfcsvrt.fdu.edu/bartsch/06Civic/

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Nice looking Civic! Funky wiper setup...how'd they do in all that rain we had this past week?

quote:

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Originally posted by gerhardb:
BTW: Havoline? We do I get it?

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I purchased Havoline 5W-20 for my sister's 2004 Civic VP at my local AutoZone.

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

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Originally posted by Winston:
Its big?!?! All the 5W20's seem to be great oils. Check the used oil analysis. There has been no significant difference between MC, Havoline, Penz, Valv etc. Pick one and stick with it. When do you plan on doing the first oil change?

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A little sidetrack: it's amazing how these "small" cars have grown, while continuing to demonstrate outstanding economy of operation. The brand new Civic and the current Corolla are pretty much on dimensional par with the Accord and Camrys of ~12-15 years ago. I'm thinking the new Civic is going to be very popular. Good looking (well, that dash seems a tad overdone...), great mileage, very reasonable sticker, etc. I hope you enjoy yours.

After you let the engine settle down, if you really want to dig in and answer the question, run a few of the OCIs you plan stick with, using a few different oils, test them, and settle in on the one that produces the best results under your particular operating conditions.

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

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Originally posted by Dad2leia:
{snip}
My stuff always goes wrong AFTER the warranty is up, so I pay for it anyway!!!

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We don't see many of them here, but there are a whole lot of folks who are very good at statistical calculation and reasoning working for the automakers. It's no accident that the vast majority of problems crop up after the wty is expired.

 

[Bill in Utah]

I just looked at the photos and have even test drove a 2006 LX sedan and just noticed the wipers.

Why did they to the wipers that end up going from the edge to the center?

Bad move. The snow will pile up in the middle of the windsheild and become a problem. The Dodge Caravans we have at work all have this problem...

With the wipers that go the same way and one wiper ends on the side the snow goes away...

Interesting..

It will be interesting to see how they do.. Maybe thats why they have larger wipers so they do snap when the piles of snow/ice are in the center?

Hopefully better than the other outfits that have the same design..

Take care, Bill

 

[ruking77]

quote:

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Originally posted by ekpolk:

quote:

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Originally posted by Winston:
Its big?!?! All the 5W20's seem to be great oils. Check the used oil analysis. There has been no significant difference between MC, Havoline, Penz, Valv etc. Pick one and stick with it. When do you plan on doing the first oil change?

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A little sidetrack: it's amazing how these "small" cars have grown, while continuing to demonstrate outstanding economy of operation. The brand new Civic and the current Corolla are pretty much on dimensional par with the Accord and Camrys of ~12-15 years ago. I'm thinking the new Civic is going to be very popular. Good looking (well, that dash seems a tad overdone...), great mileage, very reasonable sticker, etc. I hope you enjoy yours.

After you let the engine settle down, if you really want to dig in and answer the question, run a few of the OCIs you plan stick with, using a few different oils, test them, and settle in on the one that produces the best results under your particular operating conditions.

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Yeah, I would also agree. I guess there is something to an oil being mixed to 5w20 Honda/Ford specifications, vs using an oil (say 5w30) whose engine is specified for any 5w30.

Also the 5w20 specification has been used in more than a few model years. So there are gatherings of longitudinal data: specifically 0w20/5w20 VOA's and used oil analysis documented on this web site and of course others.

So if my 2004 Honda Civic VP with 19,000 miles on 5w20 is any gauge, I am very happy with the 0w20/5w20 performance. It should be a no brainer operation for the 2006 Honda Civic model year also.

For me since I have a long history with Mobil 1, it is not a leap being my favorite oil. But I would agree, if I decided to stay with conventional oil it is hard to go wrong with almost any 5w20. I would buy on price/ performance.

At this mileage (19,000 miles)I sense no issues (other than unforseeable bad statistical luck) which would impede me from doing OVER 250,000 miles. This is with OCI's of a min of 10,000 (conventional or synthetic) to a probable (for me) more normal of 15,000 to 20,000 OCI's with Mobil 1 5w20.(synthetic).

 

[sxg6]

motorcraft 5w-20. that's what id use in your shoes, wish i had used it instead of full synthetic in my '03 civic. very satisfied with 0w/5w-20 performance in my civic which now has 66,000mi.

 

[21Rouge]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill in Utah:
(and I will tell you that Ford did ask for when I had a warrenty claim and checked EACH UPC code. (they had a book with UPC codes and what brand oil and weight the UPC is for!

)

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I am curious Bill. What were the specifics of the warranty claim that the dealer checked your records so particularly?

 

[SWS]

Congrats on your new car! I have an '03 Civic EX and like it, but I think that Honda did a great upgrade on the new '06 model.

I use Mobil 1 5w30 in my Civic that also calls for 5W-20. I have the oil changed at the dealer every 6 months. As I have learned on this board, Mobil 1 5w30 is a thin 30 - it is almost a 20 weight. Engine runs well on it.

Enjoy your ride!

 

[Bill in Utah]

quote:

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Originally posted by jtantare:
Mobil 1 0w40 or 5w40. Why let the EPA limit your options? I would wait to see what oil Honda recomends of the 1.8 litre in euro Civic.

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It's called a Warrenty. IF there is a problem, Honda will ask for receipts and if you give them any ammo (like running oil that is not spec'd in their manual) to shoot your claim down, they will use it.

(and I will tell you that Ford did ask for when I had a warrenty claim and checked EACH UPC code. (they had a book with UPC codes and what brand oil and weight the UPC is for!

)

While I will agree with you could use a 40wt in the engine, WHY?

We have seen more than enough used oil analysis and real long life engines that are getting good MPG (which is one of the reasons to buy a Civic) and excellent wear with 5w-20!

With that said, once the Warrenty was gone, I'd go to 5w30 since it's cheaper and change it out @ 5k ocis... And watch the Honda last to 300k plus..

Take care, Bill

 

[Dad2leia]

IF one would take reasonablt care with their Honda, there shouldn't be a warranty claim to worry about filing. While I agree that you can go longer than 3-5K miles with an OCI (a recent convert to extending them, as I used to faithfully do that interval), the only time I would foresee a problem is trying to push the envelope to 15 or 20K miles.

Do a 10K mile interval, which is long and reasonable (if you put on the miles like I do in a year) and 5-6K miles if you don't rack up the miles, and be happy knowing that your Honda will last that 300K miles plus, and tell the dealer to have a Coke, a smile and shut-up!!!

 

[Bill in Utah]

quote:

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Originally posted by Boxgrover:

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill in Utah:
(and I will tell you that Ford did ask for when I had a warrenty claim and checked EACH UPC code. (they had a book with UPC codes and what brand oil and weight the UPC is for!

)

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I am curious Bill. What were the specifics of the warranty claim that the dealer checked your records so particularly?

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I had a Head Gasket leak and Terry caught it with a used oil analysis. It was slight but I did not want it to get any worst.

The car was 3 yrs and 1 month old, but had 62k on it and the only warrenty was 3yr/36k.

Most of my driving is highway and I asked ford do they build cars to eat headgaskets in 3 yr or only 62k miles? They said no but they can not warrenty the car because I may drive it hard or not maintain it.

They asked for all maint records and receipts. I proved to them that I changed oil MORE often than they required, used correct oil and filters and even went to the point to pay $30 for a used oil analysis on a $10 oil change, I maintain and drive the car better than the normal person.

They warrentied the $1200 repair with the car 26k out of warrenty.

I'll be honest, between the oil changes with PROPER oil, the OCI UNDER fords recommend and a used oil analysis to catch the problem early so the engine required only a headgasket change got me to have ford repair AFTER the warrenty.

If I was changing my oil every 15k.. forget it.

$1200 out of my pocket without ANY question. I spent alot of time with Ford on this!

This is prob why I am so hard headed about warrenty and using normal oils and changing them atleast what the mfg says..

(are you sorry you asked?)

Take care, Bill

 

[z917990]

Congrats on your new Civic. They really look cool. I use Mobil 1 0w/5w-20 or Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20 in my '03 Accord 2.4 litre. When I first got the car, I was worried that 5w20 conventional would break down and not protect the engine sufficiently. I also bought into the rumors that 5w-20 was some kind of conspiracy to cause premature engine wear. The used oil analysis on this site has shown that my concerns were unwarranted. Although use of 5w-20 is rooted in CAFE mandates, the evidence seems to indicate that 5w-20, both conventional and synthetic, should be fine if you stay within the recommended 5000 mile OCI. (If you consult your car manual, you will see that Honda's definition of "severe" driving means that almost everyone falls into this catagory, thus 5000 mile OCIs are recommended.) I also agree that all receipts for oil changes should be kept to prevent any warranty issues. You also probably should get your other fluids changed at the Honda dealership for the same reason. Have fun! Good luck.

 

[greg_J35]

quote:

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Originally posted by gerhardb:
I finally replaced my Honda Prelude with a band spanking new 2006 Civic EX Sedan with Navigation.

It's nice... it's big... and it's the first car I've ever owned that uses 5w20 oil.

So, the question I have is:

Once I'm past the breaking period, which decent 5w20 oil should I use?

This will be a commuter car! (Bought it because it's feature rich and has great gas milage.)

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Motorcraft or Trop Artic 5w20 with Wix filter at 5000 mile intervals.I have previously posted my dissatisfaction with Mobil 1 5w20 in a 2003 Accord 2.4.

 

[yohan]

Honda civic 2003 99 000 km
5w20 honda, 5w20 castrol gtx, Pennzoil Conventional 5w20 and now I'm using 5w20 esso protec extra...

No oil consumtion and running like new...Honda's engines are the best!

Enjoy your new Honda

 

[gerhardb]

quote:

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Originally posted by AndyH:

quote:

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Originally posted by gerhardb:
Pictures can be seen here:

http://elabfcsvrt.fdu.edu/bartsch/06Civic/

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Nice looking Civic! Funky wiper setup...how'd they do in all that rain we had this past week?

quote:

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Originally posted by gerhardb:
BTW: Havoline? We do I get it?

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I purchased Havoline 5W-20 for my sister's 2004 Civic VP at my local AutoZone.

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First, I want to apologize to all of you for not posting responses! I thought that I had the email notification turned on...

Anyway, yeah, it's a nice car. In fact, the 06 Civic Si is actually an Acura RSX with a different skin! Current testing is showing that it actually gets about 190HP to the wheels!! Neato.

The wippers work like a champ... but with all of that rain we were seeing in Jersey, I had to Rain-X the windshield to really keep it clear.

Also, I installed the OEM fog lights with yellow H11 bulbs after that wet experience to enhance visability. Little known factoid: 9012 bulds from Thoshiba can be cut (rekeyed) down to fit the 9006 bulb housing and provide 70% higher lumens at 55watts in the OEM head lamp housing. (Without blinding on coming traffic...)

So the rain: No problem!

In so far as the oil, I guess I pick out a good 0w20 and start oil testing!

I suppose it's the filter I really was to find a good one of... As I doubt I can get the Japanese produced filter that comes on the Civic.

 

[gerhardb]

quote:

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Originally posted by z917990:
Although use of 5w-20 is rooted in CAFE mandates, the evidence seems to indicate that 5w-20, both conventional and synthetic, should be fine if you stay within the recommended 5000 mile OCI. (If you consult your car manual, you will see that Honda's definition of "severe" driving means that almost everyone falls into this catagory, thus 5000 mile OCIs are recommended.) I also agree that all receipts for oil changes should be kept to prevent any warranty issues. You also probably should get your other fluids changed at the Honda dealership for the same reason. Have fun! Good luck.

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Actually, I've got the extended warranty on the car, so I'll probably end up having Honda change the oil for me initally. However, I think I'll be checking to ensure they are using Honda oil (from Exxon/Mobil) and not Quaker State cheap crap... like my old Honda dealer was doing.

The interesting thing about this Honda is that it's got some sort of oil change sensor that tells you the life of the oil.

...or, it's got an oil "timer" that tells you the percentage life left in the oil as the miles tick by.

The sales rep wasn't too useful with the technical aspects of the process. -grin-

 

[AndyH]

quote:

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Originally posted by gerhardb:
I suppose it's the filter I really was to find a good one of... As I doubt I can get the Japanese produced filter that comes on the Civic.

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Here's where I purchases the good-quality Filtech oil filters for my sister's '04 Civic:
http://www.handa-accessories.com/civmaint06.html

 

[gerhardb]

quote:

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Originally posted by AndyH:

quote:

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Originally posted by gerhardb:
I suppose it's the filter I really was to find a good one of... As I doubt I can get the Japanese produced filter that comes on the Civic.

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Here's where I purchases the good-quality Filtech oil filters for my sister's '04 Civic:
http://www.handa-accessories.com/civmaint06.html

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Are they selling the A01 FilTech oil filters?

...or the Honda A02 US version FRAM filters?

I've taken them both apart and the FilTech filters are VERY nice.

 

[crw]

Bill,

(one more Off Topic question)

Just curious to know, what Ford engine was it that gave you head gasket problems?

Regards, Cliff from up the road in Idaho