06 Civic SI - Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 - 10.7k miles

[JoeFromPA]

Hi all,

The next iteration of the oil series in my 2006 Civic SI. I wanted to push Pennzoil Platinum up to 11k and beyond. This oil was in service about 6 months. Purolator PureOne oil filter, K&N Air filter....almost the same filters every run.

Driving is very spirited. Once warmed up, the car is shifted at 4500-5000 rpms and hits an 8000 rpm redline about 10 times a day. I routinely cruise at 4000 rpms, and allow the engine to brake itself from 6000-7000 rpms when the time suits. Despite all this, with my highway mileage, I get 29-30mpg on every single tank.

Engine is on original tune-up. Valves have not yet been adjusted, spark plugs are original. Nothing has ever been touched.

Consumption remains fairly steady with PP 5w30 at about 1 quart every 3500 miles. This is slightly elevated compared to past oils (where it was 1 quart every 4000 miles), but I also drive more aggressively nowadays. I've now switched to Mobil One 0w40 for a nice long run and to evaluate consumption on that oil.

Analysis: I can't believe PP 5w30 and the filters did this well. It was run through the entire, brutal winter up here. Plenty of long idling and salted roads. Plenty of very cold starts as well.

The TBN is almost shocking. This oil can keep going. I think 12k would be an easy next target, with 13-14k well within safe territory for my vehicle and driving style.

Overall, I'm quite happy.

Thoughts?

Joe

 

[JoeFromPA]

Oh, let me add, previous runs were (in order from most recent)

pennzoil platinum 5w30 (77k-67k)
Amsoil SSO 0w30
Amsoil SSO 0w30
Amsoil Series 2000 0w30

 

[Corvette Owner]

Wow, great results ! Top off oil helps your results.

Does your owner's manual call out 5W-20 or 5W-30 ?

Have your results with BOTH PP and M1 been relatively the same? Either oil perform better? Since I wrote this, you posted your previous oil usage, I can see that PP and Amsoil performed about the same.

My son has a 2001 Civic EX (137,000 miles on it, uses no oil) and I use mainly M1 5W-20 at 7,500 mile intervals. Looks like I could go longer.

 

[addyguy]

Very, very impressive results.

I'm a little suprisesd with all the top-off oil that viscosity didn't stay comfortably in the 30-weight range. I know it's high-rpm use; but the top-off oil should support that. Flashpoint is still good, so visc. loss doesn't seem to be from fuel.

Insols. are nice and low, so with top-off, this oil could have probably gone on indefinetly!

 

[JoeFromPA]

Hey Addy,

Thanks. I think the oil sump was actually .5 quarts low at the end as well.

The oil shears down a grade after this long a run in this engine. Doesn't seem to hurt, but it's one of my reasons for switching to Mobil One 0w40. Despite 3 quarts of added oil, PP 5w30 doesn't want to hold as a 30 grade.

 

[JoeFromPA]

Hey Corvette Owner,

Owner's manual calls for 5w30/0w30/10w30. 5w30 being the preferred.

I don't have any results with M1 yet. I just put 0w40 in and it has about 2000 miles on it now. There are no results in my oil analyses showing any Mobil One results.

My comments on M1 0w40, thus far, is that it seems to be an exceptionally smooth running oil in my engine. This engine, to me, gives off a bit of vibes as you run it in the higher rpm ranges. 0w40 seems to run smoother, and also to run smoother at higher rpms when the engine is cold.

This engine is VERY jerky and resists revving when it's only been on for 1-2 minutes. It's very sensitive. Supposedly MAF tuning from the manufacturer. Regardless, with this oil, it seems to be less sensitive and happier to hit 3500 rpms sooner.

 

[Corvette Owner]

Allowing your engine to brake itself from 6,000 to 7,000 rpms is probably using up a lot of your oil. The pvc system is probably sucking oil/oil vapor into engine at these high vacuum situations.

I know it "sounds cool" but I would not be doing this on a regular basis.

 

[bepperb]

These K series are just horrible.

Kidding. Looking great. I don't drive half as hard as you do and chicken out at 7500 miles. As long as you don't mind the cost of the make up oil, obviously there is no excess wear and your fuel economy is great... I'd keep driving it like you enjoy.

 

[JoeFromPA]

Originally Posted By: Corvette Owner
Allowing your engine to brake itself from 6,000 to 7,000 rpms is probably using up a lot of your oil. The pvc system is probably sucking oil/oil vapor into engine at these high vacuum situations.

I know it "sounds cool" but I would not be doing this on a regular basis.


Heheh, I do it when I'm entering a corner hot and I want to stay in the desired gear, but i'm not autocrossing or tracking so I'm not slamming on the brakes and downshifting

I've got about 90k on the original drivetrain right now, even down to the wheel bearings. I drive my way, and it seems to work

 

[Johnny]

The 0W-40 should help with the consumption some but it looks like your Si likes to shear oils. Even sheared the SSO 0W-30. Glad you said what the oils were as the add packs for the Platinum and SSO almost look the same, main difference being base stocks, Group III Vs PAO.

 

[badtlc]

So this had 3 qts of makeup oil? Isn't this sump around 4qts? i expected a better TBN if that is correct.

 

[JoeFromPA]

This car (meaning, my car and MOST SIs, but not all) takes 5.5 quarts to top it off with a full drain and oil filter change. So in total, over 10.7k miles, this car had 8.5 quarts running around in it.

This was the single biggest reason I switched off SSO. It was costing me ~$90-100 to run 15k intervals with it (and an oil filter). With PP 5w30 at even $5 per quart, I'm getting 11k for $50-55, and it's more readily available.

I bought this batch of M1 0w40 for $5 a quart, or 5 quarts + a M1 oil filter for $30.

Johnny - We'll see about the M1 0w40 helping with consumption, I'm hopeful, but not optimistic. Every oil I've run in this thing, including GC 0w30 early on, was consumed. I think it'sjust a function of how my ring packs are built/broken in and my driving style. Certainly isn't hurting anything.

 

[Turk]

Wonderful.

Am I really the 1st one to mention to change the PCV? think you should.

 

[JoeFromPA]

Car has been consuming about the same amount of oil since Day 1, over 4 years ago. Different oils, same results.

The model of engine is known as an oil consumer, due to the way it's rings are designed.

Why would you recommend changing the PCV?

 

[addyguy]

It's not an unreasonable suggestion - many people have cured oil-burners by changing/cleaning the PCV valve.

 

[iluvhonda]

Originally Posted By: JoeFromPA
Car has been consuming about the same amount of oil since Day 1, over 4 years ago. Different oils, same results.

The model of engine is known as an oil consumer, due to the way it's rings are designed.

Why would you recommend changing the PCV?


Link about the ring design?

 

[tig1]

3 QTs of top up oil show their benifit here. You nearly replaced all of the oil with this run. No doubt you can go longer at this rate.

 

[CaspianM]

I doubt any consumer engine is designed to burn oil at the rate of one quart per 4k miles. I would have the oil rings replaced if all other attempts failed. I had a 85 si and never consumed oil til i had accumulated about 100k miles on it. Even then it was 1/2 qrt per 4k miles when it reached about 150k miles.
To be realistic the UOA numbers should be 50% higher considering that you nearly replaced 3.5 qrts.

 

[JoeFromPA]

CaspianM - Which numbers? Wear metals in UOAs are pretty useless, all that matters is that the metal numbers are trending consistently.

Your 25 year old engine design is not a reflection on an engine design released in 2001 (and then updated slightly a few times).

Many consumer engines are designed to burn up to 1 quart per 1000 miles. These are mainly high RPM engines, and include those made by Porsche and BMW M. It's normal vehicle function, depending on design.

iluvhonda - I don't have a link for you and 2 minutes on google didn't pop one up easily (too many forums on k20-based engines with threads on oil consumption to make it easy!).

Look it up if you want. Honda uses a low-friction ring design which allows for better wear properties at high rpms, partially by allowing greater quantities of oil to stay in the combustion chamber. That's a side effect really, but it pairs with the design itself.

 

[CaspianM]

I know a couple of guys (at work) who drive late SI's and just asked them about oil consumption. Both have less than 50k on them and they are adding about 1/4~1/2 qrt per every oil change 4-5k miles. Too much oil burning by design for street cars is against the EPA's standard as well. Porsche pays a heft fees for a lot of violations for every car they sell. Honda cannot afford such things as they are supposed to be clean burning cars and they are sold pretty cheaply.
UOA metal wears are usefull. At the very least you establish a baseline numbers for your kind of engine and or offers a ball park comparision basis in the same class of cars..