Changed a friends oil over the weekend. 2000 Honda Civic 5spd, with 200k miles.
Popped the drain plug, and 1 whole quart of jet black oil came out.
I asked if the car has been running well. He says 'yeah, no problems at all... been about 10k miles since the last change'.
Oil filter was a Napa PS which looked in rough shape.
Filled her up with a P Classic oil filter and 4 quarts of Mobil 2000 HM 5w30, informed him that it burns oil, handed him a quart to store in his car for top ups, and told him to check it monthly.
Just another example of how unbelievably pampered my cars are compared to the rest of the world.
2000 Honda Civic - runs fine on 1 quart of oil
- Thread starter webfors
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I had a boss who never added oil until his oil pressure warning light came on. Then he bought one quart at a time, until he go to add line and quit!
Why do these people never have car problems?
The oil pressure light coming on is a major problem!
Just added 3.5 qts M1 HM to a lady's 99 Intrepid recently. Was running entirely on thick quart of sludge it could not consume. Didnt sound that bad honestly. Sludge probably saved that civic too. If it were clean it would have ceased!
I worked for a while at a WM TLE 4 years ago.
You would not believe how many Honda Civics specifically came in with no oil at all showing on the d/s, and running just fine.
You'd tell the owner about how low it was on oil, and they'd be shocked - "it didn't run like there was a problem, I didn't hear anything".
my girlfriend when we started dating had a 2001 hyundai accent.
that car holds about 3.4qts of oil with filter change.
A couple times when she came over after work I could hear it clicking and klanking. I usually had to add 2 qts... one time I had to add 3qts...
She now has a new car.. I do the oil changes.. and I check the oil monthly.. it has 20k miles on it and uses no oil. Maybe .5qt in 5000miles max.
It's been getting whatever cheap syn for 5k intervals(warranty). The dipstick still gets deposits though.
In the winter the oil vapor condenses on the cold dipstick.. which is on front of engine.
final note: She now reminds me when it needs an oil change and she checks it herself about once a month.
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Strange thing was, inside the oil cap it was clean as a whistle and there was no smoke out the tailpipe. No indication.
It's as if this the engine wasn't the least bit affected by this particular 'event'.
Originally Posted By: whip
And yet people continue to waste their money on synthetic oil for "superior protection". Go figure.
Geez, I feel like a negligent owner when I check and it's near the "ADD" part of the dipstick.
Only one quart seems like a stretch, but as long as there is enough oil in in the engine to circulate properly, it it really makes little difference how much is in it...
Usually when cold there is a pint to a quart "hanging" in the upper regions of the engine, so when cold is the time a critically low condition would most likely be noticed... If driven hard, the small amount of oil in the pan could slosh away from the pickup and cause a loss of pressure...
Originally Posted By: InvalidUserID
Geez, I feel like a negligent owner when I check and it's near the "ADD" part of the dipstick.
Originally Posted By: addyguy
I worked for a while at a WM TLE 4 years ago.
You would not believe how many Honda Civics specifically came in with no oil at all showing on the d/s, and running just fine.
You'd tell the owner about how low it was on oil, and they'd be shocked - "it didn't run like there was a problem, I didn't hear anything".
What really bugs me though is how poorly programed the "low oil pressure" dummy light is. IMO, it should be coming on when the oil level on the dipstick reaches to the "add" portion.
I guess today's engines are designed so well that it could run on 1qt and still be "fine". The other 3-4qts are only there for extended intervals.
I remember 12 years ago a coworker had a Honda CRX SI with 250K. He never changed the oil just added when needed.
Patman
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My ex wife's 2000 Civic was burning a quart of oil every 2000 miles when I was taking care of it, and I know she never checks the oil, so she will probably end up running this engine out of oil at some point in it's life. She'll never know it's low on oil if the engine keeps running smoothly though 
Originally Posted By: Artem
What really bugs me though is how poorly programed the "low oil pressure" dummy light is. IMO, it should be coming on when the oil level on the dipstick reaches to the "add" portion.
I guess today's engines are designed so well that it could run on 1qt and still be "fine". The other 3-4qts are only there for extended intervals.
Originally Posted By: Patman
My ex wife's 2000 Civic was burning a quart of oil every 2000 miles when I was taking care of it, and I know she never checks the oil, so she will probably end up running this engine out of oil at some point in it's life. She'll never know it's low on oil if the engine keeps running smoothly though
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