2008 Civic EX -- maintenance advice for a noob

[tropic]

Hello, BITOGers. I've been reading forum threads here for about a month, and I'd like to run my lube maintenance routine by you guys.

I live in a city in the middle of the desert. It gets hot here at times, and there's lots of sand and pollen in the air. I do nearly 90% short-trip city driving, but there's also freeway ramp a mile from my house... so I suppose I'll be going 65mph on a sump full of cold oil pretty often.

I've read a lot of Dr. Haas' and Mr. Dyson's posts, so I'm leaning towards lighter motor oil, shorter OCI's, and dumping the prone-to-clogging-early Honda OEM air filter in favor of a cheap Fram to offset possible fuel dilution. I usually drive about 6,000 to 10,000 miles a year.

Please give me some opinions on this schedule. I also plan to send a sample from my next OCI to Dyson Analysis and see what Terry might recommend according to his findings.

OCI: 3,000 to 5,000 miles (semi-annual oil changes)
Oil: Pennzoil Platinum 0w-20 or 5w-20
Oil Filter: Amsoil EaO13 or Mobil M1-110 (every other oil change)
Air Filter: Fram CA10165

BTW, I have a modest stash of Mobil 1 and a Fumoto valve. I’m planning to use the M1 as a 100 mile “flush” between oil changes until I’ve used it all up in a few years. Anyone think this is a bad idea? Besides being wasteful, I mean.

 

[Johnny]

Is your Mobil 1 5W-20? If so, use it up first.

If it were my car this is what I would do:

OCI: 5K
Oil: Platinum 5W-20
Oil Filter: Either of your choices is fine and so is factory filter, and I would change any oil filter at time of oil change.
Air Filter: I still like Honda filters.

Can't go wrong using Terry Dyson

 

[addyguy]

At 3-5k miles, using a synthetic is a complete waste of money - ditto on the M1 flushes. M1 is a good oil, why the heck would you waste it that way?

If you are insistent on using synthetic, then M1 or PP are great oils that you could run for your full year (at 6-10k miles a year). If you are insistent on changing your oil every 6 months, then any conventional 5W-20 will do great - Pennzoil, Havoline, GTX...etc...

Just don't waste oil. It makes no sense in this day and age of great-quality oil, that is NOT getting any cheaper!

 

[peking]

Originally Posted By: tropic

OCI: 3,000 to 5,000 miles (semi-annual oil changes) Go with the OLM
Oil: Pennzoil Platinum 0w-20 or 5w-20 Either one would like fine or any synthetic 5W-20
Oil Filter: Amsoil EaO13 or Mobil M1-110 (every other oil change) This will work fine b/c Honda recommends it in the manual
Air Filter: Fram CA10165 Any air filter will work fine


BTW, I have a modest stash of Mobil 1 and a Fumoto valve. I’m planning to use the M1 as a 100 mile “flush” between oil changes until I’ve used it all up in a few years. Anyone think this is a bad idea? Besides being wasteful, I mean. I wouldn't waste the time to flush or the oil.



Peace,
Paul

 

[TooManyWheels]

If your Civic is like my 08 Acura TL, then the fuel dilution is a huge issue. I recently received the analysis of my 5100 mile run which started at 5300 miles. Two percent fuel dilution, which trashed a well known, long life synthetic. Of the 5100 miles, approx 25% was cold start trips of less than 3 miles, 10-15% miscellaneous city driving, and 60-65% long highway runs.

With your preponderance of short trip driving, I believe I would limit the interval to 4,000-4500 miles, maybe less, until analysis trended the fuel dilution impact on your selected oil.

 

[tropic]

Thanks for the replies. Due to various circumstances, I have almost 100 quarts of mis-matched motor oil (I had a birthday recently where everyone brought oil to make fun of my obsession with maintaining my new car—and I’d already bought some on my own) and a pile of oil filters. I guess I could check back with you guys in 100,000 miles or so, but that wouldn’t be much fun.

Originally Posted By: Johnny
Is your Mobil 1 5W-20? If so, use it up first.

Yes, 30 quarts of that is Mobil 1, and everything but the 0w-30 should satisfy my warranty recommendations. Actually, I don’t mind a 0w-30 at all. It’s the elevated Fe in a lot of Mobil 1 UOA’s that makes me nervous. It might not be an indication of poor wear protection… but there it is, anyway.

Originally Posted By: addyguy
At 3-5k miles, using a synthetic is a complete waste of money - ditto on the M1 flushes. M1 is a good oil, why the heck would you waste it that way?

I know it’s wasteful. I have 5 free oil changes from the dealership… rather than wasting their bulk oil, I’ll bring my own Castrol or Chevron Supreme and a SuperTech filter when needed to get my documented oil changes. If I give them Mobil 1 they’ll probably just give me grief over the Fumoto valve and hit me with the bulk gun anyway. Thanks. I’ll give M1 0w-20 a try after the dealer flush and send a sample to Dyson Analysis at around 3,000 miles.

Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
If your Civic is like my 08 Acura TL, then the fuel dilution is a huge issue.... with your preponderance of short trip driving, I believe I would limit the interval to 4,000-4500 miles, maybe less, until analysis trended the fuel dilution impact on your selected oil.

That’s my main concern and the reason I’m planning on shorter OCI’s for the time being. 75% of my trips are 5 miles or less—I’m 2 miles from work and 3 miles from school. I saw Mr. Dyson’s FRAM tip after I ordered the air filters from RockAuto, but being a cheapskate worked out for me this time.

My goal here is to give my Honda a good chance to hit 300K miles... it has 295K to go, and a lot of city miles in its future. So I apologize for this thread. I guess there's not much to do until I drive it a bit and get a UOA or two.

 

[ClarkB]

I understand your concern about the wear and tear on your engine going shorter trips all the time. I just moved to a bigger city and was worried about that too. About 1/5 of my most recent UOA was driven on shorter trips, 20 miles max. That will probably increase to 60% shorter trips this next time around but I'm not too worried about it. As you can see from the UOA, 10K was not a problem for my Honda.

Unless Honda's new R-series engines are drastically different than the D-series, I don't see why you should be too worried abut fuel dilution. The TL uses a different engine altogether so I don't think that a fair comparison can be made between them.

Clark

 

[TooManyWheels]

The engine is of course different, but I have been told that the fuel systems have been programmed under similar philosophies.

 

[chet2]

i think if you have all that oil, go with 5 k...i dont know if it would help any but take it out on hi way and open it up once a week

 

[Durango]

tropic,

Regardless of the oil you want to use I'd stick to the maintenance schedule in the instruction manual first. This is due to the fact that you have a new car so don't go out of the schedule until after your out of warranty.

If you pick M1 then you have a fantastic oil to use as that's the oil of my choice most of the time. For my safety I never go beyond out of my schedule whick is every 3K.

Durango

 

[ilikemypassat]

Hello tropic,

I post as ilikemycivic on the 8thcivic forums I've seen you on. All my driving is short trips & cold winters so I'm going to be sampling my oil @ 1k, 3k, and at 15% OLM for the first change. Then once it's changed out by the dealer with their stuff (I have lifetime oil changes through them) I will sample @ 3k and 15% OLM to try and determine if the OLM is worth following for my conditions.

In regards to the 100 mile Mobil 1 oil flushes? I'd just run the PP and use 1 quart of mobil per change if you want to get rid of it.

 

[FZ1]

Use the M1 on a 5K oci and change the filter each time. You can watch them pour the M1 in and you should check the level before you leave the dealership. My oem Honda air filter seems very well made. Use the free dealer fill and free filters for short oci flushes,not the M1. M1 is a very good oil no matter what you see here.

 

[tropic]

Thanks again for the replies. After careful consideration, I did my first official oil change today--Mobil 1 0w-30 and a K&N filter. If my car doesn't explode from the more viscous oil, I'll post a UOA in a few months.

 

[Michelob]

The owners manual says to go by the mm and that says 5%. I called a couple Honda dealers and they said 5ooo miles for oil changes no matter what the maintenance minder says. Although I am no expert I would have to say that sounds about right for non synthetic oil without UOA!S. That was also for the FF in a new car too.

 

[FZ1]

No, man! Use the free dealer fill and filter for shorter 2-3k flush runs. Use the M1,it's a good oil. 3-5k oci. Honda oem oil filter is ok 'cause it's made to Honda specs. I like the Honda oem air filter,seems pretty well made. .02.

 

[Michelob]

I am going to go with the 5000 mile oil changes no matter what the MM says. First oil change today for 2008 Civic LX, I drained the FF and replaced it with Motocraft Synthetic Blend 5W20 and a Purolator PureOne filter. MM at 40% reset to 100%.