2020 Civic Hatchback 1.5T/ 24000m/4000m OCI/Kirkland 0w20

[Senchronize]

Hello,
Long time lurker for information. Decided to do a test to check oil dilution and wear, I know BSL might not be the best to check actual dilution but should be able to get a read by viscosity change. Looks like it's fine, I have been doing 5k OCI but decided to do a 4k one first to test, next round will be 6k. If they are both fine then I will probably revert back to 5000 OCI so it's a nice number to change

 

[racer12306]

I feel like you may be masking dilution with the make up oil.

Quick Google tells me that you've practically replaced the enter sump capacity over that 4000 miles.

 

[Senchronize]

I feel like you may be masking dilution with the make up oil.

Quick Google tells me that you've practically replaced the enter sump capacity over that 4000 miles.

not sure why it says make up oil, that is the capacity of the oil change, when I changed 4000 miles ago.

 

[racer12306]

not sure why it says make up oil, that is the capacity of the oil change, when I changed 4000 miles ago.

So you've added zero oil over the 4000 miles, correct?

 

[Senchronize]

So you've added zero oil over the 4000 miles, correct?

Correct

 

[kschachn]

Hello,
Long time lurker for information. Decided to do a test to check oil dilution and wear, I know BSL might not be the best to check actual dilution but should be able to get a read by viscosity change. Looks like it's fine, I have been doing 5k OCI but decided to do a 4k one first to test, next round will be 6k. If they are both fine then I will probably revert back to 5000 OCI so it's a nice number to change
View attachment 161557

It’s worse than “not the best”, it’s pretty useless. If you really want to know about fuel dilution then send it elsewhere, some place that uses gas chromatography.

That flash point indicates dilution but how much is anyone’s guess.

Also a $30 spectrographic analysis doesn’t really document wear.

 

[Danh]

It’s worse than “not the best”, it’s pretty useless. If you really want to know about fuel dilution then send it elsewhere, some place that uses gas chromatography.

That flash point indicates dilution but how much is anyone’s guess.

Also a $30 spectrographic analysis doesn’t really document wear.

That said, wear metals look really, really good. And I realize UOAs aren’t a great measure of engine wear, but still…

 

[fantastic]

UOA can document wear

If the rate of wear metals increased, beyond that is expected for the miles, that does show additional engine wear in a UOA. However, this is through multiple tests. I suppose you could use BS Averages as a good baseline starting point for what is considered high wear on a UOA. UOA are one of the best tools we have.

This is a great run & this 0w-20 is working very well with this engine. It appears that this could go much further than 4k. Keep it up!

 

[Rand]

It is thinning almost out of grade in a turbo engine.
I would use a thicker oil so it would stay on the higher side of a 20wt. (8cst+)
5w30 in that engine.. It would give you a better buffer for fuel dilution.

This whole use 0w20 in a turbo is very new.. and you are using an anemic 0w20.. not like VW's new 508 spec.

 

[MParr]

Honda sure knows how to make a diluter.

 

[Senchronize]

It is thinning almost out of grade in a turbo engine.
I would use a thicker oil so it would stay on the higher side of a 20wt. (8cst+)
5w30 in that engine.. It would give you a better buffer for fuel dilution.

This whole use 0w20 in a turbo is very new.. and you are using an anemic 0w20.. not like VW's new 508 spec.

That was the plan if the results came back on the thin side, but since the report was fine, and I plan to change very 5k anyway, I will stick with manufacture's recommendation, still under warranty and all, especially since the turbo is designed for 0w20 and not 5w30.

Just some additional info, I changed the oil prior to a long distance >300mi trip so the "fuel" (if there are any) would not burn off. Before that it's an average 20min per trip car, and that oil was from December to early June in Arizona, that will be the coldest weather it'll ever see and if there are dilution, it would be the worst it'll see. So judging from this report I think it's fine. Like I said, I will report back with the 6k mile report next time, oil would be used from June to Nov/Dec-ish.

 

[blufeb95]

Blackstone once again completely misses the mark on fuel dillution, for an oil that should starts out around 8.5cSt and the manufacturer says the "shear stable final viscosity" is 7.5cSt but ended at 6.8 with significant flash point depression definetly has more than 1% fuel in it, I doubt the oil even fully mechanically sheared to the final viscosity and most of viscosity loss is due to fuel dillution.

 

[Rand]

That was the plan if the results came back on the thin side, but since the report was fine, and I plan to change very 5k anyway, I will stick with manufacture's recommendation, still under warranty and all, especially since the turbo is designed for 0w20 and not 5w30.

It did come back on the thin side.. and turbos arent designed for an oil.. they are oil heaters making the oil even thinner in the turbo.
so your already thin oil that got thinner.. is now "more thinner" in the turbo.

You could also use better oil than that weaksauce costco stuff. Not the right oil to be using in a TGDI engine that only specs 0w20 for that extra .25mpg.

If turbos were designed such that 0w20 would work and 5w30 didnt.. they would explode if it was 20degrees colder outside.

The honda manual does say dont overfill above the full mark or engine damage may occur..
it also says oil level may rise above the full mark in normal use....

At the least I'd upgrade to some m1 0w20 EP or reg.

 

[FZ1]

That said, wear metals look really, really good. And I realize UOAs aren’t a great measure of engine wear, but still…

Hello,
Long time lurker for information. Decided to do a test to check oil dilution and wear, I know BSL might not be the best to check actual dilution but should be able to get a read by viscosity change. Looks like it's fine, I have been doing 5k OCI but decided to do a 4k one first to test, next round will be 6k. If they are both fine then I will probably revert back to 5000 OCI so it's a nice number to change
View attachment 161557

Wear looks good. Vis is low. Try PUP 0w-20 as it's thicker.

 

[Oillover]

What fuel is being used in this Civic?

 

[himemsys]

I'm guessing your actual fuel dilution is closer to 3%, but everything else looks perfect. Plenty of life left on the oil based on the high boron count. Continue as you are and you should be fine. You could try high octane fuel, which helped our CRV to have lower fuel dilution.

 

[parshisa]

0/5w30 oil and higher than 87 grade fuel. Problem solved.

 

[Senchronize]

What fuel is being used in this Civic?

Pretty exclusive Costco 87, unless I’m out of town

 

[Senchronize]

I'm guessing your actual fuel dilution is closer to 3%, but everything else looks perfect. Plenty of life left on the oil based on the high boron count. Continue as you are and you should be fine. You could try high octane fuel, which helped our CRV to have lower fuel dilution.

Thanks, what’s the science behind high octane gas? Car is tuned and made for the lower compression 87 no? How does it stop the dilution? Burns faster?

 

[himemsys]

Thanks, what’s the science behind high octane gas? Car is tuned and made for the lower compression 87 no? How does it stop the dilution? Burns faster?

Read this thread:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/t...ion-problem-in-our-18-crv.368000/post-6466774