Amsoil SSO 0W-30, 1-Year/5k, 97 Honda Civic EX

[CompSyn]

Vehicle----------1997 Honda Civic EX,
Engine-----------D16Y8 1.6L VTEC, 4 cyl
Trans------------Five Speed Manual
OIL--------------3.8 qt Amsoil SSO 0W-30 (Second run)
Oil additive-----None
Make-up oil----42oz.
Oil filter---------Amsoil EA020
Air filter---------Amsoil EAAU3050 and EAPF24
Miles on oil/filter------5,028 (12 months – February to February)
Miles on vehicle—---142,486

UOA by Oil Analyzers Inc:

WEAR METALS (PPM)
iron-------------------14
chromium-------------0
nickel------------------0
aluminum-------------4
copper----------------5
lead-------------------32
tin---------------------2
cadmium--------------1
silver------------------0
vanadium-------------0

Contaminant Metals (PPM)
silicon------------------11
sodium----------------29
potassium-------------3

Multi-Source Metals (PPM)
titanium-----------------0
molybdenum-------------2
antimony-----------------0
manganese--------------0
lithium-------------------0
boron---------------------10

Additive Metals (PPM)
magnesium----------30
calcium-------------4234
barium-----------------0
phosphorus--------854
zinc-----------------955

fuel-----------------2.1%
visc40---------------n/a
visc100--------------10.0 (rated at 10.3)
water---------------- soot/solids---------- oxida-----------------42
nitr------------------31
TBN------------------4.71 (started at 13.2)

Background notes:

Refer to last UOA – link

This second run on Amsoil SSO was exactly one year at 5,028-miles. SSO has been in this vehicle now for 12,532-miles of it’s 142,486-mile life span. Driving habits consist of mostly short distance stop-and-go driving with my place of work only three miles away from my residence. In addition, there are a few longer trips over the course of the year. 5,000-miles is considered as average annual mileage for this vehicle.

Prior to taking the UOA sample for this current report the vehicle was taken on a 20-mile trip that included a 7% grade hill climb. This was done primarily to help burn out otherwise excessive fuel dilution from the short distance stop-and –go driving. The car did not idle for any length of time prior to taking the sample. Sample was taken HOT and from the center of the crankcase.

Make-up oil on this run was carefully recorded with no oil added 3-months/1,100-miles prior to taking this UOA sample.

Make-up oil as follows:

9/1/09 139,869 miles - add 12oz

10/2/09 140,241 miles - add 9oz

11/14/09 141,245 miles - add 8oz

12/6/09 141,386 miles add - 13oz

Total add: 1qt, 10oz.

 

[Pablo]

Fuel and sodium are high.

 

[tig1]

SSO is a high quality oil. One of the best in my view. Wear metals must be from external problems. Short trips, fuel, etc.

 

[FZ1]

Change it every 6 months. Fall and Spring. Pay for it by doing no more uoas.

 

[sw99]

Or do cheap dino every six months or 2500 miles... That would be my choice for this application. My OCI's are well under $10 and that includes the filter.

 

[Gary Allan]

1999-04......0331

This head can have a casting flaw that leaks coolant. It's not the head gasket. It's the top side of the head. There are plenty of write ups on it.

Put "4.0 jeep 0031 head cracking" and look for the jeepsunlimited result. You fix it with epoxy.

 

[iunderpressure]

That's a lot of oil to add in only 5,000 miles.

 

[qship1996]

lead seems very high

 

[addyguy]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
1999-04......0331

This head can have a casting flaw that leaks coolant. It's not the head gasket. It's the top side of the head. There are plenty of write ups on it.

Put "4.0 jeep 0031 head cracking" and look for the jeepsunlimited result. You fix it with epoxy.


Gary....I think you have your threads mixed up!

 

[LargeCarManX2]

Originally Posted By: FZ1
Change it every 6 months. Fall and Spring. Pay for it by doing no more uoas.


Extend the OCI to 7.5 K and keep the UOA's up, the extra 2.5K will pay for the UOA so you can watch the flagged items.

 

[JSP]

Might have an injector issue, for about $100 you can get your injectors professionally cleaned/reconditioned.

 

[dnewton3]

Pb and Fe seem high for 5k miles, do they not? Anyone know what the "universal averages" are for this engine, from Blackstone? I realize it's not the same lab service, but it would at least be some reference point ...

I also realize that I seem like a redundant broken record, but just where is the "advantage" to the use of synthetic here? Are the 5k mile OCIs showing any substanial wear reduction by the use of synthetic? I'm not blaming the Amsoil for the Pb of Fe; that might have happened to any lube as short trips and fuel can be detrimental to any fluid. But where is the logic of spending $$$ for synthetic when any decent dino oil likely would have done as well in this situation?

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
Pb and Fe seem high for 5k miles, do they not? Anyone know what the "universal averages" are for this engine, from Blackstone? I realize it's not the same lab service, but it would at least be some reference point ...

I also realize that I seem like a redundant broken record, but just where is the "advantage" to the use of synthetic here? Are the 5k mile OCIs showing any substanial wear reduction by the use of synthetic? I'm not blaming the Amsoil for the Pb of Fe; that might have happened to any lube as short trips and fuel can be detrimental to any fluid. But where is the logic of spending $$$ for synthetic when any decent dino oil likely would have done as well in this situation?

I used to run dino oil, because I didn't know what I didn't know.
Then, I used "synthetics", because I thought I knew better.
Now, I use dino's, because I know the truth


There usually isn't much visible gain in a UOA by doing extended drains or using synthetic oil in cars with mechanical issues. We don't know how a conventional oil would have done in this situation other than begin to build deposits and really break down. I'm thinking the TBN would have really been shot, viscosity changed (in either direction), and solids much higher. All speculation...................

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
1999-04......0331

This head can have a casting flaw that leaks coolant. It's not the head gasket. It's the top side of the head. There are plenty of write ups on it.

Put "4.0 jeep 0031 head cracking" and look for the jeepsunlimited result. You fix it with epoxy.


Gary....I think you have your threads mixed up!




It won't be the last time

Multiple tabs on FF can at times simulate an episode

 

[Bigsyke]

Whats the revving style of your trips? You have a D16y8, the weakest oil pump honda has built is in this engine. I believe honda has changed the oil for the D16y8 to 5w20. None the less the SSO is a good choice IMO.

 

[CompSyn]

Originally Posted By: JSP
Might have an injector issue, for about $100 you can get your injectors professionally cleaned/reconditioned.


Update:

Others had mentioned possible issues with fuel injectors in the past so I decided to take JSPs advice and have the injectors professionally flow tested and reconditioned. I figured at 142,000-miles it couldn’t hurt either way.

Below is the before and after report I got back from the fuel injector service. Not sure if the injectors are the issue here or not???

 

[Gary Allan]

They appeared to be pretty well balanced before hand. That's not enough to have one or two soaking the cylinder and having two lean with the system just seeing the average.

Fuel has always been a signature characteristic of Honda and a couple of others. People have bent over backwards trying to cure it, but I don't think it's something you can fix. It's some design issue that they're taking advantage of on some end ...and factoring it well in some other way to neutralize its impact.