Another New Civic 1.8L

[Beasty Kato]

I saw the thread that was recently made by another owner of a civic from 8thcivic.com but I didn't want to be a thread jacker or anything. Anyway, here is the deal, I just got my first car

a 2008 Civic EX manual and I plan to keep this car all through college and until the oil wells have all dried up.

I currently own a 1999 Grand Prix with the 3.1L engine and do 5,000mi. oil changes on it but I see many car manufactures are putting much longer intervals on their recommended oil change schedules so I'm thinking about doing it every 10,000 miles. I plan to change the oil initially at 5,000, 10,000, then every 10,000 from then on. Would I benefit from using a synthetic oil in this case? If so what would be best? What about the best oil filters to use? (I planned on going the Amsoil route)

Now the only thing I'm questioning is whether or not I should make the first oil change sooner than 5,000mi. and whether I should follow these break in procedures or not. I'm sure most of you have seen this webpage as I've seen links to it for years and on my different websites but what are your opinions on this method?

 

[AzFireGuy79]

You should be able to go 10K easy with a good synthetic and a high quality filter(amsoil,Mobil 1,Purolator Pure one....). Personally I would drain the oil way before 5K. I have seen and believe in the theory that early drains on pretty much any new wear prone item ( engine,axles,transmission etc) all benefit in terms of longevity from this practice. I do this on all of my new vehicles. I drain the oil at 500 miles w/ filter, then at 1,000, and one last drain at around 1,500 to 2K. After that they should be ready for extended drains with an appropriate synthetic and a quality filter. Good luck and enjoy your new ride!

 

[TurboTravis]

Here we go..

First of all, it's a Honda Civic, not a Ferrari, so no 'break in procedure' needs to be followed. Drive the thing however you want (within reason). Also there is no reason to drain out the factory fill early. Changing the oil at 5k will be fine. As far as the oil goes, go to WalMart and pick the prettiest bottle of the correct grade and you will be fine.

 

[PandaBear]

Honda/Acura used to give out a warning not to change oil before 5k, due to their special break in oil with high moly content that suppose to improve break in.

I'd say change it at 4k the earliest.

 

[Beasty Kato]

I don't mean to nitpick but I can't afford a Ferrari, I can afford a Honda Civic though and while it may not be "worth" as much financially my new car is just as valuable as a Ferrari as a means of transportation (and fun) to me.

Ferrari or Honda an engine is an engine. All I want to know in regards to break-in is whether or not running a new engine harder than usual (not beating on it just controlled RPM and load increases) really helps seat the rings better and thus provide a more efficient and reliable engine as that article states.

As for choosing oil based on how shiny the bottle is I'll keep that in mind

In all seriousness though I know I'm not redlining my car around a race track all day just want it to last (literally forever in my case) so I apologize if it seems like I'm beating a dead horse

 

[ThirdeYe]

I don't think the break-in procedure is really necessary. My car was originally owned by an elderly couple and I highly doubt they did any specific things like that, and now 14 years and 137,000 miles later, it still consumes no oil and runs perfect. I would just change the factory fill at 3,000 miles, and take it further from there. If doing every 10,000 miles I would feel more comfortable using a synthetic. That's not to say conventional couldn't handle it though, it's just my comfort level.

 

[tropic]

Enjoy your new Honda, but 10,000 OCI's should probably wait until you're out of the warranty period.

BTW, I'm planning to own my 2008 Civic Coupe EX M/T for as long as possible, too.

 

[AzFireGuy79]

I dont own any ferrari's either but it is well documented that changing out the factory fill early can be beneficial in terms of longevity, which is what this guy is after. yeah yeah its a honda blah blah, I have owned hondas, toyotas, chevys( one is a drag car with 1,000hp) and i have never had an issue and feel confident that early drains can only benefit wear items early in there life. I think break in on a medern engine is a mute point and really does not matter. That article was written for motorcycle engines and has no relivence to modern car/light truck applications. I look at early drains as cheap insurance. There is no good from waiting until 5K except more wear and saving a few dollars IMHO.

 

[The Critic]

No, the factory oil fill is a mixture of the engine and assembly lube--this mixture has a higher level of anti-wear additives for added protection during break-in.

You folks SHOULD NOT be giving him recommendations for service intervals. His vehicle is equipped with the Maintenance Minder system, which he needs to follow for all service needs.

Change the engine oil and filter when the system shows 15% oil life remaining or less, or once-a-year, whichever comes first. The 10k interval recommendation no longer exists with the newer Civics, intervals will vary from driver to driver.

Also, conventional oil is fine. Use 5w-20. Synthetic oil may or may not extend your interval, so follow the computer regardless of which oil you use.

 

[TurboTravis]

Originally Posted By: Beasty Kato
I don't mean to nitpick but I can't afford a Ferrari, I can afford a Honda Civic though and while it may not be "worth" as much financially my new car is just as valuable as a Ferrari as a means of transportation (and fun) to me.

Ferrari or Honda an engine is an engine. All I want to know in regards to break-in is whether or not running a new engine harder than usual (not beating on it just controlled RPM and load increases) really helps seat the rings better and thus provide a more efficient and reliable engine as that article states.

As for choosing oil based on how shiny the bottle is I'll keep that in mind

In all seriousness though I know I'm not redlining my car around a race track all day just want it to last (literally forever in my case) so I apologize if it seems like I'm beating a dead horse

You do understand that ANY SM rated motor oil will protect your engine just fine, correct? This means anything from Walmart SuperTech to AMSOIL. If it were my car, I'd run regular Valvoline and an OEM filter.

 

[tsmay51]

X2 on what the critic said. If it is equipped with an OLM monitor follow it. If not, follow what manufacturer says. You say you want the car to last you a long time. Changing the oil more often is cheap insurance compared to the other expenses that come with owning and maintaining a auto.

 

[02zx9r]

i like to drain out the factory fill within the first 1000 miles or so, then go with whatever oil/filter i want to go with

 

[EricZoom]

I'm doing a yearly OCI (8-10k mi) on my Mazda6 with Amsoil ASM 0w20. I waited till my car was out of warranty to start.

 

[rshaw125]

I thought Honda's change interval was 10,000 miles now? So 10,000 intervals would not have any affect on the warranty.

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted By: rshaw125
I thought Honda's change interval was 10,000 miles now? So 10,000 intervals would not have any affect on the warranty.


It WAS 10,000 miles. Now they use a maintenance minder system.

 

[chaser06]

Originally Posted By: The Critic

You folks SHOULD NOT be giving him recommendations for service intervals. His vehicle is equipped with the Maintenance Minder system, which he needs to follow for all service needs.

Change the engine oil and filter when the system shows 15% oil life remaining or less, or once-a-year, whichever comes first. The 10k interval recommendation no longer exists with the newer Civics, intervals will vary from driver to driver.

Also, conventional oil is fine. Use 5w-20. Synthetic oil may or may not extend your interval, so follow the computer regardless of which oil you use.


This is generally sound advice.

However, if I were to follow my maintenance minder I would have had my initial oil change at 10k (I drive alot of highway miles). On factory fill dino; I don't care how "special" it is, I didn't do it (initial change out at about 4k). At 10k I filled the sump with Mobil 1 5w-20 and it looks like my MM will recommend another 10k OCI, so...I'm going to do a used oil analysis when the MM says it's time to change the oil (I'll post the results).

I'm not going to do an OCI of 10k on dino until I see a series of used oil analysis that supports it. Sorry, I just need some objective evidence.

What's your driving style? City, Highway?

 

[AzFireGuy79]

Critic- You are honestly claiming that assembly lube is creating a better environment for a new engine after its been driven several hundred miles? How many engines have you built? My guess is zero if you believe this OEM [censored]. Yes the fact that he has a maintenance minder system does change things with respect to his factory warranty. But please you are no expert on the topic especially claiming that assembly lube knocks down wear.

 

[Beasty Kato]

I haven't even had a chance to look through my manual yet... I'm even typing this on my lunch break because I have been so busy. Anyway, for roughly 8-9 months out of the year I commute 80%H/20%C to college, during the rest of the year it's more like 50/50 with many short trips to work (only 2 miles away).

Being that I haven't had a chance to read the manual yet...does Honda no longer have a specific oil change interval? Is it entirely based on the MM percentage? If I were to change it more or less often than it recommended would that be a problem for warranty repairs? Basically, does the car store when and if this MM is ever reset and at what % it gets reset at? I definitely don't want to void the warranty especially since I'm thinking about picking up an extended bumper to bumper on the car.

 

[AcuraTech]

No, the computer doesn't store when the MM was reset.

You should still follow it for oil changes, though. From what I've seen it will generally tell you to change the oil around 5-6K, which is a good interval for todays conventional oils.

If you do oil changes yourself within the warranty period, make sure you have strong documentation and receipts, if an issue ever comes up.

The MM will also tell you when to rotate tires, change the air and cabin filter, etc.

I recommend following the MM for oil changes, if nothing else. No reason to guess with shorter/longer OCI's unless you're doing oil analysis to prove otherwise.

My girlfriend just got an 08 Civic as well, and I'm pretty picky about maintaining it. I'm following the MM and I have no worries about doing so.

 

[Speedy!]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
No, the factory oil fill is a mixture of the engine and assembly lube--this mixture has a higher level of anti-wear additives for added protection during break-in.

You folks SHOULD NOT be giving him recommendations for service intervals. His vehicle is equipped with the Maintenance Minder system, which he needs to follow for all service needs.

Change the engine oil and filter when the system shows 15% oil life remaining or less, or once-a-year, whichever comes first. The 10k interval recommendation no longer exists with the newer Civics, intervals will vary from driver to driver.

Also, conventional oil is fine. Use 5w-20. Synthetic oil may or may not extend your interval, so follow the computer regardless of which oil you use.


My first post, so HI! Now down to business.

My Mom bought an 07' Civic EX auto last September. I took a look in the manual and saw this "maintenance minder" system described. I told her to give it some time and we'd see how it reacted. She went 6 months and about 4,000 miles and the system was still at over 50%. I called two local Honda dealers to ask about this, and they said 5K miles, 6 mos, or when the maintenance minder system indicated is the PROPER OCI for these new Civics on standard conventional oil.

I also changed her factory fill out at 500 miles.

I've been doing 6 mos changes in this 07' Civic with Castrol GTX 10W30.