Need oil suggestions

YankeeFan · Dec 26, 2009

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum. Was looking to have my oil tested and luckily found this site while in my search. A little history, I own a 2006 Civic LX with about 86,600 miles as I put on about 420 miles/week driving expressways to and from work. For the past 2 years I have been using Red Line synthetic 5W20 oil but at $10/qt it's getting a little expensive so I am looking for alternatives. Not looking for the best just a good quality but cost effective alternative. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Howard

BovineScapegoat · Dec 26, 2009

Pennzoil Platinum. A very good oil that consistantly delivers very good used oil analysis. At $22 for 5 quarts the price is right too. Many on this forum would agree with me.

LS2JSTS · Dec 26, 2009

Motorcraft Syn blend 5w20. Great oil at a great price!

Silber Igel · Dec 26, 2009

Any of the Conoco Phillips clones... Conoco, Phillips 66, Kendall, Union 76, or the C-P made for Ford Motorcraft[/u blend should do just fine. MC is probably the least expensive and available just about anywhere.

Note that Kendall has gone to 'liquid titanium' additive. That technology is migrating to it's C-P siblings.

Cheers!

Johnny · Dec 26, 2009

Originally Posted By: YankeeFan
Hi all,

I'm new to the forum. Was looking to have my oil tested and luckily found this site while in my search. A little history, I own a 2006 Civic LX with about 86,600 miles as I put on about 420 miles/week driving expressways to and from work. For the past 2 years I have been using Red Line synthetic 5W20 oil but at $10/qt it's getting a little expensive so I am looking for alternatives. Not looking for the best just a good quality but cost effective alternative. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Howard

to BITOG

Pennzoil Platinum, Mobil 1, and many more. The Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5w20 (Extended Performance) is really working well for me in my two Honda Elements and my Mercury.

DieselTech · Dec 26, 2009

PP or for the best bang for the buck motorcraft 5-20

simple_gifts · Dec 26, 2009

For that driving regimen I would invest in a used oil analysis with TBN. With the right oil, a 15K or more OCI could be in your future.

bepperb · Dec 26, 2009

Well, what is your OCI?

If it's less than 10,000 miles you could pretty much use anything on the R series in your car, even conventional and any off the shelf synthetic will do fine.

If you're longer than that, than something like Edge, Mobil 1 Extended Performance, AmsOil, Redline might be a better fit.

labman · Dec 26, 2009

Nice thing about longer OCI's backed by used oil analysis, more money stays in this country. I just drained the last of the Pennzoil conventional from my truck, added Mobil 1, and sent an analysis off to Blackstone. I am hoping to run a longer OCI with the Mobil. Been doing 3 months and less than 1000 miles.

mechtech2 · Dec 26, 2009

You are racking up miles fairly quickly.
A full synthetic oil will allow longer oil change intervals.
This gives you the benefit of less wasted time changing it, or having it changed.
Pennzoil Platinum or Mobil 1 are readily available and are reasonably priced. Sales make things even better!
Of course, always get the big jugs for the best value.

ryan2022 · Dec 26, 2009

You could probably stick with the redline if its working for you.

If I were you, I would run a top teir synthetic, ie. Redline, Amsoil, Mobil 1 Extended Performance, and do two oil changes a year with a filter and top up at the 3 month marks.

I would also do a used oil analysis to make sure its working for you.

Your civic is really easy on oil, and at the rate you put on miles, a synthetic could be fairly economical.

Just food for thought.

YankeeFan · Dec 27, 2009

thanks all for the help. I am sending in a sample to Blackstone on Monday. I change my oil every 6,000 miles.....is that too short a period of time?

Howard

rclint · Dec 27, 2009

I used to recommend PP, and even Edge, now I notice Mobil 1 products at walmart are cheaper than PP and the like, so I would choose a Mobil 1 synthetic be it just the regular synthetic (if that can ever be true again) or the EP, AFE line just choose the weight you like.

bepperb · Dec 27, 2009

"I change my oil every 6,000 miles.....is that too short a period of time?"

On the R18 in a 06-current Civic? Yes. Your UOA will probably recommend thousands more. Which is good news I guess. Honda recommends over 10,000, that or 7500 would probably be my starting point from what I've seen in used oil analysis on that motor.

YankeeFan · Dec 28, 2009

I've been reading more and more on the site. Now the question comes up, if I go somewhere between 7,500-15,000 miles/oci what filter will work? I was reading about filters (I use PuralatorOne) that will start using the bypass around 5,000.
Is it ever a regular practice to empty out the oil, change the filter, reuse the oil and top off whatever is lost......or is considered a no-no?

Howard

SigShooter · Dec 30, 2009

You buy an economy car and use 10.00 a quart oil in it? Hey it's just a Civic, use Walmart oil.

YankeeFan · Dec 30, 2009

Originally Posted By: SigShooter
You buy an economy car and use 10.00 a quart oil in it? Hey it's just a Civic, use Walmart oil.

I bought a car that gets me 34 1/2 miles/gallon which is the important aspect of the car for me......think I will use suggestions by others.....but thanks anyway

Howard

Audi Junkie · Dec 30, 2009

Originally Posted By: YankeeFan
I've been reading more and more on the site. Now the question comes up, if I go somewhere between 7,500-15,000 miles/oci what filter will work? I was reading about filters (I use PuralatorOne) that will start using the bypass around 5,000.
Is it ever a regular practice to empty out the oil, change the filter, reuse the oil and top off whatever is lost......or is considered a no-no?

Howard

What makes you think it's bypassing and why? Capacity is the same across filters of the same size. Unless you cut some filters open, you have no idea whatthe loading is like. You have it backwards too, the filter gets changed every other oil change.

The people telling you that conventional oil is fine and/or Redline is the wrong oil for the application (no API spec), they are right, so try not to be so snippy with them. There is a fine UOA from a Civic on Havoline at 10k miles posted, that would be something to familliarize yourself with before making your next uninformed oil decision.

Nick R · Dec 31, 2009

Originally Posted By: SigShooter
You buy an economy car and use 10.00 a quart oil in it? Hey it's just a Civic, use Walmart oil.

Hey I paid $1k for my cavalier. (Well technically I paid $500 and my parents paid the other $500) but still. I put good quality oil in it because its going to need to last me through college.

HTSS_TR · Dec 31, 2009

Originally Posted By: SigShooter
You buy an economy car and use 10.00 a quart oil in it? Hey it's just a Civic, use Walmart oil.

You don't need to look down on drivers with lesser cars than yours. The OP usage of Redline oil for daily commute and have fairly short OCI is a waste of great oil, but saying a Civic is an economy car therefore should use cheap Walmart oil is not very nice to a new member.

I have a car, Honda S2000, that can get some benefit with Redline, but since I don't track my car so that it doesn't see the 8000 RPM very often, therefore I use conventional 10w30 most of the times.

Back to the topic, since your commute is very easy on oil you could use PP or any other synthetic with good filter like PureOne and have 10k OCI without worrying. If I was in your shoos I would change oil filter at every other oil change per Honda recommendation.

Need oil suggestions

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