New '09 Honda Civic Recommendations???

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I recently purchased a new '09 Honda Civic EX with an automatic trans. This car comes with an Oil Monitoring System that requires an oil change when the oil downgrades to about 15%. The recommended oil is 5X20.

I live in Phoenix, AZ. (HOT, desert conditions with some mountain driving)& am used to driving Dodge/Cummins diesel pick-ups since '91. So, this new-fangled, gas stuff with all the electronics is new to me.

My questions are, is the Oil Monitoring System pretty accurate regarding oil change intervals? Considering the environment in which this car is going to live, is the 5X20, that is recommended by the dealer, OK to use, safely, in this engine? I've been reading that the 5X20 is only recommended in the U.S. & is considered, by some, to be too thin. Would the 5X30 be a better choice in my circumstances?

Are the Genuine Honda oil filters considered to be of Good Quality? Are there 'better' oil filters available?

At the first oil change, is it OK to go to a synthetic oil &, if so, what would be a recommended brand & weight (I know this is a 'loaded' question)?

I expect to keep this car for a long time & am interested in "taking care of it". Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Joe F.
 
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If I purchased a new car that spec'd 5w20 and I lived near Phoenix (desert heat) I would use PP (inexpensive at WM in the 5 qt. jug) and a Purolator or Wix filter as per the OLM.
 
I'd run any 5w-20 or 5w-30 and follow the OLM.

Really! The OLM and your Honda engine is a nice setup. You heat will be taken into the OLM data to determine what OCI is safe.

Your Honda will last as long as you want it to with ANY oil. If you WANT to spend the extra $$ for a syn oil fine, but ALL of the 5w-20 oils are blends with plenty of syn in them.

As far as filters, again a Supertech, Purolator, Wix or Honda filter is going to do the job just fine.

It's NOT rocket science that some will make it. Just take care of the car and it will last.

"Taking care of it" is following the OLM and driving safe.

Take care, bill
 
Originally Posted By: rszappa1
I change my Honda Accord every 5,000 no matter what the Oil Life says...


When I had my 4 cyl '05 Accord I did the same. Usually dirty by then. Plus it is a easy to remember interval. I used Havoline 5w-20 Grp II Dino and had no oil use.
 
Originally Posted By: rszappa1
I change my Honda Accord every 5,000 no matter what the Oil Life says...


Well, at least its not every 3,000 ...
 
Personally, I'd use a xW-30w syn of some sort, whichever was on sale at the time. Running a 'thicker' 5w or 10W will be perfectly fine in Az. After break-in, you can ease up to 8~10K change intervals. (Or just change it when the car says so.)
I 'suspect' you'll hear a variety of opinions on this subject!
whistle.gif


Mobil has a $10 off sale on their 0W-30 and (0W-20 if 'thin is in') 'Fuel Saving' Syn oil.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1474062#Post1474062

Combine with Autozone's Mobil-1 $30 filter + oil sale,
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1487423#Post1487423

Assuming you're doing the work yourself, you're looking at $20 for a high quality change.

Sold singly, M1 filters are somewhat expensive, but they do have some of the best construction and filtering. IMO, Wix, Pure One, Bosch, and other medium-high end models are just as functional. Likewise, I'd avoid anything less than $5 or so. The quality of budget filters is questionable, and the extra $3~4 seems well spent.
 
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Any good syn and any name brand filter will do well. Id go for denso or purolator myself...

Id be more worried about the AT.
 
Honda OEM filters are now made by Fram. So avoid.

Napa Gold,Wix, or Purolator Pure One are good.

Mobil 1,Royal Purple,or K&N oil filters are very good and made by the same company.

I use Pennzoil Plat 5-20 in my Accord but may switch to either PP 5-30 or M1 0-20 or 0-30 in Los Angeles.

During your warranty period obey the MM.
 
Did you find a consensus in anything you've read yet?

There are two schools of thought here with regard to oil weight (5W-20 or 5W-30). One holds that Honda's current recommendation WRT 5W-20 weight oil is based in part on the company's receiving significant financial benefits from achieving a fleetwide fuel average high enough to satisfy federal govt "CAFE" standards. This school argues that, whatever financial benefits inure to HMC, 5W-20 must nonetheless be adequate because Honda has been recommending it for at least seven years, and if it were in any way inadequate, we'd certainly know it by now.

On the other hand, there have been well-documented instances of camshaft galling in high-mileage k-series engines (such as yours). (See, e.g., ephatch.com; Honda-tech.com; vtec.net; etc. Search "camshaft galling".) I leave it to you to judge whether these documented instances of camshaft galling and/or other wear are related to high-rpm abuse, high mileage, the use of 5W-20 weight oil, or a combination of these things.

On the other hand, we know that Honda has never changed its oil recommendation -- 5W-30 -- for any of its higher performance k-series engines (e.g., the current Civic Si, Acura's TSX sedan, or the S2000, which requires 10W-30), and that Honda (Acura) recommends only 5W-30 weight synthetic oil for its turbochanged RDX. Consequently, IMHO, it is reasonable to believe that a high quality 5W-30 weight oil -- e.g., Mobil 1's 5W-30 or Castrol's Edge -- both of which are certified to meet Honda's HTO-06 (high-temperature/high shear) requirements -- will ensure optimum protection for your engine.

Now, WRT to Honda's oil filter: Yes, it is made by Fram. It (the A02 filter) is also manufactured to the specifications prescribed by Honda,the very same guys who manufactured the car you chose. And, as with Honda's recommendation WRT to oil, if the Honda OEM filter were inadequate, we'd know that as well. That said, for the same money or less, you can easily find other filters -- such as WIX/NAPA Gold 1356 oil filter -- which are more highly regarded by many on this board.

That help?
 
Remember one thing: Honda is one of few companies cares about their impeccable reputation more than anything else. Whatever oil weight recommended in the owner manual is what their engineers approved after a long test.

Ask yourself this question: Why S2000 has its own oil filter and the rest of all Honda and Acura engines use another oil filter ? Even the sale volume of S2000 is no more than 1% of total yearly sale.
 
Originally Posted By: ARB1977
Stick to what they recommend. I would try some Motorcraft if it meets your spec.
Last VOA(re: stinkyP -RIP) this CP 5w30 looked pretty weak. SO why recommend - hasten breakin?
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Use dino, that Civic is very low performance engine.
I'm not a Hond guy, but isnt anything over 70BHP/L a high performance engine? By your logic a 400HP 5.7L small block is low performance. Smaller engines are stressed more. Your Logic please?
 
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