Tony-si
Well-Known Member
I'm used to doing 3 months or 3k miles on a normal car but some one said the civic can go a little longer? Is this true or for only if you use synthetic?
Average mileage for oil change.
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dpetro1
Well-Known Member
I would just follow the maintenance minder. Probably about 6-7k miles. Some prefer to do it a little sooner. Your call of you want to spend the extra cash to do it more often.
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Tony-si
Well-Known Member
oddly i paid $39 at the dealer last time.
Bruce Bartlow
Late apex everything
Oil is the lifeblood of an engine... i'm for doing more often. But seriously, even non-synthetic oils are pretty stout these days; 5,000 isn't normally a problem. Just don't forget that oil degenerates even sitting around. So I follow the "3 months" or 3,000 - 5,000 mile routine depending on the type of miles. On a cross-country trip I wouldn't worry about a good synthetic for at least 10,000 miles. Around town driving every day? 3 months.
If you plan on keeping the car a long, long time, I'd buy that new Pennzoil Platinum -- for the money it's best stuff out there. Personally I prefer the "Ultra" Platinum version (for extreme conditions) but WalMart only carries the regular Platinum... fortunately it's dirt cheap, like $25.00 for the 5 quart container. It's so much better than Mobile 1.
Bottom line: Both Pennzoil products are fantastic Group IV PAO's (Polyalphaolephin) whereas M1 is only a Group III hydrocrack ... not nearly as good.
Of course the most scientific and reliable way to tell how often to change oil is to send a sample of used oil to Blackstone Labs after 5,000 miles. And pay the extra $10 (just once) for the TBN (Total Base Number) test that tells you how much life is left in the oil. The lab results also provide baseline engine information (the presence of wear metals like iron) that later can be used to determine when engine failure is more likely.
If you plan on keeping the car a long, long time, I'd buy that new Pennzoil Platinum -- for the money it's best stuff out there. Personally I prefer the "Ultra" Platinum version (for extreme conditions) but WalMart only carries the regular Platinum... fortunately it's dirt cheap, like $25.00 for the 5 quart container. It's so much better than Mobile 1.
Bottom line: Both Pennzoil products are fantastic Group IV PAO's (Polyalphaolephin) whereas M1 is only a Group III hydrocrack ... not nearly as good.
Of course the most scientific and reliable way to tell how often to change oil is to send a sample of used oil to Blackstone Labs after 5,000 miles. And pay the extra $10 (just once) for the TBN (Total Base Number) test that tells you how much life is left in the oil. The lab results also provide baseline engine information (the presence of wear metals like iron) that later can be used to determine when engine failure is more likely.
Bruce Bartlow
Late apex everything
totally agree with the 3k and tranny... which is often overlooked. If anything I have been shocked at the MTF lab results. If I hadn't changed (out of Amsoil back to OEM) I wouldn't even have a transmission. Very surprising.
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Tony-si
Well-Known Member
when i did the iol change the car computer was still showing it at a high life. but i wanted clean oil since the dealer did it for certification.
Bruce Bartlow
Late apex everything
The computer "mileage minder" seems to be geared for 7,500 miles. Most oils are okay that long... I just prefer to be extra cautious, changing when it reaches 40%... which technically means there's an estimated 30% - 40% oil life remaining. I assume the lower number.
Stapleface
New Member
I too usually go by the maintenance minder. I have noticed that once I reach say 50% oil life, I get much less time before I change it. IE, it takes the cars say 4500 miles to reach 50%, but maybe only an additional 2000 miles to the 10-15% "oil change needed". Not that this is a bad thing, mind you, just an observation.
To those that are changing their transmission fluid, are you doing that as recommended by the maintenance minder or individually? The last time I changed my oil (50k miles or so) the maintenance minder told me to do transmission fluid as well.
To those that are changing their transmission fluid, are you doing that as recommended by the maintenance minder or individually? The last time I changed my oil (50k miles or so) the maintenance minder told me to do transmission fluid as well.
Every other oil change is just a personal preference. Most dudes I know don't go past 30k without doing a tranny fluid change in manual car.
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Tony-si
Well-Known Member
would that be something the dealer would have done when they certify the car? i got it almost a year ago with 24 miles.
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a tranny fluid change at 24 miles? I cannot fathom any shop doing that.
bfaided1984
Well-Known Member
I do oil every 5k. Full synthetic. Probably don't need to that often but Texas is hot and past that I feel like she doesn't run as smooth. Transmission every 20-30k or so.
Blackeagle
Member
I've always done 5k, 6 months, or 20% on the maintenance minder, whichever comes first on all my vehicles with fully synthetic.
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Tony-si
Well-Known Member
I wont have to worry about the trans as i purchased it from the honda dealer certified so i believe they did that. i have the copy of what was checked and done..
freggie
Well-Known Member
about every 8-10k here, whenever maint minder says service due now. Wifey's car has 200k miles without any oil consumption and she was having WalMart doing her oil changes for the first 100k
I used to to be paranoid with oil changes. Purchased my car new and changed the oil at 200miles to get and wear metals out from seating the piston rings. I did the whole drive the car like you stole it and change the oil every 200 miles up until the 1k miles. Now I just follow the maint minder and neither of our cars have an oil consumption problem using Pennzoil Ultra Platinum and Purolator One oil filter.
I used to to be paranoid with oil changes. Purchased my car new and changed the oil at 200miles to get and wear metals out from seating the piston rings. I did the whole drive the car like you stole it and change the oil every 200 miles up until the 1k miles. Now I just follow the maint minder and neither of our cars have an oil consumption problem using Pennzoil Ultra Platinum and Purolator One oil filter.
DMS24
Well-Known Member
Going to stir up the pot here for saying this, but I only change my oil once a year, however many miles I go. After dumping the factory fill per maintenance minder at 8k, started using Mobil1 AFE or EP. I just go 1yr or however many miles the oil's rating is. Using the Extended performance so I could go 15k if I wanted. Mostly I average 7-8k a year though.
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7-8k is basically what I had a number of times at the maintenance minder.
Bruce Bartlow
Late apex everything
________________
very reasonable. What about the tranny fluid? (when you say "20 - 30k"... you mean for a manual?)
Blackeagle
Member
Someone else said that on the MTF but that's pretty close to what I run too. I dont go by mileage for MTF though, i just do it every 2 years. I did it once after 6 months and it was nearly new, 1 year and also still pretty close to new but with some slight viscosity loss. After 2 years it was still pretty good so I just do MTF every 2 years.