Shokker

Okay guys, since this is my first car and I'm not too familiar with things I wanted some info on Oil Changes.. Firstly, How often should they be done? When I pull out the oil dipstick what exactly am I looking for and why do I clean it off with a tissue before putting it back on? Can oil changes be done on your own safely or do I have to take it somewhere? What is the difference between all the different brands and types of oil and which should I get?

Thanks in advance,
Shokker

Jugglez

You don't need to do oil changes. Just keep driving it until the engine blows then you can do a swap.

Seriously, I do oil changes at home and it's very easy, takes about 5 minutes. What you need to do is have the engine warm, so the oil drains faster. Jack up the car, put it on stands. Pop the hood and remove the oil cap, remove the drain bolt and drain all the oil, replace the filter, put the drain bolt back on with a new washer, fill up new oil and that's it. You're done.

You're oil level should be near the top mark when the engine is warm. That's what you should be looking for. You clean it off cuz you want a proper reading. While driving the oil splashes all over the oil stick so that's not a very good indicator.

For your motor, use Castrol GTX 10w30 in the summer, Castrol GTX 5w30 in the winter. Use genuine honda filters and change every 5000 km and you should be good to go.

Shokker

Sweet! Thanks, Jugglez.

A couple of questions though: Will I be able to easily spot the drain bolt under the engine? Is it somewhat lined up with where the oil cap is at the top of the engine? And I'm assuming I need to get the filters from Honda, how much do they cost and where exactly does it go? You said replace it, but I'm not sure what it looks like or where it goes. And any generic washer is fine?

Thanks again!
Shokker

Oh, Jugglez: You've got a PM!

imported_SumAzunGuy

omg that was sorta funny oil changes are cheap neways so do it as often as you want my dumb friend is so paranoid he does it every 2-3 k hahaha

imported_SumAzunGuy

shokker save yourself some time and take it to a mechanic its like 20-25 bux filter included hehe
and yeah you can spot the bolt pretty easily but as jugglez said its easy as hell to do it yourself

Jugglez

The drainn bolt is on the oil pan, it's pretty hard to miss. And yes you get Genuine Honda filters at Honda. It goes right behind the engine block, below your intake manifold. I buy them bulk so I don't remember how much they are. And as for the washer you need to buy an oil drain bolt washer.

Hey if you want, when we do the skirts I can show you how it's done. Do you have a floorjack and stands?

Bad Black Si

woah.. this reminds me, i gotta do another oil change. Maybe ill try it myself this time.

Shokker

Yeap.. I've got a floorjack and stands. We'll take a lookie when you're over.

Thanks again,
Shokker

Jugglez

That's not crazy. I change my oil once a month. I just changed it last week and I'll be changing it again in 3 weeks. 2 more changes and I'm switching to synthetic.

02CivicSi-NF

How come in 2 more? I'm getting my new car on Monday, and I'm planning on switching to synthetic as soon as I can... first oil change at 5K. When should I????

imported_Tmak

I do my oil changes every 5k
**** that reminds me, gotta get it done!

amuse

usually if you ask the parts guy at honda when you buy your filter, he'll throw it in for free, if not, they are only a couple of cents each. if you did happen to forget, you can flip that washer over and use it until the next oil change. so hopefully you'll remember to get it.

amuse

there are a lot of disscussion on this that i've read, and most agree that honda or any manufacturer might be using a run-in oil in there.

this is the same theory as not to use synthetic oil in any honda tranny. reason being the synthetic oil is too slippery for the syncro. so the same apply to new engine, synthetic is too slippery for the internal parts to wear properly to mate to each other.

so i would suggest leave the oil in the car until it's ready for an oil change. or you can do what jugglez is doing (i think he built up his engine recently with new parts, so in a way, it's a new engine), oil change with regular oil for the first few months until you've reached the end of the indicated run-in period and use synthetic after that.

changing oil often in a new car supposedly helps since while the internal parts is wearing to form fit each other, metal shavings circulate with the engine oil, so it will cause more wear.

02CivicSi-NF

Ok, so leave the oil in it... let Honda change my oil (included with the warrenty) for the first couple of oil changes, wait till the car is 'broke in' and then switch?

Jugglez

Here's how I would do it on a brand new OEM honda motor. Take it easy for the 1st 5000km, no redlining, no hard driving, no full throttle, no revving above 3500 rpm. At 5000km change your oil with regular, begin upping the revs slowly by 200rpm's above 3500 every few hundred km's, change the oil again at 7500km, continue upping the revs... once you hit 10,000 km switch to synthetic and you can drive it like you normally would. If you switch to syntheic DO NOT switch back to regular. Pick one and stick with it. Also ALWAYS monitor your oil level, keep a 4L jug in your trunk just in case you need it. Change every 5000km (or sooner, oil can never be too clean) and keep up the maintenance and your motor should last 250,000 km easy without problems.

Proper motor break-in is so important. The care you put into the 1st 10,000 km's in the life of a motor will determine how well it will perform for the next 200,000+km's.

02CivicSi-NF

That sounds like some great advice Jugglez... I'll keep it in mind when I pick up my car in just 2 days. Thanks!!

TBZ487

I change my oil around the same mileage (2-3k). Reason is i think its important to keep the oil in the motor as clean as possible (with some reasonability).

I do not use synthetic oil for that reason. I do not see a benefit to the motor in keeping the oil in there longer (8k - 10k). The longer you drive w/the same oil...the more dirt is going to be in it.

If I was to use synthetic, i would change it at the same mileage as i change regular oil @ now...2k - 3k. since that would be quite expensive...i chose regular oil and just change it early.

imported_Junior

Before turning to synthetic oil don't forget to get some engine oil flush.

ryuujin

oil flushing, doesn't that require some mad period of time to completely clean the engine from the previous regular oil?

perhaps v33k can show us(me) that link again because he showed me a URL that wrote about how to properly flush the engine

imported_v33k

Ten Step Oil Flush Procedure for changing over to Synthetic Motor oil.

The first step is quite easy - it just takes time, some good injector/combustion chamber cleaner and some driving.

Task 1: Cleaning the Injectors and Combustion Chambers.

1) With FUEL tank almost empty, add 8 oz. of Amsoil PI* (comes in 16 oz bottle) combustion chamber and fuel injector cleaner. (*You may substitute whatever FI cleaner you want/like - but results are not guaranteed).

2) Drive car for a while and fill tank.

3) Drive normally (go to work and see Grandma and stuff) until fuel level is low and add 4 oz. of PI* and fill gas tank again.

4) Repeat step # 3. You have now finished off the 16 oz bottle of PI. hey you'll need a few weeks!!


5) Drive until near E then fill again. The idea is to get the injectors and chambers clean, then make sure all the cleaner is burned up and diluted. Plus some of this and the dirt/FI cleaner will end up in the oil. (Don't want this stuff in your new oil) Now time to get rid of the old oil.

Task 2: Changing the oil.

6) Buy a case of oil with pretty good cleaning properties Mobil 1. Get car good and hot. I mean like 10 miles of hard driving. Drain the oil and change the filter. Put in the necessary quantity of inexpensive oil with pretty good cleaning properties. This oil will only be in the car a short while.

7) Drive the car for a week or a few hundred miles. The oil should still look sort of clean, unless the engine is REALLY dirty. Get the car good and hot again. Park it where you change your oil. Add Amsoil Engine Flush. Allow car to idle for 20 minutes. (Do not drive car with the Amsoil flush in the crankcase.)

8) Drain the oil, remove the filter. Allow to drain well. EMPTY THE OIL DRAIN PAN OR CHANGE PANS AT THIS POINT. CAREFULLY blow out with compressed air (blow down dipstick tube, filler neck, etc). If your car has an oil cooler, and/or remote oil filter, open up and blow those lines out as well. You want to get as much of the dirty oil and flush out as possible. (But you don't want to make a HUGE mess or blow your oil cooler apart!!) Again allow the oil to drain for a long time.


9) You may add the synthetic oil now and go the normal recommended oil change interval, (with a new filter) OR you may again fill car with inexpensive oil with pretty good cleaning properties (you have a case) and drive 500-1000 miles, then change to synthetic and double your change interval with an oil filter change mid-interval.


10) Enjoy - You should notice a slight change in MPG, and in performance if your injectors/cc's were dirty. Just watch your oil level, as consumption may be elevated for the first few thousand miles. This temporary phenomena will halt, when most of the volatile cleaning is complete. Unless your engine is really crusty or worn, you will also be amazed how long your oil will now stay clean.


P.S. I just copy and paste this from somewhere, I lost the link but I still have the text file I saved.