Roosbok

Here it is, sorry I couldn't make the link work.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/technical/articledisplay.asp?articleid=180[/L][L=Text]

civicvtec1ps

iTrader: (34)

LINK

Dustman380

I like what he says about k&n airfilters

BlackSI

yup, a good job explaining the k&n filter

bhayes82

did anyone read on to page 2 about the guy with the '91 miata with OVER 250,000 miles!?! i never would have guessed those cars would last so long... go mazda!

armageddon

great artical!!

THEANTIRICEST

iTrader: (7)

basically get a K&N filter dont bother with an intake...I like that...

Hefe

iTrader: (1)

Mazda's are good cars

Collective

"Break in oil" = Another car salesmans B.S. story.... lol...

WD40

iTrader: (1)

My salesjerk told me about the 'special factory oil additive' too. My car is closing in on 8k miles... I think I'll get an oil change this weekend.

enzymes

Just curious, because I don't think it's in my manual, but what kind of oil do our cars use so I can take a bottle of something better when I go to get it changed.

Edit: I'm my own worst enemy, open up the hood, staring right at me 5w-20, it's sad really.

silverdevil

iTrader: (5)

OMFG! Pls tell me you didn't wait until now to change your oil. Oil should be changed no later than 3000 miles under normal conditions, 2500 under harsh conditions and 2000 under extreeme conditions. I never let my car go a mile over 3000 miles. Some say it's a plot by the oil companies to sell more oil, I say this. 10 dollars doesn't hurt my pocket funds and it won't make me any richer or any poorer.

I'd rather change my oil frequently then have to change my engine ocasionally.

As far as what oil to use, don't, I repeat, don't use the 5w20 that Honda recommends. Instead use 5w30 or 10w30. I use 5 in the winter and 10 in the summer. Xw20 does not provide enough protection to engine parts because the viscosity never reaches the thickness needed for LONG LASTING protection. You get better mileage because of the reduced viscosity. However, your car will run warmer and you might risk pre-ignition or detonation if you drive under extreeme conditions.

The higher the second number is the more protection you get at higher engine temps. The Xw20 is fine if you don't ever rev your car past 3000 RPMs and stuff. That's how it's tested in the factory.

Mbow

Personally, I think honda pushes their "break-in" oil because it's a ploy to simply get people to leave the oil in the engine longer. They designed the engines, built them, and perfected them. They know how their engines need to be broken in and what happens when they are not. Honda's reputation is built on the quality and reliability of their engines. If they say to leave the oil in the engine till 5k before the first oil change, then it's the best thing to do. Now, if you work for honda and helped with the design and production of their engines, you have a place to comment on such things. Otherwise, one's opinion is no better than anyone elses.

The 3k oil change interval was started by the oil companies and the oil changing industry. To this day I know of no manufacturer that suggests 3k intervals. In fact, most high-end cars have computers that tell you when the oil needs to be changed. It's never based on some set interval. It's also never below 5k.

Anyhow, I agree with the cheap insurance.

UncleB

Silverdevil,

If you read your manual that came with your car, you will see that it clearly states that you should change your oil at 10,000 miles for regular conditions and 5,000 miles for harsh or extreme conditions. It is a general rule of thumb to change every 3,000 miles among car enthousiasts, but not required with newer engines. According to his manual, he still has 2,000 miles before his first scheduled oil change. I'd say he is ok.

Just for the record, I changed mine at 7,500 and am doing it every 4,000-5,000 from now on.

silverdevil

iTrader: (5)

Exactly what I said, but those of us who have studied engine internals know the danger posed by FOD in the oil. FOD stands for Foreign Objecd Debris/Damage, depending on who you ask. The particles that are deposited in your oil actually thicken it. If you start with a 20 SAE top weight and you run for, say, 10k miles, you might have a 40-50 top weight oil equivalent by the time you change your oil. This is not good for a car. You should never run your car with to high or too low a viscosity. If you maintain your oil viscosity as constant as possible you are helping your engine last alot longer. Those same particles that get incorporated in your oil reduce the thermal efficiency of your oil, i.e. it won't carry heat away from the metal as efficiently as it should, plus the added particles cause friction, creating more heat that can lead to pre-ignition and detonation. Those are all bad for your engine, if you haven't figured it out yet.

That's why I put those recommended oil change intervals. That is what I live by. My 86 Mazda 323 lived to the ripe old age of 193,391 miles before the engine needed to be rebuilt for the first and only time. The only reason that happened is because my father bottomed out the oil pan and the engine oil light never came on. We found out it had no oil when the car overheated and started knocking. Two weeks after we rebuilt the engine the car was stolen and when recovered it was useless.

Uncle B

Yes, that's what the manual says, I know, but read how they test their cars. Do you rev above 3000 RPM? Well, during their oil and fuel efficiency tests THEY DON'T! Use your 5w20 and change it every 10k miles if you want to. I'll continue to follow my advice and when it comes time to rebuild the engine, as you surely will if you keep the car over 150K miles, I'll still be driving mine with the original engine.

drbombay

10k is too long. a lot of what the manual says is misleading bs.

Mbow

I had a 93 accord that I drove to 150k and then sold her. I changed the oil anywhere from 3-5k intervals with Penzoil. That engine was no where near in need of any repair or in need of an overhaul. I ran her up to redline regularly and she still ran like a champ and purred like a kitten.

The wife's 91 accord had 154k when we got rid of it (well, she totaled it along with a caddy) and the oil was changed just like mine using Penzoil. All I can say is she drives like a bat of hay, and hers still ran like a champ and purred like a kitten.

bhayes82

any "research" is pure BS if your conclusion is to change the oil at 3,000 mi. that's a number made up by jiffy lube/valvoline instant oil change/etc. to get the average driver (soccer moms, busy professionals, etc.) to use their services every 3 months. even a trustworthy local garage will tell you 3,000 mi is BS. of the last cars i remember me/my parents owning, not a single one recommended a 3,000-mi oil change. what cars? '92 acura legend, '98 grand cherokee, '93 saturn sl-2, '00 toyota sienna, '02 acura TL... even the jeep, an SUV designed to be driven under harsh conditions, dirty off-road trails, and rough treatment in general, recommended 7,500 mi for average driving/5,000 mi for heavy-duty use. just follow the manual... there's always lawyers if the manual proves to be wrong [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

htowncivicEX

It's perfectly ok to wait a bit longer to do your first oil change (around 7-8k miles, maybe even 9-10k if you don't push your car hard and do almost all freeway driving). The oil they use in new cars is a bit thicker to help break the engine in. That being said, you're certainly not going to do any harm by changing your oil every 3k miles, but when you drive as much as I do, that's like changing the oil more than once a month.

Just FYI, I did about 75% freeway driving, averaging around 4-5k miles a month and changed my oil about every 7-8k miles using Mobil 1 synthetic 5w-30. My D17 engine is up to 35k miles and runs absolutely perfectly.

silverdevil

iTrader: (5)

For those of you who change your own oil and say you drive over 3k do me a favor: Next time you change your oil at your regular interval compare the oil that you are changing with the oil you are putting in. Put them both in a plastic cup or a glass or something you can see through. Notice anyting? Yeah, that old oil is nasty dirty. Do you really want that in your car? I don't!

htowncivicEX

It all depends on how hard you drive you car and what type of driving you do. To say that people are ruining their cars because they wait more than 3k miles to change their oil is simply untrue. I've changed my oil at 8k miles and the oil just looks fine and hasn't burned up at all (I drained the exact quantity as I put in a few months earlier). And then you have synthetic oils, which are designed to last longer than 3k miles. If you change your synthetic oil every 3k miles, you must be doing heavy delivery driving or driving a taxi or something, because changing a synthetic oil that often is just wasting your money.