Rep Power: 0

New to the Civic as I just got the car for my stepson. I discussed this earlier but the dealer did an oil change and the dipstick is 1/3rd of an inch high. I turned the car off quick checked on level ground and it is 1/3rd of an inch and actually gets close to a 1/2 inch when measured cold.

Dealer said they think this will not hurt the engine but I am sure they also do not want me to come back.

1 Will this compromise the engine in any way
2 3.5 quarts makes me really see the need for frequent oil changes and can a larger filter be gotten to increase capacity(maybe a dumb ?)
3 05 with 63 k on it for $6k is it too late to run synthetic, will synthetic clean the upper end better than dino oil, will car use less oil with dino oil as I suspect it may use a little oil.

I just used marvel mystery oil to soak the pistons thru the plug holes for 2 days as the ol gal drove like 3 k miles per year the last 4 years and I suspect there may be gunked up oil rings and using MMO to clean em up was suggested by the dealer and numerous posts on the web. Thanks great site

I have been on the LS430 site for 5 years and these sites sure make car maintanence less costly and inform the owners better than the dealers often.

 
Rep Power: 210

in my opinion that is WAY TOO HIGH!

you are better off being slightly low, when i say that i mean halfway between the dots, never below the bottom dot,

i really think people over analize types of oil, as long as your using an APPROVED oil that meets specs, and change it at proper intervals, your chances of an oil related failure with these engines is next to zero,

expensive oils in these engines IMO are a waste of money,

i have used the cheapest approved oils and filters i can buy since i bought my car brand new, 280,000km on it now, it does not burn a drop, it does not leak a drop, and my oil stays relatively clean even when its time to change it,

just my opinion FWIW

 
Rep Power: 308

I used to get that when the tech would put in the full 4qts I took, and not just the 3.5 it called for on my 05.

 
Rep Power: 0

Way too high. Drain out some oil...

At the risk of entering into yet another debate on oil , using the Honda-recommended ones, conforming to their specs to the letter, will not at all result in less performance in a D17 until you need to ask more of the oil, such as towing, going for long drives at 70+, lots of short trips less than ten mins where oil doesn't get up to temp, not changing oil within recommended intervals, etc. Synth oil will only extend the protection a regular dino oil will give you in extreme conditions. If that's worth the cost of synth over dino, using synth will also not hurt your D17 provided it meets spec at a minimum.

I have no problem with $7 - $10 extra for an oil change every 3500 miles, so put synth oils that have proven to me to perform, in my case. Peace of mind for $10 is very cheap. But do realize that the situations they provide protections for, can easily be avoided by just being diligent about service and modifying your driving style and duty load.

 
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Thanks people I kind of figured, back to the dealer I go. Prolly put one of those Wasabe? valves on it and do it myself from now on out.
The drain plugs with the simple lever you turn.

 
Rep Power: 313

If your going to use one of those monitor it regularly for leaks, and don't buy a stupid cheap one. Do your research and make sure you get a really good quality one.

 
Rep Power: 367

max tierney uses them, he said they are fine

 
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I think they are Fomoto valves. Hey they changed my tranny fluid also. How do I check it warm while running I assume?

 
Rep Power: 367

don't check them warm - only cold.

 
Rep Power: 518

It's in your owners manual

ATF at operating temperature (10+ mile drive if possible)
Check with the engine OFF, check trans fluid within 90 seconds of turning the engine off.




Honda is the only manufacturer I'm aware of that has you check ATF with the engine not running.

 
Rep Power: 367

oh, wow, sorry... been years since i owned an auto... me bad

 
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+1. Honda does esp automatic transmissions very differently from the rest of the big OEMs... and they have their own pros and cons, just like the non-Honda slushboxes do. However that means that a lot of assumptions get made by new used owners when they go to check their Honda's ATF.