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my civic 2003 ex has 150000 mi on it the book recommends 5w -20 oil but im thinking 5w-30 oil, either Mobil 1 or Valvoline full syn ....recommendations??

 
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I'd stick to 5w20 (or even use 0w20 in cold weather).
'Thicker' oil can aggravate oil control rings sticking.





Also, moved this to a new thread

 
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[QUOTE=ezone;4704180]I'd stick to 5w20 (or even use 0w20 in cold weather).
'Thicker' oil can aggravate oil control rings sticking.



yes i went with 5w - 20 mobil i as it does not get very cold in south central tx. ...thanks a lot.

 
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I read an article/test that suggested 0w20 was intended for fuel efficiency and works well for that; how ever, it also has less oil film and creates engine wear faster.

They suggested that

5w30 lubricated best for engine protection
closely fallowed by 5w20
and 0w20 was quite a bit lower than the other two.

 
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there is no reason to use a different grade of oil other then what is recommended you are not smarter then the engineers, unless you have a highly modified engine, supercharger, turbo, head work etc etc

 
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Engineers!? Ok, what about Europe ? Same car and we use 5W40 or 10W40 now we can buy 5W30 ?

 
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Is an oil type printed on your oil fill cap?

 
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No, nobady don't go that much with commercial except Fiat and Renault, they allways recomonde "own" engine oil.

 
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0w20 is back specd by honda to 2001 now. All the new Honda require it and now the recommend it for any civic from 01 and up. 0w20 has the advantage of being thinner at colder Temps creating less engine wear. The most engine wear is at cold start up. 0w20 is still a 20 at operating temperature just like 5w20.

 
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...no.

0W20

means it is at a viscosity of 0 viscosity rating or close when the engine is cold, at operating temperature the viscosity thickens up to 20.

So there is a difference in viscosity between 0 and 5.

As well for maximum protection you want an oil as thick as possible, or with an amazing additive package that lends to the oil film rate; which will also flow through narrow oil passages on start, be as fuel efficient as possible and create the least amount of drag. Less drag equals more power and fuel efficiency but usually at the cost of the ability to protect the engine.

0w20 is known to have a lessor oil film rate than 5w20, which in turn has a lessor oil film rate than 5w30.

I'll leave a link to an oil film test rating for multiple oil brands and viscosities bellow.

http://www.upmpg.com/tech_articles/motoroil_viscosity/

http://bestmotoroil.weebly.com/car-oil-testing.html

 
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Castrol magnetic oil seems very interesting,it uses positivly charged molecules to magneticly stick to metal components,good for cold starts.

 
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According to your link, this 0W20 oil ranks pretty fracking good, far better than some well known others with higher viscosity numbers:

 
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Thicker oil causes more drag on an engine. More drag cause more heat causing oil to break down faster. I think honda knows what they are talking about. The specd the civic originally at 5w20. Then they went back and now recommend 0w20. I'll believe the engineers that designed it. 0w20 benefits easier starting on Super cold mornings. Probably colder than most will experience. If you want to know more about oil and get your facts straight head over to bob is the oil guy you'll learn a lot.

 
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The most engine wear occurs at start up. Especially cold starts. 0w oil is thinner and has better pumping ability at the colder Temps or even at 32 degrees f. And when a manufacturer now specs that weight for the exact car listed above I think you could believe them. There has been no issues with a vehicle to staate that 0w20 shouldnt be used when specd or when a vehicle is specd for 5w20. It has more advantages. It is still a 20 weight at normal operating temperature. It has better cold pumping. It has better add packs. Better base stocks etc. It's a superior oil.

 
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you guys are arguing over what color of crap is better,

just use the grade of oil that is marked on your oil cap,

why make things difficult when its so simple?

 
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I'm arguing with someone who is misinformed and spreading them around.

 
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What cap ?!

 
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My friendly recommendation would be stick to required oil and change it quick in that way your engine remains clean from inside and you spent too much of your budget. I do the same but I change oil every two weeks because of high mileage on my 2001 Honda civic runs great and perform really well. Hope this help.

 
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you change the oil every two weeks,talk about a waste of time and money. i have 180,000 miles on my 04 and i change oil every 10,000 miles with mobil extended 5w20, my car runs great also.

 
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Hmm....Maybe he's driving 500+ miles per day?

 
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Yes When your car will reach 385,000miles I will ask you how great it will run!! my commitment is over 500K miles and my car will the way I take care of it but by the way and for $14 oil change from a Honda dealer isn't bad either so monthly $28 bucks I think its very reasonable.

 
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Dude, that's like $500 ($20 X 24 changes) a year alone in oil alone. A motor for these can be had for $500. Commitment of 500K miles would make that $$$ if you are already at 210K miles. It's excessive and not reasonable IMO.

 
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Not $500 its $14x2=28x12=$336 I not calculating the 5th oil change that is free. Also I don't believe in junk yard motor/engines they are good if you want to make your car running so that you can sell it but for me I already have a spare brand new engine complete block with pistons etc in a crate along with a brand new head as well. I have all the necessary genuine parts such as head gasket, timing belt complete kit etc. I am way too much finicky when it comes to my car my car already has 385000 miles and will go over 500k easily. For some yes it might be excessive but when you are car enthusiast that does not count. Just to say on my civic I have a complete HFP body kit original from Honda, Genuine HFP complete suspension, 16" HFP alloy wheels and chrome stainless steel HFP muffler. It has a completely black leather interior with heated front seats and navigation system that is after market Pioneer Avic D3. I also for your info have a complete K20 type R engine but I never went swapping it as I wanted my car mechanically stock.

 
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I get it, man. I'm just jerkin' your chain. Your ride must be really cared for and the I get the OCD on maintenance. Hope you reach your 500K goal which is a crazy amount of mileage.

 
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You drive 8th gen civic Pier7866 ?

 
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I know my friend actually these Honda forums helped me big time in order to see what fits and how to do it. Actually I have created a thread on this forum for 04 05 Acura EL rear end conversion over there you can see my civic and then tell me what you think about it.

 
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No I drive 7th gen civic 2001 my car photos are on a thread here named 04 05 Acura EL rear end conversion.

 
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Nice ride man. Personaly think that you waste your money on to much offen oil change. Send oil to blackstone labs they say you same.

 
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I agree there my friend but I want my motor to be cleaned and free of any issues and also like I said I am too finicky when it comes to car and since my car does have a high mileage. All parts has to be genuine and from dealer even if it is a bolt or a nut big fan of genuine parts and accessories.

 
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I have seen your thread. Looks nice but I wouldn't think of spending that much on mods on a 2001 so I will live vicariously through your ambitious adventure.


I drive a black 2003 ACURA EL Auto btw.