How Often Should I Change Synthetic Oil For My Honda Civic (Frequency)

Do you know how often I should change synthetic oil for my Honda Civic? this is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.

One of the most popular Honda models is certainly the Civic.

If you are a proud owner of a Honda Civic, you very likely are aware that the engine oil is something that both makes it run smooth but also protects it from wear therefore the exchange frequency should be kept.

So, how often should I change synthetic oil for my Honda Civic? On average you should change synthetic oil for Honda Civic vehicle every 5,000 to 10,000 miles depending on its generation.

But before we get into details about the generations of Honda Civics, let’s cover some basics about engine oils.

What Is a Synthetic Engine Oil?

When it comes to engine oils, there are three types depending on the way their base is manufactured:

• Conventional or mineral oils – produced from the crude oil or petroleum
• Synthetic – more or less produced in a laboratory
• Blended – a mixture of the previous two types

All modern engine oils of any of these three types are complex mixtures of the base oil and various additives, such as detergents, viscosity modifiers, and so on.

While these additives both improve the oil’s performance or create some additional benefits, the main role which is performed by the base component is the lubrication of various parts of the engine.

Synthetic oils have this component designed and produced in a laboratory, specifically as a way to improve the performance of mineral oils.

Read also: How Long Does An Oil Change Take At A Dealership?

Are Synthetic Oils Good For My Honda Civic?

In short, synthetic oils are the best for any vehicle, including your Honda Civic.

The first and foremost thing to keep in mind is that synthetic engine oils are specifically created to be better for your engine than mineral oils.

One of the important characteristics of the engine oil is its viscosity or weight, in layman’s terms how easily it flows.

For proper lubrication of the engine, the viscosity shouldn’t be either too high or too low, but simply just right.

Various engines require different viscosity grade oil, but for every, it is important that it doesn’t change or change as little as possible.

One of the reasons why the viscosity of oil changes is temperature, and when it comes to synthetic oils this change is almost negligible.

This is the reason why synthetic oils are much better for your Honda Civic than mineral oils.

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How Often Should I Change Synthetic Oil In My Honda Civic?

How often you should change the synthetic oil in your Honda Civic depends on the most on the generation of your particular model.

If it’s 7th or older generation, you should at least check the oil every 3,000 miles, but certainly, change before 5,000 miles or every 3 months.

For the 8th to 10th you should check it every 5,000 to 7,500 miles, and very likely will have to change before 7,500 miles or every 6 months.

For the current, 11th generation, that interval for oil check and probable change is 7,500 to 10,000 miles or once every year.

While synthetic oils are commonly advertised as lasting for longer than 10,000 miles, and some as much as 20,000 miles, the rule of thumb is to respect the manufacturer’s recommendation.

For Honda Civic it is the above numbers.

The advertised life of any synthetic oil is a specification for how long it will keep its lubrication ability and viscosity.

But that is misleading as the engine oils have additives that serve other functions, such as detergents for preventing deposits or preservatives for various seals.

The function of these additives can degrade at a different rate than the base oil’s viscosity, depending on the materials and design of the engine.

This is something the engine maker knows better about their product than any engine oil maker.

How To Change Oil On a Honda Civic?

Changing the oil on a Honda Civic is relatively easy to do if you have about half to an hour of free time on your hands, a couple of three tons stands, 17 millimeters hex wrench, oil filter, disposable plastic container, funnel, and some rags.

Step #1 Get the car up to operating temperature: Though many techs will tell you that you need to wait for the oil to cool before changing it, the actual procedure is to warm it up to the operating procedure.

This ensures that contaminants in old oil get drained from the engine.

Step #2 Get the car up on the stands: Using the hydraulic jack you need to raise the front end of your car enough to get under its front end.

For the exact placement of the jack and stands, you should consult your user manual.

Step #3 Drain the oil: To drain the oil you need to locate the drain plug, it is on the underside of the engine and the only thing on which the 17 millimeters hex wrench will fit.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to look at the plug while unscrewing it, keep your face away and thus avoid the embarrassment of oil splashing you in the face.

Step #4 Clean the oil plug: With the aforementioned rag, you should clean the oil pan plug, replace its gasket and screw it back once the oil is fully drained.

Step #5 Change the oil filter: Now you can lower the car from stands and change the oil filter by simply unscrewing the old one, replacing the gasket, and screwing in the new one.

Step #6 Pour the new oil: To pour the oil you will have to unscrew the engine oil cap, which is located on the top of the engine, marked with a small oil can, and is different than the dipstick.

Using the funnel will help you avoid any spills and getting your engine dirty, while for the exact amount of needed oil you should consult the user manual.

And that’s it after you replace the engine oil cap, you have changed the oil on your Honda Civic.

References

https://honda-tech.com/how-tos/a/honda-civic-how-to-change-your-oil-376001