Proper viscosity oil in 1994 Civic DX

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mhoza - 09 Jun 2006 18:06 GMT

I just bought a 1994 Civic DX and the owner's manual states that 5W-30
is recommended in the crankcase; I am inclinded to stick with that but
it also mentions that this is for "energy conservation" reasons. I use
Mobil 1 and have been using the 0W-40 in my other gasoline powered car.

I am reluctant to stray from the recommendations of the factory but if
the higher viscosity of the 0W-40 will provide better engine protection
I will go with it and take a slight milage penalty.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

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Grumpy AuContraire - 09 Jun 2006 18:51 GMT

> I just bought a 1994 Civic DX and the owner's manual states that 5W-30
> is recommended in the crankcase; I am inclinded to stick with that but
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Mike

How many miles on your car?

Higher mileage vehicles (Hondas above 150K miles) can easily stand 10-40
lubricants. In fact, my '83 Civic FE specifies viscosity as high as
20-50 depending on ambient temperatures operated in and that does NOT
take into consideration the car's total mileage.

Today's ridiculously low recommendations are all centered around economy...

JT

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TeGGeR® - 10 Jun 2006 03:57 GMT

> Today's ridiculously low recommendations are all centered around
> economy...

Well, not necessarily. Thicker viscosity oils also take longer to feed the
various friction surfaces found in an engine, particularly the ones at the
top end. In the old days you had to compromise between top and bottom end,
and between hot and cold ambient. But these days oils are better at doing
both jobs. A 5W-30 from 2006 does a better job overall than a 20W-50 from
1983.

Polymer science is not the same now as it was in 1983.

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TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

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ACAR - 09 Jun 2006 20:37 GMT

> snip
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Mike

Mobil 1 5W-30 is less expensive than 0W-40. Try using 5W-30. If oil
consumption is reasonable, then continue. If the car burns more than a
quart every 3000 miles try using the 0W-40. All synthetic oils are FAR
more stable than conventional oils and it is not necessary to use 0W-40
to compensate for thermal breakdown of 0W-30 or 5W-30.

If the engine is in good shape you might consider going to annual oil
changes using Mobil 1 Extended performance 5W-30 depending on how many
miles/year you drive.

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