Oil How often oil should be changed?

[kostas_blue]

Hello,I have seen the new Honda Civic 1.8 i-vtec and it is really great!!!Yesterday, I have visited the local dealer here in Greece and he informedabout all the terms and conditions.They say that I should change oil every 6 months/10000km,and make a service every one year/20000km.My impression is that for civic, oil should be changed every one year/20000km and service every two years/40000km.So I wonder if this applies out of Greece.Could you please give me some info what applies in your countries?Thank you

[Juuzi01]

Originally Posted by kostas_blue

Could you please give me some info what applies in your countries?Thank you

Were there allready thread about Services?
Anyway in Finland, service is done in each year or after 20000km. But on first service (20000km), service dude told that it is very recomended to change oils every 10000 driven kms. So for now I'll change oils twice per year and get full service done once per year.

[DanishDude]

As in Denmark, 20.000 km or 12 month.

[TTDegs]

matches the UK too - service every year or 12K miles (roughly 20K Kms) - but oil change twice as often, every 6K miles (10K Kms)


Must say that quite a few people were surprised when I mentioned the 6K miles oil change a couple of weeks ago

(including me - I happened to find it in the manual when looking for something else!)

[kostas_blue]

Thanks for your answers.
10k kms seems reasonable in any case. But the 6 months interval seems completely unreasonable. To change oils twice a year no matter how many kms is something that I never heard before and actually this is the reason I posted this thread

[pcr]

Now I'm confused.

Reading Owner's Manual page 353 says change oil every 6250 miles.

Reading Service Manual page 38 says the 6250 mile change only applies to severe conditions.

[jayt43]

Yes, it is confusing, until you realise that:

The headings in the handbook are headed up:

Maintenance Schedule for Petrol/Diesel Models (EXCEPT EU)

So the tables only apply to all countries outside of the EU.

On page 355 of the UK handbook it then says:

"There are two types of maintenance schedule in this owner's manual. One is for petrol models and the other is for diesel" and refers the reader to the non-EU schedules.

The important bit underneath that bit says:

"In EU countries, follow the maintenance schedule in the Service Book that came with your vehicle".

Referring to my service book (which is actually in Hungarian) it then lists the intervals as being 20,000km or 12 months for an oil change unless it falls under the Severe Driving Conditions schedule which is:

A) Driving less than 8km per trip, or in freezing temps, driving less than 16km per trip
B) Driving in extremely hot (over 35C) conditions
C) Extensive idling, or long-period of stop-and-go driving
D) Trailer towing, driving with loaded roof rack, or driving in moutainous conditions
E) Driving on muddy, dusty, or de-iced roads.

So, in other words, the way I read it (for petrol model owners in non-severe climates, you only need an oil change at 20,000km or 12,000 miles)

Hope this helps!

P.S. thanks PCR for your PM! Very happy to receive it! I shall write back on Monday though, as I will shortly go away for the weekend.

[Skaven252]

Is just the oil change after the 10 000 km enough, or does oil also need to be added before that?

[jayt43]

Skaven, you should always check your oil level once a week and top up if necessary (with Honda brand oil or an approved lubricant conforming to the standards/ratings set out in your handbook)

[kostas_blue]

I think it is clear now. In Greece during summer we have 35-40C. So maybe we fall into the "severe" category by default.

[jayt43]

Yes, I think you're right Kostas. That still doesn't explain TT's view about UK owners though. Or is it just that the UK is not in the EU?

Seriously though, there's no problem in getting two oil changes, apart from to your wallet that is. In fact, in the States the fashion seems to be to get a change every few thousand miles (so as to preserve the longevity of your engine). Of course, they don't worry about the environmental impact of such things like we do (and the cost wouldn't be as high either).

[Bluishcivic]

But can anyone honestly say that they don't make 6-8 km trips once in a while? And does that mean that it is "severe" conditions? I do it a lot, best get my oil changed (app. 14.000 km now).

[jayt43]

I think it's where the majority of trips are of that nature, or a combination of more than one category.

[Kremmen]

My last Citroen C5 had 20,000 mile services or 2 years (whichever came first).

Citroen reckon that modern oil is good for 20k !

[Bungle]

I just called my service manager, and he said there is absolutely no need to change the oil before 1st service unless the car is doing mega mileage.

They would have a vested interest to want me to pay for new oil, so it seems as though it is at the first service.... Am I missing something?

[jayt43]

Thanks for that Bungle!

No, that just confirms what I said in my earlier post. The maintenance tables in the Handbook refer to non-EU models (easy to miss the bit on the heading).

So it's 1st service for an oil change, unless you fall into the category of "Severe Driving" where you'd get an earlier change.

Hopefully, that clears it up!!

[Kremmen]

Next question then:

Why do non european models have to have the 6 month oil change ?

Outside temperatures would be my guess

[skam]

Originally Posted by kostas_blue

Hello,I have seen the new Honda Civic 1.8 i-vtec and it is really great!!!Yesterday, I have visited the local dealer here in Greece and he informedabout all the terms and conditions.They say that I should change oil every 6 months/10000km,and make a service every one year/20000km.My impression is that for civic, oil should be changed every one year/20000km and service every two years/40000km.So I wonder if this applies out of Greece.Could you please give me some info what applies in your countries?Thank you

if you don't follow the instructions that the local dealer gave you then you can't have the +4 years of warranty through insurance company . They will only offer the 3 years warranty from the factory that exists in the rest of europe.
You must make the services in time. They will read the service book and if the services aren't up to date no more warranty for your civic...
You know what the big "Σ" means after all...

[kostas_blue]

I know very well what "Σ" means. That's why I asked to see the terms of the +4 warranty. Not interested...
(For example they don't cover the oil leakage if it is because of a flange or tube. From where else should oil leakage occur??? Oh, yes if the whole engine cracks....)

[TTDegs]

Originally Posted by jayt43

Yes, I think you're right Kostas. That still doesn't explain TT's view about UK owners though. Or is it just that the UK is not in the EU?

no that'll just be me missing the heading


sorry!