M1 0w20, 6400 miles, 2006 Civic

[Patman]

Here are the latest results from my 2006 Civic, analysis done by Wearcheck Canada:


6,400 miles on oil
July 14 to April 13 (9 months)
110,000 miles on engine
Mobil 1 0w20 AFE (SN)
Fram Ultra oil filter
4.0L oil capacity
No oil added
400ml of oil consumption
MM was at 15%


Iron 6.6
Lead 0
Aluminum 3.2
Copper 0.6
Chromium 0.9
Nickel 0
Titanium 0.1
Tin 0.1
Silver 0

Silicon 16
Potassium 1.7
Sodium 9.3

Moly 71
Boron 35
Barium 0
Calcium 975
Magnesium 680

Manganese 0.2
Antimony 0.7
Vanadium 0.1
Beryllium 0
Cadmium 0
Lithium 0.1
Sulfur 1663

Phosphorus 551
Zinc 616

Oxidation 63%
Nitration 70%
Sulfation 54%

Soot 0
Glycol 0
Water 0
Fuel 0


Viscosity at 100c 6.8


I must say once again how impressed I am with the service I get from Wearcheck. I dropped off this sample at 10am Monday morning and by 2:40 that afternoon I got the results online! I'm also lucky that they are located just a 5 minute drive from my work, so I am able to just drop samples off directly there instead of putting them in the mail.

 

[SatinSilver]

Hmmm, may I send my used oil to you then you run it down the street for me?

 

[SteveSRT8]

IMO you should also be impressed with that gem of a Civic engine. Sure seems healthy...

 

[demarpaint]

Nice report, looks like Mobil 1 0W20 AFE did just fine!

 

[Roob]

Silicon seems a tad high to me, could be wrong...400ml consumption isn't to bad, but I would check the oil regularly and add when needed.
Have you tried any other 0w20 oils in the car?

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: Roob
Silicon seems a tad high to me, could be wrong...400ml consumption isn't to bad, but I would check the oil regularly and add when needed.
Have you tried any other 0w20 oils in the car?


When I first got the car I ran Toyota 0w20 in it, with pretty much the same results. I don't bother adding any oil along the way simply because the specified capacity is actually 3.6L for this engine, and I round it up to 4L when filling up, knowing that by the end of the interval I will still not go below that 3.6L. I'm most encouraged by the fact that this engine is so tight because my 2000 Civic started out it's life using no oil at all but by the 80k mark it started burning quite a bit. My ex wife still drives the car but it's in rough shape, I think it goes through a quart every 2k.

 

[AKhan87]

Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: Roob
Silicon seems a tad high to me, could be wrong...400ml consumption isn't to bad, but I would check the oil regularly and add when needed.
Have you tried any other 0w20 oils in the car?


When I first got the car I ran Toyota 0w20 in it, with pretty much the same results. I don't bother adding any oil along the way simply because the specified capacity is actually 3.6L for this engine, and I round it up to 4L when filling up, knowing that by the end of the interval I will still not go below that 3.6L. I'm most encouraged by the fact that this engine is so tight because my 2000 Civic started out it's life using no oil at all but by the 80k mark it started burning quite a bit. My ex wife still drives the car but it's in rough shape, I think it goes through a quart every 2k.



2000 civic, the D16Y7 or Y8?

My brothers 06 civic burns about .05 quartz until 0% on MM, his car has always seen quick lube oil until the last 3 OCI I put in Full Synthetics. 170K on it.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: 01_celica_gt


2000 civic, the D16Y7 or Y8?



The D16Y7

 

[gathermewool]

Why not go down to 0% with that oil? How often do you change the filter?

I use the same filter and change it every other OCI, which is ~ 14k miles. I cut the the last one open and it looked fantastic.

 

[HKPolice]

How much does wearcheck charge? I don't see any clear listings on their site. Do they have optional TBN testing?

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Why not go down to 0% with that oil? How often do you change the filter?



I find it a bit annoying once the maintenance minder hits 15% because then I have to hit the reset button after each restart in order to get my temperature display back up again, otherwise I probably would take it to 0% each time. In this case I was also a bit anxious to get the oil out of there though, since we had our coldest winter ever in this area. I thought the oil was going to be in rough shape but it turns out it handled it quite well!

I always change the filter with each oil change, even though I know it could go longer.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: HKPolice
How much does wearcheck charge? I don't see any clear listings on their site. Do they have optional TBN testing?


They do have a TBN option, it used to be $10 the last time I checked (but that was a few years ago)

When I bought my last box of kits (also a few years ago) it was $20 per kit for the basic package.

 

[CATERHAM]

Nice report.

Not that I would be concerned at all but I do find it interesting that M1 0W-20 does seem to consistently shears quite a bit; over 20%. And if Wearcheck is correct with zero fuel dilution, the viscosity loss is all oil shear.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Why not go down to 0% with that oil? How often do you change the filter?



I find it a bit annoying once the maintenance minder hits 15% because then I have to hit the reset button after each restart in order to get my temperature display back up again, otherwise I probably would take it to 0% each time. In this case I was also a bit anxious to get the oil out of there though, since we had our coldest winter ever in this area. I thought the oil was going to be in rough shape but it turns out it handled it quite well!

I always change the filter with each oil change, even though I know it could go longer.


We're at approximately -1,700 miles on the MM, so I know exactly what you mean. However, the MM is super easy to reset, so if seeing the wrench and having to push one little button bothers you, then why not just reset it to 100% before it gets to 20% and then change the oil at 80% (or longer, if you agree that the above UOA supports doing so.)

You might be set in your ways, so please don't take the following badly:

1. Honda specifies changing the oil filter every other oil change.

2. Fram states that it is good up to 15k miles right on the box. In our application, and based on how it looks when cut open, I believe it could probably go even longer. I feel like I'm being wasteful changing it every other OCI (~14k miles.)

3. It's a fact that filters become more efficient over time, so long as they don't break down, tear (I'm talking to you, P1!,) or clog due to previous poor maintenance.

I'll be changing out the Pure 1 when I change the oil (hopefully sooner than later) after only one interval, because I've let the tears I've seen posted here get to me, not because I think running it for one more interval will make or break my engine. I plan to run the Fram for three OCI's (down to 0-15% on the MM,) since I'll be using VWB, not something as good as you're using.

 

[SLCraig]

The R18 is such a solid little engine.. Nice '06 you have there.

Mine uses a bit more oil than yours, maybe 2x as much, but it does see 8000+ RPM regularly and these engines burn more when VTEC kicks in.

 

[AKhan87]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Why not go down to 0% with that oil? How often do you change the filter?



I find it a bit annoying once the maintenance minder hits 15% because then I have to hit the reset button after each restart in order to get my temperature display back up again, otherwise I probably would take it to 0% each time. In this case I was also a bit anxious to get the oil out of there though, since we had our coldest winter ever in this area. I thought the oil was going to be in rough shape but it turns out it handled it quite well!

I always change the filter with each oil change, even though I know it could go longer.


We're at approximately -1,700 miles on the MM, so I know exactly what you mean. However, the MM is super easy to reset, so if seeing the wrench and having to push one little button bothers you, then why not just reset it to 100% before it gets to 20% and then change the oil at 80% (or longer, if you agree that the above UOA supports doing so.)

You might be set in your ways, so please don't take the following badly:

1. Honda specifies changing the oil filter every other oil change.

2. Fram states that it is good up to 15k miles right on the box. In our application, and based on how it looks when cut open, I believe it could probably go even longer. I feel like I'm being wasteful changing it every other OCI (~14k miles.)

3. It's a fact that filters become more efficient over time, so long as they don't break down, tear (I'm talking to you, P1!,) or clog due to previous poor maintenance.

I'll be changing out the Pure 1 when I change the oil (hopefully sooner than later) after only one interval, because I've let the tears I've seen posted here get to me, not because I think running it for one more interval will make or break my engine. I plan to run the Fram for three OCI's (down to 0-15% on the MM,) since I'll be using VWB, not something as good as you're using.


Lol TOTALLY Agreed, that's my exact thought process.
Don't mind but I will be copying and pasting this for my honda suggestions from now on.

 

[AKhan87]

Originally Posted By: Patman
Originally Posted By: 01_celica_gt


2000 civic, the D16Y7 or Y8?



The D16Y7


Awesome to know, I'm doing a rebuild in my D16Y7 summer 15, hoping to get the no oil loss after rebuild results!

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: SLCraig
The R18 is such a solid little engine.. Nice '06 you have there.

Mine uses a bit more oil than yours, maybe 2x as much, but it does see 8000+ RPM regularly and these engines burn more when VTEC kicks in.


I drive mine super gentle, I try to keep it below 2000 rpm most of the time and it's rare that I ever go full throttle. I try to maximize my MPG when driving this car, I have the Corvette for when I want to drive more aggressively (although I don't drive that one as hard as other Vette owners probably do, as I'd like to keep my license)

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool



We're at approximately -1,700 miles on the MM, so I know exactly what you mean. However, the MM is super easy to reset, so if seeing the wrench and having to push one little button bothers you, then why not just reset it to 100% before it gets to 20% and then change the oil at 80% (or longer, if you agree that the above UOA supports doing so.)

You might be set in your ways, so please don't take the following badly:

1. Honda specifies changing the oil filter every other oil change.

2. Fram states that it is good up to 15k miles right on the box. In our application, and based on how it looks when cut open, I believe it could probably go even longer. I feel like I'm being wasteful changing it every other OCI (~14k miles.)

3. It's a fact that filters become more efficient over time, so long as they don't break down, tear (I'm talking to you, P1!,) or clog due to previous poor maintenance.

I'll be changing out the Pure 1 when I change the oil (hopefully sooner than later) after only one interval, because I've let the tears I've seen posted here get to me, not because I think running it for one more interval will make or break my engine. I plan to run the Fram for three OCI's (down to 0-15% on the MM,) since I'll be using VWB, not something as good as you're using.



You make some valid points and I will definitely consider running the oil longer in the future as well as possibly doing the oil filter every other change. It would certainly save a bit of money and would be a neat experiment too, and I like to try different things

 

[gathermewool]

Oh, and I'm not sure if all 8th gets have the terrible orange dipstick, but i've found that checking the oil after an oil change is MUCH easier when the filter isn't changed. That little bit of used oil adds just enough color.

I guess it doesn't matter too much, since adding 4 quart even, regardless of whether the filter is changed, seems to work out perfectly. I still check after running the engine for the first time after an oil change, though...