Mobil1 0W-40 6,610mi, 2010 Civic Si 94k

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I bought this Si used on Labor Day 2017, and this run of 0W-40 is the first change of oil I've personally put through it. I chose to stick with the recommended interval of the onboard maintenance minder as a baseline for my first analysis. The car's driveline is entirely stock, but I did replace the air filter with an OEM Honda filter at the start of this oil change. The oil filter used was also an OEM Honda A01 unit.

This car is spec'd for 5W-30, but given my aggressive driving habits, hot climate (east GA), and a positive Civic Si OW-40 UOA from user JoeFromPA, I felt the added thickness, good $$ value and stout TBN of this oil as essentially a "beefy 30 weight" would be the right call.

Additionally, Honda's higher performance Japanese-market Type-R variant of this chassis, the "FD2", calls for a 5W-40 weight in the factory service manual. Given that the engine in that car is essentially identical internally to mine, aside from a slightly hotter cam and the deletion of balance shafts in the sump, supported my thought that the engine would be happy with a 40 weight oil.

tsCieTrh.jpg


As you can imagine, I'm quite pleased. It looks like the 0W-40 dipped down right into that middle/high 30 weight range at the end. I take care to drive the car gently until its fully warm, but otherwise it sees normal shifts in the 4-5k RPM range and sees the 8,200 RPM redline multiple times a trip, as it should. I bought the car as a practical daily driver, so it sees all the rigors of traffic, long interstate trips, extended idling with the A/C cranked up, and lots of engine shutdowns/cranks when running errands.

Given the results I don't feel inclined to change viscosities. I got a great deal on Pennzoil Euro 0W-40 from wally world so that is currently in the sump with another A01 oil filter. My plan is to take that oil out to 8-9k miles and see what the UOA turns up. I have a feeling I'll settle in somewhere around 10k mile change intervals by the time I find the sweet spot with these 0W-40s.

Comments welcome. Thanks!

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Looks like the oil held up extremely well and there's not a lot of fuel in the oil, which is a big plus
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Originally Posted By: camryrolla
with a TBN of over six, I would easily go 10K OCI.


Agreed the TBN is strong - do you think its wise to jump right up to a 10k OCI next time around or do a "middle ground" of maybe 8 or 9k miles?

To be honest, the oil filter is such a PITA to reach I'd probably be happy to just let it ride to 10k!
 
You're certainly using a great oil, yet you're using the Honda OEM oil filter, which doesn't filter as well & isn't built as well as a Fram Ultra XG7317.
 
^^^^^^^

Great point parshisa.

This report does look like a winner at the end of the day.
 
Originally Posted By: oil_film_movies
You're certainly using a great oil, yet you're using the Honda OEM oil filter, which doesn't filter as well & isn't built as well as a Fram Ultra XG7317.


I'm new to this car so I went with a filter that felt like a safe bet which was OEM. I bought a 6-pack if them, do when I run out I'll consider the Fram. Until them I'm not losing sleep over the performance of the Honda A01.
 
is there a proof that XG7317 is superior to Honda A01 by Filtech? not being a wise guy but really curious since I need to make a filter choice for next OCI. thanks
 
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I would always grab an ultra fram over stock Honda filters. Filtration ratings aren't very close at all; even if Honda is well made it's never been focused on superb filtration claims. However, the filter seems to be doing fine with an insol number like that.

Nice report and regardless of top off oil or not you can easily extend to 10k. Verify numbers again on that run.
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PS: if you start extending consistently go to an Ultra.
 
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Originally Posted By: ScottyB
Originally Posted By: camryrolla
with a TBN of over six, I would easily go 10K OCI.


Agreed the TBN is strong - do you think its wise to jump right up to a 10k OCI next time around or do a "middle ground" of maybe 8 or 9k miles?

To be honest, the oil filter is such a PITA to reach I'd probably be happy to just let it ride to 10k!

Straight to 10k would do, easily.
 
Originally Posted By: parshisa
is there a proof that XG7317 is superior to Honda A01 by Filtech? not being a wise guy but really curious since I need to make a filter choice for next OCI. thanks


We'll talk on here of ISO ratings, and flow bench testing, and yada yada... but I've seen more than a few Hondas go well over 300k on OEM filters (and reasonable OCIs). You're not going to gain any appreciable life by switching to a Fram Ultra, so buy whichever one you can get cheaper where you live. Will the Ultra filter better? Fairly certainly. Will the OEM filter get you to 200+k miles? Almost guaranteed.
 
Originally Posted By: parshisa
is there a proof that XG7317 is superior to Honda A01 by Filtech? not being a wise guy but really curious since I need to make a filter choice for next OCI. thanks

Fair question. If that "Filtech" is the same as what Bosch uses as their "FILTECH" filter media, then the Honda filter might be using pretty good glass fibers blended in with paper (cellulose) fibers. Assuming that is the case, the Fram Ultra wins (4548-12 scores) over ANY paper-glass blend media and of course any 100% paper filter out there.

Its obvious why Fram Ultra filters better, really: Ultra uses full-synthetic media, and they have a unique double layer depth-filtering construction that paper or paper-glass can't quite beat.

Honda oil filters, in the rare moments when they actually share their "secret" 4548-12 info, does not look good. https://www.amsoil.com/lit/databulletins/g2192.pdf
Fram does not make a secret and play games with 4548-12 results, so give the Ultra points for that alone!

Of course I wonder if the Honda oil filters are really using glass-paper blends, since the Filtech company can sell them anything they ask for, like 100% paper filters, similar to what just about every OEM slaps on their new vehicles.
My guess is that the Honda oil filters are actually pure 100% paper oil filters, OK, but not great.

Sure the Ultra is best, yet about any oil filter you put on your engine is not going to ruin your engine. I would just get the best oil filter and be done with it, not the paper inferior ones. Ultra's don't cost much.
 
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