Oil change issue...

Just got the oil changed for the first time on my 06 Si.

When I got home, I looked at the receipt and noticed that they used 5w20 instead of 5w30. it's not like it's printed on the oil cap or anything...

Anyhow, I am going back tomorrow to make them do it right, but just for the interest of information, what would the negative effect of 5w20 be on the engine? Is it too thin for the performance motor?

Thanks for whatever info I get...

Reply to
Joe LaVigne
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There is a difference, but you can't measure it. bob

Reply to
N.E.Ohio Bob

Reply to
loewent via CarKB.com

check the owner's manual.

bob z.

Reply to
bobzee1

Does the Si call for 5W-30? Honda is a little confusing in that they spec 5W-20 for most engines, but 5W-30 for some. I know that my Acura TSX calls for 5W-30 while the Accord says 5W-20. This makes me think that 5W-20 is borderline for Honda designs and that the high compression versions of their engines need 5W-30 for protection in extreme conditions.

Remember that the oil has to be ready to handle mountain climbing with a full load on the hottest summer day.

That said, if your Si calls for 5W-30 and they put in 5W-20 I would not be worried about it unless you have been doing full throttle blasts up a mountain range in 110 deg F conditions ... but I would make the dealer fix it.

Personally I am running 5W-30 in the summer in our Accord and only using

5W-20 in the winter.

John

Reply to
John Horner

a good quality 5w-20 is just dandy. i've used 5w-20 castrol in an older honda and oil consumption was almost zero compared to the same brand

5w-30. that indicates better quality base oil so i don't think there's anything to be afraid of.
Reply to
jim beam

"Joe LaVigne" wrote

Is the last sentence above sarcasm? In other words, does your Civic SI's oil cap actually have "5W30" printed on it?

When posting to a technically oriented newsgroup, may I suggest leaving out the sarcasm, to expedite communications and quickly get you what you want?

As others have pointed out, a number (all?) of the more recent Honda models specify 5W-20. I can't get a 2006 Civic Si owner's manual online at the moment, but the 2006 Accord owner's manual and the 2005 Civic SI owner's manual specify

5W-20.

Time to break open and read your very own owner' manual. :-)

Reply to
Elle

I just got back from the Honda dealer, and noticed on the chart on the counter that the 2006 Civic is the only 21st Century Honda to take 5W-30 instead of 5W-20. Well, the Insight takes 0W-20. Weird, huh?

Mike

Reply to
Michael Pardee

"Michael Pardee" wrote in message news:edGdnf9txuNbFWXZnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@sedona.net...

Yessir. There has to be a rational explanation for the discrepancy, either in engine design, or perhaps Honda changed its mind mid-production.

Reply to
Elle

All of the Acuras call for 5W-30 even when similar engines in Honda are specified for 5W-20. I have always thought that this might be due to the higher compression ratios generally used in the Acura engines. High compression ratios mean higher bearing loads.

Perhaps the 2006 Si uses an engine tuned more like an Acura motor.

John

Reply to
John Horner

But not for the Si...

Reply to
Joe LaVigne

I did. I didn't ask what the correct oil was, I asked what the effect of using the wrong one is...

Reply to
Joe LaVigne

Yeah, the Si calls for 5w-30...

I didn't use the dealer, and will likely not for most stuff, as they are not all that close, are a bit pricey, and are very difficult to get convenient appointments with. On the other hand, had I used a dealer, I probably wouldn't have had this problem... ;-)

The oil change place (A Valvoline Instant Oil Change, which is the best around these parts usually) will be fixing it Tuesday. They offerred sincere apologies...

Thanks for the help!

Reply to
Joe LaVigne

I thought it was an excellent use of sarcasm... ;-)

Yes, it says 5w-30 on it...

The 2005 Si was, respectfully, a dog. The engine in the 06 is much better, and more demanding, I think, thus the recommendation of 30, I assume. I am not, however, a mechanic. I know enough to keep a car running well, and can repair most basic problems, but I am no expert...

Done it... Actually read through it when I got the car, and made notes of noteables... ;-)

Reply to
Joe LaVigne

IIANM, the 06 Si uses almost the same engine as the 05 RSX. It is tweaked some, and gets slightly better performance, but a picture of the engine is damned near a carbon copy of what's under my hood...

Reply to
Joe LaVigne

Thanks for clarifying, Joe, and offering your opinion on the distinction between the '05 and '06 Sis, to help explain the difference in oil recommendations.

"Joe LaVigne" wrote

Reply to
Elle

No problem.

And also, besides being a dog, the damned gear shifter was in a funny place... ;-)

Reply to
Joe LaVigne

Ah, that explains it. They probably just looked up Honda Civic in the book or computer and it said to use 5W-20. I'm not surprised that a quick lube place missed the Si nuance.

Personally I would much rather do my own oil changes than trust the quick lube types, but to each their own.

John

Reply to
John Horner

I suspect you are right. Honda makes many variations on it's basic designs and seems to specify 5W-30 for the higher performance versions.

John

Reply to
John Horner

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