To the untrained eye, the amount of different types of engine oil available at your local car parts store can be overwhelming.
The specific grades may not make that much sense to you either.
However, don’t worry!
In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the engine oil your Honda Civic takes. Read on to find out everything you should be aware of before your Civic’s next oil change!
Understanding the Honda Civic Oil Type
Recommended oil type
Honda recommends the use of their Genuine Honda Motor Oil 0W-20. This is a synthetic oil that is designed to last longer than other oils as it contains fewer impurities and is able to withstand prolonged heat.
It also has a low viscosity rating at low temperatures, which will optimize your Honda Civic’s fuel consumption and extend its engine lifespan.
Understanding viscosity
The viscosity of an oil is how easy it is to pour at a certain temperature. This depends on its thickness; thin oils pour more easily at lower temperatures, meaning they have lower viscosity.
Let's use the grade of Honda’s official recommendation for Honda Civic motor oil (0W-20) as an example to explain this further!
The viscosity of oil at 0 degrees Fahrenheit is notated by the number before the ‘W’ in the grade. The lower the number, the less it will thicken in colder weather.
The viscosity of an oil at 100 degrees Celsius is shown in the figure following the ‘W’. The higher the number, the more resistance it has to thinning at high temperatures.
0W-20 oil doesn’t thicken very much at all in cold weather and has an average resistance to thinning at high temperatures.
Understanding oil additives
Additives are organic or inorganic compounds that are added to oil in either liquid or solid form. This is done for three main reasons:
- Enhancing base oil properties
- Suppressing undesirable base oil properties
- Imparting new properties to base oils
Additives are used in Honda’s 0W-20 motor oil to thin it out and give it the lubrication qualities required to be used in Honda Civics.
Importance of using the right oil type
Oil lubricates the moving parts within an engine, working to protect them from wear caused by friction and undesirable chemical reactions such as corrosion over prolonged periods of time.
Modern engines often require a thinner oil to maximize fuel economy. Using oil with a viscosity that is too high can reduce the responsiveness of a Honda Civic, meaning more fuel is required to power it!
How much oil is needed
Honda Civics require around 5 quarts (4.73 liters) of oil for each oil change, which should take place around every 7,500 miles.
This may need to be more frequent, however, if you operate your Civic in extreme weather conditions (every 3,000 miles or so).
Different Types of Engine Oil for Honda Civic
Honda officially recommends the use of 0W-20 engine oil for Honda Civics. Although the conditions you drive your car in may affect the type of oil you should use, you should stick to this recommendation for the most part.
As mentioned before, there are different grades of engine oil which all serve slightly different purposes.
You may want to use oil with a higher viscosity rating at 100 degrees Celsius in the summertime or if you live in a hot country.
However, you should only ever use synthetic oil; Civics aren’t designed to run on conventional oil or synthetic blend oil.
How to Choose the Right Oil for Your Honda Civic?
Before you do anything, consult your owner's manual!
Although the information contained in this article is a general rule for modern Civics, yours may require a different type of oil depending on the age and specific model.
As mentioned before, the conditions you are driving in may be a factor to consider when choosing the type of engine oil to use in your Honda Civic.
Drivers in warmer climates may benefit from an oil with a higher resistance to thinning at high temperatures for the benefit of their engine.
If the official Honda brand oil is unavailable to you or out of your price range (although there isn't a huge variability in the price of engine oil), you can consider another synthetic 0W-20 grade engine oil.
Try to stick to synthetic engine oil wherever possible, although if you have to deviate from this you must use an oil of the same grade (0W-20).
Conclusion
Choosing the correct oil for your Honda Civic is relatively straightforward, as the official recommendation from Honda is their 0W-20 grade engine oil.
Other synthetic oils of the same grade will suffice, however – something like the Castrol Edge Professional Synthetic 0W-20 engine oil will work perfectly as well!