Countering Fuel/Oil Dilution

[Schmullis]

Get oil analysis performed instead of just blindly changing based on an assumed popular interval. But if not, using oil analysis, a shorter interval is certainly safer.

Good point on the oil analysis. My rule of thumb, based on real-world experience and internet data, has been to change every 6 months or 6k miles. It starts to get dirty around 6K. This assumes you will keep the car. If it's a lease, use Honda synthetic oil, change it when the maint. minder tells you to and just give it back to Honda after 36 months.

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[Micah]

Good point on the oil analysis. My rule of thumb, based on real-world experience and internet data, has been to change every 6 months or 6k miles. It starts to get dirty around 6K. This assumes you will keep the car. If it's a lease, use Honda synthetic oil, change it when the maint. minder tells you to and just give it back to Honda after 36 months.

Just because oil gets dark from soot doesn't mean it needs to be changed. I use Mobil 1 0w20 and have been running 3-5k OCI for years on all previous cars. I've known about oil analysis but never justified the cost because I drove my cars hard, and the price of an oil change was less than the price of analysis... but that was in my 20's and 30's as a single male jackass. Now, in my 40's, as a parent who mostly drives to work during the week, and with wife and/or kids on weekends... I'm considerably easier on the car than I used to be. The cost of oil changes has also increased. Given the nature of DI engines to dilute oil with fuel, I finally decided to start paying for oil analysis. I've been changing the oil on my 17 Si roughly every 7800 miles based on the MM. Oil analysis makes a hell of a lot more sense than "looks dirty" or "smells like fuel" being reasons to change the oil. Hell if there was ever an issue with the engine, being able to show records from oil analysis if anything can only help with getting repairs/service covered under warranty.

$0.02

 

[CivicXI]

My 2017 Touring has remote start. My new job is only 2.5 miles from my apartment. My new "routine" to get the car sufficiently warmed up before this short drive (and hopefully offset the fuel/oil dilution of a short drive) is to remote start the car for 10 minutes before I go on my 5 minute drive to work. Also, I use top-of-the-line AMS Oil and change it every 6K miles, rather than using the maintenance minder.

U actually wash more gas by the rings into the engine by letting it idle vs just driving it lightly.

Best thing to do is drive it normally all week then go from a 30+ min ride every weekend and drive it hard. It'll boil off any dilution.

 

[SoCalCivicSI]

There's no need to "cool down" a modern turbo motor.
That came from the early models in the 1980's.

 

[pjw7454]

U actually wash more gas by the rings into the engine by letting it idle vs just driving it lightly.

Best thing to do is drive it normally all week then go from a 30+ min ride every weekend and drive it hard. It'll boil off any dilution.

First of all the 10 mins of idling is not gonna cause that much damage to your engine. Second why the fuck did you pay extra money for the ex or higher if your not gonna use one the main highlight features? Just get an lx then.

 

[CivicXI]

First of all the 10 mins of idling is not gonna cause that much damage to your engine. Second why the fuck did you pay extra money for the ex or higher if your not gonna use one the main highlight features? Just get an lx then.

Chill out bro. You sound like you woke up on the wrong side of your futon this morning.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a19086/warming-up-your-car-in-the-cold-just-harms-engine/

If you have any issues with that, please direct it to the mechanical engineers at Argonne National Labs.

I'm just going to assume that you're smart enough to know that there's more than 1 difference between the LX and EX and then add you to the "My life is pretty good because I'm not as bitter as THAT person!" list.

 

[pjw7454]

Chill out bro. You sound like you woke up on the wrong side of your futon this morning.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a19086/warming-up-your-car-in-the-cold-just-harms-engine/

If you have any issues with that, please direct it to the mechanical engineers at Argonne National Labs.

I'm just going to assume that you're smart enough to know that there's more than 1 difference between the LX and EX and then add you to the "My life is pretty good because I'm not as bitter as THAT person!" list.

You realize if your windows are frozen your caris probably gonna be idling for that long ANYWAYS! while you scrape ice and snow off. Argument void.

 

[turbo lover]

You realize if your windows are frozen your caris probably gonna be idling for that long ANYWAYS! while you scrape ice and snow off. Argument void.

Why not scrape the ice off before starting the car? That's what I do. Cold idling is pretty much the worst thing to do, from an oil dilution point of view.

 

[CivicXI]

You realize if your windows are frozen your caris probably gonna be idling for that long ANYWAYS! while you scrape ice and snow off. Argument void.

I usually just scrape the windows then get in my car and start it.

Is this another one of your crazy flashes of brilliance? Like saying if someone doesn't use 1 exclusive feature out of 10 in an upper tier product, they might as well buy the lowest tier?

 

[David Harper]

since I don't seem to be able to get a consistent reading on the orange plastic dipstick I'm going to change my oil this weekend and then pour the drain oil back into the 5 quart container the new oil came in and measure exactly how much comes out. I know exactly how much I put in last time, so it should be easy to see if more comes out than I put in.

 

[CivicXI]

Th

since I don't seem to be able to get a consistent reading on the orange plastic dipstick I'm going to change my oil this weekend and then pour the drain oil back into the 5 quart container the new oil came in and measure exactly how much comes out. I know exactly how much I put in last time, so it should be easy to see if more comes out than I put in.

That honestly is the shittiest dip stick I ever used. Been thinking about just ripping the plastic off.

 

[SCOPESYS]

Th


That honestly is the shittiest dip stick I ever used. Been thinking about just ripping the plastic off.

I agree, but there is a solution.

This even works just after an oil change when the oil is crystal clear, and you don't stand a chance of reading it on the orange plastic.

This is a trick that has always worked on the older, all metal dip sticks, and it seems to also work well on the Orange Plastic ends, on the Honda Dip Sticks.

Take a piece of about 80 Grit Sand Paper, and scuff up the plastic on the sides , in multiple directions, to get a mass of multi-directional scratches on it. Then clean it very well -- get all residue off.

Dry it well - (always get all the oil off, with paper towel (or better still, Shop rag -- less lint), and take a dip stick measurement.

Now when you look at the side orange bits, rotate so that the light hits it right, and you will clearly see the oil in the scratches, and clearly see the top level.

We are talking about being able to measure to within 1-2 mm, even with new clean oil !!!

Black line is Photo-shopped in -- Obviously !!

If you are going to keep an eye out for Oil Dilution, it is important to make sure that you have an accurate reading after your oil change.

A WHITE plastic end would have made a lot more sense !!

 

[CivicXI]

You're a god damned genius. Gonna have to try this tomorrow.

I agree, but there is a solution.

This even works just after an oil change when the oil is crystal clear, and you don't stand a chance of reading it on the orange plastic.

This is a trick that has always worked on the older, all metal dip sticks, and it seems to also work well on the Orange Plastic ends, on the Honda Dip Sticks.

Take a piece of about 80 Grit Sand Paper, and scuff up the plastic on the sides , in multiple directions, to get a mass of multi-directional scratches on it. Then clean it very well -- get all residue off.

Dry it well - (always get all the oil off, with paper towel (or better still, Shop rag -- less lint), and take a dip stick measurement.

Now when you look at the side orange bits, rotate so that the light hits it right, and you will clearly see the oil in the scratches, and clearly see the top level.

We are talking about being able to measure to within 1-2 mm, even with new clean oil !!!

Black line is Photo-shopped in -- Obviously !!

If you are going to keep an eye out for Oil Dilution, it is important to make sure that you have an accurate reading after your oil change.

A WHITE plastic end would have made a lot more sense !!

 

[ski-line900]

I agree, but there is a solution.

This even works just after an oil change when the oil is crystal clear, and you don't stand a chance of reading it on the orange plastic.

This is a trick that has always worked on the older, all metal dip sticks, and it seems to also work well on the Orange Plastic ends, on the Honda Dip Sticks.

Take a piece of about 80 Grit Sand Paper, and scuff up the plastic on the sides , in multiple directions, to get a mass of multi-directional scratches on it. Then clean it very well -- get all residue off.

Dry it well - (always get all the oil off, with paper towel (or better still, Shop rag -- less lint), and take a dip stick measurement.

Now when you look at the side orange bits, rotate so that the light hits it right, and you will clearly see the oil in the scratches, and clearly see the top level.

We are talking about being able to measure to within 1-2 mm, even with new clean oil !!!

Black line is Photo-shopped in -- Obviously !!

If you are going to keep an eye out for Oil Dilution, it is important to make sure that you have an accurate reading after your oil change.

A WHITE plastic end would have made a lot more sense !!

Confused. Is this a picture of the orange plastic?

 

[SCOPESYS]

Confused. Is this a picture of the orange plastic?

Yes, with a close up Lens.

Its a close up of the SIDE of the orange Plastic, as opposed to the front, that has the long groove in it, where you are probably more familiar with looking for the oil level.

The advantage of viewing the side, is that this surface is where you can more easily scuff up with the small scratches that hold the oil.

I admit, color is a bit off .. I actually took the picture with a digital microscope.

Now you can realize what you are looking at, you can appreciate the accuracy and clarity that you can measure the oil level.

Imagine how much clear it would be if the oil was not brand new and so transparent.

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