Want to get a 2018 Civic Hatchback but terrified of the fuel dilution issues

[PEPSIFLAME]

Don't worry about it, man. Just make sure you warm the car if you're in a colder climate, make sure your drives are long enough, and change your oil every 5k miles. You're good to go.

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[James3spearchucker]

Hi! Any new experiences with 5-w30? My dealer (Germany) put 5w30 in the engine instead of the factory recommended 0w20. I was surprised, but happy about it tbh. I’m planning to talk with the dealer and make them put motul in the car instead of shell next time.

Hey how's it going? So you put "Germany" in parenthesis. Are you in Germany at this moment? You should be able to find LiquiMoly or LubroMoly and Motul there easily. I had used Motul in 5w30 and 0w40 just fine. Now I am using the German LiquiMoly. They have a 0w30 Synthoil Plus but its really expensive and think the 0w40 was a little better as well as cheaper. The 0w30 does flow better for winter. All these mentioned oils are very good. The cold viscocity is anywhere from 50-80 and hot is 10-13 so when you go down what it affects most is the cold start-up.

 

[CastorX]

I don't believe it's even technically possible to design a consumer car engine that would run well on 0W20 but had any problems with 5W30, including very long term performance. Even if someone tried really hard to achieve something like this. Can't be done.

Yeah, I don’t think the w30 would do any harm. Like I wrote I’m actually happy about it. What I don’t like is the fix 20,000 km or 1 year long oil change period. That’s crazy. But in Europe this is a kind of standard by most manufacturers. Only Toyota recommends 15,000 km. BMW has 30,000 km interval for some engines.

 

[CastorX]

Hey how's it going? So you put "Germany" in parenthesis. Are you in Germany at this moment? You should be able to find LiquiMoly or LubroMoly and Motul there easily. I had used Motul in 5w30 and 0w40 just fine. Now I am using the German LiquiMoly. They have a 0w30 Synthoil Plus but its really expensive and think the 0w40 was a little better as well as cheaper. The 0w30 does flow better for winter. All these mentioned oils are very good. The cold viscocity is anywhere from 50-80 and hot is 10-13 so when you go down what it affects most is the cold start-up.

Actually the engine oils I can use in my 1.5 turbo is somewhat limited. The 1.0 and 1.5 turbo civics in Europe have a particulate filter in the exhaust system (since 2018), like a DPF but for gasoline engines. My dealer used Hell Helix Ultra 5w30 ECT C3 Fully Synth. engine oil. I think it’s a good choice for this engine if you have this filter fitted in the car. I’m glad the 0w20 is not in the engine anymore, with all the fuel dilution problems and stuff a 0w30 or 5w30 is ideal. Also the engine runs smoother and very quiet (compared to the honda 0w20). I think next time I will ask if it’s possible to use motul 0w30 instead of shell. I used morul in my 8th gen civic and it was really perfect. About liqui molly. It’s not That bad, I used it once in my 8th gen and I switched back to the Motul. Once I tried Castrol, that however was a piece of crap. The low pressure light was longer on at spartup (despite the same viscosity grad), the engine was A bit louder. So... I didnt like that at all.

Happy Holidays!

 

[Hydrolic11]

Sorry to resurrect this thread. I've been analyzing, contemplating, and over-worrying about oil dilution before I brought my 2019 Civic EX, and decided to pull the trigger.

Love it so far, but been super analytical on my oil levels and smell. With only 1000miles on the thing, I can tell the motor oil from the dipstick definitely smells like fuel. Should I be worried? What are the implication of oil dilution? Or is that the issue -- no one really knows the long term effects? Other than the smell of fuel from the dipstick, no other issues (ie no smell of fuel inside the cabin, no misfires, etc) *knock on wood*

My last car was a 2006 Civic, and I drove it for ~14yrs... so I tend to keep my cars longer than normal. Thoughts?

 

[James3spearchucker]

Sorry to resurrect this thread. I've been analyzing, contemplating, and over-worrying about oil dilution before I brought my 2019 Civic EX, and decided to pull the trigger.

Love it so far, but been super analytical on my oil levels and smell. With only 1000miles on the thing, I can tell the motor oil from the dipstick definitely smells like fuel. Should I be worried? What are the implication of oil dilution? Or is that the issue -- no one really knows the long term effects? Other than the smell of fuel from the dipstick, no other issues (ie no smell of fuel inside the cabin, no misfires, etc) *knock on wood*

My last car was a 2006 Civic, and I drove it for ~14yrs... so I tend to keep my cars longer than normal. Thoughts?

You can get better mileage. Depending how you drive too. Is it CVT or 6MT? The compression is up but the fuel sprays inside the cylinder and can keep things cool. Also, the 1.5 runs pretty cool. It takes longer to warm up and cools fast in cold or breezy weather. What I like to do is idle for a little bit because the direct injection does not like a cold engine. Its one of the worst aspects. Also its not a really smooth engine like the K20 or K24 but it is a simple and light engine. This is the engine of the hour so unless you got the 2.0, this is it. The suspension and brakes are good.

I have found two factors help things. First is that the rings will break in and fuel dilution will reduce some. Second, certain but not all 30 weight oils seem more resistant to taking on fuel. These have low tension rings. I have not noticed really any oil burning so compared to any other motor on the planet I think this 1.5 ranks in the highest percentile of low oil-burning. So far so good. Nobody knows what engine will behave like at 200 or 300k miles. And finally just the oil change interval try to keep it lower depending on your situation and oil being used. Dont try and sniff the oil too much. Just monitor the level.

 

[SDAlexander8]

Sorry to resurrect this thread. I've been analyzing, contemplating, and over-worrying about oil dilution before I brought my 2019 Civic EX, and decided to pull the trigger.

Love it so far, but been super analytical on my oil levels and smell. With only 1000miles on the thing, I can tell the motor oil from the dipstick definitely smells like fuel. Should I be worried? What are the implication of oil dilution? Or is that the issue -- no one really knows the long term effects? Other than the smell of fuel from the dipstick, no other issues (ie no smell of fuel inside the cabin, no misfires, etc) *knock on wood*

My last car was a 2006 Civic, and I drove it for ~14yrs... so I tend to keep my cars longer than normal. Thoughts?

What about getting an engine block heater?

Sounds like it would be useful in Canada. Engine would warm up more quickly in those sub-freezing temps.

Does anyone have the engine block heater?

 

[Hydrolic11]

You can get better mileage. Depending how you drive too. Is it CVT or 6MT? The compression is up but the fuel sprays inside the cylinder and can keep things cool. Also, the 1.5 runs pretty cool. It takes longer to warm up and cools fast in cold or breezy weather. What I like to do is idle for a little bit because the direct injection does not like a cold engine. Its one of the worst aspects. Also its not a really smooth engine like the K20 or K24 but it is a simple and light engine. This is the engine of the hour so unless you got the 2.0, this is it. The suspension and brakes are good.

I have found two factors help things. First is that the rings will break in and fuel dilution will reduce some. Second, certain but not all 30 weight oils seem more resistant to taking on fuel. These have low tension rings. I have not noticed really any oil burning so compared to any other motor on the planet I think this 1.5 ranks in the highest percentile of low oil-burning. So far so good. Nobody knows what engine will behave like at 200 or 300k miles. And finally just the oil change interval try to keep it lower depending on your situation and oil being used. Dont try and sniff the oil too much. Just monitor the level.

Thanks, I got a CVT. Seems like that's the common advice -- to do more frequent oil changes. I'll probably enjoy it while I can, and if I can get over 10years/100K miles out of it, I'd be happy.

 

[CastorX]

Thanks, I got a CVT. Seems like that's the common advice -- to do more frequent oil changes. I'll probably enjoy it while I can, and if I can get over 10years/100K miles out of it, I'd be happy.

Hi! When my firend showed his Ford Focus 1.5 Ecoboost (with I think around 20000 km in the car, and a few thousand km in the oil) I quickliy checked the oil in his car's engine and it smelled exactly the same as in my 1.5 Civic. That means I could smell some fuel in it. However I can tell you that I in case of my older Civic (Gen8 2011 1.8 Euro Hatchback -FK2-), I could also smell some fuel (and that was NOT a D.I. engine) in the engine oil, but after somewhat more driven kilometers then in my current car. The official oil change period here is Europe is about 12500 miles. It's important to note that my Honda dealer did not use the original 0w20 Honda engine oil at the first oil change, but 5w30 Shell.

 

[turbo lover]

Does anyone have the engine block heater?

I use it when it's below freezing outside. It makes a noticeable difference in warm-up speed on cold days.

 

[civicls]

Actually the engine oils I can use in my 1.5 turbo is somewhat limited. The 1.0 and 1.5 turbo civics in Europe have a particulate filter in the exhaust system (since 2018), like a DPF but for gasoline engines. My dealer used Hell Helix Ultra 5w30 ECT C3 Fully Synth. engine oil. I think it’s a good choice for this engine if you have this filter fitted in the car. I’m glad the 0w20 is not in the engine anymore, with all the fuel dilution problems and stuff a 0w30 or 5w30 is ideal. Also the engine runs smoother and very quiet (compared to the honda 0w20). I think next time I will ask if it’s possible to use motul 0w30 instead of shell. I used morul in my 8th gen civic and it was really perfect. About liqui molly. It’s not That bad, I used it once in my 8th gen and I switched back to the Motul. Once I tried Castrol, that however was a piece of crap. The low pressure light was longer on at spartup (despite the same viscosity grad), the engine was A bit louder. So... I didnt like that at all.

Happy Holidays!

Wait, gasoline engines in europe have particulate filters now? Boy what a pain in the neck those systems are. Our diesel work truck is down about 20% of the time only because of the exhaust sytem. Sure, the air coming out of the exhaust is just as clean (if not cleaner) than air entering the intake but with that huge system problems are bound to happen. And they will. And yes they cost a fortune to repair.

 

[PhilF]

Don't worry about it, man. Just make sure you warm the car if you're in a colder climate, make sure your drives are long enough, and change your oil every 5k miles. You're good to go.

Actually this is spot-on. My 19 Touring Coupe is now a year+ old, oil changes (0W-20 Mobil1 either EP or AFE, Mobil1 M110a filters) have been performed every 5k, I do not idle the car more than 2-3 minutes, even when very cold and try to minimize short (under 5mi) trips, my driving is a roughly 80/20 highway/local mix and I generally average 35 mpg, 43 or so mostly highway using strictly Toptier fuel, most often Shell 87. I have a Blackstone UOA done just before each change, as I trust empirical data more than a "sniff" test. Here is the Fuel % measured at each interval:
5,061mi-1%
9,922mi-.8%
15,027mi-<0.5%
Note from Blackstone with this one:
"Back when these engines first came out, we were seeing a lot of excess fuel in the used oil, but Honda must have fixed this issue because instances of excess fuel in the oil have dropped quite a bit over the past year or so-at least in our testing. The flashpoint is high enough this time (405) to indicate no excess fuel present."
19,850mi-awaiting results
In May there is supposed to be a new GF6? Standard for 0W-16 & 0W-20 synthetic oils to address the unique issues with direct injection Turbocharged small displacement engines, fuel dilution and pre-ignition specifically.
I plan to look seriously at this new oil when it's available.

Essentially, drive intelligently, consider the requirements/characteristics of these engines, use a decent filter and good quality synthetic oil, change at 5k or so intervals and you should have no real issues long term.

 

[Hydrolic11]

Actually this is spot-on. My 19 Touring Coupe is now a year+ old, oil changes (0W-20 Mobil1 either EP or AFE, Mobil1 M110a filters) have been performed every 5k, I do not idle the car more than 2-3 minutes, even when very cold and try to minimize short (under 5mi) trips, my driving is a roughly 80/20 highway/local mix and I generally average 35 mpg, 43 or so mostly highway using strictly Toptier fuel, most often Shell 87. I have a Blackstone UOA done just before each change, as I trust empirical data more than a "sniff" test. Here is the Fuel % measured at each interval:
5,061mi-1%
9,922mi-.8%
15,027mi-<0.5%
Note from Blackstone with this one:
"Back when these engines first came out, we were seeing a lot of excess fuel in the used oil, but Honda must have fixed this issue because instances of excess fuel in the oil have dropped quite a bit over the past year or so-at least in our testing. The flashpoint is high enough this time (405) to indicate no excess fuel present."
19,850mi-awaiting results
In May there is supposed to be a new GF6? Standard for 0W-16 & 0W-20 synthetic oils to address the unique issues with direct injection Turbocharged small displacement engines, fuel dilution and pre-ignition specifically.
I plan to look seriously at this new oil when it's available.

Essentially, drive intelligently, consider the requirements/characteristics of these engines, use a decent filter and good quality synthetic oil, change at 5k or so intervals and you should have no real issues long term.

This info was very helpful, along with what info Blackstone passed on to you. Hoping same case with my 2019 EX Sedan. Appreciate it man.

 

[The Vyzitor]

Check your oil level often. Buy a fluid evacuator like a MityVac.

If your oil level rises too far, or if the smell of fuel in the oil becomes too much to handle, use the MityVac to suck a few quarts out through the dipstick, and top up with fresh oil to the correct level on the dipstick. If you're worried the dilution is reducing the viscosity too much to adequately protect the engine, use a step up in grade (w30) to compensate.

Carry on until MM calls for a full oil and filter change. No need to change all the oil and filter just because it is a little diluted.

 

[Gruber]

To anyone seeing raising oil level on the dipstick and concerned about oil dilution I would recommend to forget about 0W20 oil as a first step to peace of mind.

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