Countering Fuel/Oil Dilution

[rraayy3]

In love with my Turbo Hatch Sport CVT and plan on keeping it for as long as possible. Having said that, are there any additional steps I can take to further ensure engine/powertrain longevity?

Daily, I use my e-brake everytime I park and let the turbo "cool down" about 20-30 seconds (I'm rarely over 2.5 K RPM) when done driving - longer when I feel like having some fun and pushing Sport mode [rare, but this car is a blast and needs to be enjoyed sometimes]. I'll let it cool down in idle for about 45 seconds when it's been pushed hard.

On initial start up, I let the car run @ idle until the RPMs drop to ~1000 then drive slowly for approximately 5 minutes until the engine warms up. In colder weather, is idling better if done longer? I've heard idling is bad for the car and we should just start and go, but I do notice the car "feels" better driving with a short idle on cold starts.

As for maintenance, would 6 month/5K full synthetic oil changes be more prudent regardless of what MM is saying? Currently had a change @ 20% OW-20 full synthetic and it's running great.

Thank you all for any additional advice. This is the first car I've every owned/purchased outright, so want to take as good care of it as possible - as it's essentially the perfect car for my day-to-day/"fun" needs. Initially planned on leasing, but after 2 test drives just fell in love with the car. Thanks again.

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[Gotch]

I do the same thing on shutdown as you have outlined. Startup is different. I jump in the car, fire the engine up, attach my phone, get the head unit set up and off I go. I drive very gently until the engine is warmed up, 3k rpm max. As for oil changes, I'll just follow MM as I have in my 2 other civics with MM on them. Service will be done by the dealership until I hit 100k kms.

 

[hobby-man]

Daily, I use my e-brake everytime I park and let the turbo "cool down" about 20-30 seconds (I'm rarely over 2.5 K RPM) when done driving - longer when I feel like having some fun and pushing Sport mode [rare, but this car is a blast and needs to be enjoyed sometimes]. I'll let it cool down in idle for about 45 seconds when it's been pushed hard.

This is probably not required unless you literally turn the car off after running at full boost for extended periods of time. Putting around a parking lot as you're arriving at your destination is probably enough to cool the turbo. But definitely no harm in doing it.

On initial start up, I let the car run @ idle until the RPMs drop to ~1000 then drive slowly for approximately 5 minutes until the engine warms up. In colder weather, is idling better if done longer? I've heard idling is bad for the car and we should just start and go, but I do notice the car "feels" better driving with a short idle on cold starts.

Idling is bad for the car, runs super rich. If you're trying to avoid fuel dilution, get in and go. Drive gently until operating temperature is reached. I take off as soon as my phone is connected and seatbelt is on.

As for maintenance, would 6 month/5K full synthetic oil changes be more prudent regardless of what MM is saying? Currently had a change @ 20% OW-20 full synthetic and it's running great.

This will probably derail the entire thread lol. My opinion is Honda's engineers know better than I do. I can't recall where, but I have seen info that you can change the oil too late, and also too early. There's a sweet spot. The MM makes its recommendations based on service time and driving conditions. I'm following the MM.

 

[rraayy3]

Thanks all. So basically, keep doing what I am doing?

I park on a slight incline and reverse out of my driveway - in colder weather I can hear/"feel" a difference in the shifting. Is this normal? Doesn't sound bad - just doesn't exactly sound great either, hard to explain.

 

[CivicXI]

Not sure if you need to let the turbo cool down. There is a LOT of thermal mass in the system for a turbo that's like the size of a large walnut.

 

[CivicChina]

Instead of idling after parking i simply let the car cool down in the last couple km before arriving, I let it go with minimum or no throttle so it can actually get fresh air to engine, radiators, intercooler etc...

 

[latole]

As for maintenance, would 6 month/5K full synthetic oil changes be more prudent regardless of what MM is saying? Currently had a change @ 20% OW-20 full synthetic and it's running great.

That is what I do myself, it is so cheap.

 

[BoxsterSteve]

- in colder weather I can hear/"feel" a difference in the shifting. Is this normal? Doesn't sound bad - just doesn't exactly sound great either, hard to explain.

I’d consider it normal behaviour.
The trans fluid will be more viscous in the cold and will take a few miles of driving for it to warm up.

 

[latole]

I’d consider it normal behaviour.
The trans fluid will be more viscous in the cold and will take a few miles of driving for it to warm up.

I agree.

 

[rraayy3]

So, even in the dead of winter (below freezing for weeks at a time, 0 degree weather, etc.) it’s smart to just start up and go?

I’ve been following the RPMs (starts around 1.5, I shift out of park around 1K) to let the oil reach all necessary parts, but wondering if even this short “idle” is doing more harm than good long term.

 

[civicdabest-foo]

3k rpm max?

I can drive the 1.5L at highway speeds and around the city keeping it under 2.2k and still roast any Chevy/Kia econo product starting from a red light.

 

[civicdabest-foo]

So, even in the dead of winter (below freezing for weeks at a time, 0 degree weather, etc.) it’s smart to just start up and go?

I’ve been following the RPMs (starts around 1.5, I shift out of park around 1K) to let the oil reach all necessary parts, but wondering if even this short “idle” is doing more harm than good long term.

Had an Acura EL and an 8th gen. Civic, both started every time in the western Canadian winter (-40 degrees Celsius) without fail. My 1.5L having gone through 2 of the worst winters in all of North America is running like new. Neither the EL nor the 8th gen were well cared for, EL made it to 150k kms and 8th gen made it to 90k kms before being sold; no engine issues.

On a side note, in Canada, there are still 1.6 EL's from the late 1990's still running like champs, their motors having outlives the axles and bodies and engines of Kias and Hyundais made years later If that doesn't say something about the quality of the motors put in these things, what will ?

 

[curt d]

As far as oil dulition goes....my oil will get changed if I notice the level rise. I don’t care if it has 3k on it, it’s getting changed.

 

[Schmullis]

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.

 

[Micah]

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.

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