** DIY: R18 Civic DX/LX/EX Oil Change **

[Nighthawk R18]

Heres what you need: 1. Jack + 2 jack stands 2. gloves (optional) 3. 4 quarts of 5w-20 Oil (i used Mobil 1 Synthetic) 4. Oil Filter from Honda or equivalent, Honda offers the crush ring for like 70cents 5. 17mm socket + ratchet 6. Oil catch drain pan 7. Oil Funnel 8. Filter Socket (recommended) 9. Towels and rags incase of mess Step 1: Jack up car and place jack stands. picked up my cheapy ones from Autozone for 20bucks and it does the job. Pop hood and open twist off the oil cap so oil can drip out faster. Step 2: I circled the drain bolt Take the 17mm ratchet and break the bolt loose. Once you've done that, place the oil pan and some towels under and around incase you under estimate the distance the burned oil shoots out . Step 3: Let it drain and drip for a while, grab a . Or if your my age, a couple of these.. Step 4: While its down to its last few droplets, work on breaking loose the oil filter. I highly suggest you get a filter socket from Autozone or Kragen. if you forget to buy one of just got lazy to go out and get one, you can do what i did . i ripped off the bottom of an unused mouse pad for extra grip to twist. This task is not for the weak, you know who you are lol. I spent 10 minutes trying different "twisting off" strategies under the car. I probably would have gotten it off sooner if my front lower tie bar wasnt there to allow me more twisting space. Beware, after some movement of the filter, oil will start dripping out again. Have oil pan and rags handy Step 5: After finally getting it off, it will look like that. But i took this pic after i wiped around the seal. So, you should wipe around it as well. Dip your finger in a bottle of oil and apply some oil around the new filter. Twist on tightly your new oil filter, and go back to the drain bolt and tighten that as well. ------CheckPoint----- You have now relieved the car from its old oil. Added new oil filter. Tightened the drain bolt, and if you bought a new crush ring, tighten that onto the drain bolt as well. Its all down hill from here. Step 6: Pour your new 5w-20 oil into funnel for easier pouring. Shown in the first pic were 6 bottles but 1 was half empty. Pour 4 quarts and you have some left over incase you need it. Step 7: After pouring 4 quarts, twist on the oil cap. Get your car off them jack stands. Step 8: (shitty pic sorry) Reset your oil meter. Here's axtran for his words of advise Originally Posted by axtran VERY VERY SIMPLE!! Here goes: 1) Insert Key into Ignition, go to II or "On" position (not "Acc"). 2) Hit Sel/Reset until "Oil Life" comes up. 3) Hold for 10 seconds until it flashes. 4) Release 5) Hold again for 5 seconds and then it resets. Step 9: Start car and make sure no service lights appear. Check dip stick for accurate oil level. Check under car for any leaks of if you left anything under there. Step 10: Fin. Modified by Nighthawk R18 at 4:13 PM 6/13/2007 Modified by Nighthawk R18 at 7:10 PM 6/17/2007

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[articsilber323]

man i wish the k20 oil filter was where the r18 is

[24boosted]

Originally Posted by articsilber323

man i wish the k20 oil filter was where the r18 is

I tore up my arm taking mine off. PIB.

[Nighthawk R18]

can't you make a lil tube so when it shoots out you can raging waters that shit to where you need it to end up at?

oh btw, if you guys see any typos lemme know. i have a tendency to do that.

[mfisher1967]

Great post! There is one thing that I learned changing the oil on my wife's '06 Pilot that may apply here. To avoid having to unscrew the drain bolt by hand the last few turns, and getting hot oil all over my hands, I use a 6" extension with the 17 mm socket (minus the ratchet) to remove the the drain bolt.

I have considered adding a drain spout and valve to replace the drain bolt, but am concerned that it may break off or vibrate loose. It would make adjusting the oil level easier if too much oil is added by mistake. It would also make sampling and changing the oil a little easier as well.

[Declectic]

excellent write up!!!!!!

[pd0019]

great write up

i always spray brakelean around the oil pan bolt and oil filter once they are back on so there is no smell of burning oil if you miss any while wiping the area clean.

isnt the r18 4qrts of oil?!. could be wrong...i forgot how much i put in. i think thats what the manual says

[Nighthawk R18]

thanks guys!

Originally Posted by pd0019

great write up

i always spray brakelean around the oil pan bolt and oil filter once they are back on so there is no smell of burning oil if you miss any while wiping the area clean.

isnt the r18 4qrts of oil?!. could be wrong...i forgot how much i put in. i think thats what the manual says

it says 4 qts. so i used 4 the first time. along the way the oil level goes down pretty fast. so what the manual says is like the bare minimum. i put 4.5 and its fine. and an extra quart later if needed.

Originally Posted by mfisher1967

Great post! There is one thing that I learned changing the oil on my wife's '06 Pilot that may apply here. To avoid having to unscrew the drain bolt by hand the last few turns, and getting hot oil all over my hands, I use a 6" extension with the 17 mm socket (minus the ratchet) to remove the the drain bolt.

i only used the 17mm to break it loose. twisted if off slowly with my gloves. and yanked it away fast as soon as the threads were loose lol

[JerseyGuy35]

You forgot to say to start your car up and get it up to normal temp, then drain it.

[06civicracer]

lol i had to use the oil filter wrench

[Nighthawk R18]

Originally Posted by JerseyGuy35

You forgot to say to start your car up and get it up to normal temp, then drain it.

why? i hear its bad to just start your car and let it warm up all the way to normal without driving it.

it doesnt have to be normal temp, but just warm. if you get it to normal temp, the drain bolt will be to hot to remove. the socket will stick to it and it will strip. and if its normal temp you will have a chance of burning yourself.

[IGotNoSwap]

good write up my man.

definately have an oil filter wrench if honda has changed your oil prior to a DIY attempt (its on there pretty tight).

Originally Posted by Nighthawk R18

Twist on tightly your new oil filter, and go back to the drain bolt and tighten that as well.

I think your filter might be too tight. Filter is only supposed to be snug... Hand tighten and soon as there is resistance, give the filter 1/2 - 3/4 turn.

[Nighthawk R18]

Originally Posted by IGotNoSwap

I think your filter might be too tight. Filter is only supposed to be snug... Hand tighten and soon as there is resistance, give the filter 1/2 - 3/4 turn.

ah. you may be right.

i just wanted to make sure that shit was on there.

[hondadriver]

Whats up with the lumpy assy, cheapy, looking oil pan?? LOL. What honda couldn't put it into a press so that it has a nice shape too it, looks like they took a piece of metel welded or pressed a mounting plate on it to bolt it on and left it as is. lol

[dan240t]

some suggestions:

-being the oil filter is in an easy spot to access (LUCKYYYYY!), you can use the socket tool. it also looks like you can use the ole' huge screwdriver in the filter method where you hammer a screwdriver into the housing and then turn it for leverage. if that doesn't work and all it does is start to tear the thin metal filter housing, it was put on too tightly.

my nissan was too hard to use a filter socket to get them off, no clearance, but I use K&N filters which have a convenient 1 inch "nut" cast into the filter housing to allow a socket to turn it off. works great. if only other filter makers did this.

and frams have a nice grip end, too bad theyre about the worst filter to use (i hear they flow good, but thats because they dont filter for shit).


and another tip. open one of the bottles of new oil, dip your finger in it (just the tip ), and give the seal on the new filter a rim job. helps it seal better, shouldnt run it on there dry.

but good writeup.

[Nighthawk R18]

Originally Posted by hondadriver

Whats up with the lumpy assy, cheapy, looking oil pan??

lol dont ask me.

Originally Posted by dan240t

some suggestions:

-being the oil filter is in an easy spot to access (LUCKYYYYY!), you can use the socket tool. it also looks like you can use the ole' huge screwdriver in the filter method where you hammer a screwdriver into the housing and then turn it for leverage. if that doesn't work and all it does is start to tear the thin metal filter housing, it was put on too tightly.

my nissan was too hard to use a filter socket to get them off, no clearance, but I use K&N filters which have a convenient 1 inch "nut" cast into the filter housing to allow a socket to turn it off. works great. if only other filter makers did this.

and frams have a nice grip end, too bad theyre about the worst filter to use (i hear they flow good, but thats because they dont filter for shit).


and another tip. open one of the bottles of new oil, dip your finger in it (just the tip ), and give the seal on the new filter a rim job. helps it seal better, shouldnt run it on there dry.

but good writeup.

i've used the screwdriver method before too

the autozone i went to didnt have a fram filter that was for the civic. at least according to the worker there. n yea i did notice the grip.

ill do the finger oil dripping next time, thanks!

[misterghost]

ok.... on your 8th point:
mine's an EX 2006...and doesnt have the oil life meter...how could it be?
ive tried and posted a video on another thread, but no luck?
is there some kind of ecu stuff?
oooooHHHHHH and btw...my dad also has an EX2006, and guess what? theres no oil life meter.....so....
whats the deal?????????????????????

[Nighthawk R18]

so you've pressed sel/reset and theres nothing that says oil life meter?!

dealership time y0

[M1K3]

awesome thread

[hoodkid]

dont know if anyone pointed this out, but may i also add, let your car run for 5-7 minutes or so to get the oil flowing to ensure an accurate read from the dipstick to see a more accurate reading :D

[misterghost]

yeah, ive done it on both my car and my dad's....
theres no oil life meter in either.....
it goes from total odometer to trip A with exterior temp, and trip B with exterior temp, then back to total odometer....
are ther some option or procedure to turn it on? like fiping the key from I to II or something?

[Nighthawk R18]

Originally Posted by misterghost

yeah, ive done it on both my car and my dad's....
theres no oil life meter in either.....
it goes from total odometer to trip A with exterior temp, and trip B with exterior temp, then back to total odometer....
are ther some option or procedure to turn it on? like fiping the key from I to II or something?

thats really wierd. where are you located?

[misterghost]

im in mexico.....

any other ideas on the oil life meter?

[pd0019]

sticky?

[kroze]

you screwed up by putting too much oil in the engine. the car only use 3.9 quarts max with an empty oil filter. putting 4.5 quarts in there is not "incase" shit happen, but you're actually destroying your car.

ever wonder why some older cars leak oil everywhere under the hood? you're going to destroy your front and rear main seal.

too much oil very bad for the engine.