Civic SI oil change

[jeffie7]

I figured out a system for doing the SI's oil.

First remove the passenger side wheel, then remove the drain plug and let it fully drain, replace drain plug wipe up the area. Move the largest drain pan you can find under the area of where the oil filter is, slightly loosen the filter and let it slowly leak out, walk away, have a drink or two, mow the grass, do something, come back once it's done, remove the filter, reinstall filter, use about 10 paper towels to clean up all the oil then replace wheel and refill with oil.

Oil goes down the side of the motor block and spreads out, it hits the axle that is located directly under it, part of the frame and the control arm. In the end you'll have about a 1.5 to 2 foot area of oil going everywhere. Using my largest oil pan, I was able to catch almost all of it.

FYI if you just remove the oil filter with out letting it slowly come out, you'll have oil EVERYWHERE....

I've said it before and will say it many times to come, the new civic SI has the WORST oil filter placement of any car I've seen.

Check out the placement of the Civic EX of the same year... why couldn't they do something like that for the SI....

 

[phyregod]

I'd be nervous having something as fragile as an oil filter that close to the road. A well placed rock could poke a hole in the lil bugger and murder your motor.. Or at least cover the bottom of your car with oil and leave you stranded on the side of the road..

That being said, the Si's filter is in a pain in the ass spot for certain.. They need to find a happy medium.

 

[jeffie7]

As long as the filter is higher then the oil pan I'm not worried, a hard enough hit to the oil pan will put a hole in it causing the same problem.

BMW and MB have the filters on the top side of the engine bay, changing the oil filter is easier then changing an air filter.

Why can't the Japanese catch on?

 

[phyregod]

You could always go with a relocation kit.. Or pay some kid at a quick lube shop to change it for a few extra bucks..

 

[jeffie7]

You could always go with a relocation kit.. Or pay some kid at a quick lube shop to change it for a few extra bucks..

Never will I pay anyone to do my oil outside of the few trusted shops I'd be willing to use, all of those shops are no where close =(

My parents use random shops and sometimes I do their oil, when I do their oil the #1 thing I make sure I have is a breaker bar.

3 reasons I will never use them.

1. Drain plug is almost always put back on with a impact gun.
2. oil level is either low or high
3. why the hell is the OEM filter still on the car when the shop clearly doesn't use them?


no friggin thanks.

 

[eastbxc]

I agree I would never have anyone else do my oil change besides a few trusted people. I worked as lube tech last summer and would not want some of my ex coworkers to even check my oil let alone change it.

 

[phyregod]

Me either, but I'm not bitchin' about it.. lol.

Relocate it and call it a day?

 

[jeffie7]

nah, its not bad if you do it as I write it, it just takes 3 times longer then it should since to keep it super clean I have to let it slowly come out.

Today I had a neighbor around so I kept yapping, next time I'll plan mowing the grass around it.

 

[jamesA]

I've done an oil change on the Si once in 6 years. I always let Honda do them.. but only the same dealership I bought the car from though. Back when changes were 15-17 bucks. Now they raised prices its over 25 so I'll do them from now on for 15. Takes all of 15 minutes. I'm also not as super-picky about cleanliness like Jeffie is.

 

[jeffie7]

I've done an oil change on the Si once in 6 years. I always let Honda do them.. but only the same dealership I bought the car from though. Back when changes were 15-17 bucks. Now they raised prices its over 25 so I'll do them from now on for 15. Takes all of 15 minutes. I'm also not as super-picky about cleanliness like Jeffie is.

This is posted under 7th and 8th gen civic.

B series are stupid easy to do filter changes, you can easily reach them from the top side of the motor and remove/reinstall, only thing in the way is the exhaust and thats stupid simple to clean/burn off. When I had the built motor I did 2K mile oil changes even with the synth oil. D series have the filters also on the back side but just under the manifold, I dont remember being able to reach them from the top, but easy access from the bottom with next to nothing other then exhaust pipe to get in the way of drippings, the TL and Accord 3.2L have the filters hanging at an angle pointing towards the passenger side wheel, just over top the frame support and exhaust. the F series motor is also easy with very little problems with all the drippings from the filter.

However, the new SI. my god, the filter is tucked away with tons of shit below it to get covered in oil.

Its not a matter of me being super clean. If you're not very careful you'll get oil all over the place. Just check out the 8th gen civic forum and see just how many SI oil change threads there is. Sad but everyone agrees that the wheel should come off. How many cars do you remove the wheels for to do an oil change? like wtf

I will never take my car to any dealership for oil changes, most of the guys who do them are the shop boys who clean cars and clean the shop, once they're there for awhile they start doing minor things like oil changes. a few of our ex employees are now working at local dealerships doing just that. One of the dealerships is a luxury brand........

 

[jamesA]

haha jeffie I am well aware what type of Civic you were talking about.

Its kind of funny, because it looks like with a jack, stands and a creeper you're right there at the filter to me. I mean shit, my filter is tucked away so nicely I couldn't even get a hell of a nice picture of it like you did there...

Where as mine is above the oil pan and below the intake manifold. Best way for me to reach it is leaning over the engine itself and reaching between the IM and all the other nonsensical fun stuff.

I dunno about you but leaning over a car at 90 degrees while trying to twist off an oil filter is no easy task.

 

[eastbxc]

Just letting you know 2000si even getting it changed at the dealership is not a safe bet. I worked at a local Honda dealership and everyone just had the "fuck it its not my" attitude about everything they worked on.

 

[jamesA]

Its been just fine for 6 years now...

 

[99sidude]

The honda stealership in marysville has 2 completely seperate service centers on each side of the place. One is where the majoy mechanical work is done by certified honda tech's. The other side is 4x bigger and is where oil changes, battery, and tire work is done by your average grease monkey. Seems like the people there are no better than your average quick lube.

 

[eastbxc]

Seems like the people there are no better than your average quick lube.

Exactly. All I am saying is just taking your car to a dealership does not always mean it is done legit. I got hired because a friend of my put in a good word for me and my prior experience all I said was I had helped my Dad doing oil changes since I was a kid and that got me hired.

 

[jeffie7]

haha jeffie I am well aware what type of Civic you were talking about.

Its kind of funny, because it looks like with a jack, stands and a creeper you're right there at the filter to me. I mean shit, my filter is tucked away so nicely I couldn't even get a hell of a nice picture of it like you did there...

Where as mine is above the oil pan and below the intake manifold. Best way for me to reach it is leaning over the engine itself and reaching between the IM and all the other nonsensical fun stuff.

The difference is with the B series the only thing under the filter is the exhaust. that's it, it might be high up but its still easy to get and it does not make a big mess when its removed. In order to reach the new SI filter you need to pretty much lay on your back and bend your arm into a right angel and tweak your wrist like you're a retard, at that point you can get your finger tips onto the filter. I cant fit a normal filter wrench on it, I need to use a strap wrench and slowly turn it til I can use my finger tips to finish it.

And I agree, as stated before, best way to get the B series filter is from the top side. IMO my B series was one of the easiest motors to do an oil change on. about a 10 minute job with the right tools already laid out.

 

[double0Si]

All that is why I love doing oil changes on the Camaro. Jack the car up, its right there in plain view. Nothing in the way, nothing below it, nothing to it. Changing spark plugs on the other hand I'll take a Honda any day.