Civic 6th Gen Service/Tune

[gleaminrimz]

Guys.... i have been a thread whore (sorry) and posted a LOT of threads asking various questions on stuff like how to change spark plugs, ho wmuch torque to appyl etc etc....

i want this thread to contain all the intormation (hopefully somone will create a great tutorial, with pics) on how to fully tune/service the 6th gen honda civic (spark plugs, oil filter, tranny oil etc etc.). HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP OTHERS LIKE ME!

my question for now is.... what do i do with all the washers that came with the oil filter? do i just ignore them and put the filter on?

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Shaguar47]

Washers? Oil Filter? I've never seen them come with any oil filter that I've bought. By the way, great idea about the thread. Trouble is I think it will be hard for this to start off good cause there are already links to some of the basic stuff or they will say to simply buy a manual. But GL with it all.

 

[Jbuck2KCivic]

I've never received any washers when I bought my oil filters.

 

[fronomo]

oil change: get the car to where you can work under it and have the following:
-container to catch oil
-a couple of wrenches (drain plugs can be different sizes)
-filter cup and 3/8" socket driver or filter pliers (pliers are better)
-if its a d16y8 then it'll take 3.5 qts of oil, d16y7 will take 3.8
-d series motors will have a fram/clean edge 3593A oil filter
-a couple of rags
-burn sleeve if you aren't cooridinated

if your oil filter came with ANY o-rings/washers/etc (which it probably shouldn't you may want to make sure that you have the correct filter) they are probably for the drain plug.

1. get the car jacked up and in a way that you can work comfortably underneath it

2. remove the oil cap

3. go underneath the car and use a wrench to loosen the OIL drain plug (make sure it isn't the transmission: the transmission pan will have small bolts all the way around it and it will probably be silver as opposed to the oil pan which is usually black) get it loose and then position your oil catch pan underneath the draining hole. slowly remove the plug and let the oil drain into the pan. (tip: move your hand QUICKLYout of the way of the oil once the plug is out if you do this just after the car has been shut down, it will be HOT)

4. allow it to drain until there just a very small drizzle remaining. (don't try to let it go until nothing comes out: it will take forever and it doesn't matter anyways)

5. if there is a new washer to put on the drain plug, put it on and re-insert the bolt into the hole, hand tighten it, then tighten it with a wrench.

6. find the oil filter. on a d series motor it will be straight up the edge of the oil pan just above the axle. (right near the exhaust pipe so if you are uncoordinated, grab your burn sleeve NOW)

7. see if you can loosen the oil filter by hand first, if not then use your cup or pliers.

8. once it is loose, move the drain pan underneath it and unscrew it slowly. more oil will come down and thats right, you guessed it, its HOT!

9. fully remove the oil filter and let the remainer of the oil drain down. make sure there is a gasket on the oil filter you took off. (if not, it is probably still up there and will cause a lot of trouble later when you try to start the car and it is double-gasketed)

10. take the new filter and using some oil, rub it on and around the new gasket. (this allows the gasket to slide when you screw it down, ensuring that it doesn't get pinched)

11. put the new filter up and HAND TIGHTEN it all the way down as far as you can go. DO NOT use pliers or the filter cup to tighten it. hand tight is all you need, it will not come off if done correctly.

12. once you are sure everything is set underneath the car, add the reccomened oil amount to your car, then put the oil cap back on.

13. after checking everything once again, start the car and let it run for about 30 seconds.

14. shut the car down and check the oil level. if it is high, remove the drain plug and drain a little at a time until it is right. if low, just add a little more at a time until it is right.


Thats about it for an oil change at least

i'll do some more later, seeing as they take a while to type

 

[gleaminrimz]

Thanks Fronomo! .... also what is the best oil to used for the 99 civic si? 0W-30, is that correct?

 

[civic98turbo]

I've never received any washers when I bought my oil filters.

thats cause you've never got a Genuine Honda Filter

 

[fronomo]

Thanks Fronomo! .... also what is the best oil to used for the 99 civic si? 0W-30, is that correct?

NOOO should definently be 5w-30. the 0w's are mostly for some new cars and hybrids. i'd go with mobil 1 synthetic personally.

 

[UgP]

Don't forget to mention that once you've started using Synthetic Oil you cannot revert to "regular" oil unless you re-build your engine (or so I've been told)... I've been using Synthetic since I've owned my 98... I started using Mobil 1 Synth, then Castrol Syntec, now I''m using Valvolin High mileage Synthetic and a K&N oil filter. BTW good write-up fronomo.

 

[fronomo]

another one i found handy.
how to: change your injector o-rings

1. get 4 of the proper injector o-rings from your local honda or acura dealership

2. open the hood and remove your gas cap in order to relieve some of the pressure on the fuel lines

3. start unplugging and unclipping things from your fuel rail. unplug the individual injector clips and pull them away. KEEP THEM IN A WAY THAT YOU KNOW WHICH CLIP GOES TO WHICH INJECTOR. all vaccum lines (anything that connects to the intake manifold and the one that goes down underneath it) should be disconnected. HOWEVER fuel lines (return line at the bottom and the one that goes to the fuel filter) should stay CONNECTED. you don't have to remove them for this and it makes it much easier.

4. use a 10mm socket with an extension to remove the two nuts that hold the fuel rail down on the bottom side of it. NOTE: there is one nut that holds a clip for the return line to the actual fuel rail, this one can stay on, DO NOT REMOVE IT. make sure you remove the correct ones.

5. slide the fuel rail up and off of its mounts. you won't be able to pull it all the way out, but enough that you can get to everything.

6. remove ONE injector at a time. you will have to work it back and forth gently to get it to come out. there will probably be extra fuel in the rail so be ready for a little leak, it shouldn't last long though.

7. take the injector and remove the top o-ring that goes inside of the fuel rail. take out your new one, dip it in a little bit of oil, and slide it on. (the oil ensures that no pinching occurs when you put it on and when you slide it back into the fuel rail) NOTE: you don't want it dripping in oil, simply enough that it will slide into the fuel rail.

8. before you replace the injector into the fuel rail, check around the bottom end of the injector (should be orangeish section) for any deposits built up on it. if there is any, take a paper towel and wipe it clean.

9. gently work the injector back into its proper hole in the fuel rail, and position it in the right place

10. repeat steps 6-9 for the other three injectors

11. once all injectors are done, properly positioned, and ready to go, mount the fuel rail back onto its studs

12. take the nuts that you removed before and put them back on. tighten them so that they are snug, NOT as hard as you can.

13. make sure that the injector clips are still in the right order, and plug each one back into its respective injector

14. plug all of the clips back in and re-connect all of the vaccum lines to the correct places, make sure that the clips are on there good

15. allow your car to sit for 10-15 minutes to be sure that any excess gas evaporates

16. put your gas cap back on and prime your car a few times (flip from the OFF to ON position WITHOUT starting your car, this is just the ignition ON)

17. once it is primed, start it up and check for leaks. there may be some smoke from your exhaust for a few minutes, but it is nothing to worry about seeing as it is simply the excess oil that you used on your o-rings burning off

18. if everything is good and there are no leaks, you are good to go! if there is a leak, undo everything and re-do the injector with the leak, being careful to not pinch the o-ring this time.

 

[fronomo]

Don't forget to mention that once you've started using Synthetic Oil you cannot revert to "regular" oil unless you re-build your engine (or so I've been told)... I've been using Synthetic since I've owned my 98... I started using Mobil 1 Synth, then Castrol Syntec, now I''m using Valvolin High mileage Synthetic and a K&N oil filter. BTW good write-up fronomo.

i've never heard that you can NEVER go back to regular, but its best to stick with just one type. high milage is just a blend of conventional and synthetic oils. haha thanks about the write up man........working for jiffy lube i do it probably 30 times a day

 

[JohnS.]

my question for now is.... what do i do with all the washers that came with the oil filter? do i just ignore them and put the filter on?

Washers? What are you talking about? An oil filter comes with a rubber gasket. And yes, you need that gasket. Sometimes when you change your oil filter, the old gasket sometimes stays stuck onto the engine block. So you want to make sure you remove that before putting on the new filter /w gasket. And before putting on the new filter, it's a good idea to take some new oil and "lube" up the gasket on the side that touches the engine and also the threads where it screws onto the engine.

 

[Evan.]

the washers that come with OEM Honda filters (if the parts guy offers) is for the DRAIN PLUG. They recommend that you can it each oil change.

 

[gleaminrimz]

HAMP OIL FILTERS....Whats the difference between the smaller vserion and the bigger version, and which is better?

btw any one willing to do a tranny tutorial... *cough*fronomo*cough*cough*fronomo...sorry ive caught a bit of a cough there!

any1 think this should be a sticky?...i do

 

[ashtrey634]

if you always use synthetic, y cant u revert back to regular oil? what about always using synthetic then the next time using syntec blend?

 

[fronomo]

if you always use synthetic, y cant u revert back to regular oil? what about always using synthetic then the next time using syntec blend?

you should be ok. like i said i've switched back and forth a couple of times, and never had any trouble

 

[fronomo]

HAMP OIL FILTERS....Whats the difference between the smaller vserion and the bigger version, and which is better?

btw any one willing to do a tranny tutorial... *cough*fronomo*cough*cough*fronomo...sorry ive caught a bit of a cough there!

any1 think this should be a sticky?...i do

what kinda transmission stuff?

 

[gleaminrimz]

how to change the tranny oil.

 

[fronomo]

aite i'll do it in a little while. im about to change my dizzy cap, rotor, plugs and wires. i'll take some pictures and write it up for a DIY

 

[gleaminrimz]

aite i'll do it in a little while. im about to change my dizzy cap, rotor, plugs and wires. i'll take some pictures and write it up for a DIY

dude, ur the best!

THANKS!

 

[fronomo]

ok so i changed everything out last night, but pictures didn't work out the way i wanted so i'll try to get some later. also, if you do want good pictures, check out the chilton civic manual.

tools/things needed:
- 5/8" sparkplug socket for a 3/8" drive (deep one with the grip for the plug end)
-6" or longer 3/8" extension
-3/8" torque wrench
-8mm socket and nessesscary attachments to use it on the 3/8" drive
-sparkplug gap measurment/adjustment tool (round disk with measurment markings)
-4 new sparkplugs
-set of new sparkplug wires
-new distributor cap
-new distributor rotor
-a little bit of anti-seize grease

FIRST TASK: CHANGING THE SPARKPLUGS

REMOVE YOUR NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL

1. You will want to do one plug at a time, DO NOT remove all wires at once. I usually start from the right and go left, but it's up to you. So, pull out the wire farthest to the right, being careful to pull on the BOOT and not the actual wire.

2. With the wire removed, put the sparkplug socket on the extension, and attach it to the socket driver. Slide it into the hole where the plug was and ease it down until you feel it grip around the sparkplug. Loosen it using the driver, and then keep turning until you can pull the plug up and out of the hole.

3. If you choose to do so, you can try to "read" your old plugs to determine if there are any unusual conditions occuring in your cylinders, such as detonation or too much sparkplug gap. This can be done by simply going to google and searching "reading sparkplugs." It should come up with pictures that you can compare to your used plugs.

4. Take out your vehicle's manual and look up "sparkplugs" in the index. Turn to the correct page and somewhere within a page or two it should give you a measurment in either millimeters or fractions of an inch. Take your new plug and slide the gap measurment device between the electrode and the reciever. If anything, it will most likely be not enough of a gap. If this is the case, you will want to turn the measurer/adjuster while it is still between the two until the reciever is in line with the correct measurment. This will open the gap up to the reccomended amount.

5. Once your gap is set, you will want to switch your extension and socket over to your torque wrench, which you will want to set at 18Nm or 159 inch pounds. If you prefer, put some anti-seize on the threaded part of the plug to ensue that it doesn't get stuck in the future. Put the new plug into the socket so that it stays in, and slide it down into the hole. Starting off carefully to ensure that you do not get cross-threaded, screw the new plug in. It will go a pretty good ways before you actually need the wrench. Once it gets handtight, use your torque wrench to tighten it until the wrench clicks, or "torques out." Do not tighten it any farther

6. If all you are doing is replacing the spark plugs, you will want to go ahead and plug the respective wire back into its plug once you finish. If you are doing new wires as well, simply put the old wire back in its proper hole, but don't bother connecting it to the plug, as you will be removing it shortly anyways. Repeat steps 1-6 for the other three plugs.