How many miles can I go before I NEED an oil change? (according to Honda 'viscosity' gauge)?

according to the service manager where I get my acura serviced they said at 10% get the oil changed. Depends on what kind of driving you do is how many miles. It will be about 5,000 miles.

Unless you have severe driving conditions, such as driving in the desert, or drive short distances that doesn't warm the oil to normal operating temperature the semi synthetic oil used in most cars can go 5000miles with no problems at all. The package that semi synthetics are made of have the long strand polymers that plain oil had very little of. the semi's and full synthetics are light years away from plain motor oil. If you have semi synthetic oil , you are wasting good oil and money if you drop it at 3k. as the automakers recommend 5 k or 6 months. on semi synt. and 10k or 1 year on Full synthetics, if you do not have severe service. It that case 3k and 5 k are warranted. I have been a mechanic since 1968, and the oil today makes the stuff we used until the 90's work like muddy rain water. You also have to look at the fact that newer cars run at a much higher temperature which cook's off fuel and water in the oil, and don't forget the gasoline is not filling up your engine with all the hydrocarbons that broke down plain oil. The only caveat would be turbo charged engines as they meet the severe service standard, and the 3k 5k should be used.

Mechanics have always pushed to have oil changed every 3 months or 3000 miles, whichever comes first. It isn't true. There is lots of money to be made in oil changes and they are trying to maximize those profits.

The actual interval depends a lot on the driving conditions so there is no one answer. My Acura RSX manual says change it every 5000 miles under severe conditions or 10,000 miles under regular conditions. I assume a Honda Civic wouldn't be too different. The oil gauge takes the guess work out of the equation. Just have it changed before the gauge gets to zero...15% would be safe.

Actually time the engine is running is the best way to gage oil wear, mileage is a poor way of determining when to change your oil. You could go on a trip right now and put on 3000 miles in a few days causing little oil breakdown, or you could drive 5 miles a day taking you almost 2 years to reach 3000 miles. Honda's gage takes both time and mileage into account.

Time is NOT a good indicator of when to change your oil. I change my oil with regular motor oil every 3K miles.

Now if you don't put on 3K miles within 3 months, then you should change it 4 times a year. This is to compensate for oil breakdown in your crankcase.

Oil changes are the cheapest preventative maintenance you can do. They are much cheaper than an engine over haul or replacement.

I agree with Bare B, also, if you are using Synthetic oil, you can go about 4000 miles if not 4500

I recommend never going by time unless 3 months go by without an oil change. Thats one of the regular things one should do to a car, period.

get your oil changed, have synthetic oil used and have it changed every 4 to 6 months.

useing regular oil, about every 3 months