2016, 2017, 2018 Honda Civic 1.5-2.0L 4CYL OIL SERVICE GUIDE

14mm Drain Plug Washer
Honda part number 94109-12000 or equivalent

Engine Oil
3.7 - 4.4 quarts of 0W-20

Latex Gloves

Eye Protection

Plastic Ramps or Car Lift

Creeper (optional)

Disposable Towels or Rags

17mm Socket or Wrench

Screwdrivers

3/8" Ratchet

Honda Oil Filter Wrench

Oil Drain Pan

Fitted Engine Oil Funnel

The oil change on these late model Honda Civics usually takes around 25-35 minutes. Using a car lift and having all your parts and tools lined out in a clean work area will make the job even faster.

Before starting, make sure that you have all the proper parts and tools needed to complete the oil change. These are listed above. You may need to purchase some tools the first time you perform this oil change yourself, but they are a worthwhile investment that you can use over and over again throughout the life of your vehicle(s).

Start by driving your car onto the plastic ramps or car lift, whichever one you have.

If you are using plastic ramps: Drive up the ramps slowly to make sure you don't accidentally roll over the edge when you get to the end. Put a block of wood behind one or both back wheels as an additional safety measure to keep the car from rolling backwards.

If you are using a car lift: Wait to lift the car until you complete the following steps.

Set the parking brake and pull the hood release. Open the hood of the car and set the hood prop rod in place to keep it open. Locate the oil cap and remove it.

Motivx Pro Tip: So you don't forget to put it back on, set the oil cap on your hood latch, so that the hood will not close at the end of your oil change if you forget to put the cap back on.

Removing the oil cap at this stage will let the oil pan drain faster when you remove the drain plug later on. If using a car lift, go ahead and raise it at this point.

This lower engine cover (also known as a skid plate) is usually held on by 2 Phillips screws and 6 flathead screws, but some skid plates also use allen screws. Use your screwdrivers to remove them. The flathead screws usually need only a half turn before they pop out.

Using allen wrench on skid plate screws.

Once all the screws are removed, the skid plate can be removed and set to the side. Be sure to set it in a place where it won't get any stray oil splatters on it, otherwise you may get a burning smell when you turn the engine on.

Removing skid plate.

The drain plug is located on the back of the oil pan and takes a 17mm socket or wrench.

Move your drain pan into location before loosening the bolt. Note that the oil will come out quite warm if your vehicle has been running for any amount of time, and it will tend to shoot out quickly at first and then slow down to a steady drip, so adjust your oil pan accordingly.

A couple of things to note here: The plug may be quite tight due to weather or overtightening. Try to get in the best position possible to have the most leverage to remove the plug.

Start by applying steady, even pressure. If that doesn't work, try making a fist with your free hand and tapping it against the bottom of the hand holding the wrench. This extra bit of force can sometimes break it free. If not, you may need a breaker bar.

Take care to use the correct size of wrench and have it seated properly on the bolt, otherwise you may strip the bolt.

Once you get the drain plug to break free, loosen it the rest of the way by hand. There is a washer that will come off as well... if you don't see it when you first pull the bolt off, it has probably fallen into your drain pan or onto the ground.

Motivx Pro Tip: If you take our drain pan and drill a hole on the side of the rear handle, you can easily store your drain plug there while you wait for the oil to drain.

A nifty place to put your drain plug while waiting for the oil to drain.

It may take 5 minutes or so to let the oil drain out. Make sure you get as much of that old oil out as you can. As you wait, clean the drain plug. Also take a rag or disposable wipes and clean any spots where oil may have splashed on the engine. If you don't, you may notice a burning smell the next time you start your car.

Once the oil has finished draining, tighten the drain plug and a brand new washer back on to the drain pan. If you have a torque wrench, the bolt should be tightened to 30 ft lb. or 40nm.

Place the drain pan beneath the oil filter. When the filter is first loosened, a little bit of oil may drain oil the sides, so try to keep the drain pan centered beneath the filter.

Using the MX2330 oil filter wrench and a 3/8" ratchet, remove the old oil filter by seating the wrench as far down the filter housing as you can and then ratcheting counter-clockwise. These filters can also be quite tight, so use the same steps as when you removed the drain bolt.

Using Motivx oil filter wrench to loosen tight filter.

Once the filter breaks free, let the intital bit of oil drain into the pan and then spin it completely off. Take a rag or disposable towels and wipe the housing surface clean, making sure that the old filter gasket has come off.

Motivx Pro Tip: Once everything has been cleaned up, you can remove the drain pan and set it to the side so that nothing gets dropped in it and you don't trip over it.

Take a bead of fresh oil on your finger and apply it to the top of the oil filter where it will seat on the housing. This will help it not to stick so hard the next time you have to remove it.

Tighten the oil filter on by hand and get it nice and firmly snug. The Motivx oil filter wrench is specifically designed not to tighten this new filter on, since you just need to get these nice and snug by hand.

Applying a bead of oil to the new filter before installing.

Installing new oil filter - hand tight.

Motivx Pro Tip: Take one last look to make sure all oil spills are wiped up and everything is clean. This can also be a great time to check your brake lines and look for any other fluid leaks while you are underneath your vehicle.

Also, you'll want to double check that you've re-installed your new oil filter and the drain plug. Nothing worse than pouring in new oil only to have it drain right out the bottom again.

If you are using the Motivx Tools Advanced Fitted Engine Funnel, you don't have to worry about oil spilling while refilling your engine. But if you are using a regular funnel, or no funnel at all, some oil usually spills off to the the side.

If you re-install your lower engine cover now, that oil will gather on your skid plate, which is not great. So that's a great reason to use a fitted funnel, as you can go ahead and put the skid plate back on at this point, and lower the vehicle if using a car lift.

If you aren't using a fitted funnel, we recommend waiting to re-install the skid plate until after you refill your oil.

Now you can grab the fitted engine oil funnel and install it where your oil cap threads on. Because of its wide design, you can pour in oil quite quickly without it spilling over the top of the funnel. If you are using 1 quart bottles of new oil, you can just turn them upside down in the funnel and let them drain in while opening the next bottle.

Add the manufacturers reccomended amount of oil. For the 1.5L, it is 3.7qts. For the 2.0L, it is 4.4qts.

After adding this amount of oil, check the dipstick to see if you are in the ballpark for the correct amount of oil. If in doubt, it's better to add oil slowly and check a few times rather than overfilling.

Once the dipstick reading is correct, remove the funnel. you can clean it by taking a rag and wiping it out.

Motivx Pro Tip: Start your Honda and let the engine run for a few seconds to build oil pressure and fill the oil filter. Then shut off your engine and top off the oil, checking the dipstick until it is at the full mark.

Then re-install the oil cap and lower the hood.

Empty all of the oil out of the old filter and throw it and the old gasket away in the trash. You can usually dispose of the old oil that is still in your drain pan at a local lube shop. For transportation, you can pour the old oil from the drain pan into the empty bottle(s) of oil that you have after refilling your engine with new oil. Make sure to mark this bottle with a large permanent marker so that you know it is is old oil and should not be re-used.

You may also need to reset the engine oil light on your Honda's dashboard.

You can do this by pressing the "TRIP" button until you find the oil life "%" reading. Hold the trip button for about 10 seconds until it starts to flash. Release the button and press it back down again until the percentage goes to 100%.

If you've got a little sticker in the upper left-hand corner of your car that registers the last oil change date and mileage, go ahead and clear that off and update it with an erasable marker.

Motivx Pro Tip: Depending on how often the manufacturer reccomends changing your oil, make it easy on yourself and write in the mileage when you need your next oil change.

Congrats, you're done!

If this guide was helpful, please consider using a Motivx tool on your next oil change. It is our mission to make high-quality tools that get the job done right and last the lifetime of your vehicle. Try them out and see if you notice the difference!

Honda Oil Filter Wrench

Oil Drain Pan

Fitted Engine Oil Funnel