[IceWindius]

YES, I searched and read several threads about the whole debate on oil for our Civics. The advice ranges from following the Honda MM *maintenance minder* to the letter, vs staying to the tested and tried ever 3,000 miles.

Every situation and driving style is different for every owner, so let me present my driving habits and enviroment.

I live in Montana, which always has variable weather that changes every 5 minutes or so. One hour it can be 40 degress, blowing wind and cold rain, the next hour it could jump to 60 degrees with sunshine and no wind. The winters here get very cold and harsh, with variable tempatures ranging from -20 to 40 degree's that changes constantly, with snowfall, ice, hail, fog and everything in between.

Summer and springs consist of random rainstorms with summer becoming very hot at times 80-100 degrees with little humidity until fall sets and and cycle repeats itself

Now, with my current driving style, this car is my buzz around town car and is not even used to get to work, my company van is for that. So there are times when I drive no more then a block away to the grocery store on a cold engine and drive for no less then a minute, park, do my thing and then head back home. Other times, im taking the 45mph sections to the other side of town which can result in alot of stop, crawl and go driving. At night I have more smoother and constant driving with less traffic. I drive from anwhere from 2 to 20 miles a day. My rough yearly average is less then 5,000 miles a year.

Our traffic in my town consists alot of stop and go, small side streets and a few sections of 45mph 4way roads around 5 miles long. There is also a decent amount of hilly roads that are around a 10% grade.

I also take side streets which average 20-30 mph and do require a fair amount of intersection stopping and going *I usually roll through stop signs, I hate full stops*

I only use highways maybe 2% of the time of my total driving, so the car is hardly ever at 50mph+ speeds.

The dealership I bought my Honda from out of town recommends due to our weather and road every 3,000 miles for maximum protection, irregardless of what the MM says, stating that it only measures the dirtyness of the oil, not the moisture, thickness ect..ect.. and is therefore not very accurate The first oil change should be done at around 4,000 to let the break in oil work.

I got off the phone with my local Honda dealership and they say that the MM is fairly accurate with the average driving in my town, can go around 4,000 miles or more depending on highway use which can extend the life of the oil. First oil change should be 4-5000 miles to allow break in oil to work.

I WILL not be doing my own oil changes as I:

A: Do not have the tools
B: Do not have the patience/skills/nerves/comfort
C: Hate getting oily and dirty
D: Apartment landlords forbid vehicle maintenance on lot

That being said, I want MAXIMUM protection for my engine and the best care I can give her. Im pretty deep in the hole after trading in my Accord for my baby, so I will have this car at least 3-4 years.

That said, whats your advice/suggestion/opinions?