The 2004 Honda Civic is a versatile and reliable sedan that’s perfect for morning commutes or long trips. To keep your Civic in tip-top shape, you’ll need to know its engine oil capacity.

Owning an older vehicle comes with elevated

car repair

and maintenance costs as you need to bring your car to the auto shop more often and keep a much closer eye on fluid levels and engine performance. But, if you own a 2004 Honda Civic, you can cut down on part of your maintenance costs by changing your car’s oil at home. All you need to know is your car’s oil type and capacity to do the job correctly.

Not sure where to find these key details about your Civic? Don’t worry—

Jerry

, the super app for

car insurance

, is here with everything you need to know about changing your Civic’s oil, including key details like oil capacity, oil type, and even how frequently you should change your oil. We’ve even added a couple of tips on how you can save on your

Honda Civic's insurance costs

! Let’s get started!

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2004 Honda Civic oil capacity

Before diving into the nitty-gritty details of your Honda Civic’s

engine oil

, we need to cover the big question first: how much oil does your 2004 Honda Civic require to run properly?

A 2004 Honda Civic has an oil capacity of 4.2 quarts or 3.9 liters. It’s important that you keep your Honda’s oil capacity and

engine displacement

—the 1.7-liter volume its cylinders occupy—separate from each other. While these measurements might be easy to mistake for one another, they aren’t the same thing and cannot be interchanged.

What kind of oil does a 2004 Honda Civic need?

Now that you know how much oil you’ll need to fill your Civic with, it’s time to discuss what type of oil your car needs. Every car has different oil requirements depending on the make, model, and manufacturing year. Your 2004 Honda Civic needs premium grade 0W-20 synthetic oil to run at its best. Honda recommends this oil type for your car, and it’s smart to stick to the manufacturer’s suggestion. That’s a confusing string of numbers and letters if you don’t know how to read oil types, so let’s break it down.

The 0 at the beginning of the oil type communicates that this oil is pretty thin at 0°F, while the W following it stands for winter, meaning this oil performs well in colder conditions. The 20 at the end of the oil type means that this oil type remains quite thin while your engine is at running temperature. This means that this oil will flow through your engine quicker than oils with a higher viscosity.

A thinner, fully synthetic oil such as 0W-20 flows through your engine with ease and creates less

wear and tear

on its components as it lubricates and cools. Fully-synthetic oils typically last longer than their

conventional oil

counterparts as well, so you may be able to go longer between oil changes.

There are many great premium grade 0W-20 synthetic oil options out there to choose from. If you’re not sure where to start, here are our favorite choices:

The OEM option: If you’d like to follow the owner’s manual to a tee, opt for

Genuine Honda 0W-20 Ultimate Full-Synthetic Motor Oil

For daily drivers: If you drive often and want extra protection between oil changes, go with the

Mobil 1 Extended Performance 0W-20

For high mileage vehicles: If your Civic has passed the 100k-mile mark, use the

Valvoline Full Synthetic High Mileage with MaxLife Technology 0W-20 Motor Oil

MORE:

Ultimate FRAM oil filter guide

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How often to change oil on a 2004 Honda Civic

You’re nearly ready to change your Civic’s oil! You’re just missing one detail—how often should you change your car’s oil?

Honda recommends changing your 2004 Honda Civic’s oil every 7,500 miles, as your car uses fully synthetic oil, which breaks down at a slower rate than conventional oil.

If you don't drive often

, you should aim to change your car’s oil every six months to keep it fresh and clean, which will preserve your car’s engine life and help it run optimally when you do use it.

But sometimes, you’ll need to change your oil before your car hits the 7,500-mile mark.

Check your oil

regularly and keep an eye out for these signs that you need an oil change:

Motor oil appears dark brown or black

Motor oil looks coarse or gritty

Strange sounds from the engine

Unfamiliar smells, such as oil, smoke, or burning smells

Deteriorating vehicle performance

MORE: Are Hondas expensive to maintain?

How to change your oil and oil filter

Now that you know your Civic’s oil capacity, oil type, and how frequently you should change its oil, you’re finally ready to get ready for an

oil change

. If you’d like to do this routine maintenance job at home, here’s a list of the materials and tools you’ll need:

A socket wrench

A drain pan that can hold at least 4.2 quarts of liquid

A filter wrench

A new oil filter

4.2 quarts of premium 0W-20 fully-synthetic engine oil

A funnel

Here’s a step-by-step guide to changing your 2004 Honda Civic’s oil from home:

Run your engine for a few minutes to let it reach normal operating temperature, then shut it off and open the hood.

Remove the oil fill cap. You’ll find the cap on the left-hand side of the engine.

Place the drain pan underneath the drain bolt and remove the oil drain bolt. Let all of the old oil drain into the pan.

Take out the old oil filter with your filter wrench

Put your new filter in

Screw the oil drain bolt back on, securing it tightly to avoid any leaks

Using a funnel, fill the engine with new 0W-20 oil and put the fill cap back on

And that’s all there is to it! Allow your engine to run for a few minutes after you’ve completed the job to move the new oil through the engine and ensure there aren’t any leaks. Make sure you bring the old oil to a recycling center in a sealed container.

MORE:

What you should know about the Honda Civic battery draining problem

Don’t forget regular insurance policy maintenance

Changing your Honda Civic’s oil from home is a great way to ensure your car is running optimally while saving you hard-earned money. An even better way to save your money is by finding the best

Honda car insurance costs

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