As far as used cars go, the 2011 Honda Civic ranks right up there with the best of them, especially when it comes to long-term reliability—but if you want to keep yours in good working order, you’ll need to know its engine oil capacity, which is 3.9 quarts.

Routine maintenance is an important part of owning a vehicle, and regularly changing your oil is the easiest way to keep your engine healthy and working as intended—but paying someone else to change your oil can quickly become expensive.

Fortunately, changing your oil at home isn’t difficult, but you’ll need to know how much oil your vehicle can hold before you get to work. Normally, you’d be able to find this information in your owner’s manual, but if you’ve lost or misplaced yours, don’t worry—we’ve put together the following guide detailing everything you need to know about a 2011 Honda Civic’s oil capacity.

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2011 Honda Civic engine oil capacity

So how much oil does a 2011 Honda Civic need in the first place?

As designed, the 1.8L four-cylinder engine in a 2011 Honda Civic has a total oil capacity of exactly 3.9 quarts, or roughly 3.7 liters. As you can see, this is not the same as the engine displacement, or the 1.8L space occupied by the engine cylinders—take care not to confuse the two, as only adding two liters of oil can seriously damage your engine.

Note that this number only applies to the DX, DX-G, LX, SE, EX, and EX-L trim levels—if you own a 2011 Honda Civic SI submodel with the larger 2.0L four-cylinder engine, your oil capacity is 4.6 quarts (4.4 liters).

What kind of oil does a 2011 Honda Civic need?

Alright, now you know how much oil your 2011 Honda Civic needs—but what do you know what type of oil to use? After all, not all engine oils have the same composition or viscosity, and using the wrong one can have disastrous results.

Per manufacturer recommendation, you should be using API premium grade 5W-20 detergent motor oil in your 2011 Honda Civic, preferably one marked specifically as “genuine Honda” engine oil.

Not sure what those numbers actually mean? Don’t worry—we’ll break them down in layman's terms. In the fundamental sense, both numbers refer to the oil’s viscosity (or thickness) at certain temperatures. The first number—in this case, “5,”—denotes the oil’s winter rating, or how thick it is at very cold temperatures. Any oil with a winter rating of “5” will be reasonably thin even during the coldest months of the year.

On the flipside, the “20” refers to the oil’s viscosity at extremely hot temperatures of 212℉ or higher, aka the engine’s normal operating temperature. An oil rated as “20” will still be pretty thin even at such high temperatures.

In short, you’re looking for a motor oil that will still perform well even in extreme winter conditions due to its low viscosity, which has the added bonus of subjecting your engine to less wear and tear. Finally, “detergent oil” simply means that certain additives have been added to the oil to help prevent corrosion, rust, and the like.

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How often to change oil on a 2011 Honda Civic

Per factory guidelines, Honda recommends that you change your oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, or roughly twice per year. Keep in mind, however, that this estimate is based on normal driving habits and conditions, so you may need to change your oil more or less frequently depending on your circumstances.

In any case, you should still be checking your oil at least once every month between oil changes to ensure that it is still in good health and at the proper level—and keep a lookout for the following signs that an oil change is needed sooner rather than later:

The oil itself feels gritty or grainy to the touch

Oil color has changed from a deep amber to a very dark brown or even black

Irregular knocking or ticking sounds coming from the engine

Oil has taken on a much thicker consistency than usual

An oily, smoky, or burning smell in the cabin

Vehicle performance drops considerably

Oil pressure warning light turns on

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How to change your oil and oil filter

If you’ve decided that an oil change is necessary and intend to perform the change yourself, start by gathering an oil drain pan, a socket wrench, and a filter wrench designed to remove the old oil filter. It goes without saying that you’ll also require a new filter and four quarts of 5W-20 engine oil—an old rag or some paper towels might also come in handy.

Now that you’ve got all of your materials, start the engine and let it run for a few minutes—four to five should be sufficient—until the engine reaches its normal operating temperature. Once the engine is warm, shut it off, pop the hood, and do the following:

Find and unscrew the oil fill cap.

Place the oil drain pan underneath the oil reservoir’s drain hole.

Use your socket wrench to remove the oil drain bolt and washer (consult your owner’s manual for the correct socket size). Allow oil to drain into the pan below.

As the oil finishes draining, remove the old filter with the filter wrench and replace it with a new one.

Once the oil reservoir stops draining, replace the oil drain bolt and thread a new washer into place.

Poor clean oil into the reservoir and replace the oil cap.

To ensure that you’ve added enough oil, start the engine a second time and let it run for a 30 seconds or so to give the oil time to move through the system. Use a dipstick to check the oil level and add more if needed.

Let the engine run for a few minutes and check for leaks underneath your vehicle. If everything looks good, you’re done! As long as you performed the steps correctly, the

oil pressure light

should automatically switch off.

Finally, it’s time to dispose of the old oil. Never dump spent oil in the trash or on the ground—instead, pour it into a sealable container and take it to a recycling center.

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