I have a 1999 Honda Civic EX. I brought in for an Oil Change in Nov 2011 at 117,938 miles. At the time I had a small oil leak and the service dept said they couldn't figure out where the leak was, but just "monitor" the situation.

I brought my car in today at 119,333 for its first oil change since Nov 2011 and the mechanic dude said I was at 1 qt of oil. He suggested that maybe I should try Penzoil High Mile 5W30. I explained I only drive the car on week-ends and he said given my situation of a small leak and my car being a week-end car this would be the perfect oil for me...

When I got home the wife was not too happy that the oil change cost twice what it normally does since I bought the more expensive oil. I told her it was an "investment". She said if the investment fails then I'm fired

Couple questions.

1-Did I damage my engine by driving on 1 quart (Again I drive low miles on the week-end to the store, maybe a 30 mile drive here and there..I average 300 miles a month.)
2-There is definitely small oil stains on my driveway, nothing excessive..everytime I mention this to the mechanics they say its not unusual for older cars too leak small amounts of oil..they say it would be expensive to do an extensive analysis on the issue and just wait until the problem gets worse if it even does.. Do you agree to wait ?
3- Am I in trouble with my wife for buying 5W30 ? Is this a good investment based on my situation

 

Common leaks are the crankshaft seals and the VTEC solenoid. The VTEC solenoid can leak severely, but oil will only come out while the engine is running. If it's just a blown VTEC gasket you can fix it for about $20.00.

Be prepared to check the oil yourself frequently and add more when needed. Having not enough to reach the dipstick is bad, but not as bad as running out completely, which will ruin the engine within a few seconds with no warning.

 

If I only had 1 quart in..would that reach the dipstick..Also, should I be concerned that I went thru 3 quarts of oil over 1,400 miles..

 

No. It holds 3.5 quarts when full. The bottom mark on the dipstick (below which you should add some) is 2.5 quarts.

 

Losing 2.5 quarts in 1400 miles is a lot. Does your oil light come on when you start the car, then turn off? (That verifies that it works.) If it ever turns on when you are driving, pull the car over ASAP and stop the engine until you can add oil.

As mk378 suggested, check your oil more often. Check it before you go driving every weekend.

When you park it for the week, put a piece of cardboard under the engine bay to catch any fresh oil. This will also let you pinpoint the general area of the leak. From there, you can inspect the block and see if you can find an area with very fresh oil. For a weekend project, you might try putting the car up on jack stands and getting a roll of shop rags and a can or two of brake cleaner. The brake cleaner blasts away engine gunk pretty well and the shop rags will let you wipe up the mess. Once you have the general area of the leak found, clean away as much of the road gunk as you can so you can more easily spot fresh oil versus old oil that's covered in dust and grime. If it's just a rubber gasket somewhere, those are cheap.

 

What is the name of the attached where the oil seems to be leaking from ?

 

That's the oil pan. Bottom of the engine, so the source is higher than that. It's just collecting at the bottom before it drips off.

 

I brought it into my Honda dealer today since I couldn't find the source. He told me there is no oil leak. He told me who-ever did the oil change last week-end did a bad job and over-filled my pan. When I told him there are oil stains all over my driveway and challenged him something must be wrong, he got testy and said just get my oil changed more frequently or buy a new engine...

He did mention that if he can't see any sign of an oil leak it might be burning off.. What does burning off indicate...If it is burning off then does indicate an engine problem..

Any suggestions if I bring it to another mechanic in trying to help me resolve the issue or should I just get oil changes more frequently.. I will try the dye test though..

 

Always check the dipstick after an oil change to make sure they didn't over- or under- fill it. Also you need to check every couple of tanks of gas and add some if needed. Burning off at a rate of a quart every 1000 miles won't have much smoke or other symptoms, it will just disappear.