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Engine Oil Change (Honda City)

In progressbeginner
30 minutes~RM 75parts only · as of Oct 26, 20267 steps
Drain the oil warm, never hot. Hot oil burns
This job needs a jack and stands. Never go under a car held up by a jack alone
Take the used oil to a workshop or a recycling point. Do not pour it down a drain

Tools required: Socket Wrench · Oil Filter Wrench · Oil Drain Pan · Jack and Stands

Steps

1

Warm the engine for a few minutes

Tip: Three to five minutes so the oil drains freely. Longer just makes the plug hot to touch
2

Jack the car and put it on stands

Warning: No stands? A workshop does this for RM150 to RM250. A jack alone is not enough to go under a car
3

Set the pan and undo the sump plug

Tip: 14mm socket, anticlockwise. Keep the plug and washer together, they go back in later
4

Remove the old filter and let it drain

Warning: Oil spills when the filter comes off. Rags under the car save the driveway
5

Fit the new filter by hand only

Tip: Wipe the mating face, oil the gasket, seat it, then three quarters of a turn. No wrench on this part
6

Refit the plug and fill with the correct grade

Warning: Do not overtighten the plug. The sump is aluminium and the thread strips easily
Tip: Check the owner's manual for the grade and the fill volume, then add most of it and read the dipstick
7

Run it, then check for leaks and top up

Tip: Two minutes at idle, shut off, wait five minutes, then read the dipstick and top up to MAX

The City’s sump sits low behind the front bumper, so this is a jack and stands job or a workshop job. There is no comfortable middle. What you can control is the grade that goes in, and whether the invoice names it.

What a workshop charges

Doing it yourself costs the oil and a filter. A workshop charges RM150 to RM250 for the same job with labour on a sedan like this. The oil itself is most of the bill. Prices checked 2026-10-26, from Malaysian 10,000km service price guides and workshop labour lists.

Ask for the grade in writing on the invoice. “Fully synthetic” on its own tells you nothing about the viscosity.

What to check afterwards

  • A sheet of cardboard under the sump overnight. Any fresh drip means the plug or the filter gasket is not seated.
  • Dipstick between MIN and MAX, read five minutes after shutdown.
  • Oil light out within a second of a cold start.
  • Litres written on the invoice. If it is more than the manual says, ask why.
  • Next change at the interval in your service booklet, usually 10,000km or six months.

When to stop

A plug that will not move, a filter that will not come off, or a car that rocks on the stands. Stop and hand it over. A stripped sump thread costs more than the labour you were avoiding.