I think that you’ll find that those things don’t usually pay off either.
Methinks the original poster has left the building.
The engine needs the lowest octane that prevents knocking. Any higher octane makes no difference to the engine.
Your husband may be an engineer but he’s also incorrect.
For what it’s worth automotive engineers design and recommend things all of the time that are incorrect and in some cases, downright goofy.
Phillip Gulley, a Quaker minister and author of “Front Porch Tales” describes in one chapter how he had neglected his lawnmower which has been a reliable tool over many years. After a bad incident with a repair shop, Mr. Gulley repairs the mower himself and decides that he ought to really start treating his lawnmower better. He fixes the botched repairs of the shop and from then on only puts the best oil in the crankcase of the mower and always gives it premium fuel. While Mr. Gulley is making a religious point with his story, I doubt that his mower ran any better with premium gasoline. It won’t make any difference in your Honda Civic either. However, the cost of putting premium instead of regular in a push type lawnmower over a season is much less than putting premium as opposed to regular in your Honda on a yearly basis.
My 1998 Civic has 190,000 miles on it, and I use regular 87 octane fuel recommended by Honda. It has never had a fuel related problem.
All the posters saying “no, it won’t help” are right except in one instance.
That is if the engine is damaged (piston rings, most likely) or there is carbon buildup causing the cylinders to retain heat, causing “pinging” or “knocking.” If you don’t hear a knocking sound or a pinging sound (and in a 2010, it is extremely unlikely) then there is no reason to run higher octane fule than is recommended. If you DO, then running higher octane fuel can stave off further damage.
Running high-octane fuel will not prevent this condition from occurring, either. It is just a short-term solution to an otherwise unrelated problem.
See: “lifetime” transmission fluids. 15,000 mile oil change intervals. Nikasil. Plastic water pump impellers. That’s just BMW.
In that case, high octane fuel would only treat the symptom, not the problem causing the premature detonation.
Does the Honda Civic have a ping sensor and an EGR valve?
You are asking us to prove a negative, which is usually impossible. Instead, turn the tables on your husband. Ask him to give you hard data, facts, and details. He is the one with something to prove, not you.
Why is this thread still active?? The OP NEVER posted again…Her question was answered in the first reply…
I thought I had something unique to contribute. Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me.