Honda Accord (2008-2012) Maintenance and Repair

dpmeersman

Just turned 7,000 miles and checked oil on my 08 V6 Accord Sedan and found it was down a quart. First time I've had to add any and last checked it @ 5,000 miles, 20% oil life left according to maintenance minder. For the last 10 years I drove a Ford Windstar and the a Ford Taurus, checking oil every 2-3,000 miles and for ten years never had to add a drop.

rbbrick

Thank you for the post. I take it that your first oil change had not occurred at 7000? Or was this after your first oil change?
Thanks
Roger

dpmeersman

Still have 20% oil life left according to the maintenance minder, so it looks like I'll be getting it changed around 8,000 miles.

rbbrick

Great help thanks for the clarification.
Cheers
Roger

ljgbjg

Hmmm... guess I better check mine - never would think to check the oil on a new car.

ljgbjg

I know it would not be necessary in most cases by now, but has anyone replaced OE tires with anything different and have anything to share about changes in the, what I consider, excessive road noise? There are some Bridgestones, BF Goodrich and Falken tires that are reported to be very quiet, certainly when compared to the Michelins. I am considering the Falken ZE 912 - very reasonable and I have great experience with the ZE 512 - VERY resistant to hydroplaning with perhaps some sacrifice in dry performance.

sikathenu

i just changed my oil for the first time at 4500 mls
the dealer told me to change it when i had 50% left.....when i changed it at 4500mls it was at about 40%... it sounds like it depends on the way you drive the car, or there totaly off and the oil life is bullsh!$.

sikathenu

the car goes down the road and turns good but good luck stoping!!!
i almost hit a tree then a car then a tree again...ALL DIFFRENT TIMES... and yes i learned the first time i almost hit the tree but even when i was going slow i still slid in the snow, kinda felt like the car was toooo light

sikathenu

first off you gotta hold it down for a seccond or two.. you will hear a beep then you see a light with like a triangle its a yellowy orange.. the same light comes on when you spin the tires with the VSA on

sikathenu

same with me
it didnt work the firs cpl times
but then it worked.... I DONT KNOW :confuse:

sikathenu

i have heard that alot
i guess some ppl notice it n some dont
my accord dose it but not that its a bother

sikathenu

please let me know about the radio reception...my cds sound sooo much better then the FM stations!!

rbbrick

What is the model of your Accord? Did you check the oil level before the change if so what was the reading?
Thanks
Roger

thegraduate

Change it at 15% or at one year, whichever comes first. The dealer wants $$ by changing it so early.

dpmeersman

What are members thoughts about changing the oil filter with the first oil change. I've always changed the filter with the oil and find it odd that Honda wants to change it every other oil change. Perhaps not the best analogy but I wouldn't consider using a coffee filter twice. Is this just another Green move to cut down on hazardous waste disposal? Your thoughts on this matter are appreciated.

bug4

If I understand it correctly, this is your first oil change. So, there will be the most "junk" in your oil from the break-in period. IMHO, don't even think about skipping the oil filter.

Personally, I would never skip replacing the filter. I replace the oil filter at every change. This is particularly true if you are waiting for the maintenance-minder to tell you when to change the oil (assuming this will take your oil changes out to 4000-8000 miles between changes).

I would only be tempted to skip changing the filter if I were using one of the fancy filters that claim to do a better job of filtering impurities. But, from what I understand, the "Honda" filters used by a Honda parts department are not that fancy and are the equivalent of your basic, lowest-cost Fram filter.

If you want to be eco-friendly - use synthetic. Its much better for your car, does not use non-renewable resources and can legitimately take your car 8000-10,000 miles between changes. Just be prepared for an $80+ bill . . . .

rbbrick

Your Honda dealer is not typical - oil and filter are the standard practice. Very strange.
Roger

dpmeersman

I'm not sure what my dealers policy is but the schedule in the manual shows 'A' as an oil change only and 'B' as an oil & filter change, and my maintenance minder is showing 'A'. I've already made up my mind to tell them to change both filter & oil, but this is my first Honda and didn't know what their reasoning is in the manual where it does show oil only.

rnickeymouse

isn't the oil filter full of old oil? Don't they have to remove and drain it anyway? DO they then reinstal the dirty filter?
I'd be worried they would take ' B ' to mean don't touch the oil filter.

dpmeersman

Well my EXL-V6 made it in and out of the dealership with no unexpected surprises. I make a habit of doing a walk around and visual inspection of the interior as I've had to have my carpets professionally cleaned on a Taurus as the mechanic deposited almost as much grease on them as he had on whatever fittings were being greased(dealership arranged and covered the cleaning). Oil and filter were changed, my dealer mentioned they disregard the manual which states oil change only. Tires rotated as well, bottom line $58.00 for first 8 months of ownership. Had 7,619 miles on the ODO with 15% oil life still showing on the maintenance minder.
One thing I forgot to point out to them but will remember next trip in, is that my lug nuts are showing considerable signs of rust. Has anyone else noticed this?

ljgbjg

"...lug nuts are showing considerable signs of rust. Has anyone else noticed this?"

Humph! No, I have not but will check mine. I did have my chrome exhaust tips stolen - apparently they are a hot item. $50-60 each depending on where the dealer is. Mine told me they cannot keep them in stock!

Had a fun experience with NYC garage where we keep our car. The stack the cars and have those lifts. Well, went to get our car a - only two months old with 1050 miles on it. Noticed some dust kind of scraped on the roof - looked more carefully - the whole rook was scraped including the sun roof glass!! They accepted full responsibility - $1700 damage - the glass alone is $548, plus of course the repainting, etc.

Oh well, what are you going to do. I surely cannot park it on the street.

dpmeersman

Wow, and I've felt guilty because I have no garage and my cars are constantly exposed to the elements. I'm fortunate to live in the burbs and my cars are always off the road. It is a testament to the mfg's ability to provide a good quality finish and how long that finish holds up. My cars get full on baked sunlight during the summer months and all that a New England winter can throw at them and as long as I have them waxed a couple of times a year and be diligent about removing any bird droppings daily, when I trade or sell them after 4 to 5 years I'm always complimented on how well the car has held up. Think back to 70's and into the 80's before the mfg's used zinc coated base metals for their stampings and those cars would fade and rust in no time unless you had them garaged.

bran9192

Yes the filter is full of old oil & sludge. No they don't remove the oil filter to drain the oil... there is a plug in the oil pan that is removed to drain the old oil. My personal opinion is change the filter with every oil change! I also have an RX8 which is notorius for having to add less than 1/4 qt oil every 1500 miles. After banging heads with the dealer I started changing my oil myself, upon my first time changing the oil I had a hard time breaking the oil plug loose and not because I'm a female! The dealer service dept had failed to replace the crush washer that prevents over tightening the oil plug. Never had a drip, leak or problem changing after doing it right my first time. When I was in the process of purchasing my ex-l i4 The first thing I did was hit the ground locate the oil filter & oil pan to see how difficult it would be for me to change the oil. Needless to say the salemen thought I was crazy!

bran9192

I have had trouble everytime I've open/closed my trunk. For some reason the remote will not open my trunk and then when closing I have to try 2 or 3 times before it actually latches. Has anyone else had this problem?

thegraduate

My 2006, and my dad's 2005 Accord both had trunk latches that required a good shove to close the trunk. The trunk always pops open when I press the remote to open it, however. See if the dealer can adjust it?

ljgbjg

WOW - you're my kind of woman!! An RX 8 and you change your own oil!! And know about crush washers???!!! I bet you have a full torque wrench set too!

ljgbjg

Opening - Only if any key is in the ignition. A real rigamarole when the valet key is in the ignition and I am picking up the car from the garage.

Closing? No - sounds like it might be a slight latch adjustment and alignment problem.

thegraduate

Does anyone else have the issue where you shut the trunk lightly, and it just bounces back up as if something was in the way of the latch?

My car (and several other Gen VII models) have had this issue. It's not a problem really, you just have to give a harder push to make the trunk latch - something not always easy when your hands are full of groceries or luggage!

elroy5

I've never had the trunk bounce back up on me, but then I have a trunk spoiler, so the extra weight might be preventing that. I would check the latch for lubrication (grease). When you use the release inside the car, does the cable feel like it's moving freely, and tightening back up when you release the lever? You could probably check the operation of the latch using a large screw driver so you can see what's happening with the latch during operation.

thegraduate

The release lever feels perfectly fine; although it is tighter than my 1996 (which I atttribute to wear).

Like I said, it isn't really something that bothers me, just a "nuance" if you will. And no, I don't have to slam it, but I can't just let the weight of the trunk closing make it latch, as in my 1996. In my 1996, I can have the trunk very nearly closed, and just press it lightly, and it will latch.

elroy5

Does the trunk lid sound like it bottoms out, then bounces back up? If so, the latch is probably not working smoothly (needs lube). If you don't hear a thud before the trunk lid comes back up, the spring may holding it back, and you need to drop it from higher up. If you pull the release lever twice in a row, is it loose on the second pull?

thegraduate

No, it's not bottoming out, rather, it acts as if it bounces off the latch because it simply didn't get closed hard enough. The release lever is consistently taut.

elroy5

Unless your trunk lid springs up a lot when you open it (very tough springs), I think your latch is the problem. If the latch is not defective, some lubrication should help. Honda likes that white lithium stuff, but I use the regular old grease. A can of the spray silicone grease might work, but I don't have a lot of confidence in the stuff. WD40 or liquid wrench will work, but only temporarily.

thegraduate

It's really not bad enough to warrant any action on my part, but I'll keep that in mind should it ever decide to get worse. If anything it has gotten better since new, though.

Thanks

parviz

I have noticed that the sunroof does not open or close at times, but not always. This is going to be one of those difficult things to "duplicate" at the dealership. Anyone else with this problem or any ideas?

rbbrick

Since the removal of the breakin oil at 3500 miles I have seen no further oil consumption. It was checked at Honda at 4500 miles, looks like the breakin oil was the culprit. If anything changes I will keep you posted, another self healing miracle.
Roger

thegraduate

Removing the oil so early is against recommendations. What was your maintenance minder reading?

ljgbjg

I have been having some glitches too - but with the power seats - seems like they get "stuck" at points in the track. I know what it feels like with mine, and my wife's had it happen too. A harbinger of thigns to come? I hope that the car had not become too complicated - it certainly is a lot more so that my early 80's cars!!! More complex, and more luxurious for sure.

chiralpaul

Almost from the beginning I get a "thunk" from the right-front when I hit a small bump at low speed (say 30 mph). It goes away after a few miles of driving and is clearly worse in cold weather than warm. I haven't taken it back to the dealer because the noise can't be duplicated after driving that far. It seems to be a suspension noise. Anyone had a similar experience or any ideas?

dpmeersman

I have noticed this in my 08 EXL-V6, just as you described it. Now that the warmer temps are here in New England I'm not noticing it as much.

chiralpaul

dpmeersman - Thanks for the reply. Glad to hear that it isn't a totally isolated problem. I plan to ask my service manager about it when I have my first oil change and will post any new information. I'm guessing a shock or strut is a bit noisy when cold. I keep hoping it will go away completely and, as you said, it has gotten much less noticeable with the warmer weather (I'm in southern Illinois).

rtxbob

At 4000 miles and 50% Oil Life my EX V6 was two quarts low. I stopped at an out of town dealer and they added the oil and checked out the engine, but saw nothing abnormal or any sign of oil burning. At 30% Oil Life I am now one quart down. Just doesn't sound like a Honda to me. Has anybody else seen this or had a problem??

rbbrick

Yes I was down 1 1/4 qts in 3000miles, once we got the breakin oil out and regular in I have not seen any usage. Seems the breakin oil is very thin per the dealer.
see my post 344
Roger

rtxbob

Thanks, Roger, I should have seen your previous post. I'm at 7500 miles and almost 6 mos. old so I think I will take her in for an oil change, even though it has still not reached 15% Oil Life.

thegraduate

I wouldn't unless your car is now over 12 months old, per Honda's recommendation. They say to leave the oil in your car until you're due for maintenance: 15%.

Just check your oil, make sure you aren't low. I've never heard of Hondas burning oil when new until this model. My 2006 sure didn't.

nkv

This question is for thegraduate....

Are you sure one can go for almost a year before an oil change if the car does not show 15%? I am at 40% after 7 months with almost 5000 miles and am totally confused whether to go in for oil change? I was thinking to take the car in at 30% which will be surely next month. Any guidance would be appreciated. By the way this is my first Honda and no prior exposure to maintenance minder system!

thegraduate

This question is for thegraduate....

Are you sure one can go for almost a year before an oil change if the car does not show 15%? I am at 40% after 7 months with almost 5000 miles and am totally confused whether to go in for oil change? I was thinking to take the car in at 30% which will be surely next month. Any guidance would be appreciated. By the way this is my first Honda and no prior exposure to maintenance minder system!

12 months or 15%, whichever comes first; that's what it was on the last generation Accords, I need a 2008 owner to confirm in the manual for me that that is what it states for 2008 Accords as well.

The owner's manual will tell you the same thing, so don't sweat it. nkv, check out your manual, look up the Maintenance Minder section. It will tell you exactly what you need to know and what to do.

rbbrick

My dealer always (I have had six Hondas) changes recommends the first oil change at 3 months or 3750 miles. You can use the oil monitor after the first oil change - has been recommended on my 07 civic hybrid and 08 accord v6.
Roger

parviz

That is still the case for the 08 models. I remember mentioning that in an earlier post also. 15% or 12 months per 08 Accord owner's manual. Mine has 7400 miles on it and just turned 15% on the oil life.
nkv, I wouldn't worry about it till it gets to 15% or less. You must be driving long distances or mostly freeway miles. That is how you would get the long life on the oil. My Pilot, on the other hand, is driven mostly in town, short distances, and the 15% light comes on at about 4000 miles.

bug4

Funny - my 08 has almost 10k on it now and I changed the oil, the first time, at 6500 miles with 50% oil life (I just couldn't make myself wait any longer). Now, I have 3200 miles since my last oil change and the oil meter just dropped to 80% oil life. Extrapolating that number out would indicate that I should go more than 15,000 miles between oil changes. Hmmmm, not a chance in hell