I have the I4 Accord and changing the oil is fairly easy to do. As with most cars, the hardest point is the filter. A set of car ramps make the job alot easier.
I have the I4 Accord and changing the oil is fairly easy to do. As with most cars, the hardest part is the filter. A set of car ramps make the job alot easier.
Actually, it's not crucial at all. In fact Honda recommends leaving the factory break-in oil in the engine until the first scheduled oil change (upwards of 10,000 miles under normal driving conditions, depending on whether you are the owner of a 4 or 6 cylinder Accord). Check your owners' Manual Maintenance Schedule.
Sure, we can become paranoid and change oil once or twice a month. But that makes no economic sense with crude oil flirting with the $70.00 per barrel level and the gasoline that is made from it in the $3.00-plus range today.
Those quart bottles of oil that are being wasted would otherwise contribute to lowering our oil import imbalances.
The vehicle manufacturer knows best about how they designed their engine and what is best for it. After all, they are under an obligation to warranty it. My recommendation is to follow the vehicle manufacturer's advice.
Are the sub-20 micron particles going to be caught by the magnetic drain plug? I wipe mine whenever I remove it to change the oil. Does hte oil pan have a magnetic block in it like the transmission pan does to catch such particles, large and small?
The Honda Accord has consistantly been rated as the most stolen car in the United States. The problem with IIHS stats, is they don't account for Honda's newer Accords (98-05) http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ictl/ictl_2dr.htm which have an engine immobilizer. Does anyone know where I can find theft rates for the newer Accords? There has been quite a bit of controversy to how effective these coded key systems are in reducing theft. I am trying to determine whether it's worth getting an aftermarket alarm installed
Who to listen to? Manual says every 10k, dealer said every 3333.3 (3 times every 10k)? My GM vehicles always had the oil change light that would come on between 2500 and 6000 depending on driving conditions. Every 3k or so probably wouldnt hurt.
"The vehicle manufacturer knows best about how they designed their engine and what is best for it. After all, they are under an obligation to warranty it. My recommendation is to follow the vehicle manufacturer's advice."
That would be correct and good advice if it were actually the "manufacturer's (as in the engineering department's best) advice". But it's really the manufacturer's marketing department's advice - the folks who know that if people bothered maintaining their old rides to reliably run six or seven years, the company's stockholders would howl in protest at the lost sales. Don't believe it makes a difference? Why do you suppose Honda only warrants their cars to 60,000 miles with the '06's - and only in response to Toyota at that when prior years were only warranted out to 36,000 miles? Honda's engineers are reasonably certain a high percentage of engines will make it to at least 60,000 miles (and probably a reasonable number past 100,000 miles) on 10,000 mile oil changes and have advised their superiors to that effect. Internal testing has verfified that there'll be a tolerable statistic of engine warranty claims with that maintenance regimen. But, there's not a car make out there that couldn't honestly see 300,000+ miles with no engine mechanical problems - but very unlikely on 10,000 mile oil change intervals. (leastways since the Yugo was discontinued...) But for lessees and frequent traders who like a new car more often than I bother with, 10,000 mile oil change intervals will work out fine for all concerned. After all, a car off lease or traded, and off warranty (or nearly so), will likely end up being the next owner's problem, right? (unless you just happen to get unlucky if you keep you current car past its warranty, since there will inevitably be some that poop early on 10,000 mile oil changes - it's all a matter of odds, er, statistics!) I personally know of at least two Korean makes that issue a 10 yr./100,000 mile engine and powertrain warranty on every vehicle they import into or build in the U.S. 10,000 mile oil and filter changes are not the allowable intervals, either. It's a continuing mystery to me at least, that otherwise reasonable people will accept $40.00+ refueling charges two or three times a month with only passing grumbling, but vehemently bristle on the internet at the thought of "wasting" $25.00 on oil and filter changes at 4,000 or 5,000 mile intervals. (which can be reduced to a cost of under $10.00 if they do it themselves) That extravagantly under-used, "discarded" oil? It's actually shipped off to a collection center for recycling. The same cannot be said for gasoline. (Hellooo, carbon dioxide greenhouse gas and sulfuric acid rain!)
My Honda dealer REFUSED to change the oil until 7500 miles or 6 months of ownership. They were adamant that the oil was specially formulated to help break in the engine. I went along with it. A whole nation of Honda dealers recommending the same thing is one helluva conspiracy.
In so many words or less, I'll give this one to Honda. My Accord is 6 years old, and I don't drive many miles. So far no oil or engine issues going by Honda's recommendation.
The ONLY time that my family ever experienced an oil-related engine problem was with my mother's first car. It was a used 1956 DeSoto purchased in 1958 with probably less than 25,000 miles on the odometer.
Somehow, I think that automotive technology has made major strides in the past half century.
Here's my experience (FWIW) after 40+ years of owning cars . . . in the early to mid-60's, I changed oil every 2,000 miles (the recommended interval), but that's when oil formulations were not as good as today. I switched to 3,000 mile oil change intervals in the '70s. I suppose 7,500 or 10,000 mile oil change intervals "may" be acceptable if all of your driving is highway miles. But, if you use your car as most of us do - stop and go city driving - you're only asking for problems in the long term with extended oil change intervals - regardless of what the manufacturers specify.
My uncle is an engineer in power train division with GM, and he changes oil every 3,000 miles. That tells me something! Of course, if you trade in your car every three or four years, you may never see the ramifications of extended oil change intervals.
With the 3,000 filter and oil change interval, I've never experienced an engine failure on any of my vehicles. This includes timing chains, valve systems, crank and rod bearings, piston rings, etc. I had a 1990 Civic with over 200,000 on the clock and the only item I replaced on that engine was the timing belt (3 times). I currently still have two Classic 900 SAABs - a 1985 with the 2.0L SOHC inline 4-cylinder with 320,000 miles and a 1987 with the 2.0L DOHC 4-cylinder with 235,000 miles. Nothing has been replaced within the engine of either of these, not even a timing chain. Both SAABs consume, or leak, about a half quart between oil changes. And, I'm now up to over 150,000 miles on my wife's 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan ES without any engine work.
If one plans to keep a vehicle as long as I do, it certainly does pay to keep to a strict oil change interval. I change the oil and filter myself every 3,000 miles or 3 months (whichever comes first), and recyle the oil free of charge at a local Advance Auto Parts store. The environment is protected, and so is my investment.
Arguably, oil changes don't have anything to do with longevity of timing chains, and GM powertrain engineers don't have anything to do with Honda. If you told me a Honda powertrain engineer changed his or her oil every 3,000 miles, I would take notice.
Honda has built its reputation on mnaufacturing dependable, long-lived cars. The value of that in terms of sales and profits can't be ignored. Just look at Mercedes and their recent quality problems, and then look at what has happened to their bottom line (I'm not talking about the woes of the Chrysler division, I'm only talking about the Mercedes division). Based ony my knowledge of Honda and their products (which is based only on owning them and reading about them), I don't think they're going to risk their reputation - which is a big part of what sells their cars - on improper or insufficient maintenance schedules.
My wife's '02 Accord has 73,000 miles on it and it looks and drives like the day we bought it. It's been maintained according to the normal driving schedule since new. Maybe a major engine problem is just around the corner, but my experience tells me this isn't the case. If the maintenance it has been receiving was insufficient, I think we'd probably have seen signs of that by now.
Arguably, oil changes don't have anything to do with longevity of timing chains, and GM powertrain engineers don't have anything to do with Honda. If you told me a Honda powertrain engineer changed his or her oil every 3,000 miles, I would take notice.
Oil change intervals have nothing to do with timing chains??? This is a correct statement only if the engine uses a reinforced rubber timing belt, a.k.a. Gilmer belt, which is external to the engine and oil supply, but not with an internal timing chain, whether it is for an OHV or OHC engine. A steel timing chain is lubricated with the engine oil. Please note the new 8th-generation Civic engine design uses a steel timing chain, not the previously used belt.
Of course, a GM engineer has nothing to do with Honda, but a mechanical engineer with an engine design speciality certainly brings some credibility to the table. A graduate of the University of Michigan and General Motors Institute is not to be taken lightly.
It's most interesting to note that whenever I've posted my experience - with the best of intentions, I might add - to any thread on the Edmund's Forum, it's been accepted and welcomed as decent input to the ongoing discussion. The only threads where such statements as the above response to my earlier post emanate is from Honda-related forums. Most interesting . . .
"Are the sub-20 micron particles going to be caught by the magnetic drain plug? I wipe mine whenever I remove it to change the oil. Does hte oil pan have a magnetic block in it like the transmission pan does to catch such particles, large and small?"
Have you confirmed that Honda equips its engines with a magnetic drain plug? (I know that GM does on at least some of its engines - perhaps all.) In any event, magnetic drain plugs are available for virtually any make car or light truck from "SuperPlug". They're a little pricey at ~$30.00, but, it's a onetime expense and the plug can be transferred to the next car if it's the right size and thread. The business end of a SuperPlug is a "rare earth" neodymium alloy magnet - VERY strong. So far as I'm aware, auto manufacturers do not put magnets inside the engine oil pan as is typically done in the case of automatic transmissions. It should also be noted that various metals are involved in engines. Permanent magnets are only effective on cobalt, chromium, and iron. Aluminum, copper, tin, lead, (all involved with bearings and/or working surfaces) will not be trapped by a permanent magnet, so these bearing materials circulating in the oil will only be subject to filtration, if at all. This isn't to say magnetic drain plugs are worthless - they definitely catch metal, but just be aware of their limitations.
Until quite recently, I owned Toyotas. Now I have an 05 Accord LX. I always followed the manufacturer's recommendation for service; the so-called "mini" service. The dealers were always trying to sell additional service at considerable expense. I had the oil changed at between 5,000 and 7,500 miles on each car.
Not a single one of these cars ever had a serious mechanical problem. None ever burned oil or had engine slugging. There were, of course, part failures and other normal wear related issues. My '85 Tercel, for example which I sold at 122,000 miles had the original clutch and the original muffler. IMHO, extra service and 3,000 mile oil changes are a waste of money.
"...GM powertrain engineers don't have anything to do with Honda..."
Well, actually they do. GM powertrain engineers are in frequent dialog with their Honda counterparts. The Saturn Vue uses a Honda V-6 engine that GM purchases from Honda and installs right on the Vue assembly line. And, notably, GM neither recommends, nor honors for warranty purposes, 10,000 mile oil and 20,000 mile filter changes on these engines. Is it safe to conclude that Honda, which didn't ship its first automobiles to the U.S. until the mid-sixties, knows more about engine design and real world durability under U.S. driving conditions than GM does after ~80 years building and selling cars in this country? (Personally I do have a few issues with GM's current leadership, but the company's engineering talent ain't among those issues.)
Is it safe to conclude that Honda, which didn't ship its first automobiles to the U.S. until the mid-sixties, knows more about engine design and real world durability under U.S. driving conditions than GM does after ~80 years building and selling cars in this country?
I would say yes. Honda considers itself an engine manufacturer first and car/motorcycle/power equipment/marine toys/airplane manufacturer second. Their engine capabilities far exceed GM's IMHO. Both make durable and reliable engines. But, Honda makes engines incorporating far greater technology and modern features.
"I would say yes. Honda considers itself an engine manufacturer first ... Their engine capabilities far exceed GM's..."
I disagree with that assessment. GM has a serious management problem currently due to the makeup of upper level management's background in statistics and law as an unspoken prerequisite to advancement within the company instead of also allowing engineering talent on the top floors, GM basic R&D is second to none - anywhere in the world. But there's not one "car guy" in GM's U.S. boardrooms.
Regardless, this is a board about Honda Accords, not general Honda corporate smarts and GM corporate stupidity. Let's get back on topic, eh?
"Permanent magnets are only effective on cobalt, chromium, and iron."
This is not entirely correct. Without getting too technical, the basic magnetic elements are Iron, Cobalt and Nickel and their alloys. There are also the new ceramic materials which exhibit magnetic capabilities.
Come on, how many car problems are related to oil? How often do you hear of modern cars having oil related problems?
The chances you will spend much more fixing the air conditioning, the power steering, the trannys, the brakes, replacing CV boots and CV joints, and trying to get the CEL light to go off.
I imagine that people who close their ears and eyes to the number of prematurely sludged engines sitting in salvage yards are blissfully unaware of oil related problems, eh? Now, may I pose a question to you? Cholesterol. Does it matter?
If you find a significant number of Honda engines sludging I'll change my oil change habits. But considering I have been in these forums for over 5 years now and haven't heard of it, I'm gonna say with quite a bit of certainty that Honda engines won't sludge when the oil is changed at the recommended interval.
I have owned 30 cars in the past 10 years. Most of them Hondas and many with over 100,000 miles. The oil change interval has always been 7500 miles or more. I have never had an oil related problem. All that 3000 mile crap is just that... crap. Just because you change your oil every 3000 miles without problems means you are changing you oil twice as often as recommended. Of course you haven't had any problems.
As has been suggested before either in this or another forum, why not just have your oil analyzed after say 3,000 miles of typical driving to see just how effective it still is. Considering all the variables (oil brand, type, driving conditions, engine design, etc) I highly doubt there is one set mileage we should all be changing our oil at. Even the Honda manual gives multiple schedules based on severity of use. Why not send your oil off a few times and figure out what works best for you and where you live / how you drive? To me, even $50 would be worth the cost if it gave me a little more confidence that I was doing the best thing for my ride.
As far as I'm concerned though, I change it every 3-5K miles. I expect to have transmission or some other major fight on my hands (rust here in the NE) long before I run in to a problem with my Honda engines. Now if I had one of those older Toyota engines, you can bet I would be more concerned with my oil change interval. Having said that though, they make some damn fine cars too.
I am so far happy with the freshening of the design, especially with Honda getting rid of the Buick looking rear. The rear looks like the TL now, although not as great but an improvement. But I have already seen the attacks that Accord rear is now like the Ford Five Hundred and Honda lacks origniality.
Good things: 17" standard wheels on V6 Tail Freshening
Questionable Things: High End Audio system only available on the 6-sp manual DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps), why? and I hope there is an override feature It appears the speedo/dash layout changed, updated the speedo but the tach is same, looks a bit awkward in photos Still no manumatic option
Good car made better, BUT you cannot please everyone.
I love my old '95 Accord, the first to come out with a V6 engine. Though it's 10 years old, it has only 76K and it rides beautifully. Well, compared to my new '05 Accord V6, yes, the transmission in the old car is quite a bit jerky...
BUT: The ONLY significant problem I have had with this car, in the 6 years I've owned it, is ABS-related. Exactly 4 years ago the ABS Module went dead. Cost me $1,200 to replace. 3 months ago one of the rear speed sensors went bad, cost me $300 to replace.
Now the ABS light comes on again. The dealeship claims it's the Acumulator Module, and wants some $1,500 to repalce it... This is NUTS.
The customer service agent who gave me the printed test results, was a bit surprised not to see any CODE NUMBERS on the sheet.... I tend to suspect that the same sensor they repalced 3 months ago is actually the culprit... Can't trust no one...
What's the story with the ABS on this model? Is this normal?
You are right on with everything you posted, lastwraith. Except a competent used oil analysis can be had for as little as $20.00. $30.00 if the car owner wants the "total base number" analyzed, too. (TBN indicates the remaining content of detergent/dispersant additive that maintains engine cleanliness and neutralizes acid buildup). One company, Blackstone Laboratories (not a plug - just mentioned for informational purposes), will send a free oil sampling kit on request. The procedure is simple - merely catch (or have the mechanic catch) a sample mid-stream while draining the oil, pour it into the container and seal the container in an included sealable plastic bag which goes in a mailing tube. Once received, the analysis takes about three days depending on the sample's place in queue after which the results are mailed. If an email address is included, the results will be forwarded that way as soon as they're available in addition to the mailed hard copy. In the event of a severe problem finding, Blackstone will call the customer with their assessment and advise accordingly. Blackstone (as do other labs) also includes their professional assessment of how well the oil has held up and any slowly developing suspected problem areas based on amount and type of wear metals discovered as well as their suggestion regarding future oil change intervals. Since they have no axe to grind about providing actual maintenace service or brand of materials used (they're strictly an independent oil analysis service), I use their services once a year just to know what my engine is up to rather than blindly follow what may in the end prove to be overly optomistic advice from the car manufacturers who make money by selling new cars, not assuring that old ones remain roadworthy. The real value of periodic oil analyses is being able to spot developing trends over time before they develop into something serious. (Indications of glycol in the oil from a slow coolant leak past a head gasket can be dealt with before severe bearing erosion develops. Blind faith in the car manufacturer's extended oil change interval recommendations would very likely result in severe damage in this example, nor is the situation as rare as we might wish.) Whether a slew of Blackstone reports of low wear rates and suggesting 5,000 mile OCI's and my own documentation and receipts of OCIs and filters at 3,000 mile intervals will be of any value in commanding a premium when I eventually sell my car is irrelevant. What is relevant is that I know I'm not just "sliding by" on an arbitrary minimal maintenance recommendation that takes no note of the ambient and driving conditions under which my car is actually operated. I have every expectation (and intention) of seeing the full ten years on my car's powertrain warranty. Those of you who trade every three to five years, don't worry - even with 10,000 mile oil changes, most of you'll likely get away with it.
As far as i remember we have oil threads in every forum ,,,,, so i decided to a test for a year Oil Qty: 3300 ml Engine :Inline 4 Cyl Redline : 11,000 rpm Oil : Cheap Rotella T 5 quarts / 4.99$ Filter : STP from autozone Riden well like i stole it , 2 track days [ for people who do not know its redlining a engine for 5 hrs a day] when go to the moutains to play the bike was at redline all day long. Couple 2 week vacation rides ~ 4-5000 miles in 10 days of constant redline riding
test procedure : Every 3k miles about 50 ml of oil was removed with a little turkey baster and send it to lab - replaced with same amout oil
At 15,000 miles the oil was fine but the filter would have failed and i changed it.I dissected the filter and found it was the weakest link.
The bike has 70,000 miles and still pulling like a train.....Only if i can make those tires last longer.
Over winter i open the engine 1) Cams were clean and no pitting was noticed 2)Compression on all 4 cyclinders were still good 3)Clutch starting to slip but it was a wet clutch and at 70 k of constant abuse wore the clutch springs down ...replaced with a barnet racing kit . I know its not a car but i never remember reding any car like i redlineing my bike and abuse it .
I had sluge problem on another bike which Over head oiler solved so i think its not the engine but the oil flow that causes it.
The oil in my 90 CBR600 (with a 13K RPM redline) never even discolored regardless of oil change milage interval. I just changed it once a year for the heck of it. As has been said before - it is very unlikely you will ever have an oil related engine issue using the recommened change interval.
Biker, who thinks the BMW method (fuel used) is the best interval to use to change oil.
I drive an '03 EX-L sedan with a 5-speed MT. If the 6MT had been available 2+ years ago when I bought my car I would have definitely gotten the 6 cyl. After driving the 4 cyl for over 2 years I am more than satisfied with the power and thrilled with the fuel economy. Given today's fuel prices and the price premium of the EXV6 over the EX-L, if I had the decision to make over again I would stick with the 4cyl/5MT.
That being said, I will still go test drive the V6/6MT when they start showing up on the dealer lots.
I drive 150 miles a day to and from work, all highway over hilly Connecticut. I'm choosing between a 2005 6 cyl. and a 2006 4 cyl. Accord. Given the miles to drive can anyone shair their experence with engine performance? Will the 4 cyl. be able to meet the task for the long run ( no pun intended )? Thanks for your advice. This is a great site to share info. I appreciate your time!
The four cylinder Accords will do everything that you need of a car. There are only two things that might mean something to you in considering a six cylinder version.
1) If you desire LOTS of power. 2) In "hilly Connecticut" you might be thinking about winter snow and ice conditions. The six cylinder Accords come with Vehicle Stability Assist & Traction Control. The others do not.
I have a '05 4-cyl auto with 6500 miles. The I-4 is fine if you don't mind the auto tranny downshifting on most hills of moderate grade, especially if the cruise is on.. At speeds above 75, the downshifting is less frequent due to the higher rpm at those speeds. The engine in top gear is only turning 2400 RPM at 75 so it is just coming into the fat part of the torque band. The only other time the six would be nice is when you come around low speed corners (10 MPH or so), the car is in 2nd gear and not a lot of torque at that low of a speed. Plus the tranny is reluctant to downshift to first gear unless you get down to just above a fast crawl. At all other times the 4 is adequate if not amazing. The eager to downshift tranny keeps the engine high enough in the rev range to provide spirited acceleration. Especially nice is to come around a country road curve 30-40 MPH and downshift to 3rd with the transmission lever and wind it out to 5 to 6000 RPM's, the level of thrust is quite impressive for a 4-cyl.
When I turn on the defroster on my 05 Accord LX, the AC automatically comes on, although the AC light does not illuminate. Does anyone know how to program it so that the light does come on, so that I can subsequently turn it off if I so desire?
There was a set of buttons to press on the Civic to accomplish this, and I was wondering if anyone knows how to do the same thing on the Accord?
Unless you're carrying heavy loads, the 4 cyl. should be more than adequate. It'll cruise all day at 80 MPH and you won't hear the engine run. The 4 is quiet and very smooth--better than some V6s in other cars.
Hills are no problem; the short, very steep hills here in San Francisco don't strain the engine because the transmission gearing (I have the A/T) is low enough. The 4 cyl. Accord can go much faster than it's safe to go on San Francisco's hills.
Longer hills such as the Grape Vine on I-5 near L.A. are an easy climb, too.
We bought an 03 in March 03 with the 4 banger. It cruises well at 80 MPH but when you go to pass a car at say 60 and floor it with 3 people in the car the engine is a little weak and low on power. My Ody van is heavier but with 245 HP it feels like it pulls better in the 60-80 range. I don't regret getting the 4 banger but you have to be ready for a trade off in passing and hill climbing power. The V6 would be a lot more fun to drive on a daily basis and if was my car I would want the V6, the wife has no problems with the 4 banger though.
Hi everybody, I just bought an 05 Accord LX. Here's a problem I noticed. Whenever I come to a red light, and right before I stop my car all the way, my transmission shifts to the 1st gear and it causes the car to go forward a little bit. It's very annoying because it's very noticeable. Anyone else have this problem? Or is this normal? Thank you!
While doing service on my Ody this morning I did see 06 Accords in stock. All Sedans and auto.... Roughly counted 10, only 2 were V6s. In person they do look awesome, the rear is really stylish and the 17 inch tires make the car look more aggressive.
First of all verify that the A/C compressor is really on by opening the hood and looking at it when you engage the defroster. If the inner hub is not spinning, then the compressor is not running. Assuming the A/C compressor is running, then defrost without the A/C light glowing is how Honda designed the system to operate. (I agree - it's weird if it's set up that way.) It's probably not worth the potential trouble to try to alter the A/C system control module to illuminate the A/C compressor light. However, if you find the A/C compressor really isn't running when in defrost mode, it sounds like you have a warranty claim.
Back many years ago, when you hit the defrost button, all it did was direct air at the windshield. If you wanted to dehumidify as well, you hit the AC button.
Since *most* people want AC on in conjuction with defrost, the manufacturers have made this work automatically. You press defrost, you get AC whether you want it or not.
In the Accord's case, when you hit defrost, AC comes on, however it doesn't inform you of that fact by illuminating the AC light. So toggling the ac button on/off has no effect, since it *can't* be turned off.
My 2003 Civic worked the same way. However there was a "hack" that allowed you to decouple the defrost and AC. Here are the steps for the Civic:
************************************************************ What you will need: Two Fingers
Time Needed: 10 seconds.
Annoyed with how you can't turn off the A/C when you turn to defog? Here's the override (realize that A/C expediates the defog process).
1) Turn Car Off 2) Turn Temperature Knob To Full Blue (All the way to the left - Counter-Clock Wise) 3) Turn Vent Knob To Off (All the way to the left - Counter-Clock Wise) 4) Hold Down Air Recirculation Button As Well As A/C Button 5) Keep Both Buttons Depressed and Start Car 6) Keep Both Buttons Depressed for 7 Seconds *AC LIGHT SHOULD BLINK*
You will now have control of your A/C regardless of what setting you are in, to revert back, simply repeat the procedure.
*********************
See what I mean? I want to do the same thing for my Accord........
Defrosting (especially removal of condensation from the inside of windows when warm people enter a cold car) is more effective if the A/C is on.
Another reason for having the A/C turn on automatically with the defroster is that the defroster is used often in the winter when A/C isn't need to cool the car. If the A/C isn't used for several months, the seals can dry out with loss of refrigerant and a costly repair to replace the seals.
So, having the A/C turn on automatically with the defroster not only increases the defroster's effectiveness, but also keeps the A/C active during the winter months..........Richard
The civic and accord have slightly different controls, so the instructions for the civic don't exactly match up. I'll give it a try anyway and see what happens.
Comments
Mrbill
Mrbill
Sure, we can become paranoid and change oil once or twice a month. But that makes no economic sense with crude oil flirting with the $70.00 per barrel level and the gasoline that is made from it in the $3.00-plus range today.
Those quart bottles of oil that are being wasted would otherwise contribute to lowering our oil import imbalances.
The vehicle manufacturer knows best about how they designed their engine and what is best for it. After all, they are under an obligation to warranty it. My recommendation is to follow the vehicle manufacturer's advice.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
the United States. The problem with IIHS stats, is they don't account
for Honda's newer Accords (98-05)
http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ictl/ictl_2dr.htm
which have an engine immobilizer. Does anyone know where I can find
theft rates for the newer Accords?
There has been quite a bit of controversy to how effective these coded
key systems are in reducing theft. I am trying to determine whether
it's worth getting an aftermarket alarm installed
That would be correct and good advice if it were actually the "manufacturer's (as in the engineering department's best) advice". But it's really the manufacturer's marketing department's advice - the folks who know that if people bothered maintaining their old rides to reliably run six or seven years, the company's stockholders would howl in protest at the lost sales. Don't believe it makes a difference? Why do you suppose Honda only warrants their cars to 60,000 miles with the '06's - and only in response to Toyota at that when prior years were only warranted out to 36,000 miles? Honda's engineers are reasonably certain a high percentage of engines will make it to at least 60,000 miles (and probably a reasonable number past 100,000 miles) on 10,000 mile oil changes and have advised their superiors to that effect. Internal testing has verfified that there'll be a tolerable statistic of engine warranty claims with that maintenance regimen. But, there's not a car make out there that couldn't honestly see 300,000+ miles with no engine mechanical problems - but very unlikely on 10,000 mile oil change intervals. (leastways since the Yugo was discontinued...) But for lessees and frequent traders who like a new car more often than I bother with, 10,000 mile oil change intervals will work out fine for all concerned. After all, a car off lease or traded, and off warranty (or nearly so), will likely end up being the next owner's problem, right? (unless you just happen to get unlucky if you keep you current car past its warranty, since there will inevitably be some that poop early on 10,000 mile oil changes - it's all a matter of odds, er, statistics!) I personally know of at least two Korean makes that issue a 10 yr./100,000 mile engine and powertrain warranty on every vehicle they import into or build in the U.S. 10,000 mile oil and filter changes are not the allowable intervals, either. It's a continuing mystery to me at least, that otherwise reasonable people will accept $40.00+ refueling charges two or three times a month with only passing grumbling, but vehemently bristle on the internet at the thought of "wasting" $25.00 on oil and filter changes at 4,000 or 5,000 mile intervals. (which can be reduced to a cost of under $10.00 if they do it themselves) That extravagantly under-used, "discarded" oil? It's actually shipped off to a collection center for recycling. The same cannot be said for gasoline. (Hellooo, carbon dioxide greenhouse gas and sulfuric acid rain!)
In so many words or less, I'll give this one to Honda. My Accord is 6 years old, and I don't drive many miles. So far no oil or engine issues going by Honda's recommendation.
Somehow, I think that automotive technology has made major strides in the past half century.
I'll follow Honda's lubrication recommendations thank you.
My uncle is an engineer in power train division with GM, and he changes oil every 3,000 miles. That tells me something! Of course, if you trade in your car every three or four years, you may never see the ramifications of extended oil change intervals.
With the 3,000 filter and oil change interval, I've never experienced an engine failure on any of my vehicles. This includes timing chains, valve systems, crank and rod bearings, piston rings, etc. I had a 1990 Civic with over 200,000 on the clock and the only item I replaced on that engine was the timing belt (3 times). I currently still have two Classic 900 SAABs - a 1985 with the 2.0L SOHC inline 4-cylinder with 320,000 miles and a 1987 with the 2.0L DOHC 4-cylinder with 235,000 miles. Nothing has been replaced within the engine of either of these, not even a timing chain. Both SAABs consume, or leak, about a half quart between oil changes. And, I'm now up to over 150,000 miles on my wife's 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan ES without any engine work.
If one plans to keep a vehicle as long as I do, it certainly does pay to keep to a strict oil change interval. I change the oil and filter myself every 3,000 miles or 3 months (whichever comes first), and recyle the oil free of charge at a local Advance Auto Parts store. The environment is protected, and so is my investment.
Honda has built its reputation on mnaufacturing dependable, long-lived cars. The value of that in terms of sales and profits can't be ignored. Just look at Mercedes and their recent quality problems, and then look at what has happened to their bottom line (I'm not talking about the woes of the Chrysler division, I'm only talking about the Mercedes division). Based ony my knowledge of Honda and their products (which is based only on owning them and reading about them), I don't think they're going to risk their reputation - which is a big part of what sells their cars - on improper or insufficient maintenance schedules.
My wife's '02 Accord has 73,000 miles on it and it looks and drives like the day we bought it. It's been maintained according to the normal driving schedule since new. Maybe a major engine problem is just around the corner, but my experience tells me this isn't the case. If the maintenance it has been receiving was insufficient, I think we'd probably have seen signs of that by now.
Oil change intervals have nothing to do with timing chains??? This is a correct statement only if the engine uses a reinforced rubber timing belt, a.k.a. Gilmer belt, which is external to the engine and oil supply, but not with an internal timing chain, whether it is for an OHV or OHC engine. A steel timing chain is lubricated with the engine oil. Please note the new 8th-generation Civic engine design uses a steel timing chain, not the previously used belt.
Of course, a GM engineer has nothing to do with Honda, but a mechanical engineer with an engine design speciality certainly brings some credibility to the table. A graduate of the University of Michigan and General Motors Institute is not to be taken lightly.
It's most interesting to note that whenever I've posted my experience - with the best of intentions, I might add - to any thread on the Edmund's Forum, it's been accepted and welcomed as decent input to the ongoing discussion. The only threads where such statements as the above response to my earlier post emanate is from Honda-related forums. Most interesting . . .
Have you confirmed that Honda equips its engines with a magnetic drain plug? (I know that GM does on at least some of its engines - perhaps all.) In any event, magnetic drain plugs are available for virtually any make car or light truck from "SuperPlug". They're a little pricey at ~$30.00, but, it's a onetime expense and the plug can be transferred to the next car if it's the right size and thread. The business end of a SuperPlug is a "rare earth" neodymium alloy magnet - VERY strong. So far as I'm aware, auto manufacturers do not put magnets inside the engine oil pan as is typically done in the case of automatic transmissions. It should also be noted that various metals are involved in engines. Permanent magnets are only effective on cobalt, chromium, and iron. Aluminum, copper, tin, lead, (all involved with bearings and/or working surfaces) will not be trapped by a permanent magnet, so these bearing materials circulating in the oil will only be subject to filtration, if at all. This isn't to say magnetic drain plugs are worthless - they definitely catch metal, but just be aware of their limitations.
Not a single one of these cars ever had a serious mechanical problem. None ever burned oil or had engine slugging. There were, of course, part failures and other normal wear related issues. My '85 Tercel, for example which I sold at 122,000 miles had the original clutch and the original muffler. IMHO, extra service and 3,000 mile oil changes are a waste of money.
Well, actually they do. GM powertrain engineers are in frequent dialog with their Honda counterparts. The Saturn Vue uses a Honda V-6 engine that GM purchases from Honda and installs right on the Vue assembly line. And, notably, GM neither recommends, nor honors for warranty purposes, 10,000 mile oil and 20,000 mile filter changes on these engines. Is it safe to conclude that Honda, which didn't ship its first automobiles to the U.S. until the mid-sixties, knows more about engine design and real world durability under U.S. driving conditions than GM does after ~80 years building and selling cars in this country? (Personally I do have a few issues with GM's current leadership, but the company's engineering talent ain't among those issues.)
I would say yes. Honda considers itself an engine manufacturer first and car/motorcycle/power equipment/marine toys/airplane manufacturer second. Their engine capabilities far exceed GM's IMHO. Both make durable and reliable engines. But, Honda makes engines incorporating far greater technology and modern features.
I disagree with that assessment. GM has a serious management problem currently due to the makeup of upper level management's background in statistics and law as an unspoken prerequisite to advancement within the company instead of also allowing engineering talent on the top floors, GM basic R&D is second to none - anywhere in the world. But there's not one "car guy" in GM's U.S. boardrooms.
Regardless, this is a board about Honda Accords, not general Honda corporate smarts and GM corporate stupidity. Let's get back on topic, eh?
This is not entirely correct. Without getting too technical, the basic magnetic elements are Iron, Cobalt and Nickel and their alloys. There are also the new ceramic materials which exhibit magnetic capabilities.
The chances you will spend much more fixing the air conditioning, the power steering, the trannys, the brakes, replacing CV boots and CV joints, and trying to get the CEL light to go off.
I have owned 30 cars in the past 10 years. Most of them Hondas and many with over 100,000 miles. The oil change interval has always been 7500 miles or more. I have never had an oil related problem. All that 3000 mile crap is just that... crap. Just because you change your oil every 3000 miles without problems means you are changing you oil twice as often as recommended. Of course you haven't had any problems.
As far as I'm concerned though, I change it every 3-5K miles. I expect to have transmission or some other major fight on my hands (rust here in the NE) long before I run in to a problem with my Honda engines. Now if I had one of those older Toyota engines, you can bet I would be more concerned with my oil change interval. Having said that though, they make some damn fine cars too.
Good things:
17" standard wheels on V6
Tail Freshening
Questionable Things:
High End Audio system only available on the 6-sp manual
DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps), why? and I hope there is an override feature
It appears the speedo/dash layout changed, updated the speedo but the tach is same, looks a bit awkward in photos
Still no manumatic option
Good car made better, BUT you cannot please everyone.
BUT: The ONLY significant problem I have had with this car, in the 6 years I've owned it, is ABS-related. Exactly 4 years ago the ABS Module went dead. Cost me $1,200 to replace. 3 months ago one of the rear speed sensors went bad, cost me $300 to replace.
Now the ABS light comes on again. The dealeship claims it's the Acumulator Module, and wants some $1,500 to repalce it... This is NUTS.
The customer service agent who gave me the printed test results, was a bit surprised not to see any CODE NUMBERS on the sheet.... I tend to suspect that the same sensor they repalced 3 months ago is actually the culprit... Can't trust no one...
What's the story with the ABS on this model? Is this normal?
Oil Qty: 3300 ml
Engine :Inline 4 Cyl
Redline : 11,000 rpm
Oil : Cheap Rotella T 5 quarts / 4.99$
Filter : STP from autozone
Riden well like i stole it ,
2 track days [ for people who do not know its redlining a engine for 5 hrs a day] when go to the moutains to play the bike was at redline all day long.
Couple 2 week vacation rides ~ 4-5000 miles in 10 days of constant redline riding
test procedure : Every 3k miles about 50 ml of oil was removed with a little turkey baster and send it to lab - replaced with same amout oil
At 15,000 miles the oil was fine but the filter would have failed and i changed it.I dissected the filter and found it was the weakest link.
The bike has 70,000 miles and still pulling like a train.....Only if i can make those tires last longer.
Over winter i open the engine
1) Cams were clean and no pitting was noticed
2)Compression on all 4 cyclinders were still good
3)Clutch starting to slip but it was a wet clutch and at 70 k of constant abuse wore the clutch springs down ...replaced with a barnet racing kit .
I know its not a car but i never remember reding any car like i redlineing my bike
and abuse it .
I had sluge problem on another bike which Over head oiler solved so i think its not the engine but the oil flow that causes it.
As has been said before - it is very unlikely you will ever have an oil related engine issue using the recommened change interval.
Biker, who thinks the BMW method (fuel used) is the best interval to use to change oil.
That being said, I will still go test drive the V6/6MT when they start showing up on the dealer lots.
shopoften
The four cylinder Accords will do everything that you need of a car. There are only two things that might mean something to you in considering a six cylinder version.
1) If you desire LOTS of power.
2) In "hilly Connecticut" you might be thinking about winter snow and ice conditions. The six cylinder Accords come with Vehicle Stability Assist & Traction Control. The others do not.
Happy Decision Making
Hermann
i am looking at a 4 cyl cpe EX 05 for 20,700
any input
No difference, except for body style and that 6 doesn't corner quite as well as 4 due to weight differential. Both are great though.
When I turn on the defroster on my 05 Accord LX, the AC automatically comes on, although the AC light does not illuminate. Does anyone know how to program it so that the light does come on, so that I can subsequently turn it off if I so desire?
There was a set of buttons to press on the Civic to accomplish this, and I was wondering if anyone knows how to do the same thing on the Accord?
Hills are no problem; the short, very steep hills here in San Francisco don't strain the engine because the transmission gearing (I have the A/T) is low enough. The 4 cyl. Accord can go much faster than it's safe to go on San Francisco's hills.
Longer hills such as the Grape Vine on I-5 near L.A. are an easy climb, too.
Jacky
You're probably not used to your new car yet. Just keep the pressure on the brake pedal, that's all.
This is normal and necessary.
Seems to me, though, that when you turn the defroster off, the a/c should go off. So I'm not clear exactly on the issue either.
Back many years ago, when you hit the defrost button, all it did was direct air at the windshield. If you wanted to dehumidify as well, you hit the AC button.
Since *most* people want AC on in conjuction with defrost, the manufacturers have made this work automatically. You press defrost, you get AC whether you want it or not.
In the Accord's case, when you hit defrost, AC comes on, however it doesn't inform you of that fact by illuminating the AC light. So toggling the ac button on/off has no effect, since it *can't* be turned off.
My 2003 Civic worked the same way. However there was a "hack" that allowed you to decouple the defrost and AC. Here are the steps for the Civic:
************************************************************
What you will need: Two Fingers
Time Needed: 10 seconds.
Annoyed with how you can't turn off the A/C when you turn to defog? Here's the override (realize that A/C expediates the defog process).
1) Turn Car Off
2) Turn Temperature Knob To Full Blue (All the way to the left - Counter-Clock Wise)
3) Turn Vent Knob To Off (All the way to the left - Counter-Clock Wise)
4) Hold Down Air Recirculation Button As Well As A/C Button
5) Keep Both Buttons Depressed and Start Car
6) Keep Both Buttons Depressed for 7 Seconds
*AC LIGHT SHOULD BLINK*
You will now have control of your A/C regardless of what setting you are in, to revert back, simply repeat the procedure.
*********************
See what I mean? I want to do the same thing for my Accord........
Another reason for having the A/C turn on automatically with the defroster is that the defroster is used often in the winter when A/C isn't need to cool the car. If the A/C isn't used for several months, the seals can dry out with loss of refrigerant and a costly repair to replace the seals.
So, having the A/C turn on automatically with the defroster not only increases the defroster's effectiveness, but also keeps the A/C active during the winter months..........Richard