2005 Accord Oil Consumption: How much is too much?

Discussion in 'Accord' started by George C., May 14, 2006.

  1. George C.

    George C. Guest

    I"m wanting to know how much oil consumption is too much?
    Is it what the factory would lead one to believe?

    I find it hard to believe, and disgusted that I'm expected to believe
    that 1 quart per 1000 miles is the acceptable limit.

    My 05 Accord, 4 cyl, 5 spd manual, 40 mile commute each way uses far
    less, but still uses some.

    I'm in a debate wether I should just add oil and not indicate to the
    dealer that it consumes oil, so I can trade it in, and say hell with
    it. They never told me. I won't tell them. OR find out more about
    this oil consumption test, and what it entails. And more importantly
    what they'll do about it, if it doesnt meet the 'excess of 1
    quart/1000 mile".

    I have never missed a scheduled appointment. I keep my tires
    inflated. I do run it at 70-75 mph for a good part of my commute.
    I warm it up well, and I get 28 - 31 mpg tank to tank.

    I'd say that I'm using 1/2 a dipstick mark in 3200 miles.
    22,400 miles on the car, and the consumption has seemed the same,
    throughout, since new..

    Please advise.
     
    George C., May 14, 2006
    #1
  2. George C.

    Brian Smith Guest

    I believe that if a vehicle is using or losing oil, there is something that
    is not right.
     
    Brian Smith, May 14, 2006
    #2
  3. George C.

    TeGGeR® Guest

    (George C.) wrote in


    1,000 miles bottom limit of "acceptable", and the reason they tell you it's
    "acceptable" is because a new motor which has that kind of consumption has
    some sort of defect (assuming no abuse or neglect), and will end up being
    replaced under warranty soon anyway. So there's no point in doing anything
    with it.

    Keep a sharp eye on your consumption, make certain you never allow the
    level to dip below minimum, and know exactly when your engine's warranty is
    up.



    You have to tell them, and tell them as soon as possible. You are still
    under warranty. You MUST keep them abreast of this problem and give them
    ample opportunity to fix it under the warranty period. If you never bring
    it in until the very end of the warranty, they could have cause to be able
    to claim neglect or abuse.

    Dig up EVERY oil change receipt you have. This will be critical.



    Oh, I thought you were using a quart per thousand. You're actually using a
    quart per 6,400, which is pretty good and nothing to worry about.

    Are there TWO cars involved here? You mention only one, but allude to a
    second.
     
    TeGGeR®, May 14, 2006
    #3
  4. George C.

    L Alpert Guest

    My '04 6 cylinder takes no oil in between changes.
     
    L Alpert, May 14, 2006
    #4
  5. George C.

    jack Guest

     
    jack, May 14, 2006
    #5
  6. George C.

    jim beam Guest

    disgusted??? why? are you an engineer?
    does that mean you let it idle on the driveway before moving off? don't
    do that. excess fuel is injected at startup and this dilutes the oil
    film on the cylinder walls. if you start & drive, [as per the owners
    manual], this action is over as quickly as possible. if the motor idles
    to warm up, the process is much prolonged - oil gets washed away and burned.
    factory spec has been stated by others. it's possible you have a dud,
    so again, as stated by others, keep an eye on the warranty. try the
    above and see what happens.
     
    jim beam, May 14, 2006
    #6
  7. George C.

    gfretwell Guest

    Are you saying you are using a half a liter (the rest of the world
    doesn't know what a quart is) in 3200 miles?
    That is about a quart between changes, even if you push it out to 6400
    miles. Normal.
     
    gfretwell, May 14, 2006
    #7
  8. George C.

    Brian Smith Guest

    My '01 V6 doesn't lose any oil between oil changes.
     
    Brian Smith, May 14, 2006
    #8
  9. All engines consume oil. It is a plain matter of physics that each time
    a piston travels a full cycle, a minute film of oil is deposited on the
    cylinder walls and consumed during a power cycle. The amount may vary
    depending on the fit efficiency of the the seal, but some oil is ALWAYS
    consumed. It can range from barely noticeable to requiring frequent
    topping off.

    Regarding the "1K" bottom line acceptable limits, it's just a standard
    established by the manufacturer.

    In your case, (you didn't mention the total miles on your car), I would
    think it to be a little high. Certainly, I would expect a Honda to
    consume more than a quart between scheduled oil changes. YMMV depending
    on the engines condition and your driving habits and the oil that you use...

    JT
     
    Grumpy AuContraire, May 14, 2006
    #9
  10. George C.

    duckbill Guest

    Don't forget, a little oil seepage past seals, gaskets, etc. can add up.
    And, what about the PCV valve that is sucking oil mist fumes out of your
    crankcase and burning them? If I was using no oil, I would be more
    worried than if I was using just a little. More than likely, some of these
    cars that are using no oil are in fact using some as many people/dealers
    overfill the oil capacity by about 1/2 a quart at oil change time. This
    does no damage and ends up protecting many of us that don't check our oil
    level very often. If it was me, I would top up the oil with a 1/2 quart
    after 2,000 / 2,500 miles and change it at 4,500. Just my opinion of
    course.
     
    duckbill, May 14, 2006
    #10
  11. George C.

    G-Man Guest

    1996 4 Cyl with 173,000 and I add no oil between it's changes (every 7500
    miles with full synthetic).
    2001 V-6 with 142,000 and I add no oil between it's changes (every 7500
    miles with full synthetic).

    If I had to add one quart between changes I would not fret. But what you
    are describing would disturb me.

    G-Man
     
    G-Man, May 14, 2006
    #11
  12. George C.

    bullyboyzz Guest

    r u sure u dont have a oil leak ?? never heard of a car with less
    than 25 k using oil that noticeable!
     
    bullyboyzz, May 15, 2006
    #12
  13. Some makes do, but in Hondas it has most often been a sign of the mysterious
    oil consumption syndrome - low mileage cars that suddenly start consuming
    oil... no leaks, no smoke. In the cases I've heard of where a problem was
    found it was a broken piston ring.

    Mike
     
    Michael Pardee, May 15, 2006
    #13
  14. George C.

    hondaman Guest

    you really shouldn't be having to add oil between changes on a car that new.
    unless it's been abused badly and something went wrong with it. it may be
    hard to get it straightened out with the dealer. they're not going to
    rebuild or give you another engine if it's somehow burning the oil unless it
    gets to be a major oil loss. i'm wondering if it may be dripping a little
    from somewhere. maybe you can park it over a newspaper for awhile and see if
    it's leaving big oil spots. it sounds like its using oil like an older honda
    might but it should not be doing that.

    -jeff
     
    hondaman, May 15, 2006
    #14
  15. George C.

    George C. Guest

    It's ok. Thanks for all the responses. I've decided I'm going to do
    what I said, at first - just add oil, keep my mouth shut, and then if
    asked, "Oh, it's never burned a drop!" at trade-in. Then they can do
    all the consumption tests they want, and hope I don't get the same
    kind of thing next time around. I wish this was the biggest worry in
    my llife.
     
    George C., May 15, 2006
    #15
  16. George C.

    G-Man Guest

    I am on my 14th Honda in my life. I have never had one that used oil.

    So no, it's not normal :)

    G-Man
     
    G-Man, May 15, 2006
    #16
  17. George C.

    Art Guest

    There could also be some moisture in the oil so it looks like you are not
    using any oil whatsoever.
     
    Art, May 15, 2006
    #17
  18. George C.

    John Horner Guest


    Using 1/2 quart in 3200 miles of driving is well with reasonable
    expectations, particularly for the fairly thin 5W-20 oil modern Hondas run.

    If you are loosing sleep over this, stop!

    John
     
    John Horner, May 16, 2006
    #18
  19. I forgot to post back here the results of a lengthy oil consumption
    test.

    None, zero, zip. That's how much oil my 05 Honda had been burning.
    Why the low dip stick? Some tech most likely didn't fully top it off.

    3000 into prev. oil change, I posted my original message. Had it
    topped off, tested again 2000 miles later. Then, sched maint.. 2000
    miles into new oil change, no loss (I mean not a drop, AFAICT).
     
    Hrundi V. Bakshi, Jun 21, 2006
    #19
Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments (here). After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.