2003 Honda Accord Running for Nearly a Million Miles

So, 15,000 mile oil changes, and it got to about a million miles. The exhaust valve failure has nothing to do with his choice on oil.

I think it bears repeating - 15,000 mile oil changes.

980,000 mile life.
The long life has more to do with superior design and driving style (example: long highway drives) than it does with the 15,000 miles OCI. A 15,000 mile OCI on a short tripper could easily shorten engine life.
 
@ecotourist I will try to remember to check the valves before we open up the engine. I'm gonna video it. I need to make a little list of what to show.

@ecotourist I think mine has popped out of a random gear a time or two. Very rarely and not enough for me to even think about that. My original tranny started grinding going into 3rd when the car had around 280k. I'd never owned a high mileage car before. I knew automatic transmissions needed fluid changed fairly often, but I figured the manual transmission was just a gearbox. That was my biggest mistake. I should've changed the fluid, but didn't. Hard lesson learned. I'm doing well on my replacement tranny.
Thanks @TX Accord

As I understand it you will have to be well into the engine to check the valve adjustment. Not as simple as checking the valve adjustment on the old overhead valve engines.

Thanks for the comments on the transmission. Speaking of which, I'm probably due for another transmission fluid change. I may switch over to the transmission fluid you used for most of your run. There is nothing like imitating a story of success.
 
How does it beat buying a new, or newer car every few years? I'm sure the drivers seat is nowhere near what it once was. And I'm sure they only fixed what was necessary to keep the car moving. And ignored all the rest, like dash lights that don't work anymore. Or the dome light, or windows that no longer go up or down, or get stuck up or down. Doors that don't open right. Squeaks, worn out door hinges, speakers that no longer make a sound, heaters that only work occasionally. And paint, that only slightly resembles what it color it used to be. Then the biggie Rust. You know, all the tell tale signs that the car is shot and should be replaced.,,

The vehicle was assigned for a task specific purpose.
It is merely an appliance.
It is no different than any old pickup, or farm truck.
All it needs to do is start, move, and get from point A to point B without breaking down.
The rest is superfluous fluff.
 
So, 15,000 mile oil changes, and it got to about a million miles. The exhaust valve failure has nothing to do with his choice on oil.

I think it bears repeating - 15,000 mile oil changes.

980,000 mile life.
Things that stick out to me about making it a million miles:

-15,000 mile oil changes with good oil and filter, but driven very frequently/longer distances, so always up to operating temp.
-From his instagram profile name I assume he is in TX, so avoiding road salt would be a huge reason the body is in excellent shape still
-Always replaced broken/worn parts when needed with quality replacements

Kudos to him for keeping it on the road that long, definitely a long-lived combo too with the J30/manual trans combo. If it was an auto I wonder what number transmission it would be on.
 
The long life has more to do with superior design and driving style (example: long highway drives) than it does with the 15,000 miles OCI. A 15,000 mile OCI on a short tripper could easily shorten engine life.
Agreed.

My comment was more in response to a multitude of comments I’ve seen lately, that state “there is no 10,000 mile oil” and “oil changes like that leave hidden damage” and other foolishness.

Clearly engine design, climate, use pattern all impact what is a reasonable interval.

But the fact that this engine made it to nearly a million miles, with much of the miles using that extended interval, shows those blanket statements about the “max” for what they are.

Nonsense.
 
Pretty cool to see. I spend alot of time in a 06 Accord EXL and I've wondered how long it could go.

Ha, watched the video, never had a valve adjustment...wonder if one would have prevented the burned exhaust valve
 
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@ecotourist I've used Redline for this MTL as well as their fluids for regular automatic transmissions and CVTs. I've also used their gear oil in differentials. Basically if they have a cross reference for the application, I've used their fluid. They're kinda like Amsoil in that you can't buy it in a store. Can buy from resellers on ebay, but I typically just go to Redline's website. I started using them, liked them, and kept using them. I suppose if I started with Amsoil, I'd be saying the same thing about them.

For the valve adjustment, you have to pull off the intake to get the valve covers off on the v6. Definitely not as simple as the 4 cyls

@Warlord The courier gig was an afterthought so I used what I had. Until the cyl 1 issue, I was getting consistently 28 mph on a tank mostly hwy at 70-75mph. Good enough for me. Pay is just pt A to B. The company I contract with doesn't care what you drive as long as it gets there. Obviously the less fuel you use, the more you make. Most jobs can be handled by car. Every once in awhile, I pull out the passenger seat for extra space for a big job.

@jeepman3071 The car has been a southern car with the exception of living in WA for a few years, but they don't use road salt there either. The underside is as clean as what you see on the rest of the car. I'm thankful I don't have to deal with rusty bolts and other corrosion.

@Astro14 I used to only have to add a few qts to get me to 15k. Oil usage increased over time. I have a short video on YT of looking at Blackstone Labs analysis when the engine had around 800k.
For the new engine, I plan on still running Mobil 1 5w-20, but using 7,500 mi oil chg intervals.

@zfasts03 Hey - I know that guy!

@Gasbuggy If you look at my thread on DA, you'll see what I've used, how long it lasted me, etc. Or if you're wondering about anything, just ask.
 
For the new engine, I plan on still running Mobil 1 5w-20, but using 7,500 mi oil chg intervals.
@TX Accord Does that mean you're replacing the V6 engine and soldiering on?

I wondered if Honda would trade a new Accord for this one. Million mile anythings are rare. But then again you might get more miles out of this one than a new one!

A guy in Canada almost made a million miles in a mid 60s Chrysler product (a Plymouth maybe) but it was wiped out in a crash at about 960,000 miles. That's something you can't control.

If you're going to continue in the courier business and decide to replace the "million mile '03 V6 6MT Accord", how about trying a basic (and older) Volvo. They built them tough and their seats are wonderful. My '86 740 Turbo was one really tough car but I suspect a non turbo model would be better for a long distance run, both for simplicity and durability. You'd have to check into the general parts supply of course.
 
@ecotourist Yeah,.my plan is to swap the engine to get my power and mpgs back and keep going. I'm not going to try for any really high mileage years like the 147k, but I will probably keep doing some courier work.

Honda hasn't said much about the car. The news station that interviewed me tagged them on FB and lots of people on IG are tagging them on my posts and reels. As of now, I've been given no indication they want my engine or car. *if* they did want to celebrate the car's achievement by giving me a new car, I would want them to know that an 11th gen EX-L Hybrid in Canyon River Blue Metallic looks really nice.

I know those older Volvos could do some serious miles, but if this car got wrecked I don't know that I'd get another car for deliveries. I still enjoy doing it, but losing this car might be my signal to slow down and just work one job.
 
@ecotourist Yeah,.my plan is to swap the engine to get my power and mpgs back and keep going. I'm not going to try for any really high mileage years like the 147k, but I will probably keep doing some courier work.

Honda hasn't said much about the car. The news station that interviewed me tagged them on FB and lots of people on IG are tagging them on my posts and reels. As of now, I've been given no indication they want my engine or car. *if* they did want to celebrate the car's achievement by giving me a new car, I would want them to know that an 11th gen EX-L Hybrid in Canyon River Blue Metallic looks really nice.

I know those older Volvos could do some serious miles, but if this car got wrecked I don't know that I'd get another car for deliveries. I still enjoy doing it, but losing this car might be my signal to slow down and just work one job.
How many hours per week do you spend on the road? That is a ton of mileage.
 
How many hours per week do you spend on the road? That is a ton of mileage.
When I had my last route, it was 50+ hrs per week. Each route was around 7 hrs and I did that six times per week. Also commented 1.5 hrs round trip to my other job 5-6 days per week. I was driving around 13k miles per month. So around what the average American driver does per year, I was doing every month or so.

It was obviously way too much. I can't believe I pushed that hard for so long. That's why I had to slow down.
 
I am glad a Honda V-6 made it to 1 million miles. I love the Honda J series i-Vtec V-6's. So smooth, powerful, torquey, and low RPM quiet running at highway speeds, even with 8 people + luggage in a minivan going up inclines with Air Cond on.
 
I applaud the work and dedication it takes to put a million miles on a car, and it makes way more sense to keep fixing what you've got than buying new all the time.

I dont believe this car was the best choice simply because of the 8-9K that needed to be done in belt work, whereas a timing chain car would likely have needed less than half of that.

J35's are smooth, quiet, and powerful yes - torquey, I wouldnt say that if you are comparing against other 6's.

Out of these V6's my current Honda 3.5 feels the least torquey, but is the smoothest - it's amazing how smooth it is even at high RPM towing. It has to spin to make power but you pay almost no NVH penalty spinning.

Cant remember what the dyno says, but my rear says the GM 3.6 high feature makes the most beans all over the range.

Ive been really lucky to have owned all these sweet 6's and really liked all of them with the exception of the intrepid - it was rough running weak sauce that would often die after coming to a stop with long hard runs. It was a trade deal at work and I regretted it the first ride home.



93 3.2 SHO Taurus
95 3.8 Pontiac Bonneville (co car)
96 3.5 Dodge intrepid (co car)
95 3.0 Maxima
06 3.5 G35
06 3.3 RX400
17 3.5 Honda J35
17 3.6 XT5 (co car)
 

"I have learned (at least for this car) that some parts really need to be replaced with OEM parts," Kilmer told The Drive. "I've used OEM parts for: front lower ball joints, clutch master and slave cylinders, coil packs, wheel bearings, engine mounts. I've used other OEM parts here and there, but those are parts I'm not willing to compromise on this car. [I've heard] too many horror stories of people neglecting to replace the belt or using a cheap belt and having it snap usually causing engine destruction."

"Because he drives so much and changes oil so often, he switched to extended-life oil and filters, which he changes every 15,000 miles. (He still uses the recommended oil weight, though.) Kilmer also uses Redline transmission fluid (a well-regarded aftermarket brand), which he changes every 100,000 miles, and a serviceable K&N air filter serviced twice annually. They're buy-it-once items for most people, though Kilmer had to get a second at 686,000 miles."

"That said, the miles are still taking their toll. Kilmer has to add a quart of oil every 5,000 miles or so, and the V6 has recently developed a misfire. A compression test showed cylinder one is shot; its exhaust valve no longer seals properly."
03 hondas......
Good times.
Honda actually cared back then.
 
So, 15,000 mile oil changes, and it got to about a million miles. The exhaust valve failure has nothing to do with his choice on oil.

I think it bears repeating - 15,000 mile oil changes.

980,000 mile life.
Yes with all highway driving sure.
But my 3 minute commute to work.everyday......no.
 
I'm not sure the Hondas (or many other cars made) today could do that kind of miles. The 5 speed Corolla in my sig is at (only) 167K, but I think 500K would be possible (I don't drive it enough to get it there before rust will take it). 1M is unbelievable! Thanks for confirming that RL MTF has held up for you, that's in the xB now (MT-90), with LM 75W90 in the Corolla.
 
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