Change oil from 5w/20??

[kenpoed]

I have a clicking noise upon cold starts for 10 minutes. My mechanic states I should leave it alone and get a thicker oil.

Would 5w30 help? Is anything else suggested? I have been running PU on an 05 accord V6

thanks!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

A friend of mine has this problem with his 05 Accord V6. Look up on youtube, etc, it's a VERY common problem with the J series V6 of those years.

From what I've found, it's just piston slap. Switching to heavier oil won't fix (again - been looking it up).

Seems the ones that piston slap have no problem reaching 200K with routine maintenance.

5w30 certainly won't hurt, but I don't think it will help. At cold temperatues, it won't be much different than the 5w-20 (5w vs 5w oil).

In addition, 2 or 3 people I work with have accord V6s of that generation and theirs does it too - one of them is >100K miles with no problems.

THIS is the piston slap:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-9JvduX0Z0

THIS is NOT the piston slap:
http://s41.photobucket.com/user/EXV6NIGHTHAWK/media/001.mp4.html

 

[randomhero439]

The injectors are really loud. And since the engine is so refined and quiet, you hear them more.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

The noises I've heard on these cars are definitely a form of piston slap. I've had noisey injectors before, but these sound different.

 

[LeakySeals]

How long have you been running PU? If multiple OCI's check valve clearance with a feeler gauge. Sounds like your mechanic is not interested in small jobs, try another garage.

 

[bigt61]

My son had an old Dodge Neon that sounded the same. Honda quality is not what it used to be IMO. Although irritating, piston slap won't stop the engine from doing it's job and it should still go a long way, just maybe not 400 or 500k miles.

 

[randomhero439]

Originally Posted By: LeakySeals
How long have you been running PU? If multiple OCI's check valve clearance with a feeler gauge. Sounds like your mechanic is not interested in small jobs, try another garage.


I agree with the valve adjustment. My valvetrain isnt noisy, but ill probably get one on mine anyways.

Originally Posted By: bigt61
My son had an old Dodge Neon that sounded the same. Honda quality is not what it used to be IMO. Although irritating, piston slap won't stop the engine from doing it's job and it should still go a long way, just maybe not 400 or 500k miles.


How is it not quality? My friends 3.0L Accord has been raced at Mid-Ohio road course for a better part of its life and it just clicked over 200k running flawlessly! However, the newer VCM engines need some work done on them lol.

 

[afoulk]

Originally Posted By: bigt61
My son had an old Dodge Neon that sounded the same. Honda quality is not what it used to be IMO. Although irritating, piston slap won't stop the engine from doing it's job and it should still go a long way, just maybe not 400 or 500k miles.

I went through this with my 05 Jeep Rubicon, though mine was present even when hot. I wound up getting rid of it because it drove me nuts. Worst decision I ever made, I miss that thing every day and it probably would have ran forever that way.

 

[KCJeep]

Piston slap is annoying but not usually anything of concern. My daughters Chevy slaps so hard on cold start I can easily hear it inside the house when she leaves. No issues and it's at 152k, those engines are well known slappers.

Goes away in a few minutes, I've not found any oil that will help.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Get the carbon off those heads! - italian tuneup and a bottle of injector cleaner. BTW the Fram honda filter is not the best option - my car runs MUCH better on the new for honda wix57356 (NOT the 51356!) Ive tried 'em all and the ACDelco PF2057 and the wix were the ONLY ones that ran quiet and powerful. FYI-Most ALL honda engines use the SAME filter.
BTW my MAGIC oil combo for quiet winter cold running is now the balance of the sump Quaker State Ultimate Durability 0w20 with 1 qt Subaru SM for the big moly boost. A SCHWEET oil combo blend. SCHWEET!

 

[Ibrahim]

Piston slap can be very annoying to withstand to, I suggest that you run a short OCI (3K Miles) using Mobil 1 Euro 0w40, make sure you go on hwy few times. You can use the same old filter or get the cheapest filter you can get for this oci.

Meanwhile on this OCI do couple tanks of Complete Fuel System Treatment runs (Lucas, Amsoil, Redline & Prestone etc)

Instead of 5W20, switch back to Pennzoil Ultra 5W30 or 10W30 and see if this help resolves the issue? If it does at least you would know that the problem was not mechanical in nature.

Otherwise, you will just have to use a thicker oil. My family once owned a 91 Caravan, till today the piston slap noise echoes in my mind...

 

[tig1]

Lets see. Thats one check for noise from PU.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Clickety-clackity fake slack wax synthetics

XHVI vs.VISOM
SHELL vs. XOM ROUND III



No really - carbon on a zero deck height piston = bad news. Beat on it billy, BEAT IT!

 

[Garak]

Thicker oil will not likely help such a situation. The oil is already much thicker when you're starting the car and having the issue than when it's at operating temperature. So, how would an oil that's even thicker help the issue? Your mechanic has things backwards.

 

[fpracha]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Thicker oil will not likely help such a situation. The oil is already much thicker when you're starting the car and having the issue than when it's at operating temperature. So, how would an oil that's even thicker help the issue? Your mechanic has things backwards.
+1.
Without proper justification there is little reason to try a thicker oil for this situation!

 

[WMSmotorhead]

Knock Knock, Who's there? Honda Engine, slightly out of tolerance.

 

[UNC151]

Originally Posted By: tig1
Lets see. Thats one check for noise from PU.

Right...on an engine that apparently suffers from a mechanical issue it is the oil's fault? I know that you are merely being passive-aggressive in defending M1 by proxy (at least it seems so--apologies if not), but in this case, I should think any oil would still allow the noise to continue.

 

[KCJeep]

He should put Mobil 1 in it, the noise will be louder and therefore easier to diagnose.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Clickety-clackity fake slack wax synthetics

XHVI vs.VISOM
SHELL vs. XOM ROUND III



No really - carbon on a zero deck height piston = bad news. Beat on it billy, BEAT IT!

Never heard of a carbon problem at cold, always hot when pistons expand(which is exactly what stops/reduces piston slap)...

If it's really piston slap NOTHING will stop it, not even 20W-50...

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: kenpoed
I have a clicking noise upon cold starts for 10 minutes. My mechanic states I should leave it alone and get a thicker oil.

Would 5w30 help? Is anything else suggested? I have been running PU on an 05 accord V6

thanks!


I have had a few slappers here in a fleet of GM V8's, and all have exhibited the noise for less than a minute at startup only. One particularly bad example would do a bit if you revved it in nuetral as it fell back to idle. All the engines lasted well longer than the trucks around them, just sold an 04 with 500k miles on it and it ran perfectly.

IME no oil will help piston slap. What the OP describes sounds far more like valvetrain noise to me...