Does this look ok for a 3.5L Honda with 55k on the clock?

[Blue_Goose]

Vehicle is a 2004 Saturn Vue with the Honda powerplant. Up until next change it has been to the dealer for usually an OIC every 3k-6k miles. It has seen whatever the dealer uses to Motorcraft 5W20 to Castrol GTX 5W20 and this last change at Pep Boys Quaker State 5W20. I'll be doing the next OIC a week from Saturday using Havoline 5W20 and a L14610.

I think before the last OIC it was going on 6K and she was down about 1/2 a quart...normal for these engines?

Anyways I saw some other posts of people taking pictures of where the oil goes in to look for sludge etc....what do you guys think of how these pics look for 55K in less than 2 years...mostly highway during the week but errand vehicle on weekends.

In this pic here the dark stuff I believe is just oil..it doesn't look gooey or thick in person...

Goose

 

[tensecondz1]

Looks very clean... no varnish either which is somewhat surprising for dino oil.

As long as that dark "puddle" is liquid oil they yes its very clean

 

[rauljimenez]

That looks very clean to me.

 

[Matt89]

Gorgeous. Drive on!

 

[Blue_Goose]

At the risk of sounding like a dunce, what is that green springy thing on the left hand side and it looks to be bone dry....

Goose

 

[racer12306]

that is a valve spring. theres probably oil on it but oil doesnt collect on the coils like it does on the top of bolts or in crevises in the head.

 

[t-squared]

It's keeping your valve from falling into the cylinder!! Seriously, that's called a valve spring. They keep the valves closed until the cam pushes them open to let air and fuel in or let exhaust out. They're usually just "splash lubed" while the engine is running. The color is a coating from the manufacturer.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Looks good. (excellent photos.. Nice and clear!)

Every outfit I've owned looks like this. (even when they have needed head gaskets @ 61k miles..

)

Dino oil (conventional oil) works and does just fine.

Your 3.5l Honda looks just like my Dads 3.5 in his Vue.. You just have 40k more miles! Same clean head.

one off topic question..

I'm finding no matter how little (1/2 turn) or much (1 full turn) after the oil filter gasket had touched, I have a @!#$%%$ of a time getting his oil Filter off.

(Plenty of fresh oil on the gasket BTW)

How is yours?

Take care, Bill

 

[Pbert25]

I don't see any problems there. I'm sure my mother's 1.8l in her 1997 hyundai elantra is much worse than that. I'm trying to get rid of the sludge that accumalated from the previous owner.

 

[Blue_Goose]

Taken with a Canon A510 which is only a 3.2MP camera..this thing takes some dandy pics

Too tell the truth Bill, I'm not sure. I've never changed the oil on the Vue and the last time I attempted it I could not get leverage to undo the drain bolt! Dealer cranked it on so tight I pulled muscles in my chest! No lie...I didn't have it up on ramps and not much room to get any leverage. Next Saturday I'll put her up on the Rhino Ramps and see how it goes...The meatball at Pep Boys(where I brought it because I couldn't get the drain plug off) looked like he was swinging for the fences when I saw how hard he was putting it back on with a ratchet! Hope he didn't strip anything or crush the pan! Pretty hardy crush washer is on there so hoping for the best.

I have one of those wrenches that fits over the endcap of the filter so I'll let you know how it goes.

It doesn't look that hard to change the oil on the Vue but nothing as easy and simple as changing it on our Matrix/Corolla platform!!

I agree with the dino thing you're saying....I think my car is running great on the Chevron SL 5W30 I have in there..problem is I think I bought the last 7 qts in New England....no .49 Chevron for us East Coasters

I'll be putting either Pennz Plat, Castrol Syntec Blend or Kendall GT-1 Blend for the next 4-5K oil change while I wait for the UOA of the Chevron...normally wouldn't go with the Synth but with the specials and rebates from Pep Boys it comes out to like pocket change(under a dollar) for the Platinum.

Ok I'm going way off course here...lol...where in UT are you? My last trip to Vegas me and the wife took a trip up to Zion.....absolutely stunning and


Goose

 

[Tosh]

>I think before the last OIC it was going on 6K and she was down about 1/2 a quart...normal for these engines?

I wouldn't say that was 'normal' on my 75k Honda 3.2L V6 as it's never visibly low even after 7.5k OCI.
The pics look great, though.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Looks quite clean. Just as clean as my 04 Vue! Of course, we can't see the piston rings. When in doubt, Auto-Rx!

 

[GoldenRod]

Blue_Goose,

It was the Castrol GTX that got it that clean.