Hondas

[psyshack]

We where very lucky that we where in a position to beable to purchase two new Hondas in 05. With that I really would like to take good care of these new cars. Ive always been a oil and fluid maint. nut.

05 Accord EX Sedan, I4, 5AT runs 5w-20 Mobil 1 with Mobil 1 oil filter. Oil changes at 7500 miles. Mobil 1 ATF in the 5MT transmission. Transmission is on a dump and fill every thrid oil change with filter replacement. K&N layin airfilter is inspected every oil change and cleaned atleast at evey third oil change. Im very happy with this service interval on the Accord and all seems to be going well on the car with 23k miles on it.

06 Civic EX Sedan, 5MT w/Navi is coming up on it breakin oil change. No way will I leave this oil in the car past 5k. At 3,500 miles the oil turned black and looks awful and is starting to take on the baby poo smell. Its out of there!

Im going to run Mobil 1 5w-20 with Mobil 1 filter. With 7500 mile changes.

I always do a flush on engine oil when dumping breakin oil. I buy cheaper oil and filter. Dump breakin oil and filter. Then screw on cheap filter and fill with cheap oil. Take a short 30 or 40 min. drive and then dump oil again. If the oil maintains its out of the bottle look then I dump the Mobil 1 in. If not then I do it again. Took two flushings to clean out the Accord.

I also change transmission fluids at the time breakin oil is changed out.

I couldnt stand the ubber power robbing heat induceing slush box shifting of the Accord. The Mobil 1 ATF helped with that a bit. Ive found the Mobil 1 ATF to be a wonder fluid in other transmissions and power steering pumps.

I want to get rid of the Honda MT transmission fluid in the Civic. Its the first MT Ive had in years where its common place to feel the gears. Sometimes the transmission is like "give me a millsec" as you can feel it bumping the gears at a gear change. Ive heard good things about GM Synchromesh in Honda MT transmissions. Seems to smooth out the 6 speeds in Acuras and Hondas. Ive seen no posts anywhere about the 5 speed Honda Mt's and this oil. The manuel for the Civic shouts Honda fluids but states that 10w30 or 10w-40 can be used in limited use. Well we know that Mobil 1 motor oils arent going to have any friction modifiers so I dont see that as a long term solution. I see Amsoil has a replacement. I just hate mail order. I beleive in supporting my local market. So it would seem my options for a transmission fluid replacement on the Civic are limitied.

Any input on the Civics transmission fluid replacement would be nice.

The Civic will also get a K&N layin filter soon.

Ive enjoyed lurking here for the last year or so. Been some intresting reading to say the least.

Ive never been big on OCA's and doubt I will ever have one done. But thanks to all that do have them done.

 

[Pablo]

Maybe supporting your local market is good, but buying Amsoil from a site sponsor supports your "local" site (which is not free) where you can ask unending lube questions (and lurk too)! Besides I give a full shipping rebate.

So, yes Amsoil MTF works great in Honda MT's.

I have a question: Why K&N in brand new cars?

 

[mshu7]

Just to confirm, the Accord has an AUTOMATIC transmission? In your 2nd paragraph you mentioned having an auto then said something about a 5MT transmission.

Anyway, I personally think that the Mobil 1 filters are overkill for your application. If you want a good filter just pick up a PureOne or a Wix/Napa Gold.

You can't go wrong with Mobil 1 oil.

As far as flushing the oil after break-in, I don't know if I really see the point in that. I konw you're trying to get out any contaminents, but it would seem more economical both for your wallet and the environment to run the new oil for a couple thousand miles at least. I'd just dump the factor fill at 1K and do a couple more OC's of dino at like 3K, 6K, & 10K, then start your Mobil 1/7500K cycle. It just doesn't make much sense dumping good oil after a 30-40 minute, especially in a Honda.

Back to your transmissions though, for the manual I'd definitely go synthetic. In my '05 Mazda3 5spd. I dumped the factory fill at 10K and refilled with Redline MT-90. Shifting is much smoother now.

Your K&N air filter is very debateable. Personally, I'd just stick with the OEM filter or use a good quality aftermarket filter like a PureOne.

With everything you mentioned though, it sounds like you'll get many many miles out of both your Hondas!

 

[Johnny]

Hey psyshack from Okmulgee, OK

to BITOG.

I love those Honda's, I have 3 of them now. You might have some overkill on the first oil changes, but it's your cars. The Amsoil transmission fluid is some good stuff for sure. I to have to question the K&N air filters. I have tried them on other cars I've owned but always went back to the factory filter. The Honda air filters are very good.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck.

 

[GoldenRod]

psyshack said:

"I always do a flush on engine oil when dumping breakin oil. I buy cheaper oil and filter. Dump breakin oil and filter. Then screw on cheap filter and fill with cheap oil. Take a short 30 or 40 min. drive and then dump oil again. If the oil maintains its out of the bottle look then I dump the M1 in. If not then I do it again. Took two flushings to clean out the Accord."
_______________________________________________________________

That's pretty hardcore; but I like it!

 

[Schmoe]

First, why do you clean your KN filter so often?Second, if you know Honda's well, then you've undoubtly done some homework, and with that in mind you know that the AT has had some issues. Swapping fluid out every 3rd oil change is a good idea, but Honda is very picky about ATF. Why not stick with their ATF?
I think you've gone way overboard with your OCI regimen, but if it makes you happy.....

 

[Accord2005NJ]

We have 2005 Accord and 2005 CRV. Both 4 cyl engines and both autos.

This is what I do:

Oil Change (Castrol /German/ Syntec 0W-30) every 5,000 miles with Mobil 1 filter {overkill I know... but....)

ATF fluid drain and fill every 10,000 miles ONLY with Honda ATF fluid. Honda's transmissions are very "special" and need "their" fluid it seems. I am sure Amsoil ATF is great but do not wish to "experiment" with transmissions.

Engine Air filter change every 8-9,000 miles. Using HONDA OEM filters.

PVC filter every 20,000 miles.

Brake clean and adjust every 20,000 miles.

Engine coolant flush (Honda coolant only) every 20,000 miles (or once per year).

for CRV - cluth (for 4x4 system) fluid change will be done at 25,000 miles.

 

[Tosh]

I turned around and sold a K&N drop-in filter I had been saving when I learned the BITOG consensus about them.
It's interesting to imagine you draining the new oil right away and comparing its color. Admit you have a problem. You can't be that curious, but if you are, get it out of your system. But you can't tell anything by a visual look at the oil. If you wanted to begin to be pseudu-scientific, you would begin oil analysis (UOA).

 

[Auto-Union]

Good post. I'm taking delivery on a '06 RSX w/ manual and have a '98 CRV auto. After doing the used-car treatment on the CRV, I ended up needing to re-do the trans again because I found that I mis-installed the ATF dipstick and maybe there was some contamination through the big hole that's so low to the ground. Genuine Honda Z-1 is a definate. For MTF in the RSX, I was considering RP, but it looks too thick compared to Honda MTF. AMSoil will be the way to go unless I see a PDS on the GM Synchromesh and it looks close to Honda.

For break-in on the '06, I'm adding some ARX and I'll go factory-fill to 2000mi, flush it out with bulk Delo, as per your idea, use my Havoline Synthetic for another 3k to get up to 5k and then another 5k on Havoline takes me to winter and Mobil 1 0w-30, which I'll continue indefinately. The older Honda will get 6mo OCIs of the GC I have stashed.

One thing I've learned, is if you are going to have an oil stash, have a varied enough stash to adjust for new vehicles.

 

[psyshack]

Maybe supporting your local market is good, but buying Amsoil from a site sponsor supports your "local" site (which is not free) where you can ask unending lube questions (and lurk too)! Besides I give a full shipping rebate.

So, yes Amsoil MTF works great in Honda MT's.

I have a question: Why K&N in brand new cars?
--------
Pablo
I would be glad to send the site owner a donation. I saw on the Amsoil site they have a ATF to replace the Z1. Ive been running K&N for years in Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, Large Vacume units, Compressors, Gearbox vents with forced air internal cooling and other applications. My 00 Ranger has had cone K&N on it since new. 125k miles of hard driving and it still dosent use oil. It see's alot of redline 1st thru 3rd gear shifts. That 2.5L I4 in my truck is about as useless a engine Ive ever seen. Talk about no guts. I wont debate the K&N anymore with anybody on this site. I like them and thats all thats needed.

To the rest of the fine posters here worried about the Honda AT transmissions. I knew better than to buy a smallish car with a AT and knew better than to buy a Honda AT. My wife drives the car more than I do. GM would be proud to have a AT that shifts that horrible soft. You can do all the electronic control you want. Fact is to make a AT shift smooth it has to slip. Slip is wear and heat. The Mobil 1 ATF has stifen the shifts up just a notch. Still smooth when putzing around in it. But firmer shifts when the foot is on the floor. Insted of the look at me!! Im shifting like a GM,, syndrome. Ive had Mobil 1 ATF work wonders in many diff. transmissions, power steering pumps, vacume units and gearbox's.

As for my practice of dumping and flushing breakin oil. Ive been doing this since 1969 when I got my first mini bike. A wonderful little Honda 50 Mini Trail. Still have it.

Its worth it to me to know that Ive got as much of the breakin oil and resulting debri and trash as possible out of the engine.

Tosh
If I drain metalic black, stinking oil from my engines. You can bet it will get a flush untill its bottle clear after a 30 or 40 mile drive. It wont get its M1 untill then. Dumping breakin oil and refilling with M1 without a flush is kinda like eating a burger and frys with a diet cola. Ten bucks in oil and filter for a flush. Or even twenty bucks to do it twice trumps a OCA at twenty five to fifty bucks. Its then done and on to my 7500 mile oil and filter changes. Nothing scientific needed. Its clean.

I will be mulling over the transmission oil for the 5MT Civic.

Be Good
psy

 

[StressSolutions]

Makes me wonder why not change the black stinky oil as soon as it becomes black and stinky, instead of waiting another 1500 miles?