Odyssey and Oil "Stabilizer"

[shurguywutt]

About 6 months ago my Odyssey started throwing P0522 (Engine Oil Pressure Sensor / Switch Low), and P2197 (O2 Sensor Signal Biased / Stuck Lean Bank 2 Sensor 1) after I had the valves adjusted and valve cover gaskets replaced. P2197 eventually went away after re-terminating the plugs and cleaning the contacts. P0522 went away after replacing the oil pressure switch with a new one from RockAuto.

A few months after the repair the P0522 code came back after the car warms up (after about 10-15 minutes of driving) and I am usually idling in a parking lot, sometimes driving. The oil light comes on and flickers on an off with a horrible beep every time it goes on and off that drives me insane and this can go on for what seems to be 5 - 10 minutes. Another O2 code came back up as well, this time a different one, P0159 (O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response Bank 2 Sensor 2), but I believe it is unrelated. No engine oil leaks, driveway shows no evidence of leaks.

I changed the oil the other day with some Valvoline R&P 5w30 (engine has about 130k) and my mechanic recommends removing a quart of oil and adding Lucas Synthetic Heavy Duty Oil Stabilizer to increase the oil pressure to try to isolate the sensor out. The idea is if we increase the oil pressure and it resolves the P0522 code, we can rule out the new switch being defective and assume there is a loss of pressure caused by something else, maybe the sensor is not calibrated correctly. If the oil stabilizer does nothing then we can assume the sensor is defective.

I know the Lucas product is considered snake oil by most here but the mechanic's logic seemed sound in this situation. Considering a quart of this stuff is around $20 and I could apply those funds to the cost of a new oil sensor I am not sure what to do yet. I do also have a couple quarts of Valvoline 20w-50 on hand for my lawnmower transaxles that I could supplement instead of the stabilizer.

 

[spasm3]

If you are trying to determine if the oil pressure sender is bad, wouldn't you want to actually measure the oil pressure, before adding snake oil to the sump?

 

[shurguywutt]

If you are trying to determine if the oil pressure sender is bad, wouldn't you want to actually measure the oil pressure, before adding snake oil to the sump?

That logic is sound but I don't have the tools or experience to do this test and my mechanic is mobile with a busy schedule so I like to have parts and a clear direction of the work to be done before I schedule it. With a family and a job of my own to keep, my schedule for tinkering about is limited too. What an experienced mechanic could do in an hour would probably take me 3 hours lol.

 

[spasm3]

That logic is sound but I don't have the tools or experience to do this test and my mechanic is mobile with a busy schedule so I like to have parts and a clear direction of the work to be done before I schedule it. With a family and a job of my own to keep, my schedule for tinkering about is limited too. What an experienced mechanic could do in an hour would probably take me 3 hours lol.

Your mechanic should have the tools and ability, if not , find a competent mechanic near you who will be able to do this correctly.

Adding goo to the oil is an unreliable way to diagnose an issue.

If the oil pressure code goes away after adding a rediculous thickener, you still won't know if it's the pressure sensor or worn main bearings

Simply have the oil pressure measured when hot, to determine if it's a pressure sensor or bad main bearings.

 

[LazyDog]

Why not replaced the Rack Auto pressure switch w/ an OEM one

 

[shurguywutt]

Why not replaced the Rack Auto pressure switch w/ an OEM one

RockAuto BECK/ARNLEY is the OEM supplier. You can see on the sensor it is labeled DENSO.

 

[RooflessVW]

That logic is sound but I don't have the tools or experience to do this test and my mechanic is mobile with a busy schedule so I like to have parts and a clear direction of the work to be done before I schedule it. With a family and a job of my own to keep, my schedule for tinkering about is limited too. What an experienced mechanic could do in an hour would probably take me 3 hours lol.

You're going to have even less time if your oil pressure is actually low and you spin a rod bearing.

https://www.harborfreight.com/engine-oil-pressure-test-kit-62621.html

 

[MParr]

There is not a lot of information on your Odyssey.
What year?
How many miles?
What engine?
Are you having to add oil between changes?
Are you having to add coolant?

 

[shurguywutt]

There is not a lot of information on your Odyssey.
What year?
How many miles?
What engine?
Are you having to add oil between changes?
Are you having to add coolant?

14, 130k, J35, no, no, engine also runs perfectly has no leaks and makes no strange sounds.

 

[RDY4WAR]

Don't listen to your mechanic. In fact, don't take oil advice from any mechanic. They're wrong about oil more often than they're right, a product of only seeing the bad (nobody brings a good running engine to a mechanic) and just generally not educated in oil and lubrication beyond how to change it.

There is no such thing as an oil stabilizer. It's just a dumb marketing term. Lucas Oil Stabilizer is just a bright stock with no additives in it. It's not even a gimmick but an outright boldfaced scam. It dilutes the additives already in your oil, accelerates oxidation, worsens ring coking, and makes the oil a foamy mess. The only thing it does well is separate you from your money. The profit margin is ~38,000%.

Avoid the supplement shelf in general. Nothing good comes from that shelf. If your oil isn't cutting it, you need a better oil, not a supplement.

 

[4WD]

This is the only oil stabilizer one needs:

 

[snarl]

Can you put a mechanical gauge in temporarily?

 

[JHZR2]

If you are trying to determine if the oil pressure sender is bad, wouldn't you want to actually measure the oil pressure, before adding snake oil to the sump?

Very true, and measure the resistance or whatever means of measurement signal it provides?

 

[JHZR2]

Don't listen to your mechanic. In fact, don't take oil advice from any mechanic. They're wrong about oil more often than they're right, a product of only seeing the bad (nobody brings a good running engine to a mechanic) and just generally not educated in oil and lubrication beyond how to change it.

There is no such thing as an oil stabilizer. It's just a dumb marketing term. Lucas Oil Stabilizer is just a bright stock with no additives in it. It's not even a gimmick but an outright boldfaced scam. It dilutes the additives already in your oil, accelerates oxidation, worsens ring coking, and makes the oil a foamy mess. The only thing it does well is separate you from your money. The profit margin is ~38,000%.

Avoid the supplement shelf in general. Nothing good comes from that shelf. If your oil isn't cutting it, you need a better oil, not a supplement.

You missed the point. The mechanic is trying to use it as a diagnostic tool, by forcing some higher oil pressure.

It has nothing to do with stabilization or the ages old comment about being unadditized bright stock.

For this situation it has to do with doing good disgnosis and getting better data. Not changing to a different oil.

 

[MParr]

You need to check actual oil pressure.

 

[Astro14]

You missed the point. The mechanic is trying to use it as a diagnostic tool, by forcing some higher oil pressure.

It has nothing to do with stabilization or the ages old comment about being unadditized bright stock.

For this situation it has to do with doing good disgnosis and getting better data. Not changing to a different oil.

Except that this method of troubleshooting is a poor substitute for actually measuring the oil pressure - which would tell the OP if he had bad bearings or a bad sender.

Driving the pressure up with this doesn’t resolve the bearing question, or the sender question.

It’s a brush-off from a busy mechanic who doesn’t have time to properly diagnose.

 

[JHZR2]

Except that this method of troubleshooting is a poor substitute for actually measuring the oil pressure - which would tell the OP if he had bad bearings or a bad sender.

Driving the pressure up with this doesn’t resolve the bearing question, or the sender question.

It’s a brush-off from a busy mechanic who doesn’t have time to properly diagnose.

Absolutely. See my comment to @spasm3 above, concurring on how things should be done.

Point is that the twenty year old point of bright stock at 38000% and running better oil doesn’t actually address the problem or the troubleshooting.

 

[The Critic]

I faintly recall the P0522 code being discussed in a Honda Service News article a long long time ago. If I recall correctly, it was due to corrosion in the connector and/or wiring harness within the vicinity of this sensor.

 

[shurguywutt]

I faintly recall the P0522 code being discussed in a Honda Service News article a long long time ago. If I recall correctly, it was due to corrosion in the connector and/or wiring harness within the vicinity of this sensor.

There was some corrosion on the connector when the sensor was replaced. I was told that it was cleaned and some dielectric grease was put in the plug. Thanks for the reminder, I may be crawling under there to take a look myself.

 

[LordNilesStandish]

Can you use a scan tool with the Honda software to data log oil pressure? Like a Foxwell NT610 etc.