Oil for new Honda Accord 2013 questions

[Sam_Julier]

I'm trying to imagine that anyone who works for the Honda Motor Company would it's reasonable -- forget necessary -- for a new Honda Accord owner to change motor oil at 1K miles and then drive all over creation hunting for a replacement oil with the "correct" (sic) amount of moybdenum disulfide to compensate for the FF the company specifically told the new owner not to change in the first place. This, gentlemen, is madness on stilts. [/quote]

+1

 

[asharris7]

Originally Posted By: Hounds
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Originally Posted By: asharris7
Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
The only argument I can see for sticking with the FF oil to 15% OLM is that it contains a lot of moly. So if you want to change it early, go with a high moly oil, and the only high moly (675 ppm) OEM GF-5 0W-20 is the Mazda 0W-20.


...or he could go with the Mitsubishi which is both high Moly and the correct VI for Honda (can).

That's a very good point.
The Idemitsu made Mitsubishi SM 0W-20 is identical to the Idemitsu made Honda/Acura 0W-20 that's in current use in Canada.

I'm trying to imagine that anyone who works for the Honda Motor Company would it's reasonable -- forget necessary -- for a new Honda Accord owner to change motor oil at 1K miles and then drive all over creation hunting for a replacement oil with the "correct" (sic) amount of moybdenum disulfide to compensate for the FF the company specifically told the new owner not to change in the first place. This, gentlemen, is madness on stilts.


Who said anything about 1k mile dump?? You're right! That IS madness on stilts. . . . .

 

[Highkm]

Quality? Go to Walmart and buy yourself a jug of Mobil 1 0w20. Pick it at random, it doesn't matter. I got lucky many times over a period of 6 months. Open it and raise it above a lit lightbulb. Take a flashlight turn it on and shine it inside the jug down at each of the 4 corners. I found what looks like dirt or something dark. I don't think it's molibdenum. I found the same thing at the bottom of 5w30 Autolab (mineral) cheap oil. I question the quality of Mobil.

 

[Highkm]

Another [censored]

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Highkm
Quality? Go to Walmart and buy yourself a jug of Mobil 1 0w20. Pick it at random, it doesn't matter. I got lucky many times over a period of 6 months. Open it and raise it above a lit lightbulb. Take a flashlight turn it on and shine it inside the jug down at each of the 4 corners. I found what looks like dirt or something dark. I don't think it's molibdenum. I found the same thing at the bottom of 5w30 Autolab (mineral) cheap oil. I question the quality of Mobil.


I`ve only seen this in all dino oil,no matter the brand,EXCEPT Valvoline VR1 dino. I`ve often wondered what that substance is. Is it a chemical reaction to air once the bottle is open? Is it the leftover crud that hydrocracking removes?

 

[Highkm]

No kidding. My 2003 Accord i4 wasn't broken in until about 100,000Km. It had the best compression from that point onwards. I have 610,000Km now and awarded myself with 2013 Accord i4. The 2003 burned a quart of oil every 12,000KM - 15,000KM depends how I drove it. Now I add 1 quart every approx 5,000KM. Considering that I changed oil on 2003 Accord every 30K, I should not have a problem changing it every 25K on the new Accord. I use nothing but the best synthetic for this marvel of automotive engineering.

 

[JavierG]

Originally Posted By: G35_TX
I recommend penzoil plat or ultra. I am using m1 now in my 3.7 Tl which is almost the same engine as yours and it got noisier with it. Penzoil is much quieter in our 09 so I a. Switching the car back to that once my stock runs out.

I agree. PU and PP appear to be the best in my Honda (6 cyl. though). Tried Mobil 1 twice and didn't like it as much. Definitely noisier.

 

[dan3952]

Is it burning it? Is it noisy? My 2.3L 1998 Acura CL didn't like Mobil 1 5W30. The lifters made more noise, and it burned it very quickly. It did seem to be good at cleaning however. My car seems to prefer thicker Castrol Syntec or HM GTX (less noise on startup as well)

 

[harrydog]

I have a 2013 Accord Sport (DI engine). Right now I'm at around 1300 miles and 90% on the MM. I've always changed the factory fill in new cars at 1000 miles or even earlier and have never had any problems. One of my previous Honda's had 216,000 on the odometer and didn't burn any noticeable amount of oil in 5000 mile OCI's.
I understand the reason being made as to why you should leave the FF in until the MM is at 15% but these arguements are being made by folks on the internet, not necessarily by qualified experts.
My owners manual makes a reference to changing the oil when the MM indicates but it is somewaht vague in my opinion and doesn't specifically mention the FF.
If leaving the FF in until 15% is so important, why isn't it spelled out more prominently in the manual? (If it is there somewhere, please let me know the page)
I asked two dealers in my area and both said they recommend 5000 mile oil changes and nothing different for the FF. I even called Honda USA to ask about it (even though I knew I probably wouldn't get a knowledgeable person)and they said they saw no reason why it couldn't be changed earlier. They also referred me to my dealer if I wanted a more "technical" answer.
So, if this is so important for proper engine break in, why is it not spelled out more prominently in the manual? Why are the dealers not informed about it? Where are you guys getting this information from?

 

[Vikas]

Are you sure your owner's manual does NOT mention this? Find the section where it talks about new vehicle break in procedure. I posted the verbatim details from the 2012 Acura TL owners manual because I have easy online access to it. Look for a section with the title "Break-in Period, Fuel Recommendation" in your manual. It will be there. If it says nothing about first oil change, do change oil early.

P.S. I just checked and for 2013, Honda no longer has that particular section. If I were you, I will change the factory fill oil early. I am now wondering if as of 2013, Honda is no longer putting the special break-in oil in their vehicles.

 

[Hounds]

harrydog, the specifics you are seeking are discussed on Honda's "official" website, www.ahm-ownerlink.com. If you opt to log on, under "Maintenance" you'll find the following statements in addition to other comments and recommendations.

"Your Honda engine was delivered with an oil that is specially formulated for new engines that have not yet developed their 'natural' wear patterns and may contain minute particles from the manufacturing process. . . . American Honda strongly recommends this special oil be left in the engine long enough for these wear patterns to develop, usually until the first maintenance interval specified in your Owner's Manual, based on your specific driving conditions."

And further: "There is absolutely no benefit to changing your oil more frequently than recommended in your owner's manual. This will only increase your cost of ownership, and create an unnecessary burden on the environment by increasing the amount of disposed oil."

 

[Vikas]

For some reason, for 2013 electronic version of the Accord owner's manual no longer has any statements about the break-in oil.

 

[Indydriver]

Originally Posted By: harrydog
I have a 2013 Accord Sport (DI engine). Right now I'm at around 1300 miles and 90% on the MM. I've always changed the factory fill in new cars at 1000 miles or even earlier and have never had any problems. One of my previous Honda's had 216,000 on the odometer and didn't burn any noticeable amount of oil in 5000 mile OCI's.
I understand the reason being made as to why you should leave the FF in until the MM is at 15% but these arguements are being made by folks on the internet, not necessarily by qualified experts.
My owners manual makes a reference to changing the oil when the MM indicates but it is somewaht vague in my opinion and doesn't specifically mention the FF.
If leaving the FF in until 15% is so important, why isn't it spelled out more prominently in the manual? (If it is there somewhere, please let me know the page)
I asked two dealers in my area and both said they recommend 5000 mile oil changes and nothing different for the FF. I even called Honda USA to ask about it (even though I knew I probably wouldn't get a knowledgeable person)and they said they saw no reason why it couldn't be changed earlier. They also referred me to my dealer if I wanted a more "technical" answer.
So, if this is so important for proper engine break in, why is it not spelled out more prominently in the manual? Why are the dealers not informed about it? Where are you guys getting this information from?

Just follow the manufacturer's recommendations. I went through is with our 2011 V6 VCM because I was aware of some issues with the VCM engine. I did the first two OCs at 15% which worked out to 6300 miles. I used Honda Genuine Full synthetic for my changes and I tested each one. Now, this is not a DI engine so its a different animal and you should do your own UOAs to get comfortable. But, what I found is, Honda adds a moly-impregnated coating to their piston skirts (not their FF). The moly gradually dissolves over the course of the first oil interval. This higher klevel of moly is important to the long term reliability of the VCM engine. It turns out the HG oil has amuch stouter add pack than the fabled FF so, realize there is nothing special about the FF oil, it's about the moly impregnated skirts. But a DI is a different deal. Follow Honda's recommendations then use a good synthetic replacement oil.

 

[harrydog]

Hounds, I found the on-line info you referred to. But it astounds me that if Honda thinks this is so important they not only don't put it prominently in the owners manual, they don't even mention it anywhere in the manual. I guarantee you the vast majority of Honda owners will never see this information.
I will hold off on changing the factory fill for as long as I can stand it but I doubt it will be all the way down to 15%.

 

[Vikas]

As I said before, it was in Owners Manual until 2012 model years. There is a complete section about break in procedures but it is not there for 2013 owners manual.

 

[wolfc70]

I changed the FF on my 2011 at 50% on the MM or about 5500 miles. It was also down about a quart at that time. My first few changes were with the Honda Semi-syn 0w-20 CoP oil, which I ran to 30% on the MM (6500-9000 miles, no more oil consumption either). The MM seems to shorten the interval quite a bit in colder weather. Now I am using the TGMO 0w-20.

With the new DI motors, I would use which ever 0w-20 you can get easily and for a decent price. If your dealers won't budge on the OEM oils, use anything off the shelf from a local store. My dealers will give a discount on the Honda semi-syn, but not the full syn. I really like the Honda CoP oils. I have not noticed any difference in running the TGMO, so I will run what ever I can get for the better price.

I would run a 7500 OCI max, without a UOA. I bet in colder months, fuel dilution will be a problem, especially with shorter city trips.

Enjoy the Accord!

 

[reedv]

Originally Posted By: wolf99
Great feedback from everyone, thank you. This is a great site.

I decided to go with Mobil 1 OW20 in my new 2013 Accord when oil change is needed.

Going to use a Honda oil filter unless someone can recommend one better. Ignorant to this topic as well.

Also, can I please get some feedback as to when it is recommended to (mileage)put in straight synthetic oil into the direct inject new engines?

Thank you.


I decided to go with the Mobil 1 0W20 as well in my 2013 Accord EX-L. I have used it in other Honda / Toyota Vehicles, and it has always done well. I found the 5qt at Wal-Mart for $25.00, but I had to go to several of them to finally locate it. So apparently, it is not in all of them. The filter (as of Feb, 2013) is only available from the dealer - Fram has not come up with an equivalent replacement yet.

I looked in the manual, the on Page 501 at the bottom, it states "You may also use synthetic motor oil if it is labeled with the API Certification Seal and is the specified viscosity grade."

I am still try to figure out when to do my first oil change - I am at about 3300 miles now - based on this forum, people seem to want to wait until the Maintenance Minder says 15%.

However, I read in the manual (page 433 on the right sidebar and in the towing section as well) that the break-in period is the first 600 miles. It says not to do sudden / full throttle accelerations. Still puzzled about when to do the 1st oil change though.

 

[JB357]

I have a 13 Accord V6. If I had an I4 I would go for extended oil change intervals with a good full synthetic oil because previous generations of the I4 engines have been known to be easy on oil. Since I have a V6 I'm concerned that previous generations of our V6 with VCM have had more than their share of sludging problems in the front 3 cylinders due to VCM shutting down the rear cylinders during light engine loading (typical highway cruising and city driving when not accelerating). I have 3,700 miles and 40% on my MM. I already bought a case of Mazda 0W-20 With Moly, liked the high 221 VI and the very high dose of Moly. Since buying the Mazda oil I've come across the sludging issue with previous generations of our V6 with VCM.
My question is for our V6 with sludging history, should we be using a lower Noack synthetic? I've been looking at Amsoil Signature 0W-20 (Noack 9.3,) Signature 5W-20 (Noack 5.5), PU 5W-20 (Noack 5.0)?
I know we are supposed to use 0W-20 but I really don't think using 5W-20 will cause an engine problem.
Whatever oil I use I plan to change oil and filter every 6 months (spring and fall on my driveway) which will be about 5,000 miles each oil change. Probably 80% of my driving is 10 miles each way to and from work on suburban streets with stop lights and speed limits mostly 35 and 40 mph.

 

[jfking106]

Pennzoil Platinum, or Quaker State Ultimate Durability with a Fram Ultra filter. Sleep well at night.

 

[asharris7]

Originally Posted By: JB357
I have a 13 Accord V6. If I had an I4 I would go for extended oil change intervals with a good full synthetic oil because previous generations of the I4 engines have been known to be easy on oil. Since I have a V6 I'm concerned that previous generations of our V6 with VCM have had more than their share of sludging problems in the front 3 cylinders due to VCM shutting down the rear cylinders during light engine loading (typical highway cruising and city driving when not accelerating). I have 3,700 miles and 40% on my MM. I already bought a case of Mazda 0W-20 With Moly, liked the high 221 VI and the very high dose of Moly. Since buying the Mazda oil I've come across the sludging issue with previous generations of our V6 with VCM.
My question is for our V6 with sludging history, should we be using a lower Noack synthetic? I've been looking at Amsoil Signature 0W-20 (Noack 9.3,) Signature 5W-20 (Noack 5.5), PU 5W-20 (Noack 5.0)?
I know we are supposed to use 0W-20 but I really don't think using 5W-20 will cause an engine problem.
Whatever oil I use I plan to change oil and filter every 6 months (spring and fall on my driveway) which will be about 5,000 miles each oil change. Probably 80% of my driving is 10 miles each way to and from work on suburban streets with stop lights and speed limits mostly 35 and 40 mph.


I think it's more of a matter of shorter OCI's and using a high VI oil. The Mazda oil is what I use in our Honda with VCM.....5k OCI's too.