01 Honda Accord V6 oil recommendation w/160k miles

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I have a 2001 Honda Accord with the 3.0 V6. The car has 160k miles, and runs great. What is a good oil to run in a high mileage honda 3.0 V6.
Thankyou for your suggestions. I will also go back to doing searches.

I am not sure if I need to use the high mileage oil like maxlife, or us PP.
 
Maxlife is fantastic and for the price its really hard to beat. $13.50 for a 5qt at walmart for a synblend vs $14.50 for plain jane PYB. Value is out of this world. So if your thinking about maxlife get maxlife. PP is also good but $10 extra? hmm... Also Mobil Super 5k is great for only $11.50. Good shot of moly for a low low price!
 
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If its not burning nor leaking any 5w-20/30 that meets API spec is fine. I ran PYB, PP and M1 in my 2000 Accord v6 for 6-7k OCI'S with no issues. I kept in 5w-30 even though my was back spec'd to run 5w-20. I'd be more concerned with the transmission than the engine in that car, that is what caused me to sell off mine.
 
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Originally Posted By: yaris0128
Maxlife is fantastic and for the price its really hard to beat. $13.50 for a 5qt at walmart for a synblend vs $14.50 for plain jane PYB. Value is out of this world. So if your thinking about maxlife get maxlife. PP is also good but $10 extra? hmm... Also Mobil Super 5k is great for only $11.50. Good shot of moly for a low low price!


+1, good reasoning on oil choice. Unless the OP wants to get into high-end synthetics, a HM oil like MaxLife is just fine, IMO. Unfortunately, it's hard to find PYB cheaply around here. I don't even bother with Pennzoil's HM oil, I like the PYB just fine, but Valvoline MaxLife is solid and a slightly better deal.

I'd stick to 5k mile intervals as a max, to be safe, on conventional oils. That's just me, but it's still going beyond the typical 3k. If gas mileage goes down from norms or OP begins doing UOA and things look better/worse then adjust mileage accordingly, but you won't get dino oil much further than 5k anyway, so for those that don't get UOA and/or can't verify whether or not their engines are/are not reaching the maximum service life on their oil of choice during any given OCI, then don't risk it.

Just my .02 cents...
 
I have been using PP 5w 20 since owning the car (the last 45k miles of the 160k miles). My last oil change I noticed the maxlife for $13.50 next to the PP for $24. That is the reason I changed to maxlife is the price, and I change oil every 5k miles with purolator pureone filter. I feel like the maxlife should go 5k miles without testing. I may send in a sample just for the info.

typ901, I read about some of the trans problems on the accord forums. I have changed the trans oil every other engine oil change. There is no trans filter to change, because it is internal. You have to tear down the trans to change the filter. I will back off the trans fluid change to 25k miles.
 
Another reason I want to pick a good oil and stick with it. I devloped an oil leak after about 35k miles using PP. I am not blaming the oil, but I see a lot of comments about using syn oils on higher mileage cars that start leaking oil.

I just had the timing belt changed, and all the seal and gaskets changed. Oil pump seals, cam seal kit, oil seal, oil passage gasket, o-ring.

After all this work my powersteering makes a loud whine. The mech. said to drive it (air in the powersteering), and it should be fine. After 200 miles it is not as loud, but I am taking it back tomorrow. My thoughts are it should not have left the shop with the powersteering making that noise. Atleast he should have told me before I drove off. I got a few miles down the road, and called back to ask what was up with the powersteering. That is when he told me ithad air in the system to drive it to get the air out.
 
Originally Posted By: blownalcohol
I have been using PP 5w 20 since owning the car (the last 45k miles of the 160k miles). My last oil change I noticed the maxlife for $13.50 next to the PP for $24. That is the reason I changed to maxlife is the price, and I change oil every 5k miles with purolator pureone filter. I feel like the maxlife should go 5k miles without testing. I may send in a sample just for the info.

typ901, I read about some of the trans problems on the accord forums. I have changed the trans oil every other engine oil change. There is no trans filter to change, because it is internal. You have to tear down the trans to change the filter. I will back off the trans fluid change to 25k miles.


Not being able to change the filter is just one of the problems. Supposedly lack of lubrication after start-up I believe was another-dont quote me on that though-I am not 100% sure that was the scenario. Too bad Honda didn't outsource like everyone else for transmissions. That and the stupid timing belt.
 
our 2002 accord v6 gets whatever fully synthetic is on sale for 8-10k oci's. works perfectly so far, 130k miles.
 
Originally Posted By: blownalcohol
I have been using PP 5w 20 since owning the car (the last 45k miles of the 160k miles). My last oil change I noticed the maxlife for $13.50 next to the PP for $24. That is the reason I changed to maxlife is the price, and I change oil every 5k miles with purolator pureone filter.


Maxlife and a pureone filter....you are good to go!
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Maxlife or Motorcraft 5w20 / 5w30 at 5000 miles would provide all the protection you would ever need. And I don't think 160K miles is high mileage for a Honda. My 2005 Accord has 193K and purrs like a kitten. It had whatever dino was on sale for most of its life at 5K intervals. Just recently went to synthetic at 7.5K intervals because I was tired of changing the oil so often. Heck I would even do 7.5K on dino but I like the extra margin of error with synthetic.
 
Whatever synthetic you buy at 7500k miles with a good filter for up to a year or so should keep you plenty clean. Purolator, Wix, Bosch, whatever good filter you want.
 
i used PP 5w20 in our accord the last time, its nearing 10,000 miles on it and the oil isnt even black yet, i can still very easily see the dipstick.
 
Originally Posted By: blownalcohol
...I changed to maxlife is the price, and I change oil every 5k miles with purolator pureone filter. I feel like the maxlife should go 5k miles without testing. I may send in a sample just for the info.


Do this and post a UOA. +1. I like your setup.
 
My 02 v6 Accord likes 5-20 M1 EP and an M1 filter every 6 months for $35. I would continue the AT drain and fills using only Honda ATF.
 
I have a similar car, an '01 Acura TL, with 150k. After years of searching I have finally settled on 5w-30 edge, still seeing if I dare "edge" past 7,500 mile OCI's.

Also, 160K is not high mileage in my book:)
 
Maxlife HM FTW!!!!!!

We have a 1995 Honda Accord V6(220,000). Still running smooth with Maxlife with no signs of dying yet...

Give it a go, it won't disappoint.
(Very cheap price at Walmart as well)
 
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