02 Accord V6 - what weight/kind of oil?

[sasilverbullet]

My son recently purchased a 02 Accord 4-door w/V-6 and auto trans. Has about 98K on it.

We're about to do the first oil change - i'm thinking I want to put in the Honda Synthetic with a Honda oil filter. I'd like to do 5k or 7k OCI.

Sound like a plan?
What weight oil does that engine take?
please recommend an OCI also...car is used in combo driving here in the land of the heat and humidity - San Antonio Tx.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Hokiefyd]

The oil specification for that car is 5W-20. Honda has a job aide that shows which vehicles 0W-20 is appropriate for, and it goes back to 2003 for the Accord V-6. The 2002 Accord shows 5W-20 only.

Unless you are going to buy the Honda 0W-20, I'm not sure I'd buy the Honda oil. Unless you can get it at the cost of other prevailing premium oils I guess. Myself, I'd probably use Pennzoil Ultra 5W-20 along with the filter of your choice.

My Acura has a similar engine, the 3.5L version of Honda's J-series V-6. Yours has the 3.0L version. I have the PU 5W-20 in mine right now and it's awfully quiet on that oil, perhaps as quiet as it's ever been. I have run Mobil 1 0W-20 in it also, but think I like the PU just a bit better.

I do 5,000 mile oil change intervals, and I think that'd be appropriate for your environment as well. What does the owner's manual prescribe?

 

[Quattro Pete]

I think this engine was spec'd for 5w-30. If you're going to only do 5K OCI, you don't need synthetic. If you want to do 7-10K OCI, then go synthetic by all means.

 

[Hokiefyd]

The Accord (all engines) shows 5W-30 up through 2000 inclusive, with 5W-20 being acceptable for use.
2001-2002 (all engines) show 5W-20 only.
2003-2010 (all engines) show 5W-20, with 0W-20 being acceptable for use.
2011 shows 0W-20 only.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
The oil specification for that car is 5W-20.

Hmm... you're right. I had an '00 model and it called for 5w-30. AFAIK, the engine hasn't changed from '00 to '02. I'm guessing honda back-spec'd it for better MPG.

 

[benjamming]

I have the same car. It was specified as 5W20.

I would recommend the Purolator PureONE oil filter in lieu of the OEM.

I would start with a 5k mile OCI.

Do you know the prior maintenance history? It's time for the timing belt if never changed. You can check/adjust the valves then as well. It will give you an opportunity to check the top end cleanliness as well.

I'm thinking about the air filter as well. Do you drive on a gravel road or otherwise dusty area? I'm using the Honda OEM air filters but buy them online several at a time with other stuff & it comes out at a decent cost.

Hokie,

The manual specifies a 7500 OCI for "normal" & 3750 mile OCI for "severe".

 

[chubbs1]

The bottom line is you can use 5w20, 0w30 or 5w30. I would go with a good 5w20 (Honda is not needed) Motorcraft 5w20 is a fine oil for 5-6k changes.

Premium: Edge (both), Pennzoil platinum or Ultra, ( I am sorry I don't like Mobil 1 Syn 5w20. The slightly more expensive M1EP is Outstanding in Honda's and can go 15k 1 year easy.

The first couple of changes use a conventional (PYB) 3k intervals to clean it out a little. Then roll with the synthetic.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I agree with Pete. The recommended OCI is 7500 miles with dino, 5000 miles is 1/3 less than recommended. If syn is used then 8-10k OCI is safe with Pure1 filter.

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
If you're going to only do 5K OCI, you don't need synthetic. If you want to do 7-10K OCI, then go synthetic by all means.

Originally Posted By: benjamming
The manual specifies a 7500 OCI for "normal" & 3750 mile OCI for "severe".

 

[sasilverbullet]

Thanks for all the input guys!

I just called my local O'Reileys and they have Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20 on sale, two for one!

I think we'll try the 7k OCI with it, and do a VOA when the oil gets changed.

I'm definately picking that up on the way home today...

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: sasilverbullet
Thanks for all the input guys!

I just called my local O'Reileys and they have Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20 on sale, two for one!

I think we'll try the 7k OCI with it, and do a VOA when the oil gets changed.

I'm definately picking that up on the way home today...

I think thats a good plan.....PP 5w20 and 7,000 OCI should just be about right. Use a good mid-tier filter (PureOne, Bosch or Napa Gold).

Two other things you might consider;

ATF change....unless you have records that this has been done in the last 25K....I would suggest that the transmission oil be changed. Its more likely that the transmission will go...before the engine.

Fuel System Cleaner: Suggest putting a full bottle of either Redline Sl-1, Gumout Regane or Techron FSC... the nest time you fill-up....and prior to every oil change.

One more thing; Change out the fuel filter....if that hasn't been done recently.
_____________________________________________________
03'Ford Focus (2.3L Duratec) / PP 5w20 / Puro PureOne
OCI: 8.000 +/- or 1 year

 

[yesthatsteve]

Timing belt's due at 105k. The independent Honda/Acura shop that works on my wife's '01 Odyssey does the water pump at the same time. On many Hondas, the timing belt also drives the water pump.

Like Oregoonian suggested, change that transmission fluid, now and every 30k after. V6 models from that era have a pretty high transmission failure rate. The aforementioned Odyssey has about 12k on its fourth transmission (206k on the rest of the van). If everything else weren't so flippin' reliable, we'd have been rid of it long ago. Literally nothing else has gone wrong with it.

Good luck with the Accord!

 

[sasilverbullet]

Because of your suggestions he's having the timing belt/water pump replaced in about 2 weeks.

On the transmission, ever since he bought the car when you accelerate hard from a stop (fine on normal accel) the transmission acts a little funny. I had a Honda mechanic drive it and he said that it needed a rebuild to fix it. So far my son is just living with the problem, it's not too much of an annoyance. You guys think changing the fluid might fix the issue?