Best oil for Honda VCM 3.5L
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Originally Posted By: 05Blazer
The build date on my Pilot is 03/11, do you think it has all the necessary updates to the VCM on it?
It's been a while since I used Honda's Owner Link, but if I'm not mistaken not only can you the dates of the TSBs there, you may be able to plug in your VIN and read its TSB history. www.ahm-ownerlink.com.
The build date on my Pilot is 03/11, do you think it has all the necessary updates to the VCM on it?
It's been a while since I used Honda's Owner Link, but if I'm not mistaken not only can you the dates of the TSBs there, you may be able to plug in your VIN and read its TSB history. www.ahm-ownerlink.com.
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Not necessarily. Some of the problems showed up later in life. It is also related to how the engine is used. The 7/2011 TSB blamed it on light throttle conditions causing the VCM to engage and disengage frequently I.e., steady highway cruising. My 2011 Accord hasn't had any problems through 10,000 miles but it is 98% driven in the city.
Steady highway driving would not cause the VCM to turn on and off a lot. It would stay on because you are at a set speed. City driving(stop and go) is what would be causing it to come on and off all the time.
Perhaps I didn't express it clearly enough.
TSB 11-033 dated July 15, 2011 says,
"PROBABLE CAUSE
The VCM (variable cylinder management) function may repeatedly switch on and off during certain light throttle operation, at cruising speeds, on flat roads. This frequent switching can contribute to increased oil consumption. The updated PCM software improves VCM timing during very light throttle operation which may reduce oil consumption." [emphasis added]
If you read the problem threads at various websites, it seems that those with a higher percentage of highway miles (and a penchant for never checking their oil level) are the ones having the issue. I present our own case in the alternate, a city car with a low level of oil consumption. Ours is also a 2011 where Honda changed oil control rings and added moly impregnated piston skirts in an effort to address the issue, so that no doubt helped. Glad to read you are not having troubles.
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Not necessarily. Some of the problems showed up later in life. It is also related to how the engine is used. The 7/2011 TSB blamed it on light throttle conditions causing the VCM to engage and disengage frequently I.e., steady highway cruising. My 2011 Accord hasn't had any problems through 10,000 miles but it is 98% driven in the city.
Steady highway driving would not cause the VCM to turn on and off a lot. It would stay on because you are at a set speed. City driving(stop and go) is what would be causing it to come on and off all the time.
Perhaps I didn't express it clearly enough.
TSB 11-033 dated July 15, 2011 says,
"PROBABLE CAUSE
The VCM (variable cylinder management) function may repeatedly switch on and off during certain light throttle operation, at cruising speeds, on flat roads. This frequent switching can contribute to increased oil consumption. The updated PCM software improves VCM timing during very light throttle operation which may reduce oil consumption." [emphasis added]
If you read the problem threads at various websites, it seems that those with a higher percentage of highway miles (and a penchant for never checking their oil level) are the ones having the issue. I present our own case in the alternate, a city car with a low level of oil consumption. Ours is also a 2011 where Honda changed oil control rings and added moly impregnated piston skirts in an effort to address the issue, so that no doubt helped. Glad to read you are not having troubles.
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Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Not necessarily. Some of the problems showed up later in life. It is also related to how the engine is used. The 7/2011 TSB blamed it on light throttle conditions causing the VCM to engage and disengage frequently I.e., steady highway cruising. My 2011 Accord hasn't had any problems through 10,000 miles but it is 98% driven in the city.
Steady highway driving would not cause the VCM to turn on and off a lot. It would stay on because you are at a set speed. City driving(stop and go) is what would be causing it to come on and off all the time.
Perhaps I didn't express it clearly enough.
TSB 11-033 dated July 15, 2011 says,
"PROBABLE CAUSE
The VCM (variable cylinder management) function may repeatedly switch on and off during certain light throttle operation, at cruising speeds, on flat roads. This frequent switching can contribute to increased oil consumption. The updated PCM software improves VCM timing during very light throttle operation which may reduce oil consumption." [emphasis added]
If you read the problem threads at various websites, it seems that those with a higher percentage of highway miles (and a penchant for never checking their oil level) are the ones having the issue. I present our own case in the alternate, a city car with a low level of oil consumption. Ours is also a 2011 where Honda changed oil control rings and added moly impregnated piston skirts in an effort to address the issue, so that no doubt helped. Glad to read you are not having troubles.
I understand now. Was light throttle while crusing enought to make the "ECO" light turn on and off? Mine does not come on and off at highway crusing speeds. "ECO" just stays on till I mash the gas again.
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Not necessarily. Some of the problems showed up later in life. It is also related to how the engine is used. The 7/2011 TSB blamed it on light throttle conditions causing the VCM to engage and disengage frequently I.e., steady highway cruising. My 2011 Accord hasn't had any problems through 10,000 miles but it is 98% driven in the city.
Steady highway driving would not cause the VCM to turn on and off a lot. It would stay on because you are at a set speed. City driving(stop and go) is what would be causing it to come on and off all the time.
Perhaps I didn't express it clearly enough.
TSB 11-033 dated July 15, 2011 says,
"PROBABLE CAUSE
The VCM (variable cylinder management) function may repeatedly switch on and off during certain light throttle operation, at cruising speeds, on flat roads. This frequent switching can contribute to increased oil consumption. The updated PCM software improves VCM timing during very light throttle operation which may reduce oil consumption." [emphasis added]
If you read the problem threads at various websites, it seems that those with a higher percentage of highway miles (and a penchant for never checking their oil level) are the ones having the issue. I present our own case in the alternate, a city car with a low level of oil consumption. Ours is also a 2011 where Honda changed oil control rings and added moly impregnated piston skirts in an effort to address the issue, so that no doubt helped. Glad to read you are not having troubles.
I understand now. Was light throttle while crusing enought to make the "ECO" light turn on and off? Mine does not come on and off at highway crusing speeds. "ECO" just stays on till I mash the gas again.
Originally Posted By: Boss302fan
Those engines run rich and the oil gets dirty fast... I had issues with my Acura MDX V6 and did OCI's of 5K. I would use only Mobil 1 EP or one of the good cleaning oils like PP or Ultra and stick to a 5K OCI.
Not just the V6, my K24Z3 runs rich too. Honda even had a TSB on the four cylinder Accords to improve injector timing and lean out the A/F a little bit because there was carbon deposits forming on the rings. Mine still runs pig rich, as evidence of the massive amount of carbon around the tail pipe.
Weird, my 2008 Vibe has a clean exhaust, you can wipe your finger inside the tail pipe and you get just a light amount of carbon on it. My Accord leaves puddles of black water when I warm it up in the morning, and there is carbon/soot all over the exhaust tip. The newer diesels have less soot then my Accord. Heck my motorcycle that has carbs and no cat does not soot up as bad. I wish Honda would lean them out a bit more, fuel economy might get even better!
Those engines run rich and the oil gets dirty fast... I had issues with my Acura MDX V6 and did OCI's of 5K. I would use only Mobil 1 EP or one of the good cleaning oils like PP or Ultra and stick to a 5K OCI.
Not just the V6, my K24Z3 runs rich too. Honda even had a TSB on the four cylinder Accords to improve injector timing and lean out the A/F a little bit because there was carbon deposits forming on the rings. Mine still runs pig rich, as evidence of the massive amount of carbon around the tail pipe.
Weird, my 2008 Vibe has a clean exhaust, you can wipe your finger inside the tail pipe and you get just a light amount of carbon on it. My Accord leaves puddles of black water when I warm it up in the morning, and there is carbon/soot all over the exhaust tip. The newer diesels have less soot then my Accord. Heck my motorcycle that has carbs and no cat does not soot up as bad. I wish Honda would lean them out a bit more, fuel economy might get even better!
Honda does seem to have rich mixtures, especially in cold weather when fuel economy seems to plummet. That said, I had the catalytic converter off my CR-V to replace a donut gasket and the inside of the pipe was squeaky clean. Only 60k miles, but still better than I expected.
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Not necessarily. Some of the problems showed up later in life. It is also related to how the engine is used. The 7/2011 TSB blamed it on light throttle conditions causing the VCM to engage and disengage frequently I.e., steady highway cruising. My 2011 Accord hasn't had any problems through 10,000 miles but it is 98% driven in the city.
Steady highway driving would not cause the VCM to turn on and off a lot. It would stay on because you are at a set speed. City driving(stop and go) is what would be causing it to come on and off all the time.
Perhaps I didn't express it clearly enough.
TSB 11-033 dated July 15, 2011 says,
"PROBABLE CAUSE
The VCM (variable cylinder management) function may repeatedly switch on and off during certain light throttle operation, at cruising speeds, on flat roads. This frequent switching can contribute to increased oil consumption. The updated PCM software improves VCM timing during very light throttle operation which may reduce oil consumption." [emphasis added]
If you read the problem threads at various websites, it seems that those with a higher percentage of highway miles (and a penchant for never checking their oil level) are the ones having the issue. I present our own case in the alternate, a city car with a low level of oil consumption. Ours is also a 2011 where Honda changed oil control rings and added moly impregnated piston skirts in an effort to address the issue, so that no doubt helped. Glad to read you are not having troubles.
I understand now. Was light throttle while crusing enought to make the "ECO" light turn on and off? Mine does not come on and off at highway crusing speeds. "ECO" just stays on till I mash the gas again.
I suspect many Honda VCM drivers (remember this includes all the minivan drivers) do not have as steady a foot as you do on the highway. I have stuck to the official Honda party line so far but from reading a lot of the problem threads, I came to believe that long periods of highway cruising with the VCM on contributed to the problem as differential cooling occurred. That's just one of my theories and had not been officially acknowledged by Honda as a cause. Anyway, when the wife needed a new vehicle this spring that would double as her DD and our long range hauler and she wanted to stay in a minivan, I did not even consider Honda because of VCM.
There are apparently a lot of Honda owners who never pull a dipstick. There are a lot of stories of them running their VCMs nearly dry. While I agree that this isn't right, I do believe that every automobile owner is responsible for basic routine maintenance checks including at a minimum underhood fluids and tire pressures once per month. If you can't do that then you're deserving of surprises.
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: Indydriver
Not necessarily. Some of the problems showed up later in life. It is also related to how the engine is used. The 7/2011 TSB blamed it on light throttle conditions causing the VCM to engage and disengage frequently I.e., steady highway cruising. My 2011 Accord hasn't had any problems through 10,000 miles but it is 98% driven in the city.
Steady highway driving would not cause the VCM to turn on and off a lot. It would stay on because you are at a set speed. City driving(stop and go) is what would be causing it to come on and off all the time.
Perhaps I didn't express it clearly enough.
TSB 11-033 dated July 15, 2011 says,
"PROBABLE CAUSE
The VCM (variable cylinder management) function may repeatedly switch on and off during certain light throttle operation, at cruising speeds, on flat roads. This frequent switching can contribute to increased oil consumption. The updated PCM software improves VCM timing during very light throttle operation which may reduce oil consumption." [emphasis added]
If you read the problem threads at various websites, it seems that those with a higher percentage of highway miles (and a penchant for never checking their oil level) are the ones having the issue. I present our own case in the alternate, a city car with a low level of oil consumption. Ours is also a 2011 where Honda changed oil control rings and added moly impregnated piston skirts in an effort to address the issue, so that no doubt helped. Glad to read you are not having troubles.
I understand now. Was light throttle while crusing enought to make the "ECO" light turn on and off? Mine does not come on and off at highway crusing speeds. "ECO" just stays on till I mash the gas again.
I suspect many Honda VCM drivers (remember this includes all the minivan drivers) do not have as steady a foot as you do on the highway. I have stuck to the official Honda party line so far but from reading a lot of the problem threads, I came to believe that long periods of highway cruising with the VCM on contributed to the problem as differential cooling occurred. That's just one of my theories and had not been officially acknowledged by Honda as a cause. Anyway, when the wife needed a new vehicle this spring that would double as her DD and our long range hauler and she wanted to stay in a minivan, I did not even consider Honda because of VCM.
There are apparently a lot of Honda owners who never pull a dipstick. There are a lot of stories of them running their VCMs nearly dry. While I agree that this isn't right, I do believe that every automobile owner is responsible for basic routine maintenance checks including at a minimum underhood fluids and tire pressures once per month. If you can't do that then you're deserving of surprises.
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Blah. I don't know about where you drive but even on flat flood plain stretches that I drive in the wife's Odyssey on cruise, I see the "ECO" light flicker on and off at the slightest engine strain. That's the only reason I know it's there-it goes on and off. If it truly is a contributing factor, I can see it.
Originally Posted By: BrianWC
Blah. I don't know about where you drive but even on flat flood plain stretches that I drive in the wife's Odyssey on cruise, I see the "ECO" light flicker on and off at the slightest engine strain. That's the only reason I know it's there-it goes on and off. If it truly is a contributing factor, I can see it.
Same here, it's always going on and off on our Pilot too. Like I stated earlier, ours has only had one issue where it burned about 1/2 quart of oil. For the most part though, if it burns any it isn't noticeable.
Blah. I don't know about where you drive but even on flat flood plain stretches that I drive in the wife's Odyssey on cruise, I see the "ECO" light flicker on and off at the slightest engine strain. That's the only reason I know it's there-it goes on and off. If it truly is a contributing factor, I can see it.
Same here, it's always going on and off on our Pilot too. Like I stated earlier, ours has only had one issue where it burned about 1/2 quart of oil. For the most part though, if it burns any it isn't noticeable.
I have my foot trained to keep it in 'Eco' mode when im cruising on flat roads. You have to be real delicate with the foot but its possible. I checked the oil sunday and it was real black and at the low mark. 5000 original miles with 40% oil life left. The wife is taking it to the dealer today to get changed. Im gonna drain that out tonight and put the dealer oil in one of my parents cars and refill it with the 0W20 Redline I have stashed with a Royal Purple filter.
Ill run 2 more 5k runs and will get a UOA on the 2nd sample to see if I can stretch it out to 7500 miles or 0% OLM with the redline.
Oil turns dark with use. I wouldn't change it based on that.
given the history of these VCM motors and the usage this vehicle sees with lots of short trips including multiple starts when installing a remote start. Not to mention we are getting into the hot summer with A/C running to the max. So I think its smart to change out. Besides the redline oil goin back in is about as close to the factory fill as you can get with the Moly, Zinc, and Phos counts.
So my wife got the oil changed at the dealer 2 days ago and I just got to draining it out last night. The oil was already very dark in color which made me think that they didn't change the oil filter this time around becasue it was their $15.95 special and it took all my strength with both hands to loosen up the oil filter. The drain plug was also on super tight. Not happy with the dealer at all. Anyways after allowing the truck to drip drain all night in this morning went the Redline 0w20 and Royal Purple filter. I prefilled the filter before screwing on. I must say this is my first experience with Redline and the oil had a unique color and smell to it. We will see how it holds up. I will keep you guys posted.
It sounds like it would be best if there was a way to turn the VCM off?
It used to be that VCM came only on the higher-trim models (like Odyssey EX-L), and you could avoid it by buying an EX or LX. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
If there's not a way already, I'll bet an aftermarket tuner like Hondata will come out with a piggy-back ECU that does disable it.
If there's not a way already, I'll bet an aftermarket tuner like Hondata will come out with a piggy-back ECU that does disable it.
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