As the title says I have a 2002 Accord LX 4cyl with 88k miles on it.

I did google this up and it brought me here.. specifically to a post about a 99 which should be about the same but still. it can't hurt to ask..

Okay, so here goes. I have the 4 banger, and it appears to use more oil than I've ever seen an engine use during typical driving, i can't figure it out.

I'm not sure on EXACT numbers, but i will say this.. if it's in the middle of the good range on the dipstick.. about 400 miles later and it's below the lower mark.. :/

so that's the main concern here.. also, the oil is a dark color and according to the used dealer i bought it from they changed the oil (before i bought it) about 800-1000 miles ago now.. and from my knowledge it shouldn't be as dark as it is this fast.. maybe i'm wrong. or maybe my engine has sludge ?

so i guess basically i'm asking what's typical oil consumption for these cars, and how long does it take to turn dark, i mean dark and smelling like it needs changed dark..

Also there are no droplets, puddles, or ANY visible signs of oil leaking out.. and not one bit(that i can see while driving anyway) of blue smoke.


Oil issues aside... It appears to make a bit of valve noise when it's cold/at startup.. and once it's warm it seems to just about completely go away, and sometimes it's there even when warm... so considering my milage I know i probably need an adjustment, but i just want some reassurance..


While i've got you here, what color/how dark is typical Honda antifreeze? mine is a greenish color.. but pretty dark looking in the overflow bottle.. and i haven't checked in the radiator yet because every time i'm under the hood it's hot still and then i forget later.


So now that you've read all that, here's some information i've dug up.. tell me what i should keep and what i should chuck in the trash..

according to my googling..

typical oil consumption is 1 quart per 1k miles (i find that high) ?

these engines tap a bit when cold and it's normal ?

i might need a PCV valve change ?

Excessive downshifting can cause excessive oil consumption ?

these engines are known to have oil control ring sludge build up that causes high oil use.. and the remedy i found was 1/4 of a can of GM Top Engine cleaner down each spark plug hole, let soak for 5-6 hours, clear out the cylinders and then fire it up and burn off the rest, followed by an immediate oil change. ?

also according to my findings i should run GENUINE Honda 5W-20 oil and Honda oil filters to help with consumption ?


So yeah.. sorry for the long post.. but i need some input.. i want to make sure this car lasts me as long as possible.. and i want to keep it in as best condition as possible while doing so..


Thanks in advance for the help..


~Moddage

 

Genuine Honda antifreeze is a kind of dark green color. Much darker than Prestone. Do check the fluid inside the radiator to check for oil in there.

I had a '98 4-cyl & it didn't use any noticable amount of oil in 5,000 miles. I think that statement about 1 qt per thousand miles is not typical, but it probably means the high end of what Honda says is "acceptable".

Checking the PCV valve would be a good idea.

 

i checked my valve clearance at 210k, and they were all good, but it still wont hurt anthing to get them checked

 

1 qt every 1k seems pretty high to me, i use about 1 qt every 3k-4k, and my cars got a few more miles on it

 

yeah.. that's what i said..

i'm not exactly sure how much mine IS consuming.. but it's WAY more than normal from any standard.. my oldsmobile had 129k on it and didn't use a DROP except for what leaked out of the lower intake gaskets..

I'm going to try and change up my driving habits a little and downshift less/if at all.. and see how that affects it.. according to what i read somewhere. excessive downshifting pulls a vacuum that "literally sucks oil into the cylinders to be burnt" that perhaps in combination with a possibly bad PCV valve.. could be the cause of my problem..

 

You don't say but I'm guessing this is a recent purchase and you're not original owner.

Your findings are good. PCV would be a prime suspect. Inspect intake downstream of PCV air inlet to valve cover. If PCV problem, you will see lots of oil/grime in the air intake.

You might remove the valve cover to inspect the valve train. If car had poor service history, you may see a big sludge buildup. This would suggest that carbon-fouled rings are likely. Dark oil may be an indicator of sludge, but I've seen cars that seem to darken the oil quickly that worked just fine.

Personally, I would leave valves alone if no noise when warmed.

If AT fluid has not been replaced, I would drain/replace the trans fluid w/ Honda ATF.

I don't think Honda oil and filters are necessary, but I'm sure they're good products.

good luck

 

hmm... an oldsmobile with the 3800 engine? i owned one and my dad has owned 4 cars with the 3800s. they never used any oil either, ran perfect forever. And 200hp+ stock is nothing to laugh at either. Im a honda fan thru and thru but thats just a good freakin engine

 

you are indeed correct.. 1995 Olds 88 3.8L (3800) V6 it was a fun beast while it lasted.. smoked stock 2000 Honda civics with absolutely no mods done to it and over 120k.. heh.. i guess i can't talk too much anymore i own a Honda..

yeah that car is in the junk yard now though.. spun a couple bearings.. oil pickup gummed up with sludge.. lost all oil pressure and spun rod bearings.

oh well.. good first car.. got me though a year of use and sometimes abuse ... and also siphoned 1800 dollars out of my wallet while doing it too


I'm completely ecstatic with my Accord though.. once i get to the bottom of it's oil consumption issues (and i WILL) i will be even more content with it.. it's in real good shape.. it's a 5 speed which is oh so fun to drive, it's great on gas compared to my olds, and after all.. it IS a Honda! haha..

i wanted a low maintenance, reliable, dependable, gas sipper.. and i got one.. i was gonna get a civic.. but i'm SO glad i got the Accord.. as a DD it's way more roomy and comfortable than the civics i was looking at. and just over 87k on it when i bought the car.. for the climate i live in.. the minimal amount of rust on the WHOLE car is astonishing .. i have a feeling i'll have this car for at LEAST 5 years..

 

I thought I was gonna have my 99 for 5 years or more too... bought it last April at 169k and have somehow creeped up to 194k already. My car doesn't have a spot of rust either and it was parked outside it's whole life and I live in the rust belt. great all around car, like all Hondas

 

Ahah! I'm not the only one who owns a gas sipping, oil gulping accord! I have a 99 Accord EX with the four banger, and to be honest, it has been a let down from the beginning. Of course, that may be because I got swindled by some lady who lied through her teeth about almost everything. But, after nearly getting killed several times because my car would die in the middle of traffic, I had the timing belt replaced, a crankshaft sensor replaced, an EGR valve replaced, and numerous other headaches (all of which she said had just been replaced...). Grrr... Long story.

Anyhows, I got mine with 133k on it this last summer and it know has 145k. The first time I took the car to get it worked on, I had driven it for maybe 1200 miles and the oil was 2.5 quarts low. Now, I'm no rocket scientist, but if the car only holds 4-5 quarts, and I'm missing 2.5 of those, that's a pretty ridiculous amount of oil to be missing. Then if you consider the fact that dumb lady had over-filled it right before I bought it, that puts me somewhere in the 1 quart / 350 miles range... Pathetic. My 79 bronco with a 400 didn't burn that much, even after I took it swimming in the mudpuddle-strewn field behind my house. As for mileage on the motor, I have 96 Exploder with 170k on it that doesn't leak or burn a drop!

I'm having the exact same problem as Moddage - takes a quart every couple hundred miles, no drips, no leaks, no blue smoke on startup, acceleration, downshift, etc. It's driving me bonkers! I thought it might be some bad valve seals or stems, but there is no smoke at startup. I have a bit of valve clatter that is louder at startup than when it warms up (but it is still there). I thought maybe it could be some bad rings, but the only seems to be a few shades lighter than midnight and I don't see a bunch of soot in it. I don't see any oil mixed in with the antifreeze and I haven't' had cooling issues. I bought in Virginia this last summer while I was working, then moved back to Idaho for school. So it has gone from 100 degrees to -20 degrees, and I still have the same symptoms.

One thing to note, however, is that when I pull the filler cap off to appease the oil-breathing beast, I see wispy fumes coming out, no matter if I've had the car on for 5 minutes or 5 hours. I have replaced the egr valve, PCV valve, spark plugs, and air filter, along with changing the oil, but to no avail. I even yanked the valve cover off to take a gander at things - everything had a somewhat orange/brown tint to it, like things got really hot in there... Compression test puts all four cylinders around 150 psi. I keep threatening the car that I'm just going to tear the motor down to its bare nothin's and rebuild it. But the wife keeps reminding me our "student salary".

So, if anybody has any ideas or has had the same experience, PLEASE educate us!