I recently bought a 1993 honda accord EX sedan and have noticed the oil level on the dipstick dropping quickly, like nearly a quart in 300 miles. I only drive a couple miles at a time - 2 1/2 miles to work. However, the other day I drove for a couple of hours - 65 miles and when I checked the oil level the next am, it was back up to the top mark on dipstick. Where is the oil hanging out and is there a pump problem? Although it seems like gravity would draw the oil down to the pan. Granted, it is winter and I live in the mountains in CO - often near zero at night.

Also, if I drive before the car is warmed up, the idle lopes briefly. It has a new radiator 2 years ago and I put in a new t-stat. Car was garaged before I acquired it, there fore a "warmer" life. I was reading about a FTIV?? valve that can cause this problem if it malfunctions.
thanks for any input.

 

Several things can be going on, you have to judge for yourself...

Check the oil when the car's parked on a slope?Make sure it's level. If not, at least make sure you're very consistant about the slope.

Shutting it down when it's not warmed up completely? Maybe the oil is cold & takes longer to run down into the pan?

Maybe the one time it was full you checked it when it was still warm?

Running rich? Fuel can get past the rings & dilute the oil. That makes the oil level increase. It also makes the oil smell like gasoline. This is something that you should try to fix.

FITV = fast-idle thermo valve. That is a valve assembly mounted underneath the throttle body. It's job is to allow some air to bypass the throttle to increase idle RPM when it's cold. It's not the only thing that can cause idle surging.
Vacuum leaks - check carefully with all the hoses.
Air in cooling system - it should not have any air pockets.
FITV can be cleaned - maybe it's dirty & sticking?
IACV = idle-air control valve. Clean it.
Clean the throttlebody bore where the throttle plate closes.
Make sure there's a bit of slack in the throttle cable when closed.

 

the car is parked in the same spot and oil looks good and doesn't smell like gasoline and I check the oil same time of the day, usually in am. At any rate, it's been sitting a long time w/o being started. Overall, I would say this car has not had a lot of TLC lately - it has 122,000 miles on it now. I jsut had a fulltune up done. Thanks for your input

 

You probably already know this but I'm going to mention it anyway.... make sure you're always checking it with the car not running, if you check it one time when the car is idling and another when it's off you'll get two different readings....

 

The car is not running - I only check when very cold, hasn't run for many hours.. it is winter and cold, so maybe oil is staying up in motor/engine?? But, I have not noticed this with any other cars.

 

I have a 4th generation as well and even if you check your oil while parked at a curb will trow it off. From experience, it must be completely level for these cars.

 

My daughter's '92 Accord, the end of the dipstick is strange how it goes into the pan. The oil level is difficult to read, inconsistant, etc. Pull it out & wipe it first, even tho it's been sitting overnight. Wipe & read it again a couple times. I think maybe oil hangs up in the bottom of the dipstick tube & that gets all over the dipstick as you pull it out. Maybe someone else understands really what's going on, but on that car it's just difficult to get a consistant reading.

 

The best time to check is when you fill it with gas. Find a level gas forecourt and fill the car, then check the oil level before you leave. This will give the hot oil (from driving) five minutes to drain back into the pan for an accurate reading.

If you start it for 30 seconds and shut it off before checking the oil, it will read low. The oil drains much more slowly when cold, and running the engine disburses some of it into the upper end of the motor.

 

Yes, that is my best guess - the oil is in the upper engine as I have only been taking short drives and it's wintertime in the mountains - cold, so , oil is thicker. When I drove the car a couple of hours the other day, the dip stick read at the top mark when I checked it the next am. I usually check the oil when car is really cold or after getting gas - it is in a level position and I park in smae place in my driveway.


1993 Accord EX, 5 spd, 122 k, silver
1990 Accord LX , 5 spd, sold w/220k, now has over 306k - going strong, so I am told...