'04 Honda Accord V6, M1 5W20

[Cicero]

I know very little about oil. I guess my Cu and Fe seem to be steady so whatever is happening, good or bad, is constant, IMO. Hopefully this helps someone else at the very least and I feel I owe it to BITOG members to post my results for all the help, toleration of my stupidity and patience I have been shown here. I am considering going back to GTX at 3-5K OCI. There are bigger things to worry about in life and UOA's aren't one of them anymore. Still, I would appreciate any comments anyone cares to make. Thank you.

BLACKSTONE WRITES:
:There are 70 oil samples in the universal average file for this type engine. You can see that
copper is typically, at least on average, found at about twice the iron level. This is unusual for any gasengine, but there is probably a reasonable explanation for it. Your copper level is improving so at leastsome of it is due to wear-in. The other metals read perfectly after the 4,902 mile oil use run. Our
average oil from this type engine has 5,825 miles on it and there is no doubt you could use thosemiles for your next sample. Even then copper should drop more.

EQUIPMENT MAKE: Honda
EQUIPMENT MODEL: 3.0L V-6
FUEL TYPE: Gasoline (Unleaded)



OIL USE INTERVAL: 4,902 Miles
OIL TYPE & GRADE: Mobil 1 5W/20
MAKE-UP OIL ADDED: 0 qts

ADDITIONAL INFO:
COMMENTS UNIT CLIENT all the below M1 5W20

25,204 20,302 14,432 total miles
4,902 5,860 4,252 universal
Al 2 3 2 3
Cr 1 1 1 1
Fe 16 18 12 10
Cu 43 54 37 21
Pb 1 3 1 3
Sn 2 0 1 1
Mo 91 76 91 70
Ni 0 0 0 0
Mn 0 0 0 1
Ag 0 0 0 0
Ti 0 0 0 0
Po 0 1 0 1
B 60 41 53 61
Si 8 9 8 9
Na 6 5 5 7
Ca 1897 2235 2337 2287
Mg 14 12 10 89
P 659 593 699 691
Zn 773 703 795 824

Vis @210 Flashpoint Fuel antif./water Insol
53-62 >355
54.0 375 <.05 0 0 0.2

 

[427Z06]

If Terry were here, I'd bet he mention the usual fuel dilution with these engines. Although, compared to the universal averages, things look nominal. Thanks for posting.

 

[Cicero]

427Z06, Thanks. I'm trying to decide if I should keep or move this Accord along before the warranty expires. When you say "Things look nominal" do you mean this is generally not a very good report/trend?

... "the usual fuel dilution with these engines"...I don't know what that is. Sorry, the fuel % should have been
I did add Lube Control to the fresh oil a few days ago.

 

[benjamming]

Honda engines typically run rich. If you look at Pablo's UOA within the past week or two on his Honda minivan, Terry chimed in a couple times to help out.
Nominal would mean between upper and lower limits. It's nothing to write home about. The lead looks good. The copper isn't wanting to trend down like I would expect.
I certainly wouldn't get rid of this car just b/c of this UOA. (Have you been changed the ATF yet assuming it's an automatic?) I posted an '02 Honda V6 UOA a few weeks ago. My numbers were worse than yours, but it sees quite a few short trips.

 

[Cicero]

Quote:

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Honda engines typically run rich. If you look at Pablo's UOA within the past week or two on his Honda minivan, Terry chimed in a couple times to help out.
Nominal would mean between upper and lower limits. It's nothing to write home about. The lead looks good. The copper isn't wanting to trend down like I would expect.
I certainly wouldn't get rid of this car just b/c of this UOA. (Have you been changed the ATF yet assuming it's an automatic?) I posted an '02 Honda V6 UOA a few weeks ago. My numbers were worse than yours, but it sees quite a few short trips.

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Opps. Have not changed the ATF! Been forgetting for months. (Bought the Honda ATF over a year ago!)

Thanks for the reminder.
My wife drives this car less then 4 miles to work the last year, since the last UOA. But this UOA looks similiar to the more highway commute miles UOA's before. Our small city makes short trips of 3-6 miles the norm. I started using LC.

 

[Cicero]

Something else I forgot to mention. I don't understand the Blackstone comment..."Your copper level is improving so at least some of it is due to wear-in." Is that the way everyone see's this? I'm lost. Seems to be almost flat.
When I worked it out as a per mile calculation the Cu level improved very, very slightly. Like 43 instead of 45. Maybe I'm calculating wrong. Maybe a Terry Dyson evaluation is needed next time?

 

[427Z06]

I believe the Cu, and all the wear metals for that matter, would improve if these engines didn't suffer from a fuel enrichment problems when cold. It's not like the engine is going to die an early death, more like it's not going to be setting legendary engine life records.

Terry suggested to someone else to try a Fram air filter (make sure it's sealed well). You might give that shot if you haven't replaced the air filter yet.

I concur with the ATF replacement.

Using Terry's services is always a good idea. Everyone's else recommendations are pretty much an amateur's best shot, including mine.

 

[Bluto]

Send in a sample of the ATF for analysis. My 01 Acura lost 1 tranny. I traded it before I had a chance to mail in a sample from the 2nd tranny. My UOAs were much better using AMSOIL vs. Mobil 1. I'll have to look for them.

 

[Cicero]

Thanks, Bluto, for the heads up on these tranny's. I've been wondering about the M1 in this engine myself. Might go back to 3K's and GTX. That's what I was using up to 10K. The first UOA showed better Cu numbers then what followed.

Went to find a Fram air filter at China-Mart. FRAM DOES NOT MAKE A FILTER FOR THE Accord V6 ('03-'04, etc).

Looked at a Purolator however and it looks like the paper element that Fram would use if they made it. Any suggestions what would be a "Fram" clone for the Terry Dyson filter trick? Maybe these V6's don't have the problem this is ment to corect?

 

[427Z06]

Quote:

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Went to find a Fram air filter at China-Mart. FRAM DOES NOT MAKE A FILTER FOR THE Accord V6 ('03-'04, etc).

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Sure they do. Part# CA9600

 

[Cicero]

Quote:

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Quote:

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Went to find a Fram air filter at China-Mart. FRAM DOES NOT MAKE A FILTER FOR THE Accord V6 ('03-'04, etc).

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Sure they do. Part# CA9600

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So they do.

Just looked it up on the Fram web site to make sure.

I SWEAR TO (it deletes His name) I'm telling the truth!!!! the book and computer at our Wal-Mart shows only the filter # for the 4 cyl. Nothing for a V6. (It's the Wal-Mart in Las Cruces, NM...you can call and ask over the phone if they show one on their computer look-up screen. Please call and confirm this if you don't believe me!!!) Then I went to PepBoys to get one and had the counter man look it up. He said they didn't list one either. BOTH of these guys showed me the screens! I swear this is true! I assumed Fram didn't make one for my car. I posted last night and when no one answered then or by the morning I searched BITOG, read up on Purolator and Napa Gold and decided to get a Napa. It doesn't say Wix on the box, but it was made in Korea. I ended up buying it early this morning. It doesn't look like the Honda OEM material at all. I hope it works like the Fram would have. It has that fuzzy paper look to it like a Fram. (I'm going to AutoZone and Checkers tomorrow to see if THEY carry the #CA9600.)

They said they didn't show a filter for my car....really.