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YACT: Is this abnormal oil consumption for a new car?

The Sauce

The Sauce

Diamond Member
Tossing this one out there for the car gurus. Brand new Accord V6 6-speed with factory fill oil. Checked the oil around 1,000 miles and it was clean and completely full. Checked it yesterday at 1,600 miles and it was down about 2/3 Qt and it was significantly darker. The car has been totally pampered but I have started to open it up a bit more lately. Should this raise any concern?
 
nope... not neccessarily, did you give the car sufficient time to drain all the oil back into the pan on a flat surface?

Also, oil consumption does tend to be a bit higher during break-in.
 
Oh yah, it was several hours after shutting down. And if the break-in thing is true than how come there was no "burn-off" during the first 1,000 miles, during which the majority of break in should have occurred (presumably)?
 
Originally posted by: Quixfire
Anything less than a qt between service intervals is consider normal for most makes and models.
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Yup, that's why I'm worried...I'm nowhere near the first change interval andgetting close to 1 Qt low.
 
Originally posted by: Snatchface
Originally posted by: Quixfire
Anything less than a qt between service intervals is consider normal for most makes and models.
Click to expand...

Yup, that's why I'm worried...I'm nowhere near the first change interval andgetting close to 1 Qt low.
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If you are worried contact your dealer and request an oil consumption survey on your vehicle for abnormal oil use. This way the dealership documents the amount of oil the car uses between service intervals and can verify if the vehicle needs repair.

BTW: an engine using oil isn't necessarily a bad thing and most engines do this.
 
Honda uses some special burn-in oil and it is not uncommon to see some consumption during the first 2-3k miles. After I bought my '98 Integra, it was a quart low at 2k miles, when I had the oil changed for the 1st time. In the time since then, until I recently sold it at 76k miles, it never burned another drop.
 
Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
it costs how much for oil and you're bitching? 🙂
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You, sir, have completely missed the point. A more appropriate comment would have been "It costs how much for you to get a new engine and you're bitching?" My old Supra started consuming oil at the rate of about 1 qt every 2,000 miles for a year before it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket and it was all down hill after that (hence the new car). The cost of oil is negligible compared to the $28K i spent for the new car. That's what I'm wooried about FOO!
 
Originally posted by: Snatchface
Oh yah, it was several hours after shutting down. And if the break-in thing is true than how come there was no "burn-off" during the first 1,000 miles, during which the majority of break in should have occurred (presumably)?
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I would guess that when it came from the dealer it overfilled so you didn't notice that any oil burned off the first 1,000 miles.
 
:Q My car is 16 years old and doesn't consume or leak that much. I suppose it's within tolerable limits, but it seems odd for a new car. (especially the dark part)
 
New cars can do that. It should slow down after the break in period is over. My corolla way back when did the same thing. Stopped after a while, and didn't burn any ever again.
 
If it's getting dark and burned that much oil, get the oil changed.... Actually, I thought that for most cars, it was generally recommended every 3000 miles, but the first change should be at 2000 miles. (Jeep used to recommend oil changes every 5000 miles before Chrysler took over. It's always made me wonder why the 3000 seems so universal.)

btw, I've got you all beat for oil consumption... leaking oil pan in Florida, dealer (b*st*rd) had it for a week, with promises of "we'll have it ready in 2 days".... hadn't even put it on a lift in the course of the week. I drove it from Florida to New York.... 2 CASES of oil, but the car made it. Just follow the dotted line down the highway. That's 1 quart every 20 minutes. My mechanic finished the job within the promised time.
 
Yes that is normal. Change it at 2K, as someone else said, and DO NOT USE 5W20. Use 5W30 if you live in a very cold climate or 10W30 for more mild to warm climates. And if you plan on keeping the car for 60K or more, change your oil every 3K or 4-5K if you use Mobile1.
And don't use Fram oil filters, and you will be OK.
 
Originally posted by: DrPizza
If it's getting dark and burned that much oil, get the oil changed.... Actually, I thought that for most cars, it was generally recommended every 3000 miles, but the first change should be at 2000 miles. (Jeep used to recommend oil changes every 5000 miles before Chrysler took over. It's always made me wonder why the 3000 seems so universal.)

btw, I've got you all beat for oil consumption... leaking oil pan in Florida, dealer (b*st*rd) had it for a week, with promises of "we'll have it ready in 2 days".... hadn't even put it on a lift in the course of the week. I drove it from Florida to New York.... 2 CASES of oil, but the car made it. Just follow the dotted line down the highway. That's 1 quart every 20 minutes. My mechanic finished the job within the promised time.
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dude that's INSANE!! why did you do that?
 
btw, I've got you all beat for oil consumption... leaking oil pan in Florida, dealer (b*st*rd) had it for a week, with promises of "we'll have it ready in 2 days".... hadn't even put it on a lift in the course of the week. I drove it from Florida to New York.... 2 CASES of oil, but the car made it. Just follow the dotted line down the highway. That's 1 quart every 20 minutes. My mechanic finished the job within the promised time.
Click to expand...

this is a scary situation for those of us who ride motorcycles, A good freind on mine ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks after crashing because of a car leaking oil on the road, I myself have come close several times. Cars that burn a ton are even more dangerous for us, if you are close to one they leave an invisable mist of oil on the front tire of the bike- on a motorcycle you ride on the sidewall of your tire while turning and your bake calipers are exposed, this being said oil, gravel and other stuff is very dangerous on the road.. But we can see the gravel ;-)
 
Ahh, where to start..

Originally posted by: Snatchface
Tossing this one out there for the car gurus. Brand new Accord V6 6-speed with factory fill oil. Checked the oil around 1,000 miles and it was clean and completely full. Checked it yesterday at 1,600 miles and it was down about 2/3 Qt and it was significantly darker. The car has been totally pampered but I have started to open it up a bit more lately. Should this raise any concern?
Click to expand...

I don't think that you should leave the break-in oil in it for as long as you have, but .. I err on the cautious side. I don't think it should raise a concern, but I do think you should change your oil.
Originally posted by: KokomoGST
nope... not neccessarily, did you give the car sufficient time to drain all the oil back into the pan on a flat surface?

Also, oil consumption does tend to be a bit higher during break-in.
Click to expand...
Very true. If you didn't check the oil after waiting for 5-10 minutes, this could be the case. And yes, oil consumption is going to be a bit higher while everything seats.

Originally posted by: Vic
Honda uses some special burn-in oil and it is not uncommon to see some consumption during the first 2-3k miles. After I bought my '98 Integra, it was a quart low at 2k miles, when I had the oil changed for the 1st time. In the time since then, until I recently sold it at 76k miles, it never burned another drop.
Click to expand...
I have never heard of a "special break-in oil", and do not believe such a thing exists. If anything, a "special break-in oil" would contain no friction modifiers to promote fast break-in(therefor making it worse than "normal" oil).
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Yes that is normal. Change it at 2K, as someone else said, and DO NOT USE 5W20. Use 5W30 if you live in a very cold climate or 10W30 for more mild to warm climates. And if you plan on keeping the car for 60K or more, change your oil every 3K or 4-5K if you use Mobile1.
And don't use Fram oil filters, and you will be OK.
Click to expand...

If you really want to go all-out for your car, run an AMSOil bypass-filter system along with your synthetic of choice. If you're concerned about your engine being broken-in fully, change the oil and run a normal conventional oil for another ~1500 miles, then switch to your synthetic regimen.

At this point, it's kinda a guessing game as far as break-in goes. The best way to really know if your engine is broken in is to measure and document the compression of each cylinder when you take delivery of the car.

Then measure every ~250 miles or so. Make sure you measure when the car is warm if you started when it was warm. When the numbers level off and stop rising, your engine is now broken in.

This also gives you something to work with if you ever develop problems down the road.
 
Hey Eli, thanks fo r the response. I have explored the Honda break-in oil issue ad nauseum. Honda is adamant about having a break in oil and about you not changing it before the first scheduled change. So much so that they refuse to change it if you bring it in early. VOA's have shown up to 1,000 ppm of Moly in the factory fill oil for Hondas and Acuras. I am planning on dino until the third change (probably 8-10K) and then Amsoil from there on. I am going to top-off with Mobil1 until then.

As far as checking the compression thats a bit unfeasible for a non-mechanic. Cost prohibitive.
 
Originally posted by: Snatchface
Hey Eli, thanks fo r the response. I have explored the Honda break-in oil issue ad nauseum. Honda is adamant about having a break in oil and about you not changing it before the first scheduled change. So much so that they refuse to change it if you bring it in early. VOA's have shown up to 1,000 ppm of Moly in the factory fill oil for Hondas and Acuras. I am planning on dino until the third change (probably 8-10K) and then Amsoil from there on. I am going to top-off with Mobil1 until then.

As far as checking the compression thats a bit unfeasible for a non-mechanic. Cost prohibitive.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Do you have any links regarding the break-in oil subject? I wouldn't doubt that it's true.. It only makes sense, if Honda finds something beneficial..

So basically, from your research, it just has higher levels of "last-resort" additive metals? Any other major differences?
 
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: Snatchface
Hey Eli, thanks fo r the response. I have explored the Honda break-in oil issue ad nauseum. Honda is adamant about having a break in oil and about you not changing it before the first scheduled change. So much so that they refuse to change it if you bring it in early. VOA's have shown up to 1,000 ppm of Moly in the factory fill oil for Hondas and Acuras. I am planning on dino until the third change (probably 8-10K) and then Amsoil from there on. I am going to top-off with Mobil1 until then.

As far as checking the compression thats a bit unfeasible for a non-mechanic. Cost prohibitive.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Do you have any links regarding the break-in oil subject? I wouldn't doubt that it's true.. It only makes sense, if Honda finds something beneficial..

So basically, from your research, it just has higher levels of "last-resort" additive metals? Any other major differences?
Click to expand...

bob's forum has something about the moly in honda's break in oil.
 
Originally posted by: Snatchface
Oh yeah, there's a thread on the subject running on the front page now....let me see...linkified.
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Heh, interesting. Lots of opinions flying around.

BTW, this really pisses me off:

Ken I was a Tech. for 12 years and I currently work for a large automotive company as a tech. consultant. I can tell you that the UAW boys drive the pi$$ out of those cars getting them from the line to the parking area wateing to be shipped out via rail. You would think that you were watching a World Rally Championship!! That still does not change the fact that the first 20 minutes are the hardest. It amazes me that they do not all burn oil.
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Fsckers. If/when I buy a new car, I'm going to see if I can get it with 0 miles... lol

 
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