I have a new 2005 Honda Accord LX and the oil level has been dropping. I noticed it dropped halfway between minimum and maximum at around 2,700 to 3,000 miles. I now only have 4,400 miles and I'm now at the minimum level. I can't believe it. Anyone heard anything bad about the 2005 models? I have a manual 4 cyclinder LX. One mechanic at the dealership was telling me that oil consumption is normal. I hardly believe it, especially on a brand new car. The first scheduled oil change is at 5k, but now I'm already on minimum, so I would be risking driving further. I don't know how many quarts of oil it takes or whether it's synthetic or regular. After the first oil change, what would be the best intervals for an oil change? I would appreciate advice!!!!

 

when u say you new im assuming you had fresh oil put in it at 0000miles...I was always told to change my oil every 3 to 4 thousand miles... so for you to be at minimum at about 4500 isnt that bad

 

...or you could just add in more oil instead of "risking" it.

That type of oil consumption is very normal if you drive a lot in the city and turn your car on/off frequently. I go through a quart every 1000 city miles and every 5 or 6000 highway miles. But I have 186k miles. If you're driving on the highway mostly, that's probably a little out of spec with what Honda likes for a new engine.

Your oil is special "break in" oil formulated by Honda. I don't know the characteristics of it at all. Some engines when they are new are a little loose and will "break in" over time. Between that and the special oil, it helps to explain it. After you get your next oil change at 5 or 6k miles (I would suggest with synthetic, but it's not a big deal on a car as new as yours) and drive it another 5 or 6k miles, you'll be able to tell a lot more. I personally use Castrol Syntec 5W-30 (10W-30 in summer) and change every 7-8k miles or when it starts to get very black and noticeably lose its viscosity.

 

I wanted to change my oil first at 3,000 miles, but the dealer told me that it had break-in oil and the first scheduled change was not until 5k. I'm only saying that the car has consumed enough oil that I would have to add some, but of course, I don't really know whether I can add regular oil or synthetic or whether I should let them take care of it. I'm headed straight to the dealer. The car, now that it is on minimum, wasn't going to make it to 5k unless I add oil. It was going to drop below the minimum. I hope you all are right about this being normal, but frankly, it's almost using more oil than my Toyota Camry at 300,000 miles

 

Did you read my post at all?

 

With the better quality of newer oils, I'd go with either the recommended interval of 5000-7500 (depending on driving conditions).

Personally I'm not keeping this car much after it's 5 ro 6 years old, so for me, I'd rather stretch the oil change to close to 8,000 miles. At minimum, I change it once every 6-8 months. My sister has a Toyota Corolla that hasn't had it's oil changed in almost 20,000 miles and it's still running fine.

 

I was told by my Honda rep that the break-in oil does burn a bit and you lose some to the seals and such soaking it up for the first time. It should stop after a change or two (stop or lessen to the point where you can;t even tell between changes).

 

It is normal. After a few oil changes and it still occurs, be concerned. By the way, the 4 cyl is about 4.5 quarts.

 

A good read from Audi:

"Even an efficiently running engine consumes oil or it would quickly wear out. All of the engine friction surfaces are cushioned by a thin film of oil. The upper piston ring (compression ring) for example, is lubricated by a thin film of oil deposited on the cylinder wall. This microscopic film is burned away during combustion. Although very little oil is consumed per stroke, over long distances small amounts can add up to whole quarts of oil. For this reason the oil level must be checked regularly.

The amount of oil an engine consumes depends on how the vehicle is driven. This is especially noticeable during the first 7500 miles when a new engine is being broken in and the internal components are seating.

Some factors affecting oil consumption are: the ambient temperature, engine size, quality and viscosity of the oil and the way the vehicle is driven.

When a vehicle is driven at highway speeds, unburned fuel, by-products of combustion, condensation and contaminants evaporate through the crankcase vent system and are consumed via normal combustion. A vehicle driven for short trips without fully warming up the engine or in cold weather may not appear to consume any oil because unburned fuel, by-products of combustion, condensation or other contaminants will mix with the oil and give the appearance that no oil is being consumed. In some cases, the added contaminants will even cause the oil level to rise significantly.

The best conditions under which to check the oil level are with a warm engine on a level surface. When checking the level with a warm engine, it is recommended that the engine sit for five to ten minutes with the ignition switched off. This allows the circulated oil to drain back into the oil pan for an accurate reading." - Audi S4 TSB on 'oil consumption'

 

Unless she's running amsoil and changed her filter twice, that's engine suicide. Toyotas have enough problems with oil sludging as it is.