After oil change on my 1999 Accord Your opinions are welcome

[mendione]

Today I sent my 1999 Accord LX, 4 doors, 4 cyl/2.3 engine with 49,857 miles on it. Ok, the car use AC Delco 10W40 semi - synthetic oil and, of course, a genuine Honda oil filter. The car took 5 quartz of oil:yes:.

When everything was done, I step in the car, turn the engine on, and drove out of the shop (a very clean mechanical shop one, by the way), not one mile driving it, and the Check Engine ambar light went on:dunno:, so I returned to the shop to explain to the technician what is happening. I turned the engine off, and then turn the engine on again and to my surprise, the Check Engine light was off and until now, few hours later the check engine light is still off:notworthy.

What do you guys think what happened? This light has never ever turn on, except when I place the ignition key in the start switch, and look all the panel lights first, and normally, once the engine is on, the check engine light is off.

Another question will be, what do you think about the oil that my car use? Do you think I should change brand, grade, nature of the oil or continuing using this oil? Please have in mind that the city where this car is operated is an extremely bumper to bumper traffic, all day, all hours:paranoid:, and also average mid day temperature is around 30 centigrades or 86 F:paranoid:.

I would like to thank you all in advanced for your time invested in advising and orienting me. Thank you guys:thmsup:

Mendione

[The Critic]

You don't need to use 10w-40.

5w-30 is fine.

[mpumas]

What caused the check engine light to come on is stored in the computer. Get a OBD reader and see what is stored. Then don't worry about it unless it comes back. After reading the code, erase it from the computer. Tolerances in Honda engines are tight and using heavier oil is rough on the engine. Go back to what is specified for your car but nothing higher then 10w-30.

[mendione]

Dea mpumas:
Thank you for your suggestions, and thank as well to The Critc. The check engine light has not come on since then. Apparently the engine is behaving incredible great, it has response, vigor, energy. The car is going to the shop on this next monday for timing belt kit change, and also I will going to take this opportunity to change the ATF, also will change the PS fluid and the coolant fluid.

mpumas, apparently this car of mine always use semi synthetic 10W40, from AC DELCO (the bottle is a red one with a blue sticker). Do you think that I should look for a semi synthetic 10W30? what will be the concecuences to downgrade from 10W40 to 10W30?.

Also, what are the spark plugs you guys recommend? As you can see, I am taking this oportunity on monday to excercise a major tune up to my 1999 accord 4 cyl 2.3 litre, 4 doors and 49800 miles. Air filter is brand new.

I have been reading here that the transmission on honda accord are very fragile and very delicated. What are the preventive maintenace procedures that you recommend for my accord?

Your professional inputs are more than welcome, highly valuave and I really thanks your time investing here answering my questions. Thank you all

Mendione

[mendione]

Dear mpumas:

Where I can find as you kindly stated "Go back to what is specified for your car but nothing higher then 10w-30." what is really specify for my car.

Please have in mind that my car is operated in a city that has an incredible and horroble traffic condition. I am talking here a city with bumper-tobumper traffic almost 24 hours 7 days a week. Yes incredible. But also, please add to this condition that an average mid day temperature could easily reach 86 ~90 F degrees, easily, plus the ambient air conditions are not so polutted but they are not as clean as probably in a windy city or in any first world countries cities.

Again, your inputs here are highly welcome. In advanced, thank you so much
Mendione

[The Critic]

The NGK #4363 (PZFR5F-11) double platinum spark plugs are the correct ones to use. Be ready to pay about $50 for a four pack, shipped.

There's no harm to using 5w-30 one day and 10w-40 another. OEMs do their validation testing on the recommended oil under operating conditions that are far worse than your's.

Honda transmissions from that generation aren't fragile, they're defective. Drain and refill the transmission several times and/or flush it through the lines with the ATF-Z1. With such low mileage on an older car, it sounds like it was used for many short trips. Condensation kills transmissions as condensation build-up in the fluid attacks the friction material.

[mendione]

Dear Critic:

Regarding the ATF, ATF-Z1 from honda is hard to find on this country. What about the same ATF not Z1 but with one that comply the same specs? is this ok?
Thnak you
Mendione

[The Critic]

Dear Critic:

Regarding the ATF, ATF-Z1 from honda is hard to find on this country. What about the same ATF not Z1 but with one that comply the same specs? is this ok?
Thnak you
Mendione

What country are you in?

That explains why you are using 10w-40, as heavier oils are quite common outside of North America.

[mendione]

The vehicle and myself are located in Caracas, Venezuela, South America. I am a little bit concern about the viscosity index of the oil that I am using. Do you think I should continue to use this 10w- 40?

Bringing here 5 quarts each 1865 miles is quite somehow cumbersome but also ridicusly expensive, so, unless using the 10w-30 is mandatory and not an option, then I will going to hit the road hard in order to try to find the 10W-30, but what about if I don't find it?

Can you please, talk to me more about the ATF?

Thank you so much for interesting in my oil case. Thank you

Mendione

[The Critic]

The vehicle and myself are located in Caracas, Venezuela, South America. I am a little bit concern about the viscosity index of the oil that I am using. Do you think I should continue to use this 10w- 40?

Bringing here 5 quarts each 1865 miles is quite somehow cumbersome but also ridicusly expensive, so, unless using the 10w-30 is mandatory and not an option, then I will going to hit the road hard in order to try to find the 10W-30, but what about if I don't find it?

Can you please, talk to me more about the ATF?

Thank you so much for interesting in my oil case. Thank you

Mendione

The 10w-40 won't damage anything, it just isn't necessary. If you can find 10w-30 easily, great. If not, don't worry about it, it isn't worth your time to go hunt for it.

If Honda ATF-Z1 isn't available, find one of the multi-vehicle ATFs. Pennzoil Multi-Vehicle, Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle, Amsoil Universal ATF, Schaeffer's 204SAT, do any of these ring a bell?

When you replace the timing belt, also replace the tensioner, all drive belts and the water pump.

[mendione]

Dear The Critic:

Humbly, just thank you very much for your professional advise. Thank you. I just hope that one day I can contribute to this community with knowledge and good advises as all of you do. May all the best wishes cometrue to you, thank you very much
Mendione

[The Critic]

Dear The Critic:

Humbly, just thank you very much for your professional advise. Thank you. I just hope that one day I can contribute to this community with knowledge and good advises as all of you do. May all the best wishes cometrue to you, thank you very much
Mendione

You're welcome, please keep us updated on how everything works out.

[benjamming]

What readily available engine oil & ATF options do you have? What is the maintenance history of the transmission - fluid, change intervals, etc.?

You could step up to Denso or NGK iridium plugs however, there is certainly nothing wrong with the plugs Critic posted.

Is it possible that it was the oil light that was illuminated? Oil pressure low after an oil change but after circulation and filling the filter it went off?

[mendione]

Dear Benjamming:
Thank you so much for taking your valuable time writting here and suggesting me what really have to do.

Ok, Regarding the options for engine oil & ATF, not much. I mean I can import all of them here to use it on my Accord, but I can feel this operation senseless unless there is no other choice. AC DELCO is a brand that we can find here with certain amount of easyness. Others are Castrol. Also Shell DEX RON 3 which is apparently the specs. I can do a survey on monday .

I have no idea of the maintenance history of the transmission. I assume that, since this transmission is behaving ok, I would say that factory schedule maintenance was excecuted, but more than this, unfortunately for me, I cannot say more.

My plan is that I will going to change the timming belt assy, including the tensioner, water pump, and the rest of the belts associates. Since the car will have this, I am planning to change the ATF fluid, the P.S. fluid, gasoline filter, spark plugs. The engine air filter will not be change this time because unexplainable, it is in pristine condition, like new.

No, It was the yellow "Check Engine" light. This is definitive. Oil light is red and it is just below the yellow "maintenace Requeried" light. In any case the "check Engine" yellow light hasn't been lighted since then. I would assume that since the technician opened the air filter canister as well, to check filter condition, and then close it up, somehow computer detected that or computer was waiting for some signal that didn't came on time, or computer wanted to be reset, and it was. Anyhow, the code is store in the computer as mpumas kindly stated above.

For sure I will keep all of you informed and posted. Thank you all. You're the best
Mendione

[The Critic]

AC DELCO is a brand that we can find here with certain amount of easyness.

Bingo!

I just remembered that the Saturn VUE (04-06 V6 model) uses a Honda 5-speed automatic. That transmission is filled with ATF-Z1.

AC Delco bottles the ATF-Z1 product under their product name as well. The part # is 22717466. Check with your sources and see if you are able to obtain it. That part # can be found under the Genuine GM, AC Delco or Saturn labels.