Basic Maint Questions

[BigRedNJ]

Hello all. I am the proud owner of 1999 Accord EX V6. I bought it new and have been only the owner. I change oil every 3k, and changed the atf at 15k and 40k - all using dino oil from service center. I put in a K&N air filter at 34K. I love this car and am looking to take best possible care to get the most out of it. Normal city/hwy driving, no racing. The car currently has 66K miles on it.

Here are my questions:
1) I want to switch over to syn for both engine oil and atf. Don't own jacks or ramps, so I'm doing the fills at service stations. Should I aim for (or avoid) any particular brands (quakerstate, mobile...etc)? Also, I read about some syn's not being true synthetic. How do I identify "true" synthetic?
3) I plan on sticking to 20K schedule for the atf. Sound good for my car?
2) Any concerns switching to syn after 64K miles? Is there a time where it's too late to swithc to syn? (increased chance of leaks, etc)
3) Aside from oil, atf, brakes, tires, I've really not done any other maintenance. What else should be done at this point? I'm planning on changing the cabin air filters soon.
4) how often should you clean the K&N? the mfg spec is 100K miles. I find that hard to beleive. Again, city/hwy driving, not all that dusty usually.
5) I'm thinking I should clean out the fuel injectors to gain a little "oomph" back from the engine. Can I just by an off the shelf product to pour in the tank? Any suggestions? Or, should I pay for a service centers special fuel injector cleaning process?
6) Are the platinum plugs REALLY good for 100K? Or, should I think about a tune up now? What parts are replaced in the tune up (plugs, rotor...etc)

Man turned out to be more questions that I originally thought!
Thanks guys & gals.

[Inspector1]

1. Welcome to the forum:wave:

2. Changing to synthetic oil (engine ok no big deal)
Recommend Honda ATF considering your trans is under warranty to 100k...... keep receipts on purchase or have dealer service.....20k service is fine.. some even go for less....
3. Change those cabin air filters.... Has brake fluid been changed(is it dirty if so then change)....wiper refills if they have not been done... Pcv valve would be another item to change....
4. K&N filter just check every 15k... It's dustier out there than most think.... Do they do any road construction around where you drive? see my point....
5. Seafoam or Chevron Techron are 2 good cleaners that I have used with no I'll effect... Having a shop clean is a waste of money in my opinion....
6. Plat plugs ? I just checked mine at 60k gap is fine, very slight amount of carbon (normal) cleaned up and reinstalled ... My 96 I4
Accord had 180k+ on original plugs and never missed a beat....
No cap or rotor or wires on V6... You should see coils on top of each plug..... fuel filter is only replaced if fuel pressure problem occurs.....

Spend some time going threw forums and read what others have done as far as Maint...... you will see that these cars are not like others... built to run with minimum maint and problems....
If you are a DIY person a Helms manual is a great investment .. check E-bay 1st or check this link......
http://www.helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp?r=

Hope this helps....
I1:)

[benjamming]

Welcome. :D


You are already on the right track to taking care of your car. You are visiting a great website along with cordclub where I posted a response that was similar to I1.

There are a couple other ATF fluids that are supposed to work with your Honda - AMSOIL & Neo. I haven't tried either one yet in my Honda. They are both more expensive than what you will probably pay at the dealer.

[BigRedNJ]

Thanks for the info. I'm a bit confused on the tune up part tho. Are you saying there's no distributor cap or rotor? I was thinking of replacing the plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor as part of a tune up. I'm noticing small leak around 2 of the plugs, so I figured I might as well change them all.
Would you suggest going to a dealer to get these parts, retailer (pep boys...etc) or order online?

I'm looking to get the helm manual, but hoping to find one on ebay before I pay $70 for one new...

[Inspector1]

Yes it has them..they didn't go to direct until 2000..
Then you will have cap,rotor,wires..not a bad time to replace while it's apart....if you choose...
I went over 180k on complete OE ignition components.. on an I4
To give you an idea of longevity of their parts..... Though I'm very picky about keeping a vehicle clean under the hood and treating wires and cleaning grunge of coils... I believe that makes electrical components last longer... clean parts release heat easier...

As far as parts... You can price OE on internet.. Call Tim @ HondaAcura world he frequents this site with specials and I have ordered from Him with no complaints!!
You can price aftermarket.. but remember you get what you pay for.. If you had a 2500.00 vehicle I can see keeping investment low.. But you have a vehicle that you have more invested in and you want it to last if not hold its value...
I worked in aftermarket parts business for 2 years...... The most warranty claims came from electrical and ignition components....
In the maint. & repair business for 15 years+and saw same trend..

Hope this helps and sorry about wrong steer....

I1:)