[solarisin]

Hello, new guy here. I've owned my 2011 Accord for about 2 years, and have never had a problem with it until now. It only has 42K miles on it, and would appreciate some possible insight/advice on what this issue could possibly be.

My accord was sitting since monday evening. Yesterday evening (wednesday) I go to start her up because we were heading to my brothers birthday party. When I cranked it, it did not start, but kind of stumbled for a moment, then nothing, just cranked with no fire. I cranked for about 5 seconds with nothing happening. Then, I floored the gas pedal while cranking, and after about 15 seconds It started up. At the same moment it started, a quite large cloud of what looked like blue smoke to me came out of the exhaust. It seemed like it was idling fine. I shut her back off since I saw the blue smoke and checked the oil, nothing was on the dip stick. The next time I tried to start, she fired right up.

I then drive down to autozone and get a quart of oil to put in, put it in and now the dip stick reads most of the way to the top dot, so it seemed to be about a quart low on oil. I also noticed then that when the car is sitting at a stop I can smell what seems to be gasoline, but possibly burning oil, coming through the vents into the passenger compartment.

I was completely blown away that such a new car with only 43K miles would have a problem like this. There was no CEL, no oil lamp, nothing the entire time.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Is this something the dealership would be able to check into under the standard powertrain warranty, even though there is no CEL?

Thanks for your opinions.

 

[RickBlaine]

Hello, new guy here. I've owned my 2011 Accord for about 2 years, and have never had a problem with it until now. It only has 42K miles on it, and would appreciate some possible insight/advice on what this issue could possibly be.

My accord was sitting since monday evening. Yesterday evening (wednesday) I go to start her up because we were heading to my brothers birthday party. When I cranked it, it did not start, but kind of stumbled for a moment, then nothing, just cranked with no fire. I cranked for about 5 seconds with nothing happening. Then, I floored the gas pedal while cranking, and after about 15 seconds It started up. At the same moment it started, a quite large cloud of what looked like blue smoke to me came out of the exhaust. It seemed like it was idling fine. I shut her back off since I saw the blue smoke and checked the oil, nothing was on the dip stick. The next time I tried to start, she fired right up.

I then drive down to autozone and get a quart of oil to put in, put it in and now the dip stick reads most of the way to the top dot, so it seemed to be about a quart low on oil. I also noticed then that when the car is sitting at a stop I can smell what seems to be gasoline, but possibly burning oil, coming through the vents into the passenger compartment.

I was completely blown away that such a new car with only 43K miles would have a problem like this. There was no CEL, no oil lamp, nothing the entire time.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Is this something the dealership would be able to check into under the standard powertrain warranty, even though there is no CEL?

Thanks for your opinions.

Welcome to Drive Accord. I am sorry but this will not be good....

Your car isn't new- as you stated. It is used. About 5 years used. You are the 2nd or 3rd owner. Based on your post, I am guessing you don't know the previous maintenance history. Based on your writings, I am guessing that you did not check the oil level regularly.

One quart of oil added will not make the dipstick go from "no oil" all the way to "full". Something is wrong- either with your oil level checking procedure or with what you are telling us.

I don't know what your warranty covers, but if you let the oil run low on an engine, it is only downhill thereafter. You may have permanently damaged parts.

If you have a 4 cylinder and it ran low on oil, you may have stretched the timing chain. These engines can go 500K miles without a rebuild- if you maintain it. If you don't maintain it, 42,000 miles is not out of scope for a failed engine.

If you check your oil dipstick and there is no oil on it- don't drive to buy oil. Walk, take the bus, get a ride, Amazon it....but don't drive.

Have you changed the air filter? Did you buy "no name" gas? Have you done ANY maintenance on her?

 

[cournot]

Hello, new guy here. I've owned my 2011 Accord for about 2 years, and have never had a problem with it until now. It only has 42K miles on it, and would appreciate some possible insight/advice on what this issue could possibly be.

My accord was sitting since monday evening. Yesterday evening (wednesday) I go to start her up because we were heading to my brothers birthday party. When I cranked it, it did not start, but kind of stumbled for a moment, then nothing, just cranked with no fire. I cranked for about 5 seconds with nothing happening. Then, I floored the gas pedal while cranking, and after about 15 seconds It started up. At the same moment it started, a quite large cloud of what looked like blue smoke to me came out of the exhaust. It seemed like it was idling fine. I shut her back off since I saw the blue smoke and checked the oil, nothing was on the dip stick. The next time I tried to start, she fired right up.

I then drive down to autozone and get a quart of oil to put in, put it in and now the dip stick reads most of the way to the top dot, so it seemed to be about a quart low on oil. I also noticed then that when the car is sitting at a stop I can smell what seems to be gasoline, but possibly burning oil, coming through the vents into the passenger compartment.

I was completely blown away that such a new car with only 43K miles would have a problem like this. There was no CEL, no oil lamp, nothing the entire time.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Is this something the dealership would be able to check into under the standard powertrain warranty, even though there is no CEL?

Thanks for your opinions.

Dealer--now. You're still under powertrain warranty and if you can show minimal evidence of maintenance you'll be covered.

 

[solarisin]

Welcome to Drive Accord. I am sorry but this will not be good....

Your car isn't new- as you stated. It is used. About 5 years used. You are the 2nd or 3rd owner. Based on your post, I am guessing you don't know the previous maintenance history. Based on your writings, I am guessing that you did not check the oil level regularly.

One quart of oil added will not make the dipstick go from "no oil" all the way to "full". Something is wrong- either with your oil level checking procedure or with what you are telling us.

I don't know what your warranty covers, but if you let the oil run low on an engine, it is only downhill thereafter. You may have permanently damaged parts.

If you have a 4 cylinder and it ran low on oil, you may have stretched the timing chain. These engines can go 500K miles without a rebuild- if you maintain it. If you don't maintain it, 42,000 miles is not out of scope for a failed engine.

If you check your oil dipstick and there is no oil on it- don't drive to buy oil. Walk, take the bus, get a ride, Amazon it....but don't drive.

Have you changed the air filter? Did you buy "no name" gas? Have you done ANY maintenance on her?

When i say "No Oil" there was oil on the dip-stick, just not at the fill level point. It wasn't bone dry. I do admit that I didn't wait ~10 minutes for the oil to drain back into the pan completely, it was more like 3 or 4 minutes. But from what I understand, typically if there is oil touching the bottom dot, it takes 1 quart to get to the top dot for most cars. Also, if the oil was low enough for the sump to not function, then wouldn't the oil pressure warning light warn me?

I take it to the dealership where I bought it (a subaru dealership) every 5-6k miles for an oil change. I did replace the air filter when I bought it, at about 29k miles. I typically get gas at shell, since its near to my house, and i do typically check the oil every other fill-up or so, but I had never seen it low until yesterday.

When I started it this morning (sitting since about 2AM) there was no hard-start, no smoke, nothing, everything seemed fine. There is still a smell of oil/gas but nothing as bad as yesterday.

 

[drowned12]

I would blame the fuel pump (/filter) or the injectors. Bottle of Redline SI-1 through a full tank can't hurt.

You're correct that the low dot to the full dot is 1 qt.

 

[mobiless2]

You should never "floor" the accelerator pedal on a fuel injected vehicle, while cranking. You probably flooded the catalytic converter with raw fuel, causing gas smell.

Have your battery tested for proper amperage & voltage.

Also never test the oil level after cranking the vehicle, as you crank, the oil pump is pumping the oil toward the top of engine. Giving you a false reading.

 

[greg1c]

I am not sure why you would say not to "floor" the accelerator pedal on a fuel injected engine? If the engine does not catch and there is a large amount of gasoline in the cylinders the way to clear that issue is to open the throttle above 80%.

During cranking of the engine you depress the throttle more than 80%, the ECM will enter what is called “clear flood mode”. In this mode the ECM commands a delivered Air/Fuel ratio to very lean (usually 20:1). The ECM will stay in clear flood mode as long as the throttle is 80% or higher and the RPMs are less than about 600. As soon as throttle position falls below the 80% threshold or RPMs go above 600, the ECM disables clear flood mode and calculates fuel delivery based on coolant temperature and other factors it normally uses.

 

[Miker]

I am not sure why you would say not to "floor" the accelerator pedal on a fuel injected engine? If the engine does not catch and there is a large amount of gasoline in the cylinders the way to clear that issue is to open the throttle above 80%.

During cranking of the engine you depress the throttle more than 80%, the ECM will enter what is called “clear flood mode”. In this mode the ECM commands a delivered Air/Fuel ratio to very lean (usually 20:1). The ECM will stay in clear flood mode as long as the throttle is 80% or higher and the RPMs are less than about 600. As soon as throttle position falls below the 80% threshold or RPMs go above 600, the ECM disables clear flood mode and calculates fuel delivery based on coolant temperature and other factors it normally uses.

You should never "floor" the accelerator pedal on a fuel injected vehicle, while cranking. You probably flooded the catalytic converter with raw fuel, causing gas smell.

I think both of you are talking about different procedures but both correct. I always remember when FI engines became ubiquitous, you were never to apply the gas while starting.

The clear flood mode procedure says to press and hold the gas pedal down before cranking the engine. This was how I remember it.

 

[greg1c]

The clear flood procedure is hold the throttle down WHILE cranking. Holding the throttle down when the engine is not spinning does nothing as the fuel injectors are shut off.

 

[Miker]

The clear flood procedure is hold the throttle down WHILE cranking. Holding the throttle down when the engine is not spinning does nothing as the fuel injectors are shut off.

That's correct. You want the injectors to be off and stay off so you can clear the flooded fuel out of the cylinders without adding any more in while starting. Just like you stated more than 80% on the pedal puts it in that mode.

Holding down the gas before cranking purposely shuts off the injectors so when you crank the engine they stay off until the scenario you stated takes over.

We're both saying the same thing I think.

Anyway I've always used clear flood mode using my steps: Hold pedal to floor, crank engine, wait to clear flooded gas, release and it worked.

Like in the halcyon days of carburetors and chokes.

 

[08EX-L]

Time to do an oil consumption test at your local Honda dealer... stop bringing your car to Subaru.

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/51-8th-generation/314962-oil-consumption-warranty-i4s.html

 

[greyhonda]

stop bringing your car to Subaru.

For oil changes? That's all he mentioned using Subaru for. No one would object if he took it to the corner mechanic, or if he did it himself. Subaru techs can change oil.

But agree on Honda for diagnostics like an oil consumption check.

 

[08EX-L]

For oil changes? That's all he mentioned using Subaru for. No one would object if he took it to the corner mechanic, or if he did it himself. Subaru techs can change oil.

But agree on Honda for diagnostics like an oil consumption check.

I only suggest having a history of oil changes at Honda would help his warranty claim better than a 3rd party. I'm sure hes not saving money by going to subaru.

 

[greyhonda]

At the risk of distracting from your advice to get an oil consumption test, which sounds like a good idea to me, allow me to reword my comparison:

I only suggest having a history of oil changes at Honda would help his warranty claim better than a 3rd party. I'm sure hes not saving money by going to subaru.

So people shouldn't change their own oil, so that they'll have a history of oil changes at Honda?

 

[JenerationX]

having a history of oil changes helps, but it really doesn't matter where they were done.

 

[RickBlaine]

I think the gist of what he was mentioning was that since the OP is NOT a Do It Yourself-er, it would be preferable to take it to Honda rather than Subaru.

As been stated here many times, as long as you (or anyone else) changes the oil and can show minimal proof of maintenance, you won't have issues with Honda's warranty.

It is things like this that make so many of us DIY-ers after a while. Gets you harmonic with the machine...

EDIT: I have a friend who is NOT a DIY-er. He takes his car to Jiffy Lubes around the country every 2,500 miles. I think that saves him because his 2001 Mercury Marquis land yacht with the plastic intake manifold (look it up!) burns oil and he can't be trusted to check his oil level nor add oil- so right when he is 1.5 quarts low, he gets an oil change and 5 new quarts added by the clowns at Jiffy Lube. When it blows up, he will be buying a 9th Gen Accord. Every month I am replacing a sensor or some other minor part on that POS. I pray to God that I can get back my Saturday mornings by him replacing that stupid car. I warned him not to buy it. Some widow in Florida sold it for peanuts- but it sat unused for 2.5 years. Low miles, but lack of use is a-buse!

Yes, I said plastic intake manifold. The designers should be deported. Beaten first, then deported.

 

[08EX-L]

At the risk of distracting from your advice to get an oil consumption test, which sounds like a good idea to me, allow me to reword my comparison:



So people shouldn't change their own oil, so that they'll have a history of oil changes at Honda?

If he said he was changing his own oil then I wouldn't have mentioned to bring it to Honda because he is not paying for the service. He can keep his receipts as proof of proper maintenance.

having a history of oil changes helps, but it really doesn't matter where they were done.

This is true, but if hes going to pay $50 at subaru he might as well pay $50 at Honda and have it logged in a manner they can easily retrieve via the Honda database (something that will also help re-sale value). When I went to trade my 8th gen Accord in for my 9th Gen each Honda dealer was able to see 7 years of maintenance just by pulling up my VIN.

I think the gist of what he was mentioning was that since the OP is NOT a Do It Yourself-er, it would be preferable to take it to Honda rather than Subaru.

As been stated here many times, as long as you (or anyone else) changes the oil and can show minimal proof of maintenance, you won't have issues with Honda's warranty.

It is things like this that make so many of us DIY-ers after a while. Gets you harmonic with the machine...

Yes, I said plastic intake manifold. The designers should be deported. Beaten first, then deported.

You got what I was trying to say exactly. :wink

 

[JenerationX]

True... it's easier to pull it up that way. You can also have service records transferred from dealer to dealer.

 

[greyhonda]

The beatings won't stop till the horse is thoroughly dead... :wink

If he said he was changing his own oil then I wouldn't have mentioned to bring it to Honda ...

Well, that was my point.

... because he is not paying for the service. [... big skip...]
This is true, but if hes going to pay $50 at subaru he might as well pay $50 at Honda

Unless Subaru's next door and Honda's an hour away. Or maybe the Subaru dealer, who sold him the car, sold him a plan to change his oil for a couple of years. Maybe the service adviser at Subaru is cute, or there's good beer next door. Bringing a Honda to Subaru is non-intuitive, so I assumed he has his reasons.

 

[solarisin]

I get free oil changes for life at the subaru dealership, since that's where I bought it, otherwise I would just do it myself like my other car. Debate on where you should get an oil change isn't why I created this thread.

I made this thread simply because I had an experience that I would almost expect from my 25 year old nissan, yet this was my 5 year old honda. Typically I do all of the work on my own cars myself. If my nissan had done this, and it was repeatable, I would be tearing down the fuel rail and replacing my injector o-rings, but since this is my Honda, I should probably let the dealer do this. The problem, to me, is that it is non-repeatable (yet). I have not had any issues since then.

As far as the oil smell goes, I now believe it was due to me dripping some of the oil down the front of the engine, and I was smelling it while it was burning off. Yesterday I used some de-greaser and cleaned it all off, and now there is no smell.

On the oil consumption: She actually was even a little overdue for an oil change, 6000 miles and low just about 1 quart of oil. I am going to monitor the oil consumption more closely now If I notice it disappearing, I will definitely get an oil consumption test done by the honda dealership.

Without being able to reproduce this hard-start problem I experienced, I'd imagine the dealership will just tell me that they can't do anything about it.