Is your older Honda Accord burning oil like crazy? My 2009 Accord EX-L was. At around 96,000 miles, I noticed that its 2.4L i-VTEC engine was eating a quart of oil every week. I checked to see if my car had a leak underneath, but it didn’t. I feared for the worst, as excessive oil consumption is no small issue.
After researching online, it seemed like my car might have bad piston rings. This would explain the oil consumption issue, so I figured that was probably the problem. However, some sources suggested replacing the PCV valve and trying some cleaning solutions first. So, I got to work.
Let's start with the valve. I’m not a mechanic, so I’d never heard of a PCV valve before. Regardless, I watched some tutorials and got to work. All I needed for the swap was a pair of pliers and a 17mm socket. I found the valve above the alternator, which was a relief as it meant I did not have to take anything apart.
I had managed to find a new valve for about $15 at my local auto parts store. I removed the clamp holding the hose to the valve (with the aforementioned pliers) and unscrewed said valve with my socket wrench. Here’s what it looked like when I got it removed:
Installing the new valve was extremely easy. It was the same process in reverse. I took the car to a mechanic to get it checked out, and they told me that the engine compression was immaculate. This meant that the rings were good, so I was hopeful.
Even so, there was still one more thing to try: Marvel Mystery Oil. You just dump it in like any other motor oil, and it essentially cleans out your engine. Various people on the Honda Accord forums were suggesting it, so I picked a quart up for around $10 at AutoZone.
Over the next few weeks, I drove nearly 1000 miles. At 700, the dipstick indicated that my oil level was perfect. At long last, it seemed that my issue had gone away or at least improved to acceptable levels. Previously, I would have lost a quart by the 700-mile mark. I had finally found the solution, at least for now!
If your Accord is burning oil, I can’t say that this combination will fix it, but it’s worth a try. I was really worried that I’d have to go through the tedious task of buying a new car, but I guess I lucked out this time. Thanks for reading.