Startup Oil Pressure Delay

[Einstein]

On cold mornings the oil pressure light stays on for up to 5 seconds. At the same time the light goes out I can hear the engine (valves?) stop clattering.

My last oil change was to Valvoline MaxLife 5W30 and a Fram X-tra-Gard oil filter. My 88 LXi has 142,000 miles and burns no oil at all.

I was wondering if anyone else has had this seemingly long delay. Was there anything that shortened the delay, for instance 0W30 synthetic oil and/or a different oil filter?

Does anyone know the proper Mobil1 oil filter # for the 3G Accord? Is there an oversized filter option?

Thanks... Paul

[ACCORD EX]

i use mobile 1 with genuine filter !

MIKE

[Einstein]

Well I went out and bought Mobil1 0W30, but could not find a parts store that sells Mobil1 filters. The highest quality I could find was a PURE ONE filter, with silicone anti-drainback valve and larger capacity than most. $5.99, not bad.

I'll let you know how cold starts go with this setup.

One thing I found out, though... the previous owner killed the oil pan threads and replaced the bolt with the wrong kind. This time around I had to use liquid gasket "hondabond" to keep it from leaking. Bad news- next oil change I will likely need a new oil pan Good news- it will probably be a year and a half until then... since this is my beater (sorry, back-up) car, and I'm using a premium oil filter and synthetic oil.

[shepherd79]

i used to use Bosch filters, but i am using STP right now. i don't see anydiff.
the other thing is that you should use 10w-40 oil and not any other thinner oils like 5w-30 or even 0w30. they are way too thin for our engines.
i always use 10w-40 or thicker.
try using syntetic oil. it doesn't draid to the oil pan as fast so it will stay on engines parts when you start the engine.

[dosh8er]

i disagree with using or evening mentioning 0w30 oil!!!! that shit is like vegetable oil... seriously.. I WOULD NOT run that.. i repeat.. WOULD NOT run that in any 3g unless it had a motor from another year (like 2000-02)... Honda started to recommend a 5w20 in their newer (2000-02) vehicles. supposedly it improves gas milage (insert jerking motion here)... that may be fine for newer honda engines with smaller tolerances.

BUT.. we have 3g's... which don't have those tighter tolerances... If you're anal specific.. use what the manufacturer originally suggested.. 5w30 in winter... 10w30 in summer... (or just 10w30).

From what everybody says about synthetics it seems they work pertty well for that initial startup and like sheperd79 said, it doesn't drain the pan as fast (personally I don't think that to be true, but that's what the oil guys say too...have you watched the stuff come out of the bottle?!?)

The whole reason for this problem is the fact that the oil has been sitting in the engine and pan for all night.. in the cold... and now it's gotta move quickly. But the pump and oil recirculation system doesn't work as quickly as we'd like, and that distance from the bottom of engine to the top is, just that, a distance. So, yes, i'd say nearly 99% of all our 3g's do that to some degree or another. (except all those bastards living in southern cali and other warm parts of the world :smokin: )

I wouldn't get your panties in a knot over this... it's common, with many cars. you could probaby resolve it by adding a block heater if you really wanted to.. but that would be a waste of money and time in my opinion.

[Einstein]

My car is mostly a winter car. The owner's manual says use 5W30 for winter driving. At the time the owner's manual was published, 0W30 wasn't available.

Using synthetic with a good boundary lubrication additive (like super syn) is the best thing for keeping the parts coated for startup.

However, the higher the first number before the W, the longer it will take for oil to begin circulation. Since my car will sit for days without being driven, I'm mostly concerned about having the best possible anti-drainback valve and the thinnest possible cold start viscosity.

From what I've read about Mobil1 synthetic 0W has the same cold hydrodynamic shear strength as 5W, so there no worry that the oil does not provide the proper protection. Then once things are warmed up, you have the same 30 weight oil as you would with any xW30 product.

I appreciate the comments, but just wanted to hear how others have improved the time delay at startup conditions.

[Einstein]

This morning there was no delay at startup, then again it was only 37°F. But the car sure idled smoother (first time synthetic in this car)

[87accordlx]

i was watching one of those mechanic shows on TNN a couple years ago and they installed this little steel canister on a car that holds oil under pressure and when u flick a switch it opens up and pressurises the system than you would start your car with oil already in the engine, it wasn't too expensive either, under 200 bux i think.

[AccordEpicenter]

When the engine oil pressure light stays on for a few seconds in the morning its usually due to a crappy oil filter. Ive used a bunch of filters, stay with the genuine honda one, the drainback valve doesnt go bad. By the way, that noise you hear is the rods making a little noise, the honda mechanics say it doesnt hurt the car if it does that once in a while when you start it up, it does hurt the car if the oil pressure doesnt come up after a few seconds tho. In 10 degree weather my LXi's oil pressure comes right up (no noise) and im using regular 10w-30 with a honda filter.

[mike_fx_u]

i just put a new engine in my car 5,000 miles ago $1600. i had a bunch of genuine honda filters which i used. i notice when i started the car up the oil light was on longer than i would like. i knew something was F-ed up because everything was new including the oil pump. so i got some mobil1 synthetic, after the 1000 mile break in, and a pure one oil filter. now when i start the oil light only blinks on shorlty (less than a second). this pisses me off highly because iam wondering how much damage those cheap ass honda oil filters did to my new engine. i guess the anti-drainback valve was not functioning correctly. so all i can say is dont trust honda oil filters. pure one oil filters use a silicone seal and anti-drainback valve so they will hold up longer and better then the natural rubber on the POS honda filters.

just my 2cents
Mike

[Einstein]

Mike,

I have to agree with you. The pure one filter is working great, I never have that noise and delay anymore. Maybe part of it was the switch to 0W30, but mostly I believe it was the good drain-back check valve on the pure one filter.

Paul

Originally posted by mike_fx_u
i just put a new engine in my car 5,000 miles ago $1600. i had a bunch of genuine honda filters which i used. i notice when i started the car up the oil light was on longer than i would like. i knew something was F-ed up because everything was new including the oil pump. so i got some mobil1 synthetic, after the 1000 mile break in, and a pure one oil filter. now when i start the oil light only blinks on shorlty (less than a second). this pisses me off highly because iam wondering how much damage those cheap ass honda oil filters did to my new engine. i guess the anti-drainback valve was not functioning correctly. so all i can say is dont trust honda oil filters. pure one oil filters use a silicone seal and anti-drainback valve so they will hold up longer and better then the natural rubber on the POS honda filters.

just my 2cents
Mike