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5000 km with my preowned 2006 Honda Accord V6: How its going so far

The, albeit 18-year-old, naturally aspirated V6 performs like a dream, with instant power whenever I need it for those tight overtakes.

BHPian ImportedLlama recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

The Accord turned 18 this year and still runs like a charm. I used to limit driving to night rides or the weekends/day trips since it’s such a fuel guzzler and is also difficult to manage in traffic. Now, with college starting and the only options for transport being the metro, which would take about an hour and a half, or an auto, which is unreliable, I figured I’d take the car and see how it performs. Since I take 80 Feet Road, there usually isn’t much traffic, and it’s not a stressful drive. By car, it takes about 40 minutes to get to my college. It has been about a year and change since I bought this car, and I’d like to highlight some things that have come up.

The, albeit 18-year-old, naturally aspirated V6 performs like a dream, with instant power whenever I need it for those tight overtakes. The transmission is still a little finicky, but I manually slot into first gear whenever I need to. A problem I’ve been facing is the slight sound of an exhaust leak. Since my exhaust system is very jugaad, it doesn’t completely seal. This leads to a very annoying hissing sound when the valves are closed. You can’t hear it if you turn up the music, but it still annoys me a lot. I addressed this when I gave it to get serviced. After they had finished their job, I asked them to leave it on the lift so that I could come and do some work on the exhaust system. Since I was appointed a different service advisor this time, he was unwilling to allow me to do so, but I asked a supervisor who happened to be my initial service advisor, and she gave him the go-ahead and said I am a “mechanical guy” and that I know what I’m doing. That felt pretty nice.

With the car on the lift, I got to work unbolting the exhaust valve. I borrowed some tools that the workshop had to do this. I applied a generous layer of Permatex exhaust sealant that can withstand temperatures of up to 1000 degrees Celsius all over any connection points and also a layer around the edges of the butterfly valve. After aligning everything properly, I allowed it to cure for half an hour while I dealt with the service bill.

Coming to the service bill: I had ensured to only get what was necessary, as dealerships charge money for basic checks that can be done at home. For example, it costs about 400 rupees just for them to check all the fluids in the vehicle, which is atrocious. I opted out of that. I also opted out of a couple of other things which I am unable to remember. I know that there was a 900 rupee add-on to have the engine bay cleaned, which I also removed. Overall, I brought the bill down from 14,000 to 8,000. This includes air filter cleaning, running diagnostics, filling up the wiper fluid, an oil change, an oil filter, and all the labor charges. A little pricey, but servicing is required.

I had asked what grade of oil they would put, and I’m glad I did. He said 0W20, and I knew for a fact that my car takes 0W30. I asked him to double-check with the mechanics since this was a V6 and would require a more viscous oil, and he did. The mechanic told him the Accord used 0W30, and he promptly changed the oil grade. This concerns me, as someone who may not know too much about their car may get stuck with the wrong oil. If I hadn’t asked, my car would’ve been running 0W20. From now on, I’ll always ensure to double-check with everything being done to my car.

Talking about oil: I have been informed by the service center that a plethora of slow and small oil leaks have shown up. Although I don't know if these are new or have always been there and are being talked about now, they have indicated that a lot of the gaskets need replacing, which I would understand on a high-mileage car like mine. The cost to do so, however, is quite high. I was researching some oil additives that can help regenerate seals, but some people have shown that it causes the oil to sludge, and even if it isn’t true, I am not taking any chances.

If these oil leaks weren’t there before and started recently, the only culprit I can assume is 0W20 oil being put in before, which is less viscous and can cause leaks. I am unsure, however, if this is the case, so as of now, I will monitor the oil levels closely. When it comes time for the next oil change, I will switch to high-mileage oil, which is designed with more cleaners and additives that can help with older or leaking cars.

I had planned on wrapping the cutout section with exhaust wrap and the area near the catalytic converter, but upon noticing the rust, I decided against it. Exhaust wrap can hold water, which would accelerate the rust and possibly disintegrate the pipe. Regardless of that, I applied the exhaust sealant, and it worked like a charm. The idle sound with the valve closed is much quieter, and even while accelerating, it has become noticeably less irritating. So I would say my DIY exhaust fix was a success.

Apart from that, having a straight-piped V6 is a blast. It always turns heads when I enter college, and I get bonus points when I show it to my friends. The fuel cost is being split by three people, so it comes to around 170 per person, which is not bad considering around the same or more would go while dealing with metros and autos. Driving to college is also not that painful, and I actually enjoy it now, especially when I go through the Turahalli forest section on the way home. Even on the way home from the service center, a nice biker on a Royal Enfield Himalayan asked me to come closer to him as we were driving, upon doing so he gestured that my car was really nice, and that put the biggest smile on my face. I thanked him and we went our own ways. (I love enthusiasts)

I never thought I’d use this car as a daily driver, given how much fuel it consumes and how big it is, but I’m very, very happy to put more miles on this beautiful machine. Cars are made to be driven, and Toothless had enough of being a garage princess. I am always taken by surprise by how well this car handles. It is simply unbelievable that a car can stay this planted and stable with stock suspension. I was returning home from a friend’s place one night around 3 a.m., and I decided to have some fun. I was swerving and turning through the empty roads like it was nothing. A fresh service has the car running extra smooth and nimble. Throttle response also feels better. It effortlessly climbs to triple-digit speeds while singing the sweet symphony of a perfectly balanced motor. Stock braking is phenomenal and does a fantastic job even in the tightest of situations.

I absolutely adore this car, and I 100 percent recommend buying this generation of Accord if anyone is looking for a new car.

That about sums up the 5k review. Please let me know if you have any questions or advice about the stuff I mentioned above. Thank you for reading.

Drop a gear and disappear.

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