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Keep the 4G community posted, data like this is valuable and shows how oil protects against various wear items. I don't need to tell you that, I just want 4GSTFU-AWD to take note - he might learn a thing or two.
Any idea when you'll send off your next sample? What's your current mileage?
Anybody with notable oil consumption send off any oil samples to Black-Stone?
Thanks. I'm a slave to the MID which shows 40% now so I'm thinking sometime late spring early summer for my next change. My current mileage is 47k. My consumption appears to be within spec (about a quart every 3000 miles).
I have to stop u right there i guarantee u that ur vw burned oil i can bank on it lol.....
VW's engines are POS and they do say it's normal to burn 1 qt per 1000 miles...this is why i will never buy a Benz auddi vw bmw VW or any german Junks
My ride has been burning approx. 1/4 to 1/2 a quart per 1K miles. I tried castrol edge and pennzoil ultra 5w-20, no difference. I just recently did a change with Mobil One High Mileage 5w-30, and I did add lucas heavy duty stabilizer in with it, not the synthetic stuff.
Will report back after 1K miles which should be soon....
For those who have the issue, 1/4 quart per 1000 miles is towards the low side. One-half is towards the high side, excluding some outliers who have reported extreme consumption levels. Will be interested to see the results of your experiment.
To those who have dismissed the argument that shearing of 5w20 is a real thing, regardless of whether that's why are engines consume oil or not, I have one final volley.
My oil analyses show the following cSt Viscosity of 7.36 after adding 1.5 quarts between OCI and 7.97 after topping off with 2 quarts. Imagine what the measurement would be without any fresh oil to offset the viscosity.
Compared to other 5W20s which show cSt starting at least 8.2, it appears the oil is shearing. In fact, Pennzoil shows a cSt of 8.8 for Ultra Platinum and 8.2 for Platinum, Castrol shows 8.73 for Edge (which is currently oiling my car - save for the quart of Platinum that I've topped off with).
Is it significant shearing? I don't even know what that is. But it's at least measurable and I don't think it should be ignored.
I'm going to top off with heavier oil (probably 5W40) for the time being and see how it affects consumption. I'm still under warranty so I'll be using 5W20 every change until I'm outside of it.
After 1,030 miles since below change the oil level on the dipstick didn't move or was a unnoticeable change. This is good news, I will continue to check every 1K.
Interested to see how castrols European formula (0w-30) would do here. Here good things about it and understand BMW recommends it in their vehicles which seem to be oil consumers also.
Originally Posted by 6SpeedTL
My ride has been burning approx. 1/4 to 1/2 a quart per 1K miles. I tried castrol edge and pennzoil ultra 5w-20, no difference. I just recently did a change with Mobil One High Mileage 5w-30, and I did add lucas heavy duty stabilizer in with it, not the synthetic stuff.
Will report back after 1K miles which should be soon....
How does your car run with the 5w30? The oil is used in these cars to activate the VTEC cross-overs. Have you noticed any difference since using the heavier oil?
I haven't noticed any difference. Gas mileage may be a tad bit worse.
I'm wondering, is it possible that Acura chose the wrong oil for the 3.7 ? Curious as to what would happen if 5w-30 was used from the very beginning.
Also, has anyone thought abt taking these issue to social media? With recent VW scandal I think Acura may be quicker to fix said issue. In my opinion they are certainly aware of the issue but are refusing to fix.
Originally Posted by JM2010 SH-AWD
How does your car run with the 5w30? The oil is used in these cars to activate the VTEC cross-overs. Have you noticed any difference since using the heavier oil?
I used 5w30 Motul from the 2nd oil change (1st was free from dealer). I got better gas mileage than OEM oil. Other than that, everything else feels the same. I'm at 121k km right now, i burn 200ml or so every 5k km. Which is basically whatever's left over from a 5L jug of Motul during an oil change. So i pour in the extra halfway thru my oil change interval, which is around 10k km.
Sorry I haven't checking in earlier, but I have been using Castrol Edge 0w-40 for the past 10K miles. Oil consumption has leveled off at 1 QT per 4500 miles. To me, this is acceptable. I am tempted to experiment with Mobil 1 0W-40.
Gas mileage is no different than with 5W-20. Engine is quiet and smooth.
Anecdotally, I use a magnetic drain plug. With 5W-20 I would notice a very fine layer of gray material. A very small amount, but definitely there. With the Castrol 0w-40, there is absolutely not material on the drain plug.
After 2,830 miles the car burned approx. 0.5 quarts of oil, this will equate to approx. 1 qt per 5700 miles. Again, this is with mobil one high mileage, 5w-30.
Pretty sure i will switch to mobile one European formula on the next change. I'm fairly certain Acura recommends 5w-20 only for fuel consumption ratings and this engine actually requires a heavier weight.
Originally Posted by 6SpeedTL
Update:
After 1,030 miles since below change the oil level on the dipstick didn't move or was a unnoticeable change. This is good news, I will continue to check every 1K.
Interested to see how castrols European formula (0w-30) would do here. Here good things about it and understand BMW recommends it in their vehicles which seem to be oil consumers also.
Wanted to chime in here. I will post my data tonight as I have been tracking mileage and oil consumption since getting the new short block in my 2010 6MT AWD. Bottom line for me, and others have duly noted this as well in other threads, the J37A4 engine simply burns oil. I am not an SME on this engine. I only bought a car with this engine. The original short block consumed oil at a rate that I would consider abnormally high. The new short block also consumes oil. I have added 3/4 of a quart in just under 1,100 miles (1,088 miles). My conclusion, as others have indicated as well, is that there exists a design/engineering flaw/problem with the J37A4. It is what it is. I am not going back to Acura to address this again. I have a new short block. I am in control of how the new engine is maintained. I know what I am up against in choosing to remain in possession of this car and choosing not to pursue again with Acura. And I will keep the car for many years. It is a joy to drive. I thoroughly enjoy the driving experience the J37A4, mated to the 6MT and the SH-AWD system, provides. I am a staunch believer in changing oil every 3,000 miles. I will have to add a couple of quarts between oil changes.
You have a new short block, why not start using a slightly heavier oil to reduce consumption and possibly extend the life of the new block. Oil change every 3K is a bit much imo.
Originally Posted by HondaOwnerForLife
Wanted to chime in here. I will post my data tonight as I have been tracking mileage and oil consumption since getting the new short block in my 2010 6MT AWD. Bottom line for me, and others have duly noted this as well in other threads, the J37A4 engine simply burns oil. I am not an SME on this engine. I only bought a car with this engine. The original short block consumed oil at a rate that I would consider abnormally high. The new short block also consumes oil. I have added 3/4 of a quart in just under 1,100 miles (1,088 miles). My conclusion, as others have indicated as well, is that there exists a design/engineering flaw/problem with the J37A4. It is what it is. I am not going back to Acura to address this again. I have a new short block. I am in control of how the new engine is maintained. I know what I am up against in choosing to remain in possession of this car and choosing not to pursue again with Acura. And I will keep the car for many years. It is a joy to drive. I thoroughly enjoy the driving experience the J37A4, mated to the 6MT and the SH-AWD system, provides. I am a staunch believer in changing oil every 3,000 miles. I will have to add a couple of quarts between oil changes.
After 2,830 miles the car burned approx. 0.5 quarts of oil, this will equate to approx. 1 qt per 5700 miles. Again, this is with mobil one high mileage, 5w-30.
Pretty sure i will switch to mobile one European formula on the next change. I'm fairly certain Acura recommends 5w-20 only for fuel consumption ratings and this engine actually requires a heavier weight.
Thanks and looking forward to future updates. But some have noticed non-linear usage -- that is, consumption increases the more miles you accumulate after a fresh oil change.
Still using Castrol Edge 0W-40 for 5K mile intervals. Oil consumption has continued to be stable at 1 qt. per 4500 miles. Been using it for 15k miles. For the next change I will be using Mobil 1 0W-40 for the next oil change.
As others have noted, I find 0 oil consumption for the first 1K miles. I am assuming this is due to this engines propensity for shearing oil. Perhaps the Mobil 1 is more stable to shear. Only time will tell.
Over the past 15K, the car has started easily even at -9f we saw last winter. Engine is quiet and smooth. Gas mileage is stable, same as with 5W-20. At least not that the computer can tell.
As I stated earlier, no fine gray paste on the magnetic drain plug unlike the 5W-20. I have no idea if this is significant.
So is 0W-40 the suggested weight? I believe the fact that I changed the oil every 3,000 miles helped my case with Acura. I have always changed the oil in my Hondas every 3K. The engines in these cars have always served me very well. It is just that the best Honda engine I have ever driven consumes oil. Would like to experiment with a heavier oil. I'm no expert in the field. Have always used what Honda recommends.
Spoke with my independent Honda/Acura only mechanic this morning while he was working on the 2007 Civic. He suggested as the first option 5W-30. I am considering Mobile One 5W-30 High Mileage. Being the engine oil dunce that I am, and given the volume of informed TL owners here, opinions on Mobile One 5W-30 High Mileage?
As many of us who own a 4G TL (also RL, MDX, ZDX and some Honda's) there is a known issue with the J37A engine that causes excessive oil consumption. Everyone is frustrated with this issue and ACURA (American Honda Motor Co. (AHM)), is failing to acknowledge there is an issue. Many customers are getting no where because many dealerships aren't aware because no TSB has been issued. Others are able to get to the next step which is an Oil Consumption Test (I suggest everyone demand that their dealership put them on one)! Depending on the results and the dealership pushing ACURA (AHM) you maybe lucky enough to get to the next stage, having the small blocked replaced. I was one of the lucky ones or so I thought until my "new" (2nd) engine continued consuming excessive oil.
Well I had enough of Acura (AHM) denying there is a defect, after my 3rd Oil consumption test and now on my 3rd "new" engine. I have been fighting ACURA (AHM) since May demanding they fix my TL or repurchase/replace my car. October 23, Acura (AHM) finally responded to me with the most inadequate and disappointing response.
I am paraphrasing from Acura's letters (which I've included); "While we do not feel that an unreasonable number of attempts or time out of service have been incurred to correct a substantial defect with your vehicle, we do agree that you have been inconvenienced and we would like to regain your faith in our product. AHM has agreed to provide you with a onetime cash settlement offer of $3,000 and a 5 year/120,000 Vehicle Service Contract (which I've previously purchased from my dealership when I purchased the car) in good faith and in the interest of customer satisfaction".
They then attached a 2nd page "Release Form". Again I'm paraphrasing "Consumer agrees to accept this amount in full settlement and compromise of any and all claims ... this release is not an admission of fault. This Release may be pleased as a full and complete defense to, and may be used as the basis for an injunction against any action, suit or other proceeding which may be instituted prosecuted or attempted in breach of this Release".
I love how they want a full release from any action or suit if I agree to the cash settlement, yet they acknowledge "a substantial defect with your vehicle".
Is there anyone else out there who has been offered a settlement by Acura?
Also, I am very interested in not only pursuing a personal lawsuit against Acura (AHM), but also would like to see how many other people would join a class action lawsuit against Acura. I have reached out to the attorney's who filed and won a similar class action against Honda for excessive oil.
This is a standard release and frankly the terms sound pretty decent. You are only waiving your rights as to engine claims to date, but you are getting 3K and an additional warranty period. I doubt you'll do much, if any, better in a lawsuit, class action or otherwise.
Problem is I bought the VSC when I purchased the car. So basically it's just the cash. I have an interview the the BBB Autoline arbitration group tomorrow. I'll keep the progress posted.
Mobile One 5w-30 High Mileage is what I'm currently running, no issue.
High Mileage is more of a marketing term, it can be used in a car with low miles. If anything its an added benefit as it has additional protection capabilities.
Originally Posted by HondaOwnerForLife
Spoke with my independent Honda/Acura only mechanic this morning while he was working on the 2007 Civic. He suggested as the first option 5W-30. I am considering Mobile One 5W-30 High Mileage. Being the engine oil dunce that I am, and given the volume of informed TL owners here, opinions on Mobile One 5W-30 High Mileage?
Nikasil liners may be pitting causing the shearing like it did many years before.
I'd suggest 5W-40 rather than 0W-40 if temps are above 30F. With 0W, you'll be a little more prone to consumption when the oil is cold but if it's cold out, you need it to flow to protect the engine.
Can any 3.7L owners perform a leakdown and/or compression test?
Nikasil liners may be pitting causing the shearing like it did many years before.
I'd suggest 5W-40 rather than 0W-40 if temps are above 30F. With 0W, you'll be a little more prone to consumption when the oil is cold but if it's cold out, you need it to flow to protect the engine.
Can any 3.7L owners perform a leakdown and/or compression test?
whats the viscosity for Honda/Acura brand Synthetic oil ... interestingly the parts department folks don't have any clue about this rather they keep stating its Honda/Acura oil.
Has any one tried Eneos 5w20?
As many of you stated what oil we use is an issue, i also think when we measure oil level is another factor. I have seen various reading after a 20-25 min drive on highway vs 20-25 min drive on city stop and go traffic.
I'm going with 5W-30 at the next oil change. With 1,484 miles on the new short block, I've added 3/4 of a QT. I check it every two weeks and top it off if not at the full line. The good news is that at the last check I did not have to add oil. Right at the full mark like I left it 463 miles ago. A good sign, yet I can't explain it.
A spirited drive home tonight reminded me why I sought this car......damn...
Oil consumption with the 3.7 L - No matter which oil you are going to use it won't fix the piston rings, consumption will get worse the more miles you put on the car.
Oil consumption with the 3.7 L - No matter which oil you are going to use it won't fix the piston rings, consumption will get worse the more miles you put on the car.
I understand, but what I am not clear on is why? What's the piston/cylinder root cause in the J37A4 that causes the blow by? Is it one or the other or both? Maybe it's been explained and I'm just slow. It happens to me.
I've not seen a credible, technical explanation; lots of speculation, but nothing authoritative. Confounding it is the fact that some have oil consumption, some have none, and a few have truly serious consumption issues. I'd love to know exactly why.
03-30-2015, 08:18 AM
