I have 3500 km on my car now and it's about 4 months old. Maintenance schedule tells me that I will need first oil change either 4 months or 8000 km.

http://www.acura.ca/AcuraEng/Owners/...doDisplay=3500

There is a notes at the end saying that I need to ...

"Notes: Use Genuine Honda 5W30 Motor Oil "

So if I bring it to a body shop and put in Castrol oil, is it good?

Am I too early for the oil change?

Thanks!

I'm soooooo excited to step on my car since I've been baby sitting her (at most 3500rpm) for 4 months hahahah

Edit: Btw, do you recommand me to go to Acura Dealer for my first oil change or go to a body shop so I can see and make sure they put non-sys oil in it? I've heard that someone on this forum got sys oil from Dealer by mistake

 

No you are not too early.

One of the ways to tell if you have a well constructed engine is to check to see how much metal debris there is in your first oil change. Granted that today’s manufacturing techniques are very precise and there is much less metal in the first oil change. I still feel that it is good practice and all of my new cars get at least 1 oil change well before 3000 miles.

Those metal shards can ware on the cylinder walls and reduce the compression in the cylinders. This is one of the biggest reasons some different cars of the same make and model vary in performance and fuel efficiency.

 

Your first 2 oil changes should be free from the dealer. Did your salesman not tell you about that?

 

I called the dealer up today and they said the first 2 oil change I should use Hondea Semi-Syn Oil? Anyone heard of that? He said it is good to run-in the engine

And he suggested me to wait until close to 6000 to do the oil change... Now I have to wait a little longer to feel the power of my TSX

Thanks,

 

My dealer changed my oil at 5000 miles (8000 km) for free. Yours should be free too. The dealer used Castrol, but I could have asked for a particular brand if I had thought of it beforehand. It would have cost me $30 if I asked for synthetic.

 

5000 miles is the most frequent interval, right? I'm just now at 5,500 and trying to decide if I want to change my oil now or wait. Over half of those miles are highway, due to one excessively long roadtrip.

 

What's up with these free oil changes? Is this something that you negotiated with your dealer or is it a standard Acura practice that you only get if you ask? I purchased my TSX from a dealer a little distance from where I live and I was planning to take it to the local dealer for any service. Frankly, free oil changes were never mentioned in my negotiation (I got a great price anyway) so is the local dealer going to laugh at me if I ask for a free oil change? Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

 

It's a standard Acura practice as far as I understand. I think it might even be stated somewhere in the owner's manual or service manual.

 

Yes, I have 2 free oil changes, I was just wondering should I go with the free one because they are using Honda's special semi-syn oil or should I go with a body shop and get those Castrol non-syn oil? hehe, sorry for the confusion.

 

IMO you should get the free oil change from Honda. They'll put in the proper oil (as recommended by manufacturer) and do it for free. How can you go wrong with that?

 

Elk-Grove Acura...Dealer

Just told me: what??????????? No free oil change with new cars.
You pay.

tight-wads!

 

1st 2 oil change are free... It is standard in Canada... not sure about US

 

Just called and found out that my dealer is using Patrol Canada (one of the lower grade)....

And I've also called a couple of dealers in Toronto and they are all using different brand, Shell, Castrol, QuakerStick (or something like that).

 

wow no free oil changes??!!
damn it that's like a honda service! lol

yeah it used to be 3 oil changes
but now since the first oc is at 8000km tha'ts why it's push
down to 2...