tdottsx

i know this has been asked a few times before but i cant find the answer. I am going to do an oil change but im not doin synthetic. What is the best oil to use? thanks.

curls

I'd suggest a good synthetic, regardless. You can get jugs of Pennzoil Platinum, or Castrol Syntec, for well under $30 (often for about $20) in Canada. Check Walmart and Canadian Tire. Especially with Pennzoil Platinum, that oil is SO much better than most synthetics costing 2x as much, and is hands-down better than probably every dino oil available. What's $10 for piece of mind in protecting your $7000+ engine?

tdottsx

yea but i dont want to use synthetic. I talked to my dealership and they even told me not to waste my money on synthetic especially with a 4 cylinder.

Itchytoe

Number of cylinders has absolutely nothing to do with the benefits of synthetic motor oil. Your dealership is giving you bad information and you shouldn't consult them anymore.

JimHolloman

Then, use the oil they recommend.

I have read reports of dealers using the wrong weight of oil for the TSX -- so verify that they are using the correct weight as recommended by Acura. When I asked my dealer what weight of oil they use for the TSX, I was given the wrong answer. When I pointed it out, they said that they always go by what is on the filler cap --- yeah, I bet! Those jokers didn't even know where to place stick-on weights on a wheel.

tdottsx

what the guy was tryin to say is that i will not feel the real difference in performance, and my car is a lease so i may give it back, if i do, i dont want to be putting extra money into it by using synthetic oil.

back to the question. what oil should i use?

JimHolloman

Well, that (a lease) makes a difference. The dealer is absolutely correct. Why should you care if the engine is good for extra miles. There will be no noticeable difference in performance or mileage. Synthetic motor oil reduces friction enough to reduce wear and provide extra life to an engine, it reduces sludge and keeps an engine cleaner, but the difference in performance and mileage is generally not noticeable -- with one clear exception. A primary reason to use synthetic motor oil is ambient temperature. If you are in a very cold climate that often gets below zero degrees C, then synthetic motor oil will help cold starts. It does not get as thick as petroleum oil. That, IMO, is the only reason you ought to consider using synthetic motor oil.

back to the answer -- the oil that is recommended by the dealer, and normally used by the dealer. I presume that you are referring to an Acura dealer. The dealer cannot blame the oil for anything if it is what they recommend and normally use. But, if the car is sluggish, and does not want to start in the Winter, then consider synthetic and change it no often than recommend by the owner's manual for the '04-'05 models -- if I recall correctly, every 10,000 miles -- unless you make many short trips -- then every 5,000 miles because condensation becomes a major factor in degrading the oil.

nj2pa2nc

I use regular oil on my 06 tsx with 73,000+miles now.

curls

If you want a recommendation, then read the f'n manual. It's in there. Or read your oil cap, and you'll see that it says 5w-30, probably SL-rated oil.

S power

Synthetic FTW!! I used work on engines back in the days and I have friends that run synthetic oil ever since they bought the car, my own car as well. Upon opening up the engine, the rods, cams , and everything that was no frictional were spanking clean. There were some newer cars that had lower mileage running of regular dino had a lot of build up brown films. While those build-up may not affect those parts generally, I would say the most important is through the holes where oil passes through to get to where it is needed , may clog or become constricted due to build ups.

I would spend the extra 10 bucks on synthetic for a cleaner running engine if your anal. Its only once every 5-8k mile.
BTW TSX is timing chain, which is another vital part for lubrication.

madrussian190

I have an '06 TSX, and will the dealership use synthetic oil by default ? or do i have to make a special request ?

and any special fuel mixes i should use to clean out the gunk buildup from oil ?

JimHolloman

An Acura dealer will not use Synthetic oil since it is not required and generally cost 2-3 times as much as regular oil.

If you wish to use Synthetic, I would advise buying a plastic shoebox and 5 qts. of oil. Put four of the oil bottles in the shoebox and instruct the maintenance department, in writing with a sheet placed in a sheet protector (use large font) and placed under the windshield wiper, to use your oil and only your oil -- and to return the empty bottles -- that is the purpose of the shoebox. Also, to replace the oil filter.

The car ought to be about 1/2 quart low when you get it back (after it sits for about 5 mins.) since it requires 4 1/2 quarts to fill with a filter change. Top off with the 5th quart or else monitor closely and don't let it get below 1/2 quart low.

I have done this several times and apparently have had my instructions followed only once. The grease monkeys apparently will not allow a car out of the service bay needing a 1/2 quart of oil. Once, it came back overfilled. So, they are apparently using their oil, or adding 1/2 quart of their oil to my 4 quarts. But, I keep trying.

The build up from burnt oil (sludge) occurs in the crankcase, and oil passages like in the value trains, timing chain, etc. and not in the cylinders -- so fuel cleaner or injector cleaner is of no benefit. What you do is add a quart of engine flush (I used Gunk brand) to get rid of sludge. Follow the instructions carefully. No revving, no load, and no more than 5 mins. Engine flush is not needed with an engine that has been running synthetic. Flush it only once right before switching to synthetic.

darowa

I would put the "use synthetic only" on the oil fill cap on the engine.

My limited experience with the dealer is that they overfill the crankcase. I would guess they add 5 quarts of oil - overfilling by 1/2 quart. I even took the car back the next day and they drained 1/2 quart out. And they sort of looked at me like I was being nutty. I don't use them for oil changes anymore.

I use synthetic oil. Yes, the cost is more. But if I do-it-myself, the cost isn't a lot more.

Depending upon the engine, 1/2 quart overfill may not be a problem. On some engines, overfilled oil gets "foamed" by the crankshaft counterweights stirring the oil. I wouldn't run it long term overfilled. Oil does not get pumped well when it's foamy.

There are 2 marks (dots) on the engine diptstick. Traditionally, the top mark is "full" and the lower mark is "1 quart low". Running anywhere from full to 1 quart low is acceptable. I wouldn't do it long term but for some limited period it's ok.

madrussian190

Thanks Jim. hopefully i'll have more luck with my dealership then you had with yours.

Should i just flush my engine, then take it to the dealership to request an oil change?

Also, any specific brand of synthetic oil i should use or is it all the same?

gftgrill

+1 for synthetic.

I ran regular oil for the first year while it was free from the dealer, then I switched to Mobil 1 synthetic. after I switched I noticed a 2-3 mpg increase in my gas mileage. I haven't noticed a performance increase.

I know that the manual states 4.5 qts, but I always end up using 5 qts to get it full. I change the filter each time and pour some oil in the filter before putting it on.

one thing that I would suggest, if you're going to spend the money to run synthetic, spend the money on a good oil filter.

personally I use Mobile 1 oil and filter. the filter runs me about 12 bucks, but that's worth the piece of mind. as far as I know, all oil change places will give you the same filter if you go with regular or synthetic oil. that's another reason why I spend the time to do it myself.

gftgrill

you probably don't need to flush the engine, but if you want to break up any deposits in there, you can buy a can of SeaFoam. put 1/3 of the can into the crankcase and run the engine and normal(not high) rpms for about 10-15 minutes. after that then change the oil. don't put it in the oil until you are ready to change it. you do not want this mixed in your engine for a length of time.

this will break up the majority of the deposits and will cost you less than 10 dollars.

madrussian190

But if i do the oil change myself, the damn oil indicator on my dashboard keeps blinking out of control. any way i can reset it so it would piss off and stop bothering me? lol

gftgrill

you can do it the same way the dealership does it.

how to reset it is in the manual. it takes less than 1 minute to reset.

it's not much different than resetting the trip odometer.

madrussian190

Also, this is the regular checkup that the dealership wants me to do on the car.



Is there a cheaper way that i can do any of these? like if i would do it myself, where can i get the required equiptment and how long would it take me ?

LuvMyTSX

Just do what it says in the manual. Dealers often tack on extra services to pad their bill. Do you even need new brakes? And what is an induction service?

gftgrill

those prices all seem really high.

if you need new rear brakes, then that price should be for new rotors AND pads installed.

you should call around to other shops and see what they would charge you for those same services.

and what is "Induction Service"??

madrussian190

"Induction Service" removes deposits that form on intake valves, injector ports, fuel injectors and combustion chambers.

and for the breaks, i need to get them changed. they are a little overdue haha

gftgrill

that can of SeaFoam that I recommended will do that for you (and cost about 190 less). run 1/3 through the intake manifold, 1/3 through the oil, and 1/3 through the gas tank.

If you can't do these yourself, call around and get some prices from some independent shops.

you'll probably be able to save at least half of what they want to charge you.

madrussian190

well... i was acutually gonna do the SeaFoam thing anyways before i took it back to the dealership.

where can i get it though? like physical stores lol

mduthappa

My dealer had my power steering flushed for $101
and the brake fluid flush for $79.
but for transmission it cost me $150
seems ur dealer prices are high!!

jl1080

When I first bought the car, I was using regular oil up until 13000 miles. Should I worry about sludge build up? My car has 37000 miles now and I've only been using synthetic since I changed it at 13000.

gftgrill

I wouldn't worry about it. you only ran it for a year, plus you've been using synthetic since. odds are that any build up has worked it's way out by now.

gftgrill

any auto parts store should carry it. O'Reilly, Auto Zone, Napa, Pep Boys. it should be where ever they keep the fuel injector cleaner. you could always just call ahead and ask to make sure they carry it.

if you're not familiar with seafoam, you may want to read up on it before running it through the intake manifold. some people claim issues with it.

I've never personally had any problems with it. My father in law ran it through his 3000gt with 200k miles on it and after that he had condensation coming out of his exhaust.

gftgrill

I'm guessing you have an Auto, as my MT fluid drain and fill was 60 or 70 from the dealership.

JimHolloman

Not at all. You are good. IMO, the amount of sludge build up is going to be of no concern in the TSX engine for the first 50k miles or more.

Sludge buildup is not as much of a consideration in a well designed NA 4 cylinder engine as a V6 or V8 engine. Sludge is primarily burnt oil so an engine with hot spots, or runs hot, is more prone to sludge. Synthetic oil is good protection against sludge because it has a much higher flash point than regular oil.

Toyota had a serious problem with it in one of the V6 engines a few years ago -- and they tried to blame it on everything but the engine. And, Lexus used the same engines. Changing your oil, or having it changed by someone other than a Toyota dealer, would void the warranty -- but many owners didn't know that until they had the problem and asked Toyota to replace the engine under warranty. If I recall correctly, a modification to the molds for the engine blocks resolved the problem.

Anytime you hear an engine cooling fan running after a car has been parked -- think sludge. I don't recall ever having heard my TSX cooling fan running. I generally make it a practice in the summer to turn off the AC from 1-3 miles prior to my destination. It is a practice I developed with other cars because, IMO, it allows the engine to be a little cooler when you park the car; especially any internal hot spots.

JimHolloman

Oops, don't let me leave a erroneous impression.

The ONLY time you use engine flush is AFTER your car is on ramps and it is time to change the oil. You pour in the quart of engine flush and let the engine IDLE for no longer than the instructions indicate. You then drain the mixture and put in new oil. You don't drive, at all, with the engine flush in the engine. It is very thin and thins the oil.

To answer the second question, let me refer you to "Not All Synthetics Are Created Equal:" at
http://www.performanceoiltechnology....KeptSecret.htm

It is about three topics down from the top. The story is interesting and involves a court ruling in regard to the question of what is "synthetic oil". In other words, the court defined what could be called a "synthetic oil" and, by implication, what could not be called a "synthetic oil".

thunder04

iTrader: (1)

only for a minute, lol..

So, my TSX has 100k miles on the clock and I've always had the oil changed at the dealer ever 5k miles. Now that my extended warranty is over, I'm going to start changing the oil myself. Should I bother switching to synthetic, or does it even matter at this point?

odannyboi

go for it... Pennzoil Platinum claims to get rid of 15% of engine sludge during its first application (assuming you have some, which you might). Its not too late to use synthetic.

JimHolloman

Here is the results of a comparison test by one group:

http://www.performanceoiltechnology....oiltesting.htm

Other groups, or entities, might obtained different results.

JimHolloman

Synthetic nearly always reduces friction and wear. However, with an engine with high mileage, it can cause oil consumption.

I would suggest giving it a try -- and monitor your oil level closely. If there is a noticeable increase in oil consumption, I would switch back to regular oil at the next change -- somewhere between 5-10k miles.

My current policy on the TSX is to change an oil like Mobile 1 Full Synthetic or AMSOIL every 12 months or 10k miles, whichever comes first. I am currently averaging about 800 miles per month, so I can change the oil conveniently every Spring during pleasant weather. I currently have a stock of Mobil 1.

JimHolloman

People talk about the cost of synthetic oil. It is an non-issue. Why? Because synthetic oil costs less. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Assume 5k mile interval:
4. 5 quarts of petroleum oil @ 2.00 = 9.00
Labor 15.00
Total 24.00 or 0.0048 per mile

Assume 10k mile interval:
4. 5 quarts of synthetic @ 6.00 = 27.00
Labor 15.00
Total 42.00 or 0.0042 per mile


Therefore, synthetic oil cost less. And, this excludes the hour that you have to wait to get your oil changed. If your time is worth $24.00 per hour, then synthetic oil is about half the price of petroleum oil. But, plug in your own numbers and see what you get.

I have heard that oil changes can cost around $100 if you drive one of those Break My Wallet cars. Then, synthetic oil saves you even more. But, I always recommend synthetic oil for any turbo charged engine.

The numbers above also excludes any minor increase in mileage that you might realize with synthetic oil. And, they excludes the value of extended engine life. So, IMO, synthetic oil is a no-brainer.

The only downside of synthetic oil that I have found is that it can cause some gasket materials to get soft and start leaking; including neoprene. It was apparently slowly dissolving the gaskets. However, I did not witness any degradation of gaskets on my '04 TSX. My '08 TSX gets synthetic for the first time within the next few days.

ODUB

your calculations are invalid because the car is designed to run 10k miles on regular or synthetic. Just do the work yourself and save the 15 bucks, then synthetic is the same price, or cheaper. changing oil is easy. i always change the oil in all my cars myself.

nj2pa2nc

Still using regular oil on my 06 with 73,000+miles. I follow the oil life monitor and get the oil changed when it reaches 5%oil life. I average at least 2,500 miles a month driving (mostly highway)Short stop and go traffic drives are probably worse on a car.

Itchytoe

If it's leased and you plan to buy it after the lease is up, use a synthetic. If you're going to let them have it, use whatever is the cheapest, or let them do it.

thunder04

iTrader: (1)

Sounds good. I think I'll do the switch at 105k. I think I'll do the SeaFoam treatment...

and make the switch. I'm very fortunate enough that my TSX consumes very little oil right now, so I don't anticipate any major changes when moving to synthetic. I'm not worried about cost (I'll still change it every 5k regardless)...if it makes the engine last longer then that's all that matters!