I have a new 2015 RDX that my dealer is having me do the oil consumption test on.It's on schedule to be using a qt of oil every 3000 miles.

I'm guessing that even when that has been proven after the test,that they are going to say that it is within the normal range,( since they have stated that one quart/1000 miles is "normal")

If that's the case,and I end up adding at least a qt every 3000 miles for years,I was wondering if someone here has experienced that same usage amount over the history of their Acura,and what to expect down the road?

Would that amount carbon up the valves,combustion chambers and plugs,and at what mileage does it get bad enough to need big repairs because of it?

I guess I'm asking this so I can get an idea on the future.Sell or trade it in like at 25k miles,or more,or less?

Thanks for any thoughts,
Steve

 

as long as you keep adding that quart, you will have no problems for the life of the vehicle.

 

A quart of oil every 1000 miles is the industry standard. Less than that and you're OK, More than that and you have oil issues.

Putting the "one quart every 3000 miles" into perspective, this effectively means that you are adding one quart between oil changes. A quart every 6000 miles may sound better, but it really will end up costing the same.

Are you the first owner? How was it broken in? How many miles do you have on the car? What types of miles (long trips on highways, short trips in the city?)? Any smoke out the tailpipe? What color? All these would factor into determining if 1 quart every 3000 miles is excessive.

 

^ceb, over on the 4G TL side, the 3.7 liter engines have been consuming oil to the tune of 1 quart every 3000 miles or so.

one acurazine member had the short block replaced under warranty.
it must have something to do with the piston and its rings.


although this is my first time hearing about it on the 3.5l engine found in the RDX.

 

I bought it new 2.5 months ago,and have carefully broke it in.No signs of smoke at startup or driving,the tailpipes are clean,no smell,and no leaks.

So they have glued-marked the dipstick,cap,filter and plug with Hondabond silicone sealer so they will know if I tampered with it.

I am a small engine mechanic,and often I see the effects of oil burning in those engines....lots of carbon in the chambers,that eventually gets between the valves and seats,requiring valve jobs.And without fixing the piston/cyl problem it just buys time before having to do it all over again.

But with car engines,and at that rate I just don't know what to expect.My Toyotas never used any up to 5000 miles.

I had to cancel my Acura Care because I was overcharged,and have not bought it again until I see what the test says.Even the AcuraCare says that it does not cover repairs made to improve oil consumtion.So I don't know if I should keep it past the normal warranty,thus not buying the Acura Care again.

That's why I was asking for some first hand experience from others here on what to expect for down the road.

If it wasn't for this problem,I'd be a happy camper with this ndew RDX.

Thanks again for any responses.


Steve

 

Sure, and some early manual TSXs have an oil burning issue too, but the OP's experience is quite different.

 

How many miles do you have on it now?

 

A little past 3k.We started the test at about 2500,they want it to go to just a bit under 4k,for it to be 1500 miles on the test.I just hope it doesn't get worse during this time and run low because I can't check it.



Steve

 

Hmm, we have about 3000 miles on our 2014 with no measurable oil consumption. Oil is at the max mark on the dipstick.

 

I guess I just got a bad one...

 

Maybe different fill amount from the factory?

For what it's worth, at the very beginning of ownership (first 1000 miles) I made a conscious effort to vary the engine speed as much as possible (up to 3000 rpm, with the occasional run to 4000) by using the S/manual-gear selection mode. Now I'll be the first to say that I have little certainty that this engine break-in method has any benefit, but it's what I did and had been advised to do on previous fresh engines.

I will say this. I had the factory oil filler cap back off completely within the first 2000 miles! Must not have been on tight from the factory because I never touched it. Immediately after arriving at our destination on a 150 mile trip, I was showing off the engine to family when I noticed the filler cap was nowhere to be found! Quick trip to Oreilly's (dealer parts was closed).

 

I wouldn't worry about it at this point. Like another poster said, you don't really know what the oil amount was when you picked the car up. While dealers are supposed to do those checks during PDI, I've seen overfilled oil, underfilled oil, nothing in the washer reservoir, tires filled to 60psi and so forth.

I bought my S6 in NH while living in MD. About 300 miles into the return trip, the low oil light came on. By this time the dealer was long closed (it was a Saturday evening) and all I could find was some 10-40 no-name oil at the truck stop. I poured it in and proceeded to drive the car about 100k miles without it burning a drop of oil.

 

how is it quite different if its the piston rings!?

 

Well considering you only had the vehicle 3000 miles and you had to add one quart, it could have been low from the factory. I think you need more miles to determine if you really have a problem.

 

I checked the level on the second day,it was full.Then it took a half qt at around 1100,then about 2500 it didn't need as much,but so I have about 4 oz left in the qt bottle,that's why felt it was on track to be using a qt every 3000.

I've asked around,seems like everyone I ask about their car says they never have to add hardly anything between changes.

I have read here about software changes helped oil comsumption.how does that work?


Thanks,
Steve

 

Oil consumption on new engines can be all over the place. You're doing a test now so don't worry and just enjoy the new car. It'll be fine.

My first TSX wagon had zero consumption in the first 6k miles, then drank about a quart by the second oil change and was spot on with no consumption until I traded it on my new one when it had 28k miles.

 

I just got a 2016 RDX AWD and I noticed the oil is 0w-20. That is pretty thin so maybe it can lose oil? At 800 miles on the clock I have lost none. But my old Volvo S70 GLT uses a quart every 3000 miles when I drive 70mph + on the freeway. When I drive at 65mph I don't lose so much oil. I have 170,000 miles on my Volvo.

 

I went through 3/4 of a quart during break in before the first oil change. Not a drop used since and have 36k on it now.

 

We have owned 6 Acuras over the last 15 years. Two used half a quart of oil during break-in then never used another drop. Oil consumption is not an Acura problem generally even with low viscosity synthetic oil.

 

Just checked my 2015 RDX AWD Tech. Leased new in March and 3600 miles. Oil level is just under "full".

 

I just did the same thing - 3800 miles, new in March. It's "maybe" 1/4 of a quart down - just below the full mark, but still 3/4 way up the cross-hatched area. Not bad for a factory fill for a break-in period where I haven't babied it.

My wife's '12 TL SH-AWD used about 1/4-1/2 quart during the break-in period, and not a drop since... (26k miles)

andy