I have a 01 tl with about 194000 miles it has been getting pretty cold here lately. Only when tbe temperature is below 35 degrees i get a scary knocking sound right when it is sfarted and it continues for about thirty seconds till everything is warmed up. Just wondering if anyone else gas this same issue and if i shoild be worried. After it stops tbe car runs smooth really smooth.

 

That sounds like your not getting enough oil to the top of the engine. Because oil is thicker when its super cold it flows slower through all the little channels in the block. I would first see if your burning/leaking oil and how long that may have been happening. There may not even be enough oil period. If there is no leaking it may be the cam bearings have worn thin allowing enough play where the viscosity of the oil doesn't lubricate them properly. That's what causes the knocking sound.

 

What type of oil are you running? Consider running a synthetic that can handle colder temperature. Like DevinSidell said, could be the fact that you don't have enough oil, but enough to NOT trip the low oil dash light.

 

Well i am running mobil 1 advanced full syn 5w-30 with a mobil 1 ep filter and there are no leaks and it isnt burning oil the level is fine and to be honest my oil is still that nice new oil color and i changed it overa thousand miles ago so idk maybe i will switch oils to redline or smething

 

Could also be piston slap, although it would typically knock for a few minutes. If it does turn out to be that, you can ignore it, and probably get hundreds of thousands more miles. Drive it gently when cold to prevent it worsening.

 

Maybe its sludge a hundred fifty miles before my next oil change im gonna throw some seafoam in there maybe help clean it out

 

I'll tell you what TLer you hit that nail right on the head. I just listened to A couple youtube videos on piston slap and it sounds exactly the same. Is this going to be a problem? Can i remidy this? Or should i just leave it

 

Hey Dbotteicher, as ya said Tler trash hit the nail right on it's head !!!

 

What temperature is it when you hear that noise? Run a lighter oil. 0w-30 to get oil circulating through the engine faster. Be a little wary of synthetic since it'll break any buildup you have and you might see some leakage. But synthetic is the way to go.

 

Seafoamed my crank case before my last oil change and the sludgy material that came was excessive.

 

So i am going to def seafoam crankcase just for good measure and as far as piston slap it is almost normal for some cars from my readings it is because the piston needs room to expand when its hot so they make it a little but small and it bangs around a little but as stated above it is nothing too concerning just very very annoying

 

How is piston slap a norm now? Maybe in a fully built motor since forged internal need to expand but stock motor should not have any piston slap whatsoever. That is NOT normal operation.

Think of the reasons why an engine would have any piston slap? Either poor lubrication or incorrect timing. Get oil that is designed to work in lower temperatures. 0W-20 or 0W-30. Second buy a block heater. Its 40 dollars for the 3g and worth every penny. Keeps your engine minimally heated and allows for instantaneous circulation of oil in the winter since the coolant is kept warm.

There are ways to save your engine life instead of assuming that piston slap is normal operation. It certainly isn't.

 

I also foubd amsoil makes a oil induction system to avoid dry starts. I need to do something about it . I was thinking a block heater would be good and i will change to amsoil 0w-30 see if that helps any. I shouldve never said normal because you are right it is not normal but it is a common problem with other car makes not so much hondas and acuras.

 

Honda's and Acuras have very tight tolerance which is why any work done on the car is done to spec. They are really well engineered in that regard so try to keep it running as healthy as possible. Its a simple enough solution.

I've heard mixed reviews about Amsoil but that's because there isn't a standard test for engine oils. There are different types of test that can be done but all measure varied attributes of oil. If possible stick to spec which is 0w20 or 5w20 in the summer. That's a difficult oil to get a hold of though. Beyond that you're car will love you and run endlessly!

Here's a couple reference docs:
http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g3115.pdf

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...06#Post1805206

 

Recommended oil for an 2001 tl is 5w30 for 2002 and 2003 5w20.


If you haven`t yet sign up too MyAcura.com all the info you need plus a free downloadable owners manual.

 

Is it safe to run 0W20 on a 2g ?

 

It`s safe, more expensive and lighter oil designed to work in cold winter months. Switch back to the 5w30 for spring, summer and fall.

 

Ok might just give it a shot on the next oil change, Im on Castrol regular 5w30 right now and no issues.

 

Probably safe enough, but I wouldn't do it. The biggest reason manufacturers have gone thinner than 10w30, or 5w30 is to increase fuel economy. Get ready for 0w16, and 0w10. I just skimmed an article on those this week. Surprisingly (to me at least) they produce over 5% better fuel economy. With engines already going over 200,000 miles I doubt the car companies care at all if they don't protect as well as thicker oils.

 

Why would acura recommend a different oil for the same engine? I think that was just for fuel economy, because the 99 was the only year with a different engine if i remember correctly. So would it hurt to run 0w-20 in my car tha recomends 5w-30?

 

Also what do you guys think about maybe trying some lucas upper cylinder lubricant?

 

Use what they recommend. Its 5w-20 for the 3g so that's what I usually use.

 

It`s 5w30 for the 2nd gen. If you want to go down to 0w30 that would be the next weight down for the 2ng generation TL`s

 

Depending on just how cold it gets, 5w20 seems to be a good choice,
but in the summer's extreme heat I usually go with the 5w30..... especially in higher mileage cars.

 

My car is a 2g and right on the oil cap it says 5w-30 it is an 01 the 02 and 03 recommend 5w-20. Exactly why i said before i think they switched out to a lower viscosity just for gas mileage purposes. All three years have the exact same engine out of all the 2gs the only one with a different engine is a 99 i believe correct me if im wrong though.

 

If you live in an area where the winter temps go down to -0 degrees, the lower 5w20 or even 0w20 are better choices when it's extremely cold.

 

Its acutally the same just a different intake and wiring beacause of the 4speed

 

So then they have to have just been adjusting it for fuel economy so i am going to.l try the 0w-20 stuff see how it goes if i dont like the way it runs i will change it out right away. Anyway no one every commented on my post about lucas upper cylinder lubricant? Think it will be any good for the piston slap? Idk im going to sea foam my car this weekend and change the plugs then next weekend i will change out the oil and we will see how it goes.

 

I would stick with seafoam some auto places run sales on them. I have seen it as cheap as seven bucks a bottle. The only drawback is its price. Lucas, Stp and other products don`t have the same quality as the seafoam.


1/2 can in the crank case before oil change (drive a minimum of 30 miles not to exceed 200 miles)
1/2 can through vacuum line(after done let car sit for 10-15 min afterwards jump on the pedal a few times in order to get the rest of gunk out)
1/2 can in the gas tank

 

I have a can of seafoam and a set of plugs just waiting to do it i already put it in the tank i want my engine as clean as possible before i put my new plugs in i will probably clean my intake and egr ports as well just to make sure everything is good

 

And the only reason i said lucas is because it is the only fuel additive that claims it is an upper cylinder lubricant as well. They sell a liter bottle of it that ypu put in a couple ounces every fill up t lubricate the top end. I am going to give that a shot after i sea foam and change plugs if the piston slap is still there. Although i just started my car it is absolutley freezing outside and snowing like crazy and it didnt make the sound? Honestly it has never not made the sound when it was below 45 outside so i am happy hopefully the weather is okay tomorrow so i can seafoam and change plugs

 

If your car was sitting for an extended period without running, perhaps the sound ya heard was a combination of the extra cold temps along with the oil due for a change. As cars get older, they tend to creak, rattle and moan in the cold winter much as us humans do at times.

 

It didnt sit too much i bought the car off my boss he is an older guy who takes good care of his stuff i did all new fluids and filters and general maintanence when i got it i just have to change out the plugs. When i got it it had brand new belts and a brand new air filter and an oil change sticker in the window so i at least know he took semi good care of it. I am doing the timing belt and valve adjustment this spring it was done a t 160000 so it will be a little early.but early is better than late i guess it is all around a good car it has a few quirks like tbe doors lock then unlock then lock again but only when t the key is in the ignition and the drivers door is opened and closed. I have yet to figure that one out but i fixed the cruise control and the evap canister shut valve was bad i changed that. I am slowly getting it to where i want it. This snow and cold weather is really putting a damper on my automotive up keep i really need to resolve this startup problem i am hoping forbthe best with sea foaming the top end. I will report back and let everyone know how it goes once the weather here clears up a little. Oh and by the way thank all of you for your input it is greatly appreciated

 

Okay this is going to sound strange but i have two really cheap gas stations by my house, now i only run 93 octane. I always go to these two gas stations because of the price, well i had to get gas yesterday at a different gas station i was low on fuel and not near my house. I got twenty dollars, my car has not made that sound since i put that twenty in. Is it possible that they are selling regular as premium? Or could it just be poor quality gas? I will never ever fill up at ejther one again that is for sure

 

Hmmm, cheap watered down gas at discount prices ?
IDK, one would think that sorta thing would be monitored and under some sort of regulation.... ???
But, maybe.... if ya found something better, go for it !!!

Detonation knocking due to low octane is normally compensated for by our car's ECU, which will automatically adjust timing. Or so they say, IDK. One thing for sure, our TL's are engineered to close tolerances and premium fuel is recommended for best overall performance. Perhaps your motor's valves are due for adjustment ?