When did you guy's do your first oil change? I'm almost to 1000miles and was thinking about getting that break-in period oil out and replacing with Mobil1. Is that a good idea???????

 

I was instructed to wait till 3750 miles, which is what Acura has been telling most of their dealers. I'll be switching over to Synthetics if I can get a synthetic 5w-2o at about 7k

 

The owners manual is very specific about not changing the oil before a certain milage. I believe it was 3600. I need to check since I'm coming up on it.

 

Cool. Thanks for the info.

 

3750 is what my dealer recommended. But I took it in at 3,400 miles and they change it anyway.

 

I think Redline may have a 5W-20; but I ain't payin' $9 a quart-NO WAY! Mobile 1 does not; only 5W-30. Amsoil I am not sold on.

I did call Acura customer relations about using the 5W-30 synthetic oil and he just spewed back what the owner's manual says . . . "You can use 5W-30 but should switch back to 5W-20 at the next oil change". He would not say anything about how using 5W-30 would affect their, Acura's, warranty. He just kept regurgitating "You can use 5W-30 but should switch back to 5W-20 at the next oil change" yada-yada-yada. You would not want to give Acura ANY reason to turn down a warranty issue on their engine because of oil changes; I am sure they would turn you down in a heart beat if the loop hole is there.

Sure, it is a great engine, and sure you may never have to make a warranty request on the engine, but G_d forbid something should happen and they can stick it to you because YOU used 5W-30 oil on back to back oil changes "I have NO doubt they'd do it and loose no sleep over it"!

 

I read in the TL-S manual that a special wrench is required, and can be purchased from the dealer - is this correct?

Anybody buy one? If so, what's the p/n and price?

The closest Acura dealer is 45 mins away, so it looks like I'll be changing the oil myself.

We've only got 1000 miles now, but the wife is adding them at 500 per week, so it won't be long to 3750.

 

I will be getting a TL-S sometime in the near future... The closest Acura dealer is 1 hour from here, so I will not be able to take it to the dealer for every oil change. I also do not wish to do it myself.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what the best would be?

Could I take it to a regular auto shop?
Maybe the local Honda dealer?

thanks,
-Randy

 

I've changed mine when it was 3K.....
It's easy to remember when my next service will be....3K...6K...9k...go on..

 

My salesman told me any Honda Carland dealer/shop will be ok if you don't want to have problems when you need to use the warranty. HTH.

 

I ordered 10 filters and the "special wrench" from a place online, the wrench was like $22,

 

Break in oil does not exist. I have been in at least 30 OEM assembly plants (GM, Ford, DCX, MB, Honda, Toyota, etc.) and god knows how many dealerships, I have seen the big containers of Mobil, Penzoil, etc. It is the same stuff you buy in retail stores. I have asked the final prep guys at these assembly plants and dealerships about break in oil...usually they just laugh and walk away.

Break-in oil does not exist. As for your 1st oil change in Hondas/Acuras...the OEM is pretty specific on this one. 3,750 miles.

 

Manual says 7500 for the oil under normal conditions and 15,000 for the filter(believe it or not), check it out for yourself. With that said, I do the changes myself and just did my first at 5500. I will do both oil and filter every 5000 for now on.

 

All I know is that every car I or my friends have owned that have made it to 150,000 miles and beyond have had their oil changed every 3,500 miles like clockwork. The best insurance you can buy for your car is to keep the oil clean.

 

The dealer where I bought, in Greenwich, CT, said to bring it in at 1000 miles for a free oil change but another one told me 3700.

I'm going to change it at 1000 - couldn't hurt.

 

agree with MBA, earlier couldn't hurt, just might cost you at a dealer that's a stickler.

Woodman is now the case study, since he's changing filter every 15K and oil 5K. Hope there's no warranty issues mentioned above wth that schedule.

Do the dealers really use 5-20? I don't think I've ever seen that in a JiffyLube or that type of oil change place. In fact, with my old Legend, I occasionally would catch them screwing up and not putting in 5-30.

 

Yep. I agree with Hyde, my dealer told me the same.. first change at 3750.

 

doggdoc,

Just a clarification. I am changing both oil and filter at 5000. I was just pointing out that the manual says 15,000 for the filter and 7,500 for the oil. I agree with most that that is too long for both, but I feel that 3000 is too short, so I figured 5000 would be a good compromise.

 

I see no reason to change the oil before 5,000 or 7,500 miles as long as your driving is not "severe". I am waiting for 5,000 miles and hopefully I will find 5W-20 somewhere

 

1) 5k is a reasonable change interval for most people.
2) I think the 5w20 thing is overstated - I intend to use 5w30 on the hot summer months and 5w20 in the winter.
3) At 3750 I changed the oil and filter - I added 3 qts 5w20 Pennzoil and 2 qts. Redline 5w20. That gives a 5w24.
4) There is practically no way to differentiate between 20 and 30 weight in a test unless the oil is brand new, since they tend to thicken over time, and the tester cannot determine when you put the oil into service unless you tell them. So I think the paranoia over Acura warranty is exagerated.

 

>> I added 3 qts 5w20 Pennzoil and 2 qts. Redline 5w20. That >> gives a 5w24.

This isn't the way it works - are you missing conventional and synthetic? That's a BIG no-no!

 

I'll change the 1st time around 3-4K, then probably every 3-5K after that.

For those that have gotten the 1st or 2nd at the dealer, did they change the filter too?

What makes the filters so much better that they last that long? Would an independent Oil Change Place likely change it evertime you went in (ex. q3K mi) or what?

I put 200K on my old Legend, changed oil and filter 3-4K, and nothing ever broke in that car - 7 trips across country, I-40, 70,80,90.

 

I'm following the dealer's advice on the 1st change 3750, but thereafter it's every 3000 miles or 1 month, whichever comes 1st. I have yet to have a motor problem with any car that I have owned following that method.