jleon2516

am I the only person here still using reg. oil and not syn. Should I change to syn. Car has 95k miles. Thanks

jleon2516

Also please tell me the brand and change intervals if you think for syn oil. Thanks, hey my 100th post. :blaze:

mlionel

I switched to Mobil1 at about 67.6K. I used it for 7.5K and sent a sample of used oil to Blackstone lab for analysis thyat I took during oil change. They came back with result that the oil had at least 8.5K live in it. From money stand point that oil paid for itself. Also, I feel like using better quality oil in my car. It just might be in my head, since I did not notice anything different in engine performance.

aaronnn

ever since i had my car i always used mobil1. i dont really notice a difference, performancewise. but it seems as if it runs better and smoother. the engine noise is also quieter. but that could just be me.

jleon2516

When you guys say mobil 1 is it synthetic?

fast-tl

Mobil 1 is the brand name for Mobil's synth oil. So "Mobil 1" means synthetic. BTW, I still use regular oil and will continue to. If it's good enough for the factory, what better do I know? For the cost of synth, you'd have to run maybe a million miles before you see any benefit. Lots of Hondas have run hundreds of thousands of miles on regular. Synth isn't worth the benefit for what it costs. Show me two cases where someone's engine grenaded because they used regular oil vs. synthetic and maybe it'll be worth the price difference. If I ran a racing opertaion, I'd think differently, but on the street, c'mon. Put that difference in the bank or other mods.

1fasttl

I'd say go with mobil1. but then again that's just my

fsttyms1

i switched to mobil 1 around 100k

i like the benifits of longer durration oil changes, added security, and the engine starts alot easier in the cold months.

AustNMike

fsttyms, anything "special" to do when changing from conventional to synthetic?? like flush or anything...if the two mix a little, is it okay??

1fasttl

There is nothing to do when changing from conventional oil to synthetic. It's a simple drain and fill but you have to stick with synthetic.

1st timer

I use regular oil and do oil changes every 3-4k km's.

mlionel

You can switch back to regular oil at any time you want with no problems.
Bay the way, all the talks about saving money by not using synthetic oil are baseless. Synthetic oil will outlast regular at least two times. So it is the same price per oil change and per 1000 miles, so to speak. Regardless, for someone who drives anywhere from 12K to 20K miles/year the BIG difference might be $20-$30/year, if any. I think people driving Acuras can afford spent this money on good maintenance.

NSXNEXT

iTrader: (2)

Been running Amsoil 5w20 since my car hit 50K miles (now at 70K+)

fast-tl

Well, my point is that using regular oil isn't "bad maintenance" as your analogy suggests. Also, according to the oil life computer the 3rd gen uses (for the same 3.2L V6), you can certainly go longer than the mythical 3000 miles between oil changes depending on how you drive.

Let me be clear: I agree that synthetic oil is better that regular oil. But is it sufficiently better that it's worth $3.99/qt versus $1.09 (or less) a quart of regular oil? I deduce that over the ownership cycle of the average TL driver, there will be no financial or performance benefit to spending extra dough on synthetic. If you're going to actually keep the car 15 years and 400,000 miles, then you may see some eventual difference between having used synth vs regular, but since most of us either lease or switch cars about every 5 years, we don't have enough use in the car to actualize the benefits of synth vs regular. If it improved mpg by 20% or something, that'd be different. Otherwise, stick with a regular oil that meets the mfr's spec. After all, they designed the darned thing on regular oil and warranted use of regular oil for at least 50,000 miles. Doesn't that count for something?
This is like saying you wouldn't use a paper air filter....only K&N. Well, it was engineered to perform swell with a paper filter, so why second guess the people who made it?
Of course, you acutally see hp gains from using a different filter, but oil makes a much less perceptible difference, so I say save your cash.

fast-tl

Let me add another 2cents before I shut up. I bought a brand new 1997 Camaro Z28 that I loved dearly. I ran Mobil 1 exclusively from the first oil change, and I changed it probably every 3K - 4K miles. I sold the car at 43K, but looking back, I can't see one difference or benefit I gained over those 40K miles from using synth vs regular. Just extra money flushed. I guess my point is to put money into the car where you will get a return on the investment or at least be able to see the performance gain.

NSXNEXT

iTrader: (2)

Do the math. Amsoil XL7500 synth blend only needs to be changed every 7500 miles (I've done oil analyses with Blackstone to prove it)

Amsoil oil change every 7500 miles - cost ~ $30
Regular oil change every 3000 miles - cost ~$15 ($2.50/quart + $4 for filter)

Synth oil changes per 22500 miles = ~$90
Regular oil change per 22500 miles = ~$112

Questions?

fsttyms1

exactly. i go every 8-10k intervals and i end up saving more.
that and i can tell a difference in starting and smoother operating engine with synthetic. espcially in the winter months

subtledreamer

Go with syn bro, you won't regret it. Made the switch just a few weeks back and the difference is noticable. Lower idle rev (750 rpm compared to ~1k before) and better starts. I used mobil 1 10w30 with mobil 1 filter btw.

mlionel

With due respect, you cannot have lower idle rpm. In our cars, in all modern cars for that matter, engine idle is controlled by computer and cannot be changed. It may fluctuate a bit (20-50 rev's). If you have couple hundred rev's difference, than something seriously wrong with the car. Acura TL normal idle is about 750-800 rpm.

fast-tl

Yes. Who says reg oil is used up at the mythical 3000 mile mark? Getting rid of that myth is precisely why the new TL comes with the maintenance minder which tracks oil life, and you can see that many 3rd gen owners are going lots longer than 3000 miles. So, based on that, your math isn't solid. Check the 3rd gen forums on the oil life indicator. Sure, some people are ignoring it, but why would Acura put it in if they though it'd cause people to neglect their maintenance.

Also, I think on the 2G forum someone has oil analysis on their reg oil that shows it not to be used up at 3000 miles. And why are you paying $2.50 per quart of regular oil? I can get Mobil all day for a little over a buck. Your estimate DOUBLES the cost at Autozone or Pep Boys.

fsttyms1

correct me if im wrong but the maint reqed light on the 2nd gen is pre set at 7500 miles??? i know mine always goes off at 7500 miles (when the light fully stays on) no mater how my driving is durring that.

as for the oil. when i switched over the standard oil that i drained out had around 4k miles on it. the tbn wasnt good. it was 1. the last time i changed teh mobil 1 oil at 10k miles on it had a tbn of 4 (the higher the better)

derrick

I'm gonna probably keep my car 'til it runs into the ground. YET ... I still do every 6000km to get my oil changed (as per Acura/Honda Canada recommendation). My car just went out of warranty (only 3 yrs ... dammit!) so I'll probably migrate to synthetic (either Mobil1 5W30 or Redline 5W20). If you want to baby your car and spend the extra loot, go for it. You can prolong the oil change interval but how long the filter will last is another question ...

fsttyms1

166,000+ miles. oil filter changed at every oil change and no issues.
had the oil filter analized once and it was still filtering just fine

jleon2516

I just did a double take when I read the helms service manual for my tl. it says under normal driving conditions change the oil every 7500k and change the filter every other oil change???? oil filter for 15k miles??? seems a little risky to me.

subtledreamer

Yeah, i take back what i said earlier. the higher observed rev was probably due to a cold morning start. but that aside, i do feel that the car runs slightly smoother (could just be the placebo effect though). either way, i recommend making the switch. in the long run, the costs are about the same but your engine should last longer!

thx for clearing it up tho mlionel.

fsttyms1

no not really
after having my elcheapo fram filter tested after 10k miles on it there was tons of filtration left. if the oil is good and the engine isnt craeating any thing that really needs to be filtered they should last along time

kellnron

I've been using Mobil 1 synthetic in my 02 Type-S since after the first free oil change from Acura. I change my oil at 5000 mile intervals (I do mostly city driving). I have commuted in the past and would change it at 7500 miles at that time. You don't want to go too much longer than 7500 miles between changes even with synthetic oil. I've been told that synthetic oil never almost never wears out. The real problem is that your oil filters are made to take more miles than about 10,000 regardless.

The one advantage to using synthetic oil is that it does not have the contaminants (waxes and whatnor) that can build build up over time in your engine. Those contaminants can cause problems if your engine overheats because they can burn.

I can tell you I know of folks who have torn down engines after 100,000 miles and found almost no wear after using synthetic oils.

Thx -- Ron

fsttyms1

well mine idles all day long there is aton of city driving and i have had it tested and the filter tested at 10k. there is nothing wrong with my engine and its been doing it for 166,500 miles now

TLover8888

i use to enjoy these threads about the type of oil that one should use but nowadays, its getting real old. quite honestly, how long are you going to keep your car?? 2-3 years? as long as you change your oil regularly, nothing is going to happen to your engine. and in 3 years time, youre gonna get a new car anyway and the cycle begins again. so, waste your money on synthetic or dont waste your money and get petroleum oil...just change your oil!!!!

ou sig

ya but Ive had my car for 2 years now and will have for at least 5 more unless I win the lottery!!! BTW I use Mobil 1 synthetic, cause I think it helps and thats all that matters!!! if you dont think its worth it, then dont worry about it.

fsttyms1

like ou sig said. my car is already 4 years old and i plan on keeping it alot longer for my work beater, and i want it to last along time (also unless i win the lottery )
so im not wasting my money on syn. even if i planed on keeping the car for only 2-3 years, syn is cheaper. i can spend 25 dollars for 1 oil change and in the same amount of time you will have had 3 so how is that cheaper?????

ChucksCL-S

I have 187,000 miles on my '00TL, or about 170,000 miles on synthetic, Mobil 1 or Amsoil. It still runs like new and uses/burns/drips none at all. In fact I am considering a Supercharger install this spring! Engine still runs strong as ever and believe me it has NOT been babied. By my rough calculations it has been in VTEC over 4,000 times. I have hit the rev limiter at least 20 times and it has made about twelve quarter miles passes. For 150K miles it has run with I/H/E/P. But I give most of the credit to Honda engineers, and of course synthetic oil too.
If I blow something I will not really mind...I'll get it fixed and keep going. Oh and the first tranny lasted 164K miles.....mostly highway salesrep miles.
Oil and filter have been changed every 8K miles. I could go longer, but I don't. Just my worth!

fast-tl

I'm referrring to the maintenance minder in the THIRD gen TL, not second gen maintenance required light which goes on like clockwork every 7500 miles, regardless of how you drive. This in fact goes along with the Helms manual's recommendation and backs up my assertion that only JiffyLube is benefitted by the 3000 drain interval. The SECOND gen TL maint light doesn't factor in driving style while the THIRD gen factors driving style and climate into how it determines oil life remaining. I wonder why we'd question Honda and Helms when they must know these engines inside and out. I'm simply saying the benefit of synthetic oil is neglible over the amount of time average peole will own their vehicles. Again, I can't imagine (nor can I think of an example where) use of normal oil has severely shortened the life of an engine or been detrimental to its performance.
In the 3 years I owned my Z28, looking back I could've easily saved the extra money I spent on Mobil 1 by using reg ualr oil, as I saw no benefits. Now, had I intended to keep it for 10 years or 300,000 miles, perhaps I would've seen some improvement in engine life, but over a 43,000 mile ownership span, using synthetic gained me nothing except peace of mind (which can be needlessly expensive).

fast-tl

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT point, and what I've been saying all along. Who on average keeps cars for over 100K miles these days to tear them down and test for wear? With more and more leases and 4 year loans, there's more turnover to get new metal, so you won't be driving the car long enough to see the supposed synthetic oil benefits. If the car BUILDERS were worried about it, they'd specify synth oil as required, in order to keep warranty claims down. Oil, even, regular oil, has improved dramatically over the years. It's not that all of Mobil's research goes into Mobil 1 and their regular oil sucks...

kellnron

I don't know where you guys get the idea it costs 3 times more to run Mobil 1 synthetic. Maybe if you change your own oil or something. I get a Mobil 1 oil change at Wal-Mart for $30. I know folks to do regular oil changes at Jiffy Lube and pay almost that. As far as going 10,000+. I don't think I'd risk wearing out a $2 oil filter and causing additional wear on the engine (testing it or not). Even if you go 7500 miles that's on average 2 changes a year that's $60 on a $30+K automobile. My two cents.

MikePA

Anybody who lives where temps get below freezing would benefit by using a synthetic oil because of it's low temperature flow properties, far better than dino oil. Also, anyone running an oil cooled turbo (obviously not a TL owner ), would benefit as well since synthetic doesn't 'coke up' at the high temps present in the turbo.