ddayton217

I know this is beat up to death but couldnt find the facts I need. I know Acura recommends the oil change at 7500 in the manual, I was curious if I ran synthetic oil can I go longer? if so how long? Or should I stay with regular oil every 5-6 K?

MikePA

Yes

Depends on which synthetic oil you use. To be sure, use oil tests. Some people who use Amsoil are getting close to 15,000 miles.

Your call.

tweedle99

iTrader: (2)

Like you said, this issue has been beaten to death. Yes, you can go longer but your filter might not be able to handle it. That's why people have been using oversized filter like Mobile M1-105.

There's a site on the net that someone did an un-scientific experiment on the oil in his car. He would send some samples to be analyze every 1K miles. The oil does not degrade until like 14K of use.

I would stay with the regular interval but w/ synthetic instead of reg oil. I believe in prevention especially w/ car.

ddayton217

Thanks for the quick input, I'll go synthetic and change around 5-7k..thanks!

fast-tl

Another way to look at it is: are you going to keep the car 200,000 miles? If not, I believe the benefits of stynthetic may not be worth the cost. I mean, the car was ENGINEERED to use conventional, unlike sat, the Corvette which gets a factory fill of synthetic because of the abuse it's likely to see. I have yet to see a warranty claim denied because someone used CONVENTIONAL oil, so what benefits are you looking to get by the switch?

fast-tl

I ran Mobil 1 from the first oil change in my brand new 97 Z28 until I sold the car at 43,000 miles, 3 years later. Now, I did "enjoy" the car as it was intended, so perhaps I offset that some by using synthetic, but for a sluxry sport sedan, unless you plan to drive it forever, save your money for mods on your next ride. In the 3-6 years you're likely to have the TL, the only "day and night" difference in performance between synthetic oil will be the amount of cash in your wallet.

fsttyms1

I run syn and run 10-15k intervals (depending on the driving i did on the oil. If using syn i would go atleast 7500 intervals. To this day it doesnt use a drop of oil betweeen oilchanges, and im nearing in on 200,000 miles

03CoupeV6

Why don't people trust what Honda says the TL needs, since they are the ones who engineered it? I run conventional and I will not change it until the maintenance required light comes on.. even then, the oil is dark but not black.

vincentliwf

which brand of Synthetic is the best for our car?

fsttyms1

Double

Most like amsoil and Mobil 1 the best

MikePA

If you;

1. Operate the vehicle in extreme conditions, e.g., extreme cold, extreme heat, oil cooled turbo, racing.
2. Go to extended drain intervals

Then use synthetic. Otherwise, save your money.

No offense, to anyone, but people who report they 'feel' improvements after switching to synthetic oil (for any reason other than one of the aforementioned reasons) are succumbing to the power of advertising. Take 3 equally equipped TLs, one with synthetic, one with an expensive dino and one with cheap dino oil and ask people to pick the car with synthetic. The success rate would be no more than 33%.

PenancE

for my oil change this weekend, i used mobil1 syn + OEM filter.

fsttyms1

I could tell imediatly in mine on how fast it cranked over, especially when the temps were cooler. I also noticed the engine idle smoother

jpadilla

I agree with this statement. People use this BS excuse to justify the cost of spending their money on $hit.

When it comes to oil changes though, the way I look at it ... if I take it in to get changed, i'll pay $30-$35 for the conventional what ever is in the barrel this week with a pos Fram filter and the high school kid over torquing the bolt. If I do it my self, I still spend the $30-$35 but get Mobil-1 Syntec with M1-105 filter and new crush washer ... and I feel more comfortable changing the oil every 4000-4500 miles. When it starts looking black I just think it's not very effective but my degree is in CS, not Petrol Eng so what do I know.

jpadilla

Uh, yea right ... if u say so. I bet girls like you so much because your so sensitive. HA!

MikePA

I can understand faster cranking in cold temps due to synthetics better cold temp flow characteristics. Smoother idle? I don't see why there'd be a difference once the engine was up to temp.

JetJock

Why is everyone so concerned about getting extended drain intervals? Oil is cheap compared to the investment in your car. Change the oil, and change it often. I use synthetic, but don't even consider going to extended drain intervals. I change it when I feel the oil needs changed. Since I don't drive my car daily, I usually end up changing it after 6-8 months. I went by the MID for the first change, had the oil analysis done, and it showed the oil was SHOT! I'll never trust the MID again. My car is a huge investment and I tend to take care of things that cost a lot of money. If you're gonna sell, lease or othewise get rid of the car in 2-3 years...who cares?

03CoupeV6

Kris has gone extended drains on synthetic in his TL according to his previous posts.. and it's an 00 model nearing 200,000 miles and I've never read of him having an engine problem. So if you think that you are truly adding life to that engine by changing the oil frequently and only with the most expensive stuff, then do it for your peace of mind - but also know, it probably doesn't make one bit of difference. I've had my share of Hondas, both four-cylinders and V6s, and I have NEVER had an engine problem - and some have had well over 100,000 miles.

The engine isn't something you've gotta worry about, it's going to last forever. But the transmission is cause for concern.

phaze

how bad would be it if after a year of using synthetic i switch to conventional?

samkws

OEM filter is way to go, if u want to drive until 15000 miles then u just change an oil filter every 5000 miles will be good

conventional oil oxizides after 2500-3000 miles so basically u driving without the maximum power available, but synthetic oil gives the same performance at least 5000miles

i put amsoil 5W-30 and ran 3 track days and 5000 miles, afterall it is still running strong, regular oil cannot even come close, u can actually feel the difference

samkws

no effect at all, you can switch back and forth

samkws

and if u want some real synthetic, get amsoil or motul, they are 100% syn, mobil 1 and castrol are made with petroleum so it's not real syn

Luke7

Yes, this has been beaten to death. Here is a copy of my old post. Just waste your money if you wanna feel good about using synthetic. I'll buy a good lunch with what I save.

I put over 300,000 miles on my 4 banger Prelude and Accord with Castrol GTX=Always used honda oil filters. NO NEED FOR SYNTHETIC!!! Average cost per oil change was around 8 to 12 dollars. When under the car I checked the Constant V. Boots and looked for signs of leaks and other wear and tear. After you change the oil over 100 times, as I did in each of my pervious Honda products=it gets routine and easy. The Acura (99TL) is even easier since the oil filter is mounted up (not sideways) and easy to replace. A far cry from the Accord and Prelude=Messy job anyway you did it. I also get the satisfaction of knowing I'm using good oil and saving BIG BUCKS over the life of the car. Routinely changed the oil every 2 to 4 thousand in the Hondas. I figured I saved over $2000 doing it myself, with the added satisfaction of knowing other things under the car were looked at and inspected!

VietGuy03

iTrader: (4)

Just buy it and do the oil change yourself. Lower overhead cost.
Mobil 1 $20-30
Oil Filter $10 no more than that, depending on grade you choose.

BTW, cheapest place to get Mobil 1 is Wal-mart.

ddayton217

Well I had the oil changed at the local Valvoline with 5w-20 Synthetic and it cost me 39.99......I'll feel better that I can go at least 5-7k without a oil change or if I look at it this way.....$40 for the oil change (synthetic)every 6k lets say...thats still like only $20 a regular change every 3k....Im good with that!

snowman81

The only thing I don't like about having oil changed at a place like that is you don't know what filter they are putting on there unless you ask. I think the filter is just as important. Maybe it doesn't make a difference but I always use K&N oil filters.

ml3456

It all depends what you want. Basically:

Conventional oil is about 40% additive. It will start to oxidize before its recommended change interval, but has an additive to hinder this. It will thicken up more in cold weather creating increased wear on cold starts. It needs to be changed more frequently. Its cheaper. Yes it "meets" the manufacturers requirements for lubrication. Cannot go to synthetics after using conventinal oils for an extended amount of time because it will leak out.

Synthentic oils are almost all an engineered molecules with very, very little additive. Much more slippery than conventional oils. Will not thicken much in cold weather unless you are at the North Pole. Conventional oil can be used after synthetic used for an extended amount of time.

Run times are extremely long. We tested the syns in our lab and they are barely broken in at 15,000. Ran some test engines at a 100,000 mile test and the oil was still on spec. Started a Ford 2.3 4 cylinder OVHC with conventional oil at -40 F and it took 12 minutes for the oil to get overhead cam. Syns were there in seconds.

The commercial that Mobil 1 used to have about there oil in a frying pan is very accurate. They don't degrade in excessive heat.

Synthetic oils "exceed" the lubrication requirements of most motors. If you base your decision economics, (barring warranty paranoia) one syn oil change is less than 2-3 conventional changes and offers better protection.

Yes, conventional oils work well, but not the best at cold weather startup. My choice is 100% synthetic after the first oil change. We have tested the Mobil 1 product and it is very very good. By the way, I do not work for Mobil, but one of their competitors.

ML