jontran8

I currently have 4K miles and the MM is at 60% but the MDX is coming up on its first Birthday in June. Should I change the oil since it is a year or wait till the MM gets closer?

After doing a few searches, the basics are:

0W-20 oil weight
5.7 oil capacity
Drain bolt is 17mm and torque of 29ft-lbs
Location - passenger side

Is this information correct?

csmeance

I believe the owners manual states 1x year or by the minder, whatever comes first. Oil becomes acidic as it ages hence the 1 year requirement

neo1738

0-20 weight?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

read the owners manual!!
it states, >15% or one year, whichever comes first!!

also, the owners manual will give the correct oil weight and will give the correct torque value.

instead of looking around on the web, you can read the owners manual which will give you the best indications on taking care of your vehicle.

this info will also be found on www.owners.acura.com

irobot2090

I uses Mobile1 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy Synthetic Motor Oil, 5 qt. And Mobile1 M1-110 Extended Performance Oil Filter. Very easy to change oil on 2016 MDX.


And yes mine is 2016 MDX/Sh-AWD Tech. I always change my oil and shouldn't take that long to do.


Hope this helps.

mgookool1

Like others have said, check the owners manual, all the maintenance info is in there. I do believe the recommended oil weight is 5w-20 but the chart contained in the manual will give you other options based on your climate. It takes approx 6 US Quarts. If you use 5, your dipstick will show on the low side when you check it. I buy my filters from the dealer and do the oil change myself, it really is very simple. Also, use a long neck funnel and be careful not to drop the oil cap when removing/installing (I did, PITA to get back out, but not impossible).

hondu

As others have already mentioned, manual calls for 0W-20. Also, as others have mentioned, I use Mobil 1 0W-20 AFE and the M-110 filter. Local auto stores have it on sale all the time, plus Mobil 1 was offering $15 cash back when you buy the two. Bought two oil change deals (10Q) with filters and got $30 back. Total spent was ~$40.

It is somewhat a pain you have to use ~5.7 quarts for a change and most oil change deals are 5Q. Costco has been discounting Mobil 1 lately though and they sell 6Q packs, though finding 0W-20 in an actual store is not easy...

mgookool1

I stand corrected...the manual DOES recommend 0w-20. However, Oil choice and filter are a personal preference.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

for the experienced, yes. I choose to use a different weight than the manual calls for.....

but for the novice, its just easier to go by the manual.

hondu

Novice? What oil weight is it that you choose to use then? Do you think you know more than Honda engineers?

Midnight Mystery

I'd wait a bit, there are "Break In" chemicals and sealers in this oil from the factory that needs to properly go through the engine, fallow the specs, or call Honda/Acura and question them if the manual doesn't state clearly...

But listen to those engineers, they studied this over and over again to create a percise service schedule, so fallow their instuctions...

hondu

I think you can wait. It may be 12 months, but you still have the factory fill in there, so I would go until the MM is around 15%. Acura uses break-in oil (it is really high in Moly), so I would not drain it out at that low of mileage. I am pretty sure your TBN is still above 1.0 and your TAN is not that high.

thoiboi

Justin works for Honda engineering ...

csmeance

The owners manual specifies what would be best for a majority of folks in generalized driving conditions.

Talking to a few acura techs that I'm friends with who are recommending 5W-20 to help prevent oil consumption issues that are plaguing the auto industry right now.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Hondu, did you know that Honda switched to 0w-20 from 5w-30???

because of CAFE regulations.

one generation of cars, I think it was the 3G TL (04-08) where the early builds called for 5w-30.

then it switched to 5w-20.

and now all the literature says 0w-20

hondu

I somewhat fail to see how a 5W-20 will prevent oil consumption over a 0W-20. My experience has been a heavier oil, like a 5W-30 or 0W-30 might help, though you will suffer on fuel economy some.

Though if you get a high quality 0W-20 oil, that is high is Group IV/V content (PAO, esters, etc.) that are extremely stable/shear resistant with an excellent additive pack, oil consumption should be minimal. I think keeping the same brand of oil over several OCI's will help with consumption, since you are not mixing/changing additive packs.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

why? because of CAFE regulations.

by using 0w-20 ACROSS Acura's entire fleet, it raises MPG for the entire fleet meeting CAFE regulations

hondu

So your are a tribologist? And you have torn down engines to see what kind of wear difference there is between a 5W-30 and 0W-20 over several thousands of miles?

So what if they have changed oil weights in their new cars.

There are several excellent 0W-20 oils out there that are even better than some 5W-30 oils. If you change your oil in a timely manner and use a high quality oil, like Mobil 1 0W-20 to name one, your engine should still last hundreds of thousands of miles and you will never know the difference.

I know some people who have used 20W oil for 100-200,000 miles without issue, and their vehicles are still going strong.

Finally, most engine wear occurs on start-up, where a 0W-20 oil will flow and protect better than a 5W-30 oil, so you should see a lot less start-up engine wear with a 0W-20 oil.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

you're missing what I said earlier....
if you're more experienced, you can choose to put something else into the car.
if you're Not AS EXPERIENCED, follow the manual...

hondu

No, I did not miss what you said earlier. Not sure what you mean by "experienced", since you are using the term very generically. Do you mean experienced tribologist? Experienced mechanic? Experienced automotive engineer? Experienced engine rebuilder?

I guess you are implying you are one of those?

How you maintain your car, how you drive your car, what climate you live in, etc., all have an impact on your oil life and life of your engine. You can get sludge/varnish in an engine for a whole host of reasons. I know there are beautiful varnish/sludge free engines that run 20W oil, so your picture is somewhat pointless.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

All I am sayin is that there are options.

I am not forcing my opinion down your throat, I am simply choosing to use a different oil than what the manual calls for. that is my choice.

you choose to follow the manual, which is perfectly fine!

the point of the picture is to show you my clean engine!!! nothing more nothing less!

hondu

You can really put any oil you want in your engine, but you somewhat implied that you knew more than others, so you use a different oil.

If you read the BITOG forums, 20W vs 30W has been beat to death with both sides showing benefits and there never really being complete consensus on the matter.

However, choosing what Honda specifies in the manual is not necessarily being ignorant or un-informed. If you use a high quality synthetic oil in your Acura, religiously change your oil according to the MM, plus do some periodic used oil analysis to verify your OCI, there is no reason your engine should not be sludge/varnish free and run well past six figures in mileage with a 20W oil. How do I know, I've done all of those things.

thoiboi

thoiboi

No, he didn't imply that, you simply INFERRED that. Big difference

cu2wagon

So OP should go ahead and get his oil changed because he's coming up on 1 year now?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

throughout our whole interaction, I maintained my position of having a choice, or personal preference.

hondu

Agreed. Everyone always has a choice and an opinion.

hondu

Not really, but thank you for your contributions to the topic at hand.

csmeance

Generalized statements for most oil you buy at the store bc 98% of car owners won't spend upwards of $5+/ qt for oil, when you can buy oil much cheaper :

Thinner oil tends to burn faster for most group 3 oils as it's resistance to shear (HTHS) isn't as high as heavier oils. Oil shears and then no longer provides adequate protection to the cylinder liners and pistons. With the J-series, oil flow has never been a real issue for lubrication so going to a 0W won't have any benefit unless you are in alaska or canada.

2010+MDX and 2009+ TL 3.7L have been consuming oil as mileage increases and this can be found with a simple google search. The engine wears bc the aluminum silicon liners (AluSil) are improperly exposed due to increased friction allowing the aluminum shards to be exposed that should have silicon on them! 3.7L already has very high side loads and running of thin oil doesn't help. Google NikASil rehoning or alusil rehoning and you'll come up with info on how difficult the process is to ensure you have only silicon crystals exposed and not the aluminum. Once the silicon is gone wear increases considerably and within a few thousand miles it'll be toast.

Any acura/honda that has run 5W-20 (besides the 3.7L) hasn't ever burned a drop of oil, yet a ton of J-series and K-series engines are currently having issues with sticking piston rings and increased oil consumption with 0W-20. It's more than just coincidence.

Honda switched away from the alusil liners and is currently replacing select motors due to the issue depending on the dealer yet they are still being plagued with oil consumption, but not as bad as before. Even new 2015's & 16's running 0W-20 are consuming a 1/2 quart every 5-6K miles. Kinda sad to see honda doing this to themselves.

Long story short, slightly thicker oil at startup will help prevent the wear on the walls and pistons.

hondu

Synthetic oils are pretty cheap today and not much more than a conventional oil. A 5W-20 and 0W-20 both have the same HTHS, so they would generally shear about the same, with all things being equal. However, the Group IV content of Mobil 1 0W-20 is 30-40% PAO, so it should be more shear resistant (the EP is even higher at 60-70%). A semi-syn or conventional 5W-20 will shear much quicker and be a lot more likely to go out-of-grade over time, since it has less Group IV content.

Just because an engine has Alusil liners, doesn't necessarily translate to oil consumption. My Bimmer has alusil liners and doesn't use a drop of oil. Now if the wrong piston rings are used for the application and the engine isn't properly broken in, I could see how oil consumption would be affected and a 30W might work better. 3.7L owners would probably be better off going with a 30W oil.

A synthetic 0W-20 and 5W-20 are practically interchangeable with one another in any application. The only difference is the 0W-20 should flow better a start-up and should be slightly quicker to coat pistons and protect them at start-up. Now comparing a full synthetic with a semi-syn or conventional 5W-20, the 0W-20 should be better in every way.

The specs below are for Mobil 1 5W-20 and 0W-20 full synthetic oils. As you can see, at 100 deg C, they have almost identical viscosity, with the main difference being at 40 deg C (thus the 0W). The HTHS is virtually identical.

Mobil 1 0W-20
SAE Grade 0W-20
Viscosity, @ 100ºC, cSt (ASTM D445) 8.7
Viscosity, @ 40ºC, cSt (ASTM D445) 44.8
Viscosity Index 173
HTHS Viscosity, mPa•s @ 150ºC (ASTM D4683) 2.7

Mobil 1 5W-20
SAE Grade 5W-20
Viscosity @ 100ºC, cSt (ASTM D445) 8.9
Viscosity, @ 40ºC, cSt (ASTM D445) 49.8
Viscosity Index 160
HTHS Viscosity, mPa•s @ 150ºC (ASTM D4683) 2.75

The generalized statement about user oil consumption still proves nothing to me that a 5W-20 is better than a 0W-20. Oil consumption is more likely to occur at temperature, rather than start-up, where both oils have the same/similar viscosity. Especially at high revs. OCI, oil quality and how hard you run an engine are also major factors.

bimmer88

Another oil change question... Does the % oil change meter work based off a certain amount of miles? Say 5k... Or is there a sensor that actually detects how used up the oil is? I think it's actually a fixed amount of miles but the dealership tells me there's a sensor.

Also, I asked if I could use full synthetic oils in the car and the dealership guy in service told me they only use synthetic blend because full synthetic messes up the timing on the car. I notice a lot of you on here use synthetic.

bimmer88

Also, for the ones who use synthetic, at how many miles do you change your oil?

csmeance

The computer in the car calculates oil life based on driving conditions such as engine RPM, exterior temp, duration, etc. Your dealer sounds full of BS, using synthetic does not mess up timing.

I use Mobil 1 5W-20 Extended Performance (gold cap) and change the oil every 12-15K miles. Depending on what the car's oil life meter says, I'll reset it around the 6000-7500 mark and replace the oil filter and add new oil to the filter.

the_razor

which weight and brand do you use?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I use a 5w-30. brand is whatever is the cheapest.
pennzoil, mobil1, vavoline, etc. any brand that has a sale.

I have experimented with a pure synthetic 0w-40. but it was only a one time thing, as I didnt want to keep spending that much coin.

the major key point is to change the oil regularly. if that means following the MID to >15%, so be it!
Change it regularly!!!!!!!

Ron.s

You can buy Mobile 0-20 synthetic at Walmart in a 5 Qt container for the best price I've found so far. Costco also has a deal on 6 Qt packages several times a year. I don't change my own oil but take the oil and filter to them so that I know what I'm getting.
I've been running 0-20 Mobile in one vehicle for 6 years (Lexus RX 350) and my GM truck for 3 years and I can't believe the lack of oil consumption. Changing oil in the Lexus 8-10000 miles and never down more than 1/4-1/2 quart.

E92Vancouver

So VTEC is on intake valves only?

jontran8

Thanks everyone for your GREAT input

Based on this reply, since I'm still in the "break-in" oil I should wait till MM is lower even though it might be 1.5yrs? It's June and my MM is still at 50%

hondu

As others have stated, the OM does say to change every 12 months, so I would retract my earlier post. To make sure of no warranty issues, it is best to follow the OM (though a few months over is probably not a problem).