The Legend

I have been lurking on this board for a few weeks. Great Board! I've learned much.. thanks to all on the board.

I picked up my new TL on Saturday. It came with 16 miles. I love the car.. my wife loves the car.. and my kids love the car. We can't stop talking about it. We found a bunch of reasons to leave the house this week-end.. and all had to do with running an errand.. of course in the new TL.

I drove it from Tallahassee to Jacksonville today. I reset the computer before hitting the Interstate.. ended up getting 29 MPG (average speed of 76 MPH) I know.. I know.. that's too slow.. once 'break in' period is over.. avg. speed to Jax will be in the high 80's, if I can keep it that slow.

Anyway.. what a great car. I miss my 94 Legend GS.. but it's new owner is happy with it, so everyone is happy. I do miss two features from the Legend that I wish Acura would have kept on the TL.

1) The electronic tilt/telescope feature of the steering wheel. I loved the way it would move up and in to the dash when you took the key out. Sure made it easy to get in and out. It was also a feature that you could set differently for the two memory positions...

2) The inside courtesy lights. At night it's nice to have the floor lighting on if you want it. Not a feature on the TL.

Oh well.. I could write a list of things that come on the TL that I love.. Bluetooth, 5.1 DVD, etc. etc.

Great car.. great day.. great board.. can't wait to drive home tomorrow!

One question.. is anyone using Synthetic Oil in your 04 TL? My brother in-law uses it in all his cars.. Integra, MDX and MB 420. He swears buy it and says that he changes the oil every 10K miles. He gets better MPG.. and even more horse power.

Is synthetic oil worth the extra $$$? Any experience from any of you in the TL?

Thanks!

The Legend

I have to reply to my own post.. seem that I need to figure out how to use the little smiley guys if I'm going to post.. not sure how I got the 'hang man' guy.. it makes no sense in my post.. Oh well.. live and learn.



But I do love the drive my new TL

I think I'm getting the hang of it!

Sorry. it's late and I'm getting goofy.

caball88

i use synthetic in my TL and all other cars i've owned. people will be split on whether synthetics are really worth it. but the fact of the matter is that synthetic oil provides better lubrication. it will not hurt the engine and people have reported better mileage and horsepower when using synthetics. however regular oil have come along way as well. alot of it is refined to a consistency similar to that of synthetics. machined engine parts have also improved and they are closer to spec. engines no longer need to obey the 3k change oil rule and can run alot longer even on regular oil. but the piece of mine that the synthetic oil can provide with possibly some added protection and increased performance is my reason for using it in my $35K investment.

xristos

I plan to do my first two oil changes with dino oil, then use Mobil 1 synthetic oil there after. I plan to keep my car for a long time , so I think it's a good investment. If you don't plan to keep your car that long, then just use regular oil. Caball88 has a good point about the advances of dino oil.

Aquineas

Welcome to the board! Glad you like the new TL. With regards to the nighttime running-light thing, I found that the TL's overhead compartment emits a faint blue light that's at least enough to find the big things...

With regards to the oil issue, try a search on synthetic, or even visit the "garage". You'll find lots of useful info. Personally, I use Amsoil 5W-20, and the engine is noticably smoother since I switched to this at my last change.

Road Rage

Follow the links from The RR Journals: Lubricants. These posts represent 20 years of tribological research on my part, and hours of typing.

pettydw

If you drive fast and hard (near 90 mph in hot FL weather qualifies) and plan to keep your car until the wheels fall off, synthetic oil will make a difference in engine life. If you are just leasing for 3 years, why bother. Compared to the cost of fuel, insurance, depreciation, etc, synthetic oil (per mile) is inexpensive.

The Legend

Thanks to those of you who responded.. based on your responses, what I've read, what I've heard.. I think that I will go with regular oil on the 1st change.. then switch to the Synthetic Oil from there on out. I do plan to keep this car for a very long time... so the Synthetic seems the right way to go.

Thanks!

subinf

synthetic is great if you are under anything but normal driving conditions. 5w20 syn. helps get into those tight engine spots hondas are known for. also, help with cold/hot starts. i still change it ever 3k despite what is out there about synthetics and completely ignoring the stupid computer reminder.

Road Rage

1) Those "Tight engine spots" have aleays been there - 5w20 is merely for mileage and EPA certification. If your reasoning were sound, an M5 would not come with 10w60. I posted the Letter to Mfr's on 5w20 long ago here that blew the lid off the old and invalid "tight tolerances". http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...ht=RR+Journals

2) 3K is a waste of money and resources, unless that represents a 6-month interval - but it is your money.

subinf

not always...yes the epa mpg has somethign to do with the waterlike viscosity, but newer engines have newer and smaller components. im not throwing out the mpg reasoning, but just noting the technology as well. with the amount of punishment and heat that most engines go through now pushing 3k isnt a good idea, but its your motor.

Xpditor

Road Rage,

I could hear your audible sigh all the way down here.

Be gentle. He's a young man.

XP

fast-tl

But by that reasoning, why would the people who ACTUALY BUILD the TL put the maintenance minder in that let's you go 6000 or 7000 miles between changes if they thought it'd blow engines? That certainly wouldn't build faith among consumers. I think we're putting too little faith in regular oil's technologocal advances. I mean, they engineered this car for regular oil, as I've posted on another synth oil thread, so it's contradictory to think they'd allow oil change intervals that would damage the engine. On that basis, I say synthetic's a waste, and Honda engines have been going 200K miles long before synthietic oil was common. To hear some on this thread, you'd think that impossible with conventional oil. It's the same with using high octance gas in a Ford pickup. The only *measurable* performance factor is the increasing thinness of your wallet. Get an intake, change to a performance air filter if you want to get an actul return on your money.
I owned a '97 Z28 from new to 43K miles and it lived on Mobil 1. But when you realize how good regular oil has gotten, I look back on it as a waste of money. Not that it hutrt, but that it didn't help in any way I could see. "Peace of mind" can be expensive, and I can't see any warranty claims being denied because of following the mfr requirement of conventional oil. I hope this helps. Cars are expensive enough to maintain without squandering money needlessly. Use the savings from synth oil on your bill for premium gas, now at $2.09 here in Dallas!

synoil

True about dino's getting better. The new class III dino oils are very good performers with their
"Very High Viscosity Index" synthetic additive package. I still will stay with pure synthetics.
I use Amsoil products and I will use the series 2000 0W-30 for my first change in my TL.
I'm going on 4Kmi and I still read 50% oil life.
Craig

jjsC5

I believe that everybody should have one hobby that they spend "stupid" money on because it's their passion. Cars are mine. Therefore I will continue using synthetic in my cars just because I can.

fast-tl

Cars are mine too, and I support your opinion. I was saying the less I spend on oil with dubious benefits, the more I can spend on wheels, electronics, etc. We're on the same page.

synoil

Another consideration is our dependence on foreign oil. If everbody used syn oil in everything in their
vehicles we would use far less gasoline. Like 5-8% less. Also the environmental issues with folks and companies disposing of used oil in a less than a stellar manner. One gallon of used oil contaminates more than a million gallons of water. Think of that when you see the neighbor pouring used oil down the sewer or in a field.

Craig

fast-tl

Craig 5% is 5%. If everybody used synthetic, we'd only use 5% less gasoline. That's a little less, not far less. And synthetic or dino doesn't have an effect on its goodness for the environment. Both kinds make bad spills.

cvajs

use of either will make a car last, all depends on when you change the oil/filter. synths have much better cleaning properties, have better mechanical properties (shear strengths, etc), and allow you to go longer on drain interval.

my primary reasons for switching to synth are as follows:
1) i can go longer on drain interval. the longer drain interval offsets the extra cost compared to dino oil at shorter intervals. i gain less time under the car per year.
2) synths offer better cleaning, keeping sludge to minimum (probably non-existent).
3) synths are easier on seals compared to dino oil.

synoil

Fast-TL,
5% of the million+ barrals of oil we use daily is alot of gas. Using synthetic oil to it's potential
longer crankcase life also mean less oil disposed of. I certainly agree that any oil, syn or petro, when disposed of badly is serious pollution.

Craig

KJSmitty

I can say that I was a die-hard Mobile-1 synthetic guy for the past 10+ years but feel I finally came to my senses. I've had numerous vehicles from corvettes to civics, filled all with Mobile-1. Changed oil between 3 and 4K miles. Being an old school mechanic it was hard to change but I now use synthetic "blend" oil and change oil (for the most part) when my vehicle "reminders" tell me to. Reasons:

1) Todays engines are cleaner and oils are better. The oil will last longer than 3500 miles, though my personal max is 6K. I just performed my TL's second change. The oil had 5200 miles on it and the reminder claimed 50% remaining.... My first oil change was at 4K and I used straight Castrol 5W-20. This oil change was the start of Castrol Syntec "blend" 5W-20.

2) Cost to benefit ratio. At basically $5 bucks a quart, synthetic oil and my "feel good" factor just didn't cut it. Nor does the fact that using a good filter and good "dino" oil result in superb engine performance equaling that of pure synthetics. Most regular dino oil is about $1.75 per qt. You can get a good synthetic blend for $2.25 (like Castrol) at Walmart etc. It's not a financial issue but rather a practicality one.

3) Really folks, the filter has much more to do with it than the oil. Thats why I only use Mobile-1 filters. Sure their twice as much as others but after building/rebuilding many engines (more than I can remember) in my past, filters make the difference. Mobile-1 has always been in the number one or two spot on near every test/review in filtration quality and structural integrity.


As always, just one mans opinion....

Andyw2100

I have searched the forums, and can't seem to find an answer to this.

I am planning on switching to Mobil 1 for my first oil change. I live in a cold climate...upstate NY. It is not out of the question for the temperature to get down to -15 or even -20 degrees fahrenheit when it gets really cold here. Naturally this doesn't happen often, but sub zero temperatures probably happen at least once every winter.

I actually don't drive my TL all that much, as we usually use my girlfriend's car for stuff around town. (I'm afraid of parking lot dings, etc. I know, I know...I'm probably being stupid, but...) I also travel a lot. There are times the TL will sit in my garage, undriven, for weeks on end.

I have had the car since late November, and have about 6000 miles on it. I'm guessing at least 4000 of those miles are highway miles.

I do not drive particularly aggressively.

So...my question is, which Mobil 1 should I be putting in the TL?

Also, for those concerned with the cost of synthetic...I realize most of you probably change your own oil. But for those of us that don't, the cost differential between regular oil and synthetic becomes less significant. For example, I think my local Honda dealer quoted me about $13 to change my oil if I brought the synthetic oil. Assuming I need to buy 5 quarts at $5 a piece, the total cost will be $38. I think that is actually pretty close to what the cost for a standard oil change would have been with them anyway. Of course this does not take into account the Mobil 1 oil filter. I don't know what those go for. But my point, that the cost differential is not as significant, is, I believe, valid for those of us who won't be changing the oil ourselves.

Thanks in advance for any answers to my questions.
Andy W.

Xpditor

As a result of my own research and reading all the threads about this, and noting that I live in Florida where we don't do cold.....

I will switch to Mobil 1 10W-30 at the first oil change. I have 1,000 miles on my TL and the MID says "80% Oil Life".

I am convinced that Acura used 20 weight oil to get the best fuel and power ratings and must therefore recommend it in the manual. I am also convinced that 10W-30 will give slightly better protection.

I believe, as others have noted, that some dino juice is nearly as good as are some blends. Differences are minimal. I just have 15 years of experience with Mobil 1 in my cars and motorcycles and am very pleased with it.

I also agree that the filter is very important. Tests have shown that changing filters every 5,000 miles and topping off the oil (replaces additives) lets you go forever between changes (although I am not about to do that). The cost of even the priciest sythetic is peanuts compared to an engine replacement.

I like knowing my oil is clean and fresh and doing its job. Peace of mind has a value to me.

XP

Andyw2100

Thanks for the reply. Would 10W-30 be the right weight for me in upstate NY, based on my last post? Or do I need something else because of either the cold, or the fact that the car sometimes sits undriven for a couple of weeks?

An oil ending in 20 is thinner, right? So gas mileage will be better with a 20 than with a 30?

Thanks!
Andy W.

Xpditor

Yes. No. Yes. And yes.

I think the difference in milegae would be very small - if any.

10W-30 is probably the most commonly used lube in your area. (I used to live there.)

You could always use 0W-20 in the winter and 10W-30 in the summer. Again- their differences are very small.

XP

BuzzAldrin

Here are some links to manuals for the 2004 Japanese market CR-V and Inspire.

Inspire

CR-V

The asterisk appears to recommend 0W20 for all temperatures, with 5W30 or 5W40 also suitable. 10W30 looks to be OK for anything above -20 deg. C. No mention of 5W20 which, as Road Rage has pointed out, seems to be a nod towards the US EPA.