if i got a synthetic oil change how many miles can i go before i need another oil change?

 

prol the same amt as regular. after you reset the maint light you can go off the cars computer

 

how do i reset it? also do you mean to oil life meter? some people told me not to go off that before this oil change i was at 4000 miles over and it said 40% life so idk

 

key on, all doors/trunk closed
04-06 use select/reset to display oil life (buttons to right of gauge cluster)
press and hold until it says reset, release and press again breifly
07-08 same thing only controls are on steering wheel
scroll to 'reset' and select 'reset'
I would be safe to go off the % oil life unless you're are just picky about these things

 

Use the MID, it will take good care of you. Whomever told you to change the oil early, didn't understand today's technology.

 

I use synthetic. I follow the MID.

Have done it that way since new.

 

Or he understood that draining the contaminate load is just as important as how long the oil can physically hold up.

 

Yep, that was it. So when exactly would that be??

 

That would be determined by a UOA. Not the wear metals but the insolubles, silicone, fuel dilution, etc. The part about extended intervals that's always left out is UOAs are necessary to safely do it. Most oils today will go the distance but if you're driving around with a ton of crap in it, it doesn't matter how long it will last.

I'm not a 3,000 OCI person but I'm not a 15,000 mile person either. In fact, the GN gets the oil changed every 1,000 miles not because the oil is "worn out" but because I have to deal with methanol in the oil, a K&N that filters poorly, gasoline dilution because I run a rich idle to hide the cam and other things. So blanket statements can't be made that changing at 3k, 4k, or 5k is a waste of your money. It depends on the usage.

Hell, I've had the MID tell me to change around 3,500 miles when I was doing 1.5 miles one way, 3 miles total a day in the winter time where the oil never hit full temp. I've had it take me to 10,000 miles when it was pure freeway driving. You don't really think the oil is done at 3,500, do you? It's the contaminate load the the ECU knows is there due to never hitting full temp with a ton of cold starts and the resulting fuel dilution and contaminate load.

 

Always go by the MID it'll treat you right.

 

Follow the MID and you're Golden.

 

Not sure if anyone mentioned it yet but you should follow the MID.

That's what I do.

 

+1

using synthetic just adds peace of mind imo.

 

I actually use dino.

 

with synthetic you NEVER have to change your oil.
ignore MID

 

IF you are using Acura 5w20 (the factory viscosity) you are actually running a synthetic blend. You do have the option of running 0w20 as well.

 

The MID is not signaled by contaminant load. It is a mathematical algorithm crafted from statistics gathered by various electrical sources, primarily the fuel injection system.

It works VERY well and is designed properly. In your particular case, all bets are off. You have modified the vehicle design and must arrive upon your own conclusions.

 

I know how the MID works, I know where it pulls data from. However, you missed the point entirely. The contaminate load is the reason why the MID has you change the oil sooner in some cases and longer in other cases. It's there to guess at the contaminates in the oil. Mine has had me change it at 3,500 miles before. Do you really think an oil can "wear out" in 3,500 miles?

I have modified the vehicle design? Is it my non Honda oil? Is it my aftermarket stereo? The engine is untouched.

 

If either one of you have any more documentation of your statements other than what is in the OM or SM (which isn't much), would love to see it. Thanks!

FYI:

OM:

Based on engine operating conditions and accumulated engine revolutions, the onboard computer in your Acura calculates the remaining engine oil life.

SM:

Based on engine operating conditions and accumulated engine revolutions. The TL's onboard computer (ECM/PCM) calculates the remaining engine oil life.

 

It isn't simply the contaminate load, it is also the calculated depletion of the additive package.

I don't think "base oil" can wear out - but I do know that additives can become less than optimal.

Here's your previous statement as to modifications. Note the highlighted parts.

.

You clearly state a non-OEM air filter which "filters poorly" and a rich idle speed. Are these not to be considered modifications?

 

Agreed about base oil not wearing out. The add pack is precisely what I'm talking about when I mention wearing out, that's why I always put "wearing out" in quotes.
That would be the GN. Unfortunately there's no paper filter that will fit under the hood with the airflow requirements so I'm forced to use a K&N. The TL is bone stock powertrain wise. Sacrificing air filtration is not something I want to do on my daily driver.

 

Looks like Tampa and IHC are pretty much in agreement here and I agree with both of them. The MID does a really nice job of calculating when to change the oil. It adjust based on your driving style. When I'm doing primarily highway driving it goes 9000 miles. As IHC pointed out, it can tell you to change your oil as soon as 3500 miles. (I personally haven't seen sooner than 6000, but I always have a lot of highway mixed in.) I've been using regular dino oil and have 160k with no engine issues. When I did my 105k service, the Acura service tech said my engine was in great shape for 105k miles.

 

Time to rock your world.........

Is it possible to go from an MID Oil Life of 100% down to 10% in just 1760 miles? This is no typo... in just one thousand seven hundred sixty miles.

No way ????

YES WAY !

I keep detailed records of my oil changes and related MID readings ever since my car was new. The MID has always projected an oil change at between 6000-7000 miles.

But after I did my EGR Delete and the ECU thinks that I have a malfunctioning EGR, my Oil Life is down to 10% in just 1760 miles since my last oil change.

 

synthetic should last quite a bit, but if you're unsure MID is always a good guide. BMW's oil change intervals are over 10k for their E46, but that can be attributed to other things. Some engines are harder on oil than others. With synthetic I usually want to change by 7k.

 

It's attributed to their oil capacity. That's how over the road diesels can go 50,000 miles on an oil change when they have 5+ gallons of oil. For anyone uneasy about following the MID, a synthetic should give you peace of mind.

 

http://youtu.be/9bMOlOYrMOk

 

FYI, here's a UOA from my car on an 8200 mile oil change interval. Plenty of additive package still left and contaminants very low... This was M1 5w20 and Purolator Pure One filter. MID interval was about 7500 miles, so I went a little over on this one and as you can see, the oil is in great shape still.

I'm about to do a 10K mile oil change on M1 0w40 and I'll do a UOA on it as well. Will post the results when I get them.

 

The dealership uses 5W20 right? Should I opt for the 0W20 instead? How long is the interval for 5w20 vs 0w20? Is the MID based on time/mileage or it's actually doing some work to arrive at the oil life %?

 

I dont want to thread jack but yesterday i did my oil change ...since i dont use the car that much i decided to change it anyways. since the last time i changed it ive only used the car like 1500 miles barely and its really to cruise around on sundays...

When i did the change it came out in a choclate color and i was surprised to see it like that since i had very few miles on that oil ..is there any suggestion to for a product to do like an engine flush or something ....thanks

 

@ Joelito2983

What is the typical length of time that you drive the car per trip (per each time that you start the engine)?

 

When i use the cars on sundays since i spend me week working at my bike shop and since i have a scooter that i use to go to work i dont even touch my car until sundays afternoon (sometimes) since i useually use the scooter on sundays also ...so i barely use it ....when i do use the car that i do long trips its probably 150-175 round trip as the most and thats probably like once a month .

When i use it to cruise around i spend atleast 2-3 hours cruising at low speed but i useually make alot of stops. There are days that i chill with my freinds and i usually have my cars system on blast when we want to drink a couple of beers stationed at my house or a friends house and i mostly have the car on there for several hours......

Any info would be apreciatted........thanks

 

^ Motor oil that has the appearance of chocolate milk has water mixed in it. The big question is where did the water come from.

Two common methods to get water in the oil is from a blown head gasket and from water-vapor condensation inside the engine.

Let's rule out the blown head gasket. I doubt this is the reason. But just to make sure, what is the coolant level in the reservoir? Check to make sure that it is not excessively low.

Your infrequent driving style seems to be a very likely cause for the water. Any time that an engine is running, there is water vapor present inside of the engine. The water vapor condenses into liquid water, which gets mixed into the oil when the engine and/or oil is below operating temperature.

Under normal driving conditions, the oil will reach (and surpass) a temperature of 212 F*. As you can imagine, once the oil is above 212*, the water that had condensed earlier will now be evaporated (and evacuated) from the engine.

But, if you always start the engine for short time intervals, the engine oil may not ever reach a temperature higher than 212* to allow the water the be evacuated (boiled out from the oil). Plus, the 212* is not just a magic threshold. The oil needs to be above this 212* for a period of time (15 minutes at least ) to evaporate all of the water that had accumulated just for that specific start-up cycle.

If the above fails to happen, the condensed water will continue to collect in the motor oil. Thus, chocolate milk.

 

the coolant level is always a little bit less than min. always