simran4h

got my 07tls with 45000 and now has 47500 and havent changed my oil..........and thoughts on which oil i should use and brand?i dont kno what the guy used before me but he has a sticker of an acura dealer oil change on it but the numbers i cannot see properly....thanks

07BLKTL

Check to see if it's dark/burnt or looks bad by pulling the dipstick out and looking at the oil on the end of the stick. If it looks really dark just go ahead and change it.

As far as the choice of what oil to use.. you can search and search and search and you won't come up with a solid answer. Just put in a good filter and change it regular with whatever you do decide to use.

And make sure you go to acura and get some crush washers for the oil drain plug.

YeuEmMaiMai

Change the oil now for peice of mind and reset the MIDS so that it knows you did it.

VanyDotK

iTrader: (6)

First, I would recommend just putting all your questions into one thread, no need to make separate threads for multiple related questions.

Since you bought the car used, I would change the oil no matter how the oil looks. A lot of people here use Redline 5w30 or 5w20 with a Royal Purple filter.

As far as transmission, a lot of people here use Redline ATF Type F / Redline ATF D4 fluid. A lot of people also change the pressure switches and some even add a Magnafine inline filter for extra filtration.

These are just general answers, search more and read more to get more detail.

mau108

First follow the oil life monitor. In my Type S it takes my oil changes to 5000miles (8000km), but if your TL is taking it beyond 7500 miles I'd change it before the OLM tells you to.

Regarding oil, I'd go with a 5w30 instead of a 5w20 as the 3.5L Honda motors are proving to be harder on oil according to bitog forum I view however those are honda motors with VCM which our TL does not have.

Run what ever synthetic oil you can get for cheap (on sale), has API SN stamp on it.

I personally use Pennzoil Platinum as it's what I use in my RDX and it works really well!

Azndjay

well its recommend 7500 or once a year... i stored my TL-s so i do it every spring.

powerflow

Follow the oil life display. For me its about 4.5 to 5K miles, or twice a year.
I use Valvoline Synpower + RP oil filter (Royal Purple S2000/2G TL Oil Filter)
I buy the oil at wally world and amazon prime for the filter.

ZOMGVTEK

Based on oil analysis of my J30, assuming the J35A8 has similar wear, about 4K OCI's are good. Frequent <10 mile trips, or very cold weather will be harder on the oil.

I would run Penzoil Ultra if you can find it, or Penzoil Platinum is good as well. As far as filters go, the Puralator PureOne is one of the best, and not terribly expensive.

5w20 should be OK, I do know some people like 5w30. I didn't notice any impact in my UOA's.

mb1976

Unless if you are going to be dogging the crap out of the car in extreme hot weather (like flooring it and redlining it traffic light to traffic light) then using a synthetic 5w30 will be fine. But for any other drive style I would stick to 5w20 reg dino or semi synthetic and follow the OLM our J-series engine seems to hold up really well with regular oil

simran4h

idk if the guy before me ever used synthetic.......i was thinking about just using regular oil till i hit like 100k or is tht not good?and for my tranny i dont think the oil was ever changed....so just change it and start using redline?or something else?

ZOMGVTEK

I would do a drain and fill on your transmission with Honda DW-1, assuming its an auto. Since this service has likely never been done before, I would get 6-7 QTS and do another drain and fill a few hundred miles after the first. Something like 10K miles before another drain and fill is about right. You could probably get away with 15-20K, but its not terribly hard to perform or expensive. Easier than an oil change by most accounts. If it was my car, I would get clean factory fluid in the trans before I consider switching.

I don't really see any reason to wait, just run good oil now. It's not terribly expensive if you do it yourself. My last oil change was $34.70, maybe $10 more than using cheap stuff.

If you take a peek at the dipstick, you can usually get some indication of how the oil is wearing just by the color. If this is the oil you purchased the car with, I would change it out regardless of what the car says.

J1simon

Do any of your recommend using high mileage oil? My TL has 115k on it now but it does not seem to burn any oil so I'm assuming everything is still meshing pretty well.
I made the mistake of converting my old 98 prelude to synthetic at 130k miles and it cleaned out the rings too well and started burning a lot more oil (didn't help that I was autoxing it)
Anyway, the dealer did the last change before I bought it and I'm not sure what they put in, so is it best to just change with a synthetic or should I consider a high mileage dino oil?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^you can switch to and from synthetic with no problems, as most synthetics are blends any way.

jiggad369

So you recommend Honda transmission fluid over Redline for the first 3x3?

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I recommend follow the MID, but I usually change the oil once I buy a car. I've just been using Mobil 1 5W20 and I do it myself. I trust myself and I don't have a problem getting my hands dirty. Plus it is a 2 beer job.

As for the ATF I've been using Honda DW1. I recommend you read the threads on Redline or Amsoil and choose which one you like more. I've done four 1x3 since I bought the car last year but I have also put on 46K miles.

Not saying that you should but I've just stuck with synthetic over high mileage. I'm closing in on 119K and I change every 7500 or so. I'm not consuming any oil to speak off. I usually fill in about 4.5 qts and I drain out about 4.25 qts. And I check every time. My Infiniti consumed oil so I got in the habit of checking.

ZOMGVTEK

The main goal of the '3x3' is to safely exchange the old fluid in the transmission with new fluid. The only reason why you would do this, is if the fluid is in BAD shape. If its black, its a good idea to perform a few drain and fills in a row until the fluid has a new appearance. A lot of people on here get caught up in the '3x3' craze and can waste fairly expensive fluids for no gain. Do a drain and fill, drive something like 20-100 miles on the fluid, inspect the color. If it looks noticeably worse than what went in, do another one. After one or two of these, the fluid in the trans should look fairly good unless you had some seriously burnt fluid in there. In that case, your trans probably has a fairly short life left.

You should only really do a '3x3' once, and thats when you first get the car, if it has 60K+ miles on it and the fluid has never been changed. Once the fluid is clean, its a much better bet just to do a single drain and fill every 10-20K miles, roughly every other oil change. It's really simple to DIY, and is cheap. It should drain out nearly new in color after such short intervals, only slightly darker.

Honda fluid is what the transmission was designed to use, and DW-1 isnt a terrible fluid. It's what I would run in a Honda AT. The trans should be OK with the appropriate Redline or Amsoil fluid, but its probably quite wasteful to be cleaning out the trans with that. Get it clean before you consider switching.

Krack3r

Mobile 1 5w-20, factory filter,
I change it at 20-30% life and that's about every 8 weeks

RobertTL

Can you make out the dealers name on the sticker, you could probably call them and ask when the oil was last done.

I hate cars

I guess the search function is broken again because I swear there are a thousand of these threads.

Use any SL or SM oil and any filter and it will be fine. Go by the MID or change every 1,000 miles, doesn't matter. I just explained why we change the oil when we do in a thread yesterday.

I personally use Redline 5w-30 and a Royal Purple filter. Too tired of explaining the reasons why I believe this combo is the best but unlike most replies it has a factual basis and experience behind it.

UOAs should never be used to determine engine wear, the wear metals section is not even close to being accurate and should be completely ignored. Use a UOA to determine oxidation, shearing, coolant in oil, silicone in oil, but not wear metals. I've explained the reasons why in great detail in the past.

I don't understand the logic of using a good oil to save wear only if you run it hard vs running it easy. Why would you not want the lowest possible wear all the time.

Steverino714

I've been using 5W-20 Amsoil for years on everything from my TL-S to my 04 Expedition. Expy towed 6K lb boat off and on....and upon smogging at 110K miles, the darn thing gave off Zero's for pollution. Go figure. I use Mobil 1 when I don't have the Amsoil....both are simply the best. Stay away from all Fram oil filters as they can disintegrate internally and cause real issues. Wix/Mobil 1 brands have high filtration.

nfnsquared

Would love to see factual links to back up your statement... I'll be here waiting...Thanks

nfnsquared

and as far as oil is concerned... whatever is on sale and meets specs will be fine for the average driver who follows the MID intervals.

ZOMGVTEK

I know most people feel an oil filter is some magical metal canister, and they're all the same. If you ask me, its more important than the oil itself. I'd rather run cheap oil than a cheap filter.

nfnsquared

Bwahaha, that's just some anonymous Bubba on Youtube. So you automatically believe everything that is posted on Youtube? Bwahahaha.

Check out my youtube video on Florida swamp land then. You have to get in on this great deal now!!!!

SSMTL21

winter i use 5w-30 mobile-1 filter and oil fully synthetic and summer i use 10w-30 fully synthetic

I hate cars

It's funny how when Mobil One is mentioned, "fully synthetic" is usually in the same sentence. Marketing at it's finest. There are only a couple Mobil oils that are truly synthetic. 0w-40 and EP are synthetics. The rest are a blend or a grpIII dino oil that can legally be labled as a synthetic.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

for if any one is wondering, i'm running m1 0w-40.

ZOMGVTEK

What are you trying to say? I made absolutely no mention as to my opinion of the validity of that video I linked. It's fairly well documented that the cheap Fram oil filters have had a questionable history. The fact that you made absolutely no attempt to validate this is on a failure on my part, especially since I was not the one to mention Fram oil filters initially.

Since you are being defensive about this, do you feel Fram oil filters are good quality? Are you trying to somehow argue oil filters make absolutely no difference to the operation of the engine?

I have not formed any opinions in this post. I'm simply questioning the logic you used.

golfer04

No "factual links," but I did personally have a Fram Extra Guard (the orange one) fall apart internally upon a cold start in my Maxima.

I can tell you, it's no fun to hear your engine experience thousands of miles of wear in a matter of seconds. I can still hear all the clanking and clunking of an oil starved engine everytime I even look at a Fram filter...

On a lighter note, I can probably thank Fram for encouraging me to purchase the TL. The maxima still seemed to run ok after i changed it, but I didn't want to think about how much my engine life was shortened by their filter collapsing on itself... I'm a dedicated Mobil1 filter user now

simran4h

ive finally decided to stop being lazy and changed my oil yday.......i used 5w-30 mobil one synthetic and a fram filter but willl use mobil one filter later on walmart didnt have tht kind

NJAcura2004

Mobil 1 5w30 every 7,000 miles. I usually get 2 or 3 oil changes in a year, but I put some miles on my TL..

nfnsquared

Don't worry, your car will be fine with the Fram. Not my choice of filter (PureOne), but your car is not going to blow up or be damaged. Rest easy....

LaCostaRacer

I just changed the oil on our Pilot that doesn't have a MID today.

1. I'll use Mobile1 mostly because I get it at Costco when it goes on sale and it's been a great oil for me over the years. I'm sure there are better oils out there but my Wife isn't racing the Pilot.

2. We usually change the oil around 6K miles. I use to do 5K but figured that MID on my TL gives me a 6-6.5 k interval and the Pilot has the same or easier duty cycle than my TL.

3. Over the years, have learned to rely on Purolator filters. They come on sale frequently and I stock up since both cars use the same size filter which is nice.

4. I place a couple of round magnets on the filter to keep any metallic crap in the filter. No science on this one, but there are companies that sell $30 sleeves that do a similar thing. I cut up a filter once and sure enough there was metallic dust where the magnet was so it does work!

In general I wouldn't stress too much on the oil change interval. If you do a change every 8k miles you'll probably be OK with whatever oil you choose. The engine will likely outlast your ownership in all likelihood. I would be more worried about the electronics on our vehicles instead.

nfnsquared

Yeah, I used M1 5w20 for the first 100K. It was great! And my MID intervals usually run 7500-8000, so I had plenty of time to find M1 on sale between oil changes. At 106K, I tried M1 0w40. It was fine, but definitely had a 1- 1.5 mpg drop. Didn't like that.

Justn: Have you noticed the same drop in MPG with 0w40?

I'm now using the new Honda 5w20 syn blend on my current oil change. Seems fine. Next change will be in a week or so. Will be staying with the Honda syn blend this time since it's about half price of M1.

FYI, everyone should check with your local Honda dealer for their bulk price on the new Honda 5w20 syn blend. My Honda dealer sells it for $2.75/qt. BYOJ (Bring your own jug).

I hate cars

Why waste your money on an expensive yet mediocre filter? Same goes for the K&N and most other filters. If you want a truly high end filter that filters and flows better than the rest and has great construction, use the Royal Purple filter. RP and Amsoil are the only two that offer a synthetic media for consumer use that actually stands out and separates itself from the rest.

vectorracer

should change the oil now and then reset mid. Just follow mid. I use mobil one 5w-20 with a honda oil filter. So far never had a problem and really dont burn any Real Noticeably oil. never had to add oil between changes so very happy with this combo and will continue using it.

DMZ

I use NAPA"s own brand of synthetic 5W-20 which is Valvoline SynPower with NAPA's name on it for around $5.49 a quart ..... a lot less than Mobil1 or Royal Purple. I use a NAPA 51334 filter (around $7.50) which is a WIX with their name on it. From my own experiments trying various brands of oil filters over the last 8 years, this one seems to keep the oil clean longest. No need to spend $13+ for a filter.

Though I'm certain Mobil1 is good oil, ExxonMobil made over $45 Billion last year and in 2008 while raping us for almost $5 a gallon at the pump. So I don't think they need any of my money, OR YOURS! I'm still boycotting BP for what they did to the Gulf last year, and that means no Castrol products either as they're a wholly owned subsidiary of BP.
.
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I hate cars

I went back to see my land on the Gulf when all of that was happening. They had the orange things all over the place in an attempt to stop the oil. Luckily it never reached the slip where our boats are. That land has been in my family for generations, I would have been beyond pissed.

To be honest, I would not be mad at the oil companies for the price of fuel. Be mad at the government. We would still have $2 gas if the government wasn't doing what the government does best, tax the shit out of everything and royally screw it up. I work for a big oil company, and you would not believe just how much the government has it's hand in out business. They literally steal from us plain and simple. The fine on an open ended 1" nipple that is AFTER a closed valve: $10,000. I'm not talking about a leak, if there is not a plug or a cap we get fined $10k for each and every one and we have tens of thousands of them in the field.

Find the packing leaking on a gate valve which many do, $5,000 fine. I'm not talking about leaking oil. If they detect any gas or liquid, including water we get fined and there is not quantity limit. It may be so little that you can't hear it or see it but if a quad monitor picks up any gas, even if the gas is not harmful, we get a fine. Our gate valves that all use packing number in the hundreds of thousands. If a tank vents to atmosphere for 1 second and it might vent H2S or just carbon dioxide but not matter what the quantity it's $100,000. If we have to fire up a flare to prevent venting a tank, it depends on the location and the permit but it can be over $1,000 a minute. If our natural gas powered generators fall out of emission compliance for a few seconds, $10,000-$100,000 fine. These are generally cleaner than the cars we drive. If we are on BLM land and have to dig up or kill a weed, we have to give up that same amount of land back to the government. That's right, we lose land over a weed.

We have a great legal department and while some of it takes care of the usual lawsuits and such, the majority is devoted to killing legislation that would literally put us out of business in a year or two. We have lobbyists whose sole purpose is to go to Sacramento and get some of the amazingly arrogant, insane legislation overturned.

Sure, the profits are nice but the "fines" are no more than taxes in reality. I laugh when they call them fines. We don't determine the price of oil but the government has no problem taxing the hell out of the company that's producing it, the plant that's processing it, and the consumer that's buying it.