navbiraurora

Which one is better (synthetic or conventional), for the 04 TL 6MT ??

acura_driver

Start with this thread: http://www.acura-tl.com/forum/showth...threadid=64485

-r

RJC RSX

if you're referring to oil, synthetic is faaaaaaaar better

www.mobil1.com

erikmoeser

I have switched to Mobil 1 in my S4...picked up about 1.5 mpg on average and it "feels" quicker (probably placebo effect). I have noted that many people recommend switching only after perhaps 10,000 miles or so on the clock, something to do with the lack of friction with synthetics not allowing proper break in. I wonder if Porsche and Corvette have heard about that since I think they come with synthetic oil from the factory.

In any case I will wait a while and then go with synthetic in our TL...have no idea whether it really matters but probably can't go wrong with regular oil for the first couple of changes.

RJC RSX

that would be a synthetic oil myth, it is fine to use synthetic oil right away

Z Factor

For those of you who are going to switch to synthetic , you may want to save a few bucks by getting the 5 quart jugs from Wal-Mart. Normally Mobil 1 cost between $4.70 and $5.50 a quart. Depending on the price of the 5qt jug (between $19.80 and $22.50) you can save as it comes out to $4.00 to $4.50 a quart. I learned this owning several Corvettes, the current one being a ZR-1 that holds 11 quarts when properly drained. I also spring for Mobil 1 oil filters which cost $11-$12 a pop at AutoZone. You can get cheaper oil and filters, but why not take the best possible care of a car you intend on owning for many years to come. My TL will get a dino oil since it is a lease, but synthetic is the way to go if you own yours.

By the way, the owners manual recommends you not change your oil for the first 600 mile break in, but after that, you can switch to synthetic.

LGG

I've not seen the 0W-20 in WalMart in any size, have you? Even 5W30 in the 5 quart seems to be in stock only rarely.

RJC RSX

advance auto parts carries M1 0W-20 for just over $4/quart

Saintor

Pure waste of money.

bollywood21

I am going to use the standard acura oil. Sounds like too much work for me.
The only time I open the hood of my car is to put washer fluid in the car. That why I like Hondas.

RJC RSX

Wrong. Even if you want to deny all the proven benefits of synthetic oil, the extended drain intervals make up for the oil cost

ccie2663

A very good web site with reference to motor oils....

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

In case you would like to see what is going on inside that engine....

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/

vandy786

Superior protection and helping an engine last longer are hardly a waste of money if you plan to keep your car for the long run. Not to mention, you can run 7500 miles easily with synthetic so it's like doing one expensive oil change rather two cheap ones.

Saintor

This is the recommended oil interval by Honda with dino oil!!! I do it each 10000km (6200miles) .

It was NEVER proven that synthetic oil had any impact on engine longevity. With dino oil, Honda engines will pass 200-250000 miles without too much problems.

This is one of the biggest scam of the industry, along with AWD.

I would use it only if I lived in an arctic climate.

erikmoeser

Stop by this winter on a crummy day for a little cat and mouse run and we will see if AWD is a big scam.

RJC RSX

recommended oil change for 04TL in severe conditions is 3,750 miles

kws6000

It depends.If you intend to keep the car forever then the superior lubricating benefits would pay off in increased longevity or if you live where the winter temperatures are quite cold than synthetic oil would make it easier on the engine during cold starts (especially if you dont use the block heater).If you only intend to keep the car for 2-5 years why spend the extra money for synthetic oil ?I wouldnt.

RJC RSX

again, you're not spending extra money. You'll also benefit from increased fuel economy and the performance placebo effect (you'll swear your engine is running smoother and revs more freely )

vandy786

INCORRECT. For severe driving, which most of us do unless you're 65 years or older (and even some of them have heavy feet!), you have to follow the severe driving oil change recommendation, which is 3750 miles. I'm saying that with synthetic, I've noticed I can run 7500 miles and the oil will still look and feel cleaner than the 3750 mile conventional oil. Plus, I get almost 34mpg with full trunk, 4 passengers, and AC on in the summer so I am sure I'm not losing anything. The car also idles lower and although it may be in my head, the RPMs climb so much easier after I went synthetic.

Saintor

This is ridiculous. Synthetic oil has zero impact on fuel economy or engine smoothness unless you use a different grade.

With oil monitors, M-B recommended even higher than 10000 miles oil changes with regular.

3750 miles oil changes are made to bring you to the dealership more often and generate some business for them.

This is where AWD will serve to nothing. It has no better braking or handling. It only helps you to accelerate better on the slip. Even Car&Driver has come to this conclusion a few times after a battery of tests.

Z Factor

Let me address the smoothness issue. I own a 90 ZR-1 with the LT5 engine that has four cams, and 32 values. When you start it up you can hear the chain tensioners very distinctly on dino oil vs. synthetic. How do I know you may ask? Well a fellow Corvette buddy that also has one decided to go cheap and switch to dino oil. He didn't put two and two together as to why he was getting all the racket on start up and I told him it was probably the oil, and or the filter not having a good check valve (inverted filter which must hold the oil prior to start up). He changed the filter, but kept the dino, and still had the noise. he went ahead and changed the oil to synthetic, and like magic, the noise disappeared. So I saw real world results of the difference.

You can get away with a good quality of dino/filter changed at regular intervals without a problem, but synthetic does have it's advantages.

LGG

You clearly don't own one of these MBs, do you? For my 1999 SLK with the Flexible Service System, MB now recommends ONLY a limited number of synthetics--most of which aren't even available in the US--and the dealers pretty much exclusively stock an M1 0W40 that was not even available at retail in the US until last year. I believe you will find that MB ships some or all of their vehicles exclusively with M1 in the sump.

erikmoeser

You have better traction for accelleration or just getting up a hill others can't and less likely to break traction in any mode (straigt ahead or turning) since the total propelling force is 1/2 as much per driven tire. If turning on snow and ice in a given situation requires X amount of your tires traction, you have only so much left for thrust...dividing that by 4 instead of 2 means you are less likely to spin out or whatever. AWD rules in WRC and not only because of better accelleration.

Saintor

Tests reveal that it is just not true. Trust me; it would be the least true, Mercedes would have it standard on their flagships (S600 and last 200000$+ coupe).

Yes.

And AWD does not really shine in autocross. (www.solo2.com)

erikmoeser

We could discuss this all day. In autocross being able to break the rear end loose to position the car is an advantage...not easy to do with awd. As far as traction goes a tire has so much traction only....and if cornering at the limit there is none left for accel or braking. Similarly, if braking at the limit there is none left to provide cornering. So adding power in an awd car divides that between 4 tires which lessens the likelyhood of breaking one loose, straight ahead or cornering. If adding cornering force and accel force exceeds the ability of the tire to stay hooked up, it breaks loose. This goes for snow covered, wet, or dry roads.

Where I live it snows and AWD is sometimes necessary just to get out of my driveway or where I want to go. So either way I don't buy that AWD is a scam. It does has disadvantages (weight, additional mechanical drag...and if you blow one tire you may need to replace 4 to keep the rolling circumference equal so that the diffs don't get excessive wear. Plus the cost of course.

Saintor

The reason is more simple; they just weight more by 2-300lbs which is 6-10% more than 2WD.

It is a scam as long as it is sold as a safety feature or for better handling (which is false and has been proven so).

If it is purchased for what it does better (having some fun in winters or mud), there is no scam.

BTW, I owned an Audi Quattro for 3 years.

underpar

For Acura motors, they generally do not respond well to Synthetic oil. Oil's main job in an engine is to dissipate heat, not lubricate the engine. That's why when you change your oil the oil is black. It is black from being burned, not from being dirty (it means it's doing it's job.). If you'll notice when you change out synthetic oil, it still tends to look the same as when you put it in. This is because synthetic oil does not have the same heat absorption characteristics as regular oil. If oil doesn't carry away the heat from the motor, then the motor is forced to expand and contract more than it should from the resulting higher temps. Acura motors tend to not do very well with this expanding/contracting due to their use of exotic build materials and exacting build specs/compression ratios.

So, long story short, run two NSX motors for 100k with each oil and then see which one rattles and shakes more than the other.

It's not pretty.

My 2 Pennies...

erikmoeser

That is interesting. I would think that the syn oil absorbs/dissipates as much heat but is just better resistant to being burned. I remember an ad way back where they put syn vs. conventional oils into a frying pan and the syn stayed clear while the other coked/burned. Some turbocharger mfgs. recommend syn to avoid coking the bearings which get really hot.

Any oil experts out there want to weigh in on this?

Saintor

Of course not, it is really to lube the internal parts to prevent excessive friction.

erikmoeser

Oil does both. That's why oil coolers are used in hi performance applications. Reducing friction also means less heat is gererated (heat comes from internal friction a little and burning gasoline a lot).

mickey513

Mobil 1 every 5k miles and a Purolator PureOne filter (*$5, and top rated in oil test*).