carolinaherps

I've been thinking of switching over to synthetic oil for my TL. If you're already using synthetic, can you tell me:

1) What brand and viscosity you use
2) Does it matter if it's not 5W-20 as recommended? (I couldn't find any synthetics with this weight)
3) How often you do your oil changes (I do mine at 3K intervals with standard oil)

And another question...have you ever replaced the air filter yourself, and if so, how you did it? I found the filter location, but it seemed to be difficult to replace without removing a lot of other components.

astro

i am sure you can do some searches on this topic, you can also PM Michael Wan, our resident oil expert

SouthernBoy

I use Mobil 1 in 5W/20 as recommended (was using 0W/20 Mobil 1 until they introduced their new 5W/20).

I also use the Mobil 1 M1-104 filter.

I just replaced the engine air filter about 1 1/2 months ago.

carolinaherps

How often do you change your oil when using synthetic?

SodaLuvr

Before I answer that question:

1) How many miles do you have on your TL
2) How many oil changes have you done so far, also state at what interval.
3) How many miles do you accumulate each year?
4) How long are your trips normally?
5) Where do you live, as winter in some climates is harsher than in others.
6) Are you planning to change your own oil?

Michael

carolinaherps

1) 22,300
2) I change at 3K intervals, so roughly 7 changes so far
3) about 18-20K miles/yr
4) one way to work is 20 miles
5) North Carolina (mild winter, very hot summers)
6) yep, always do it myself

SodaLuvr

Which brand/model/viscosity oil have you been using so far? What brand/model/part number oil filter? (though irrelevant, I'd like to know)

SodaLuvr

In that case, I suggest running Mobil 1 5w-20 or Amsoil XL 5w-20 (YES, its a GrpIII syn but it delivers excellent results comparable to Mobil 1) and the Purolator PureOne PL14610 Oil Filter @7500 mile drains. I'd suggest doing an oil analysis w/TBN after the first drain to double check, but the oil should be good for much longer.

Michael

SouthernBoy

I have been doing my oil changes at 5000 mile intervals, but since I am not driving my car to work and not gaining mileage very quickly, I'm going to change to 4000 mile intervals at the oil change which follows my next one. This is because I don't want the oil to stay in my crankcase too long.

For my wife's '05 TL, I'll change it every 5000 miles with the same oil and filter I use in my '04.

Nitrotiger

I use castrol 5-20 full synthetic and also put alot of miles on my car. and i am getting 6k out of this oil before it's looks dirty. i use the percent to oil on the car and its been on the money.

SodaLuvr

Nitrotiger: Castrol Syntec 5w-20 isn't a bad oil, but its just average IMO. Mobil 1 5w-20 or Amsoil XL 5w-20 offers better performance for the money. Just like the Amsoil, the Castrol Syntec 5w-20 are GrpIII synthetics, not Grp IV PAO like the Mobil 1. Although the Amsoil XL 5w-20 is a GrpIII, it performs very well against the Mobil 1 5w-20.

Michael

JetJock

I use Red Line 5W-20 in my '04TL. So far, everything seems to feel great. I'd recommend getting the oil analysis done as Michael suggested. When I switched to synthetic at 4700 miles, my MID showed <20%, but the analysis showed the oil was really dirty and should have been changed much sooner. Never again will I trust the MID. Oil analysis is the way to go.

carolinaherps

one last question...

What stores can you find the Mobil 1 5W-20 at? I've only seen 5W-30 weight at Advance Auto Parts and AutoZone stores.

mn2trance

I plan to do an oil change on my car, too. Right now, I'm at 1414 miles and I would like to do that before I reach 1500 miles. A friend of mine had ordered Amsoil for me, but it's in 10w30. Will that be okay to use? Also, Auto Zone does not carry the Purolator PureOne PL14610 Oil Filter, so I'll have to stop by the dealer to get a filter from them. And the weather here in Atlanta is similar to that of North Carolina.

elsensei

My local Wal-Mart finally stocks it. However, they only have the sigle quarts, not the 5 quart jugs in 5w-20.

pavluha

I used to work at a Lube shop and my recommendation if you're going to switch to synthetic oil; go with Mobil 1. It is THE best of all synthetics. I used it in my previous Acura CL for two years straight, changed it every 3k miles and was very happy. I drove hard at the time and needed good engine protection and with Mobil 1 that exactly what I got. It's the only oil that does not break down during high temperature. Also all of my customer's who used Mobil 1 never had any oil or seal leaks and oil looked very clean even after 3k or 4k miles. I have never heard any complains about Mobil 1 from anybody, so definetly go with them if you decide to switch to synthetic.

But do remember, once you switch, you need to keep using synthetic....

TL-N

What is the technical reason why one should not switch back to regular oil once synthetic is used?

SodaLuvr

It's an old wives tale.

I'm more concerned about preping an higher mileage car for synthetic. Switching back to conventional is NEVER a problem. We do it all the time on BITOG, varying oils to test.

Michael

SodaLuvr

BTW, 3K drains on M1 is a complete overkill. Do an oil analysis and you'll find out.

Michael

pavluha

I know. But I did it because I drove really hard. Most lube shops will tell you to change your oil evcery 7500mi if you use synthetic, but I chose to stick to 3000. In the long run, after putting 35000 on my car (considering I already bought it used), my engine was as good, clean, oil-leak free, and smooth as the day I bought. Now you decide what you want to do...

SodaLuvr

Pavluha: I don't understand your logic here. If I ran my Mobil 1 at 5-7K intervals, does that mean my car won't be clean, smooth, nor will it be oil-leak free?

Remember, changing your oil at very short intervals does not guarantee you a clean engine. Many people doing 3K intervals on their cars will find their engines quite dirty after 60,000 miles simply because of cumulative buildup. Do an oil analysis and you'll see what I mean.

If you want to keep your engine clean, smooth, and free of carbon buildup, simply use Lube Control (LC) at 1 ounce to 1 quart at the oil change, followed by a 1 ounce to 1000 miles maintenance dosage. Auto-RX the car periodically about every 5 years or so to clean out any of those deeper deposits. Replace the PCV valve at least every 30,000 miles as part of preventive maintenace; the PCV valve is one of the most overlooked preventive maintenance items and its failure often leads to excessive buildup.

Using either Amsoil PI at 1 oz to 10 gallons, or Fuel Power (FP) at 1 ounces to 5 gallons will reduce the amount of solids in the oil, as well as reduce carbon buildup in the engine. It will also keep the fuel injection lubricated.

Michael

pavluha

Michael,

im just sharing how I maintained my car. It's up to you to decide how often you want to change oil and what kind of oil you want to you.

Pavluha

Road Rage

Well, yes, quite obviously this is true. What I for one find interesting is not so much WHAT people do, but WHY.

Michael is just trying to bring some scientific and practical thought to the issue, and I for one agree with him. M1 is a decent synoil, but based on a 3K change interval, I do not see how it provides any better performance than the best minoils out there, which are essentially synoils anyway these days. The only real empiric benefit of M1 over them is that it starts with a higher TBN, due to higher levels of add pack components. Unless one extends the drain interval, they are just wasted.

As I have posted many times, the "Group" of the lube guarantees very little - it is a typology that has use to be sure, but not as a determinant of an engine oil's quality or effectiveness. A GIV is not intrinsically better than a GIII, or even a well made GII. In fact, my recent studies have strongly suggested that a top quality paraffin GII base stock (of which there are over 30,000 to choose) expertly blended with a GIV and a superb add pack may result in the best all-around lube. The GII has shown the ability to "take up" the additive package more easily and consistently than GIV's, and also seems to be more effective at temps below 200 degF. The GIV (of which PAO is just one, but the most widely used) adds its own ebenfits, and fortifies the overall performance of the lubricant, esp at low and high temp extremes.

20 years ago, when i firsst found Red line as an SCCA racer, it was the best oil I had seen - while I associated it with its being a G-V, I now understand it was mroe about its quality control, and robust additive package. Since then, "lesser" oils in GII, GII, GIV, or some combo, have come along that provide as-good, or even better, peformance. The huge gap that once existed between synoils and minoils is now quite small, within the change intervals for which the product is designed.

While I have spent many years investigating these matters, as a professional engineer and as a shadetree mechanic/racer, the "proof" is available by the UOA's widely available for study - they show beyond a doubt that critical numbers like wear metals in the oil can be as low, or lower, from a number of lubes other than M1, and from the low-cost minoils (like Havoline, Motorcraft, Chevron Supreme) that perform like David against Goliath.

And that includes "cleanliness" - the anti-oxidants and detergents in today's quality oils (min or syn) combined with precise fuel metering and fuel additives, have made sludge formation only known in cars that are badly designed, poorly maintained, or both (like the lousy oil galley passages in the Toyota V-6, combined with a blanket 7500 OCI that many dealers and owners followed). A bit of carnish on the valvetrain does not worry me - but tarlike deposuits on the ring lands do. And guess what? While PAO's like those used in Mobil1 tend to resist formation a bit better than the average engine oil, the deposits they do leave are actually harder to remove than petro deposits!

So using a quality additive that has proven both safe and efficacious (like LC20) may provide peace of mind and long-term benefit for cars driven very hard under conditions (marginal fuel quality, stop and go, high temp track use, etc) that tend to support the formation of deposits. Keep inmoind that the upper ring lands regularly see temps in excess of 700 degF!! At that temp, ANY engine lubricant will vaporize - and what it leaves behind, and how it can effectively burn off later or be removed by mechanical or chemical means is the thing.

jjpark

I live up in the Philadelphia area. And mostly drive about 500 highway miles per week. Would there be any harm in using M1 5w-30, instead of 5w-20? I have lots in stock because of my 2nd gen TL. Thanks!

Jung

SodaLuvr

If you have it in stock, I don't see any reason NOT to use it up.

Michael

jjpark

Ok. Was just curious if it would be less effective for the engine than using 5w-20 over the long haul.

Jung

SodaLuvr

An oil that is only marginally thicker won't cause any problems in terms of flow, or increased startup wear. No long-term effects that I can think off, only POSSIBLE minor losses in fuel economy or performance.

Michael

mark 3M bra man

I understand that Amsoil is very good. How about their filters?

Thanks, Mark.

SodaLuvr

Filters are great, they are produced by Baldwin or Hastings. They usually cost $11 plus shipping/tax with a preferred membership. Best way to get a good price on them by saving shipping on such a small item is to purchase a $45 12-quart case of Amsoil XL 5w-20 at the same time, that way shipping is only $0.33/lb.

Michael

cmt1

I have not used synthetic yet, probably will a the next oil change. My TL computer seems to want an oil change every 7 - 8 k miles. I've asked ALL ithe ACURA dealers in the Phoenix area and they've all stated 'Change it when the computer says to'. One stated he'd take the money to change it every 3k miles but said it was a waste of my money. Therefore with oil changes lasting somewhere between 7 - 9 months, I'll probably have the dealer go syn.

On the air filter, 4 bolts on the top of the housing. I used a K&N drop in, and I have not seen much (if any) improovements in mileage or power. I got becuase they last forever.

my

mark 3M bra man

Where can you buy it at that price and how do I get a preferred memebership?

What other filters would you recommend?

Thank you Michael.

Regards, Mark.

SodaLuvr

PM sent.

Repecat

I think you are on the right track regarding the type of oil and the change interval. You are also correct in that the K&N filter will not give you any improvements in fuel mileage or power. What it will give you is more (and larger) particulate matter being ingested into the engine. That is a risk I am not about to take and will stick with the OEM air filter.

KyleGass

With regards to prepping a higher mileage car for synthetic; how do you define higher mileage? Above 25K? Above 50K? Above 100K?
Thanks.

leeherman

I switched to Mobil One 5W30 on first oil change simply because of availability.

I checked several places in my area and never found 5W20 oil. I'm not concerned about the slightly heavier oil given the light mileage my car gets, and that it doesn't get much driving in the winter.

It's hard to say, but it doesn't seem as if I've lost anything in performance or economy from switching to the heavier oil.

Another advantage of using 5W30 in my case is that my Solara 5 or 10W30. I'm planning to switch it to synthetic too, and I won't have to keep a stock of both 5W20 and 5 or 10W30 in my garage.

Regards,

SodaLuvr

Anything 40K+ IMO. In addition, I'd also Auto-RX any used car or car that has previously had very long drains on conventional prior to switching.

Michael