I still have 30% oil life left currently but plan on changing it this weekend. I went to dealer and got filter for it and was amazed. That thing is tiny.
I made a comment about how it seems to be as small as the one for my Integras and the salesman told me it was the same one!!!
Kinda shocked me that a 3.2L and 1.8L use the same one but use much different amounts of actual oil.
BTW, I paid $4.20 for it. Seem like a good price?

 

Be glad it's tiny. The amount of time it takes the new filter to fill with oil and allow oil to flow reduces the time there is no oil available to the engine on initial start up after the oil change. Filters are much more efficient than they were years ago. The manufactures actually know what they are doing and you don't have to worry that problems will occur from the design. I would certainly be interested in seeing the board expert, Road Rage's thoughts on the matter as well since I haven't seen this discussed on the board previously. I am sure someone will point out threads where this has been discussed previously but I have had one too many eggnogs to search. Happy Holidays to all TL owners.

 

92NSX I think you may not have bought the filter that Acura specifies for the TL. The Part No. is 15400-PLM-A02 (supercedes A01 which can be used). They should cost $7-8 at an Acura dealer. It may fit, and it may work, but as I said in another post, if Acura specifies a specific filter for my car, that is the one I want to put on the car.

batting_cleanup Since the filter mounts top end straight up to the engine, I always fill the filter with oil before screwing it on to the adapter. That way you don't have to wait until it fills up, tiny as it is.

 

Ron,
I went out and got the filter and the part number is 15400-PLM-A01. That means that it is the correct one.
I guess I also should've said that I get my goodies at a pretty good discount since I buy all my Acura stuff from them.

 

Here is some information on filters

http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80570

 

They went to the plm's after the pt7's.
96-05 RL, integra's (except 86), 2.5TL, 99-05TL, 2.2-2.3-3.0-3.2CL, RSX, TSX, and MDX all take the same filter, nothing special or specific for any one car.

 

NSX has it's own specific filter.

 

I have heard of people using the NSX's filter, which is larger. It may be a good solution for those thinking the TL's filter is too small.

 

If the TL calls for a small one then that is what I will use. I'm not smarter than the people that designed the engine/car so I won't 2nd guess them.

 

At one time or another we've all seen posts here questioning the size of the filter, the MID, and other things that Honda is doing that appear to deviate from the conventional wisdom.

My thought on it is that Honda is the largest manufacturer of engines on the planet. They make engines in all shapes and sizes, including going so far as to design their own turbofan jet engine because they thought they could do better, and ya know what, they did. Heck they went so far as to design, from scratch, and fly their own aircraft. How many other vehicle manufacturers can make that same claim?

So, as another poster stated, who am I to question Honda and their decisions regarding the size of an oil filter or the algorithim of their MID telling me when I should change my oil?

Honda has spent decades building their reputation and I don't believe for a minute they would squander that reputation simply to save a buck. If they're going against the grain of conventional wisdom, it's because their research and experience tells them they can successfully do so.

I bought the TL because I really like the car, but I also bought it because of the company behind it and their reputation.

There will probably be folks who disagree with this position, and that's fine. They are certain free to do so.

 

The fact is that oil filters need not be as large as the past, since the oils do not produce as much crud as they did years ago, not to mention the precision of the fuel metering, improved cooling, and reduced blowby.

Keep in mind that the mineral oils of 10 years ago, which were highly unsaturated, were refined primarily by heat, which helped remove the asphalts and other by=products of petroleum. Once in the engine, the heat of operation began to reverse the process. In old oils, the greatest source of sludge and hard deposits other than the byproducts of combustion were the factions created by the oil itself.

The small filter represents the reality and progress of technology. It is a good thing.

 

The NSX oil filter will only work on 87-95 legends and 96-98 3.2tl's.
The gasket won't seal the tl and the thread pitch is different so it can't be threaded on.

 

I have been told that the smaller filter will keep the oil pressure up during VTEC, so no drop in oil pressure. Also, these filters are now made by various companies, not just Fram.