MR. C

1) Mobil 1 5w20
2) OEM 15400-PLM-A02 Filter
3) MID - 20% mark

JetJock

What is the best filter to use in Honda Engines? I've been using Mobil M1 filters in both my cars, but recently got advice from Terry about not using the M1 due to it being restrictive. I'd like to find the best filter for both cars since they use the same filter. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

pimpin-tl

Thats with a Synthetic called Mobil 1.

pimpin-tl

Yea that was a huge problem back in those year cars. The new ones are fixed now and can run safely those intervals. But I wouldn't do it without Synthetic on any car.

pimpin-tl

I agree. Reason why I am a Amsoil dealer.

JohnCollins

Just stopped by the Amsoil distributor today. Have an '04 TL I picked up with 29,183 miles and had the Acura dealer do a 30,000 mile service. Now at 30,250 and I'll change oil and tranny this weekend.

Amsoil XL-7500 5w20 oil
Amsoil EaO-20 oil filter
Amsoil ATF

I'm planning on 4 ATF drain/fills to get to 90% new fluid. From now on, I'll plan on new oil and filter at the MID recommendation and do the single, 3.2 quart drain fill ATF at the same time. Overkill? Maybe. I want to drive this car into the ground, though. I love it to death. Favorite car I've ever owne in my 50 years.

frenchnew

Hate to advise you that 4 drains/fills will not result in 90% new fluid.

Here are the calculations;

According to my calculations, you will need to do over 4 drains & refills to reach Amsoil recommendation of 90%.

Every time you drain the transmission, you drain only 3.2quarts of the 7.4quarts it contains.

In percentage, you only drain 43.234% of the fluid for which you replenish with new fluid but at the same percentage

After the 1st Drain & Refill

3.2qts Synth (43.24%) & 4.2qts Honda (56.76%)

2nd Drain will flush another 3.2qts but only 43.243% of that (1.82qts) will be the Honda fluid concentration in the drain.

After the 2nd Drain & Refill

5.02qts Synth (67.84%) & 2.38qts Honda (32.16%)

After the 3rd Drain % Refill (Using the same calculations as the 2nd Drain)

6.05qts Synth (81.76%) & 1.35qts Honda (18.24%)

After the 4th Drain & Refill

6.63qts Synth (89.59%) & 0.77qt Honda (10.41%)

After the 5th Drain % Refill

6.96qts Synth (94.05%) & 0.44qt Honda (5.95%)

Best regards

frenchnew

SodaLuvr

What a waste of ATF. Drain and fill once, then do it at a more frequent interval thereafter. (i.e. every other oil change) That way, you can actually put your ATF to "good use."

JohnCollins

OK, every other one, that does make more sense. I'm paranoid about tranny's due to having to get a new one earlier this year in a Chrysler 300M. I thought the first one should be more thorough, though? Because the Amsoil is supposed to handle heat better than the original fluid?

SodaLuvr

Most of the newer transmission fail due to design, not fluid problems anyway. The ATF+4 fluid used in the 42LE transmission (300M) was a synthetic, "fill-for-life" fluid anyway and should not have been the cause of failure. How many miles did you have on the unit before it failed? What type of driving? 100-150k out of the original unit with city driving isn't uncommon.

It's a waste of fluid. There's no need to flush 12 quarts of fluid through your transmission. Use three quarts, drain it once, and remove around 40% of the old fluid. It doesn't make much sense to me to run an additional nine quarts of fluid through to dilute another 50% of old fluid. Get some use out of your fluid instead of wasting it.

Repecat

Michael.....Your suggestions make sense to me. I change oil and filter at 5000 mile intervals. I added 3 qts of tranny fluid at 20,000 miles and will do the same at 30,000 and 40,000 miles. I now have 25,000 miles on the car and will do an oil/filter change in a day or so.

JohnCollins

I appreciate that feedback, SodaLuvr, I thought changing more of the fluid would help extend tranny life, and the better heat-handling characteristics of the Amsoil ATF would be a significant boon. If that's not the case, then I won't waste good fluid.

Frenchnew, I just spotted your post. While technically correct, that much posting to point out the difference between 89.56% and 90% (rounded properly to the integer value, I might add)?? You need to get a life, my friend!

Of course, being in the financial biz, I did do my own spreadsheet calculation and I'm happy to report, you did, in fact do your math correctly. Good job! I'm a bit of a math egghead, myself. Keeps us out out trouble, eh?

John

SodaLuvr

Just came to my mind: did your 42LE truly fail? I ask as the input and output sensors on that unit are nearly a given and will cause the transmission to go into limp mode.

JohnCollins

Sodaluvr, I'm not sure, frankly. I'm not mechanically minded enough to know. Fortunately, I purchased the extended warranty when I bought the car, and the dealer determined I needed a new tranny around February. I actually had been having problems with it losing fluid since I bought the car, but they were never able to isolate the cause.

I am getting my money out of that extended warranty, though. I blew the engine in late July, and they put in a rebuilt, which is also bad. Now they're trying to find another remanufactured engine, but I've been out of the car since July 21! It's a shame, I loved it when it ran. I think it's absolutely gorgeous, I love the lines (the newer, 300C looks ridiculous IMNSHO), the handling was fine for me (sport touring, I'm not really a sporty driver), the appointments were great. But I've just had a ton of problems with it.

I love the TL, though. Every bit as pretty as the 'M', and I'm growing to like the sportier handling. But now you know why I'm so paranoid about fluids and such. Luckily, they stopped making the 'M' after only 5 years, it was wildly popular, so it's in great demand as a used car. When they get it back to me, it will be an '03 with 82,000 on the body, but a relatively new tranny and brand new remanufactured engine, with 18,000 of transferable bumper-to-bumper warranty left on it. If I detail it well, I should do alright in a private sale.

kookiemonster412

Try the Mugen Oil Filter. Great stuff!!! Yet very pricey

hameline

1) Castrol Syntec
2) Purolater PUR-ONE
3) By the MID (averages 5500 mi.)

TriniBwoy

From reading through this entire thread, you are definitely an oil expert. I have an 06 TL Auto w/ about 3400 miles and here's my plan for it,

1. Use Mobil 1 5w-20 Synthetic oil. (will go by MID which will most likely be at around 5K intervals)
2. Change transmission fluid every 20-25K miles. (60K sounds scary to me given I stay in the DC metro area - one of the top five in traffic congestion)

Does this sound like a good plan? You can PM me if you wish.

Thanks.

jerzypapi3

I just went to Wal-Mart and got oil change and its gonna be every 15k.

Inaccurate

I recommend more research before you commit to a 15K interval.

Here is a great oil forum.
http://theoildrop.server101.com/foru...t=0&Board=UBB1

If that link fails, try this (same forum although)
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/

jordan0806

1) Mobil 1 or AMSoil 5w30
2) Fram Filter
3) every 5K

this is true for ANY car that I own except for my Cobra which gets a little extar special treatment

jordan0806

you sound sensible in this...

especially on the trans fluid....20-25K is VERY reasonable and VERY smart...