i recently bought a 04 TL and i was wondering if the oil change is covered under warranty and at what percent "oil life" should i take it in? if it isnt covered by the warranty, what would be the best oil to use?

 

I don't think oil changes are covered by warranty, considering it's basic maintenance. The MID goes for 5000 miles; most recommend 2500 - 3000 miles.

2500 miles - 50% on the MID
3000 miles - 40% on the MID.

Hope that helps.

 

thanks .... gotta go do that asap in that case

 

There is no fixed mileage in the MID. It uses distance, engine operating time, and temperature conditions to estimate the oil life, which will vary depending each particular situation.

A person doing a lot of stop-and-go driving in the city will see lower mileage between oil changes, and people doing a lot of highway driving will see much higher milage.

You can do it at whatever percent you are comfortable with, taking the length of time between oil changes into consideration.

I generally change mine at 15-20%, but I have gone about 6,000 miles since the last oil change. The old 3,000 or 4,000 or whatever miles between oil changes is old new for these new cars, and the same applies to periodic inspections, so don't let your dealer try to sell you a 15,000 or 30,000 maintenance inspection for inflated prices.

If you don't drive much, and don't get on the highway a lot, you could and should change oil more often, but still use the MID as a guide and adjust it according to your driving habits.

Here's a thread which may help you. https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80273

 

should i take it to the acura dealer or should i just use one of those quickie oil change places?

 

If you have a jack, a drain pan and 15 minutes to spare you should be able to do it yourself. In fact, you probably don't even need a jack, pull the drain plug and washer (they say you should replace the copper washer), drain the oil, reinstall the drain plug, remove the oil filler cap and fill with fresh oil. Remove oil filter and replace with new one. You are all done. Changing oil is the easiest DIY ever. At least you know that the plug is over torqued, the oil is high quality (if you actually use high quality oil that is) and it is filled to the proper level. I would never go to a quick lube place. I would go to an independant shop in a pinch, but that's it.