Hello all. I just hit 13k on my 06 TL and ever since the 1st oil change around 5k i felt that my car isnt as fast as it was or really isnt performing well. i just did a oil change at 13k and i made a appoointment for the B service. Yes i know the service came with a oil change but i did it before i realized it did haha. Ive been using 10w-30 mobile oil i believe. i asked the guy at the dealership about the performing problem and he said " THIS IS WHY U TAKE IT IN FOR A TUNE UP" so i am hoping this fixes it tomorrow when i take it in. after reading waht service B does i just dont understand how that can fix the performance problem?

 

Welcome to the forum.
1) You're using much too heavy of an oil- switch to 5w-20. Hope you're not somewhere with cold winters.
2) Straight "B" service is an oil and oil filter change. The "B" service thus won't alter car's acceleration. The manual will explain A, B and 1-5 services, but there is no "tune-up" as such any more-- maybe valve adjusts at 30K if needed or plug changes at 100K miles. Changing of the engine air filter might help, but you likely aren't at that stage yet unless the "B2" service message came up.
3) With regard to your "performance problem," my guess is that you are feeling the adaptive transmission and ECU at work- the TL adapts to your driving style, so that larger throttle inputs are needed if you normally drive gently. You can reset the ECU for more response by a) driving like you stole it, or b) reflashing the ECU. You're probably better off from a gas MPG standpoint driving gently and flooring the throttle only occasionally. Quick check: floor the throttle and see if the acceleration is as good as what you remember. If so, it means the car just adapted to your normal driving style (which happens in a couple hundred miles).

 

so about the oil, i did some research and alot of people say use 10-30w during hot weather and 5-20w for cold? i live in california and lately at nights its been around 20 degrees 20-28degree so would it be better to switch back to 5w-20 for the winter?

 

I have the B service showing up also, haha, but since the wheather has been bad here, I have to wait till the snow goes away
~Jason

 

Just stay with 5w-20 throughout the year- it's a higher-viscosity "thinner" oil that will flow better for close tolerances on the TL engine and probably dissipates heat better. The TL owner's manual recommends 5w-20.
10w-30 is too heavy; I used 10w-40 (instead of 10w30) year-around on some pre-1990 street cars, including one that was autocrossed.
There are a couple of oil threads linked in the 3G Garage here that you might want to look up if you decide to go synthetic, etc.

 

Or just switch to Mobile 1 Synthetic 5w-20. I had that put in my car for my second oil change (B1 Service) at the dealership. Now I'm starting to wonder whether the dealership actually did put Mobile 1 in my car....hmmm. Not that the performance is getting bad, I just don't trust many dealerships.

 

Stick with the 5w-20, it's fine

The ECU might be adapting or you are getting used to the power and not wowed as much any more

Your dealer is an ass. There is nothing to "tune up" at 13K. Perhaps you have a particularly dirty air filter but that's easy enough to see in 5 minutes in your driveway. It's not like a "B" service is going to unchain some wild beast that's been put down...certainly not at 13K.

There is a chance they will find something but I'd say it would be more like a problem (they pay) than something I would call a "tune up" (you pay).

 

When I got my TL is was so much faster than my old saturn... Now it just goes.. Nothing special... I know I would smoke a saturn.

I think you have grown a tolerance to the car. Go drive a neon (not the fast ones) for a few weeks, your car will be quick again

 

haha thanks for the advise guys car is in service now = )

 

Let us know if they just changed the oil to the correct (lighter) weight or if they did something else. Thx.

 

My 2006 got faster with better mileage at around 2500 miles. Changed to Castrol syn 0-20 from Walmart at 5000 miles with the K&N Filter. Any percieved performance problem seems related to the engine wanting to "hang out" around 1500 RPM. Stick it in manual mode, and if you don't get shoved back in your seat until you hit 80 or 90 check to see if your parking brake is on

 

just got my car back, i switched out the heavy oil with the lighter one like you guys suggested and when i left the dealership, car felt like brand new i have to say, i love TLs!