I currently own a 2012 TL with the 3.7L engine which recently had the short block replaced along with valve guide seals due to oil consumption issues.
I have owned this car since new. Despite following the break-in procedure to the letter and changing oil at 15% MM with synthetic 5W-20 oil, it started consuming oil at the 50K mark.

My question is: Is this a problem unique to the US market? This 3.7L engine is used in many European countries with a recommendation for 0w-30 oil or as an alternative 0w-40. Do these countries suffer the same oil consumption issue?

I do not think Acura NA has stated a reason for the oil consumption in this engine. I hear internet rumors (ya, I know) that there was a defective batch of rings or they were installed incorrectly. I find it hard to believe it would not have been corrected from 2010-2014.

Perhaps our international members can chime in.

 

Source?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_J_engine#J37

AFAIK the J37 is only in the USDM and not elsewhere. Where are you quoting it's in other countries with different oil recommendation?

 

^ J37 was sold overseas in the MDX and ZDX like in China and Russia and UAE.

 

My 2012 TL (3.7) is having the same issues, it started when I hit 47k. Currently working with the dealer , have to take my car there every 1k for the next 3k. Thanks, nice to know that I'm nit the only one with that issue.

 

This 3.7L engine has been used in UK, Germany, Scandinavia and Australia (as far as I know) in the Honda Legend. Acura does not exist in those countries.
Not having owner's manuals for these countries, I went to Mobil and Castrol websites for these respective countries, looked up this engine and followed their recommendations.
In these countries 5-20W was never recommended. Just 0w-30 and 0w-40 in their synthetic formulation. I never looked up conventional.

Was hoping our non-USDM 3.7L owners could chime in on their experience with oil consumption of this engine.

 

Just a shot in the dark, but has anyone experimented with different engine coolants? Maybe a cooler running engine would help with the oil consumption. And am I the only one that has never seen my radiator fan turn on regardless if it's 100+ degrees outside?

 

I recall when I had a Bluetooth OBD reader sending info to my phone, during daily driving on hot summer days, coolant stuck right around 190° F. That's daily driving, not sustained spirited driving, mind you. These cars are known for heat soak issues (especially at the track) but I think the 3rd gen had same issues with heat soak but virtually no oil consumption issues.

As far as your fan turning on, is you A/C running, too? Almost always, my fan fires up while idling if my A/C is on.

 

other manufactures come into mind with ringland problems...especially Subaru.
Just a thought, have any of you researched what Subaru has done to fix such problems?

I really think its a ringland problem, with the piston sleeves or lack thereof is what is causing oil loss

 

Aren't there two fans? One for the condenser and one for the radiator? The condenser fan comes on immediately upon pressing the AC button.

I sure hope so. Although if it were this simple of a fix, wouldn't Acura have already figured this out by now and started notifying owners? I'm afraid it's likely something more major related to the VTEC on the exhaust valves, and they're like holy $hit there's no fix for this.

Interesting comment I found on MDXers.org:

 

Or it could be one of many things...

https://www.amsoil.com/techservicesb...onsumption.pdf

 

I think you misunderstood.

there is no easy fix. because the block is made of this material. its a new process that Acura/Honda developed JUST FOR the 3.7.

what this means is that EVEN if you get the block changed out by Honda, IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN!

 

in order to fix it, engine block HAS to be re-designed.
and thats not going to happen, as Acura DROPPED the 3.7l from the lineup and is focusing on the 3.5

 

My bad. You said you thought it was the ring lands, which would mean swap out the pistons. Relatively straightforward IMO.

Still curious why the J37 in my 2008 MDX is fine and the J37 in my 2011 TL is burning half quart per 2,000 miles (assuming 10% oil life is equivalent to 750 miles). From what I can tell, the main difference between the A1 and the A4 is the exhaust VTEC functionality.

 

i'm sorry too for not being clear

 

And we're sure this isn't a J35?

Wikipedia is usually on top of stuff like that.

 

I imagine you could always toss on a Spoon/Mugen fan switch for another vehicle. I added one to my S2000 where the fans cut on 10-15 degrees lower than stock. That coupled with a Spoon radiator cap and thermostat helps keeps its temps down.

 

I can only imagine what the tolerable oil consumption rates are in China.

 

Yes, the Honda Legend overseas (acura rl) uses the 3.7L. As posted above the silicon liners can be damaged thus causing the oil consumption. It's also been theorized that the silicon liners have worn to a point where the oil is shearing very quickly (under 3K miles Oil changes) thus causing the consumption.

 

Back to my contention that perhaps the North American 5w20 oil recommendation for the 3.7L engine is insufficient.

Here is a link to the EU and non EU oil recommendations for the 2007-2010 Honda Legend engines. The is a page from an owners manual. Again, I would like to hear from EU members if their 3.7L engines suffer the same oil consumption issues.

Recommended Lubricants and Fluids

 

It's possible that the manufacturer did recommend the wrong oil. They've changed their minds in the past before. The E39 BMW M5 comes to mind.

The change in recommendation from North America to other regions in oil is likely due to the different climate.

From a fluid mechanics aspect, 5W-20 just describes the behavior of the fluid at different temperatures. Since it's a multi-grade oil it has a winter rating and a summer rating (hence the W). As a fluid is colder, it becomes more viscous, and the flow of oil is more laminar.

Over the years everything I've read about this issue points to the material in the bore and the piston rings not getting along properly.

 

I'm at 60% oil life (3,000 miles) and I've burned about 3/4 of a quart. Car has 65,000 miles. Will it likely continue to get worse?

 

^Yes
Now that's a can of worms. Acura (HMCo) wound never stoop so low as to slap a sticker inside the owners manual covering up the recommended viscosity for a heavier version. (If you ask an "M" owner you'll probably find they don't know what the dealer has pumped in the block as they lease thier cars.)

 

that has been my experience.

 

Well, from what I understand, the E39 M5 went through a 'face lift' in 2001, and even though the engine remained the same (I might be wrong here, different piston rings maybe?) the recommended oil changed. Pre face lift models call for 10W-60, where as post face lift models recommend 5W-30. The S62, which is the V8 that powers it, does burn quite a bit of oil (even more than the J37 we're talking about here- I've read up to a liter ever 200 miles if you drive it hard enough) but owners report significantly less oil burning with the version that requires the 5W-30.

You're probably right, Honda probably wouldn't make a mistake that big, but who really knows?

 

since yor short block replacement doe sit still cosume oil excessivey?