vucelick

Mine now has a rear main leak on the 1st oil change after they performed the oil consumption fix. I took it back, they told me it was there before they did the fix. My car has never leaked a drop and was spotless underneath when i took it to them for the repair. So when its warm outside, i will probably fix it myself and do their job for them. I am thinking about selling my car due to all this hassle.

ankurdeva

Update:
Got the car back, engine feels really strong.
Breaking it in, up and down the rev range, lots of engine braking and short pulls..

Interesting note, the service adviser said its totally fine to use 0w20 over 5w20 as its superior in every way.

mrphilipanderson

now THATS odd for them to tell u advice against written warnings everywhere about never using 0w20 everywhere. What continent are u on?

ankurdeva

just west of Toronto, Canada.
Yeah, I found that strange too..
In the past I had switched to 5w30 and there had been no change in oil consumption.
Then I had a free oil change coupon from Honda, and I asked them to put in 0w20 synthetic, cus I didn't want semi-synthetic 5w20. The engine felt better.

I'll probably use the 0w20 until end of March, switch to 5w20 synthetic in spring, and then switch back to 0w20 in late fall.

Cheers

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Why? I ask because 0W-20 is superior to 5W-20 in literally every metric. Why deprive your engine of the best protection?

ankurdeva

I have to use up 5w20 stock in the garage, and I want to run a test case for oil consumption with 0w20 and 5w20, with 5k kms OCI.

gurot1

Having oil burning issues again. Only put on about 6000 km since engine repair and it is burning. Gonna follow up with Acura and see what they say. Maybe cam pitting or something.

dinot

I finally got the call to bring my 2011 MDX in after waiting for over 9 month for the parts to come in.

I've always hated going to a dealership and this dealer didn't take long to live up to my preconceived notions.

So when I sit down with the service advisor she asked if there was anything else I needed. Here is how that went...
Me: Yes, I'd like to get the timing belt replaced.
SA: Great we have a special right now. We can perform the timing belt service for $2,050. That includes (she rattled off a boatload of other things that they would do)
Me: I only want the belt replaced.
SA: Ok, in that case, we can do that for $1250
Me: But you are taking the engine apart. Why are you charging me $1,250? The belt is about $100
SA: The labor makes up the rest.
Me: What labor? You are taking off the existing belt anyways.
SA: No we just take the valve cover off and go in from there.
Me: That is not how this is done.
At that moment a mechanic was walking though the service area (Bill).
SA: Bill, can you explain to this customer how you don't take the timing belt off on the piston service.
Bill: I can't because the belt comes off.
At this point she seemed annoyed that Bill called her bluff.
SA: OK. The belt is $130 and I recommend the tensioner pulley. Because on failures, the pulley is more likely to break than is the belt.
Me: OK. For some reason I thought the tensioner pulley came with the belt, but sure, I want the pulley too.
SA: OK, the pulley is $100 and requires 1 hour of labor at $149/hr for a total of $380
Me: Sigh....ok.

I only want the belt/tensioner because I plan to get rid of this car and swear off Acura. (My 3rd and final Acura) I want to be able to advertise that the timing belt/tensioner have been replaced.

P.S.- As a bonus, they annoyed me with the loaner (2019 ILX). It was filthy. In my job, I sometimes take customers out to lunch. (Directors, C Level execs etc...) I had to stop the car at a gas station to vacuum it.

aleo12

Finally had my engine overhaul done after 10 months! Acura also covered the cost of both cam shafts since mine were worn pretty badly and causing a lot of valve tick.

For those who have got this done, did you do a break in process for the engine? (driving it easy for a set amount of km and changing the oil out early) if so, how many km or miles did you before changing the oil?

ankurdeva

You want to vary the rpm (across the most of the range) and load on the engine, don't sit there with cruise control on for an hour.
Oil change at 1500~2000 kms.

vertigo2

Is anyone going to a full synth for your first oil change after the semi-synth that Acura puts in after the rebuild?

dinot

So my car is still in the shop. I get a call today. They tell me that the oil pump seals are leaking bad. (I've never seen a drop of oil on the ground from this car).
They want $700 to replace it.
I told them no as I honestly don't trust them.

Here is my experience with them so far:
- During oil consumption test #1 - Overfilled my car by about 1 qt. So if it would burn 1qt after 1K miles it would have read full. Caught it and they "put the notes in my file"
- During oil consumption test #2 - They said that they only added 1/2qt.(I knew that the car was well over 1qt low). I checked the dipstick right there and it was still only at low. they had to add 1 qt to get it to full. They "updated the notes" to show 1.5 qt low.
- During oil consumption test #3 - When I hit 950 miles (dealer is about 20 miles away) and I called to bring it in for my last reading. They said that they didn't have any time slots for about 10 days. So it meant, I couldn't drive the car as I'd be way over on miles in 10 days. I had to call Acura to get the dealer to get me in for the last reading.
- Tried to charge me $2050 for the timing belt service.

ankurdeva

Acura put in 0w20 after my rebuild, which is full synthetic.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Not necessarily; Honda brands two 0W-20 oils, one semi-synthetic, and the other full-synthetic.

ankurdeva

Hmmm.. ok,. did not know that. Yeah, i'll switch to full synthetic for next oil change.

mrphilipanderson

Aere we talking about the same car? How is it that you guys are using 0W20? Here in California Acura Freaks out if you so much as mention using 0W20 in the 3.7 engines.

ankurdeva

I believe 0w20 protects engine better than 5w20 as it gets to circulation in engine faster, specially true in Canada, and northern US.
If you are concerned about sheer stability, I would just reduce OCI to about 7,000 kms, or 5,000 miles.

0w30 oils probably provide the widest protection margin for a regular engine

JM2010 SH-AWD

Just had the warranty work done on my car over the weekend. As usual, my dealer and service advisor were great. Got the car in Friday morning and picked it up Saturday afternoon (quicker than they had promised). So far, it is impossible for me to tell by looking at the car that any major work was done on it. It starts and runs smoothly just as it did before the service. My car is clean and looks just like it did when I brought it in. To boot, they gave me a very nice ASpec RDX SH-AWD (which, incidentally, is the first SUV I've driven that I can actually say I liked -- very nice vehicle).

The only thing I noticed when I got my car back is that the MID MPG register was reset to zero. The car was showing an average of 8 mpg when I picked it up, with an average speed of 6 mph, so it was obviously running for awhile while not moving. Now that I've driven it a few days, the fuel mileage is slowly coming back to normal. I do notice the car seems to run a little smoother and seems to have a little more low end torque just off of idle. I'll be taking it easy for the first 1,000 miles or so, but so far all seems well. Then we'll see if the oil consumption issue is actually resolved by the fix.

AMirz

Hello All,

My car just started having oil consumption problem! (all of the sudden)
It is 2009 TL SH-AWD with 1180000 Kilometer on it's odometer, under Acura 19-006 service bulletin says models from 2009 - 2014, but then it says only 8 years or 120K miles.

So is my car covered or not?

ankurdeva

Go to the dealer and ask.
Dealers want to keep their techs busy

mrphilipanderson

So you have used 0W20 in your SHawd 3.7 TL for Howl ong? And with no engine issues?

ankurdeva

Used it for about 6 months now.
Not sure how to answer "without engine issues"
What engine issues are you hoping to see switching to 0w20?

mrphilipanderson

not hoping just curious about if you have experienced any form of engine issues that could result from using a thinner oil when a thicker one is recommended (WHATEVER THAT MAY BE)

ankurdeva

No issues so far..
Less noise on very cold mornings(-10C), indication of better flow I guess.
There seems to be less drag on the engine overall.

Hay otsuka

I brought my car last week in with no issues other than oil consumption and it was returned to me with transmission and emission lights on and cel for transmission range sensor. They assured me it was an unrelated issue. I replaced the transmission range sensor which cleared the codes for 15 mins until all the codes came back. Any suggestions if anything that may have been changed or disconected during this repair which might have caused this

Guerito

Received a notice of a class action lawsuits against Acura today in the mail. Regarding mdx rl to and zdx with the j37 engines excessive oil consumption problem. anyone else got the notice?

Danny K Vue

I just received letter in the mail also. Haven’t read it through yet.

dinot

I, along with a friend got a letter as well.
The cynic in me thinks that if this prevails in court, we'll get vouchers for an oil change while the lawyers will get millions.

mrphilipanderson

the issue is REAL. Ive spent thousands before the fix. And even after the fix my car Is still building up deposits faster than I can clean them!
Its simply carbon deposits. All cars get it, but it build excessively. And with the oil consumption start all kinds of other issues start.....blw by, sticky rings, sludge, wasted gas, clogged purge valves...the list goes on. I know IVE PAID FOR THESE REPAIRS with the receipts to prove it. All chasing this damned oil consumption issue. ANd the wird thing is, is i STILL have this strange obsession with the car. I cant let it go. when it DOES drive like it should, its AMAZING.

badbart

I came here to check if others were getting the letters as I assumed you were.

I haven't had the oil consumption test done yet, but I do notice I am not at full when an oil change is needed. I need to do my homework on what I need to know about the test to make sure the dealer is being honest. I have had pretty good luck with this dealer, but there's always a first.

If you haven't gotten the letter, here's the main link they are providing you with basically the same information but it is updated as the case progresses.

acuraoilconsumptionsettlement.com

Basically the gist of it is:

If you have paid out of pocket previously to now (even to a 3rd party non dealer) for a ring replacement that was denied by Acura you are eligible for reimbursement.
From the site:
~~~~~~~~~~
What does the settlement provide?

ANSWER:

In this lawsuit, Plaintiffs alleged that Class Vehicles may exhibit “excessive oil consumption,” which is caused by an alleged defect in the Class Vehicles’ engines. Plaintiffs also argued that owners and lessees of Class Vehicles with expired warranties were turned down by Acura dealerships for warranty coverage and had to pay for piston repairs or piston replacements out-of-pocket at Acura dealerships or third party repair facilities.

This settlement provides reimbursement for valid and eligible “Out-of-Pocket Costs” incurred prior to February 28, 2020. An Out-of-Pocket Cost is money you paid an Acura dealership or third party repair facility for a “Piston Repair” (a repair or replacement of the “Piston” and/or “Piston Ring” in a Class Vehicle due to an excessive oil consumption complaint) during the “Powertrain Warranty Period” (8 year/125,000 mile (whichever occurs first) period from the date of the original sale or lease of a Class Vehicle), and that was not otherwise reimbursed by insurance, warranty or goodwill.

The settlement also provides a warranty extension. Honda will cover under warranty the costs for a Piston Repair related to a confirmed excessive oil consumption complaint during the Powertrain Warranty Period or, if applicable, during the Powertrain Warranty Gap Period.

The Powertrain Warranty Gap Period is the six (6) month period after the settlement becomes “effective” and applies only to Class Vehicles that are outside the Powertrain Warranty Period when the settlement becomes “effective” and have not had a prior Piston Repair for which a claim for an out-of-pocket cost can be made. Check back on this settlement website for information on when the settlement becomes “effective.”
~~~~~~~~~~

The Gap Period isn't determined yet as the settlement isn't effective yet. There is a law firm that has been court appointed to provide QA for those trying to file claims.

Regardless if you got the letter or not, if you have the engine affected basically you are in the class an eligible. They just don't have addresses for all the owners. I bought my car at a dealer, so they could look me up, but if it was a private seller the wouldn't be able to find me as easily.

Dbuck

Going in for the piston and rings fix next week. For those who had the fix done, did you break things in afterwards in any particular way? Any details would be great. Also I've been using Mobil 1. It seems from what I read that Mobil 1 burns off pretty easily compared to some other synthetics. Can anyone recommend another oil they have had success with. I will probably stay with the same weight as recommended by the manufacturer.

Thanks for the info!
D

4GTL-CBP

There's no need to "Break In" the engine or any of that. They are just replacing seals which don't require a break in period.
As far as oil, I highly recommend not using Mobil 1 since it sheers off with high temperature and doesn't allow your cam lobes to be well lubricated. Which results in pitting of your cam lobes. It's a common issue with oil starvation near the driver side corner of the engine.
I use a Group 5 engine oil, specifically Liqui Moly 5w-20 with an additive called Ceratec, also by Liqui Moly. The additive coats the internal of the engine making it slicker and causes less friction. Basically a friction modifier.

I've been using it for a while, And so far I do notice an MPG gain power improvements and a quieter engine.

Good luck!

vucelick

Mobile 1 is fine. They actually do replace the piston rings, but said there was no break-in period. The camshafts wear out and pit because the cars are usually run low on oil due to the consumption issues. My camshafts/followers started ticking during the oil consumption test, which i told them as it was happening. They replaced both my cams as part of the oil consumption repair fix.

dinot

I had the piston service completed last week. Today was a warmer day, so we kick the A/C on and no A/C.

I hate dealing with car dealers. So I am dreading taking it back. I can see them claiming that they had nothing to do with it. (A/C worked fine a couple of weeks before). These are the same clowns that tried to charge me $2050 for the timing belt service.

I am not looking forward to a battle if they try to charge me to fix this.

dinot

Update, I called the dealer to let them know that my A/C wasn't working.The service advisor chimes in with, "We weren't working on that part of the engine so I can't see how we caused it stop working".....sigh....

I took my car to my local mechanic who I trust just to avoid the dealer. I told him that if the repair was under $200 to just fix it. He fixed it. It cost me: $29. The dealer forgot to plug the compressor in. The charge from my mechanic was for the removal/reinstallation of a panel to get to the compressor. I also asked my mechanic to check the oil pump for leaks. Shock of all shocks....he said it looked fine. Dealer wanted $700 to fix the oil pump leak.

So, I am done with this dealer. Unfortunately, this looks bad on Acura as dealers represent the brand. This dealer has tried to rip me off time after time.
That dealer is Norris Acura West in Ellicott City, MD. Avoid them like the plague.

A recap...Overcharged me for the oil change (which was questionable as I thought that Acura would pickup the cost of the oil change). Initially they said $90 (which itself is a ripoff). When I came to pickup the car, the total was over $110 (can't remember total). They said that the difference was for shop supplies.(This is why I change my own oil)
1st test - they overfilled my car by 1 qt (cynic in me says this was so that I wouldn't fail the test).
They didn't reset the MID
2nd test - They said that they only had to add 1/2 qt. When I went to the car, it was still on low.(on the dipstick)
3rd test - Wouldn't make time for my 3rd reading. I couldn't use the car as I was at 988 miles (they are 20 miles away) I had to call Acura to make them let me bring it in for the last reading.
When I dropped it off, I asked to replace the timing belt....they tried to charge me $2050. After I argued that the labor was already being done on the piston service, the lowered the price to $1350. I had to really stand my ground to get them to replace the timing belt at the cost of the belt. (I ended up paying for the tensioner pulley + 1 hour labor)
Called me to tell me that my oil pump seals were leaking. Wanted $700 to fix. I said no.
A/C wasn't working, claimed it wasn't them as they weren't working on that part of the engine. (what a stupid comment)

Teddybear

I did break in. Dealer said there's no need, but you're getting new pistons and piston rings. They may even have to hone the cylinders depending on condition. These would be new parts that have not seated yet. The oil that came out for my first break in oil change was shiny (metallic sheen), which is normal for new pistons and rings to seat. I would recommend a break in oil change personally.

Dbuck

Thanks Tbear, after how many miles would you do the break in oil change?

Thanks!

RenoTL

I would go back to the Dealer and ask for the $29.00. If they had done the job right, you wouldn't have incurred this charge from your mechanic!

Teddybear

I did a full break in, but at minimum i'd do a change at 1000-1500km.
The extra oil changes wouldnt hurt anything except your wallet.

JM2010 SH-AWD

I just had mine done a few weeks ago. As noted above, the fix involves new pistons/rings. SA didn't say anything about a break-in period, but I'm taking it easy for the first 600-900 miles while the new moving parts get cozy with their neighbors.