Acura's Response to Excessive Oil Consumption
#321
I am at 58,000 miles on my 2014 and no oil consumption issues yet. I do get my oil changed every 3,000 to 3,500 miles and also drive on the highway for 90% of my commute not sure that has anything to do with it. Regardless I am thinking about getting rid of it in November when my warranty is up (CPO car)
#322
I am at 58,000 miles on my 2014 and no oil consumption issues yet. I do get my oil changed every 3,000 to 3,500 miles and also drive on the highway for 90% of my commute not sure that has anything to do with it. Regardless I am thinking about getting rid of it in November when my warranty is up (CPO car)
#325
The dealer convinced Acura to authorize a repair. So far they have ordered pistons and rings, if they find some cylinder damage when they open the engine, will hope that Acura will replace the block. Will update next week when they start working on it.
#326
Drifting
^^Glad the dealer/Acura came through for you. Keep us posted once the repair has been made.
#327
the EXACT situation with me. I decided to stop using Lucas Oil products and get it fixed instead. Also side note: Did you guys know there are Service Bulletins for rattles in the roof and pillars in the front passenger? I had assumed it was normal wear and tear. Not so. Hopefully the dealer convinces Acura to do my repairs. Im averaging 2qts per 1000 miles. I have a pretty good relationship with my dealer so i am hoping they support my situation. Acura has been good to me so far. I took in the TSB for the oil consumption fingers are crossed. Please let us know when you know something.
#328
I am over 1200 miles since my last oil change and still no oil loss.
Valvoline Max Life Synthetic Blend SAE 5W-20 Motor Oil 5qt
and
Restore (00012) 6-Cylinder Formula Engine Restorer and Lubricant - 12.5 oz.
I put half of the oil in, then the 12.5 oz of engine restore, then filled that empty can with new oil, then poured the rest of the oil in leaving 12.5 oz left over if i need to top off. But so far I haven't needed it.
The dealer was putting in 0w20 for the last 2 oil changes and I had to top it off every 500 miles or it would be very loud on startup. Now the car is quite and running great. Also resolved my Hot Start detonation issue.
Forgot to mention I am at 199700 miles!
This will not work for everyone but it is worth a shot!
Valvoline Max Life Synthetic Blend SAE 5W-20 Motor Oil 5qt
and
Restore (00012) 6-Cylinder Formula Engine Restorer and Lubricant - 12.5 oz.
I put half of the oil in, then the 12.5 oz of engine restore, then filled that empty can with new oil, then poured the rest of the oil in leaving 12.5 oz left over if i need to top off. But so far I haven't needed it.
The dealer was putting in 0w20 for the last 2 oil changes and I had to top it off every 500 miles or it would be very loud on startup. Now the car is quite and running great. Also resolved my Hot Start detonation issue.
Forgot to mention I am at 199700 miles!
This will not work for everyone but it is worth a shot!
Overall it is still way less than it was before. I will continue to check in every 500-1000 miles with an update for future readers.
#329
Got the car back. Acura did a good will repair (thanks to my dealer who did all the leg work!). They did replace all the pistons and piston rings. They said that there was not cylinder wall damage. They did find that the piston rings were stuck due to carbon build up. Had them do the spark plugs, timing belt, water pump, tensioner, adjuster and idler since they were working in that area as well.Will see how things go.
If it is back to normal, I will have to re-think the oil change strategy. Up to this point the car has been serviced according to the Maintenance Minder with whatever oil the dealer uses (5w20). Might be worth trying shorter change intervals with a different oil. Many forums recommend using 5w30 full synthetic instead. Will need to research this more. Any input is appreciated.
If it is back to normal, I will have to re-think the oil change strategy. Up to this point the car has been serviced according to the Maintenance Minder with whatever oil the dealer uses (5w20). Might be worth trying shorter change intervals with a different oil. Many forums recommend using 5w30 full synthetic instead. Will need to research this more. Any input is appreciated.
#330
Got the car back. Acura did a good will repair (thanks to my dealer who did all the leg work!). They did replace all the pistons and piston rings. They said that there was not cylinder wall damage. They did find that the piston rings were stuck due to carbon build up. Had them do the spark plugs, timing belt, water pump, tensioner, adjuster and idler since they were working in that area as well.Will see how things go.
If it is back to normal, I will have to re-think the oil change strategy. Up to this point the car has been serviced according to the Maintenance Minder with whatever oil the dealer uses (5w20). Might be worth trying shorter change intervals with a different oil. Many forums recommend using 5w30 full synthetic instead. Will need to research this more. Any input is appreciated.
If it is back to normal, I will have to re-think the oil change strategy. Up to this point the car has been serviced according to the Maintenance Minder with whatever oil the dealer uses (5w20). Might be worth trying shorter change intervals with a different oil. Many forums recommend using 5w30 full synthetic instead. Will need to research this more. Any input is appreciated.
#331
Got the car back. Acura did a good will repair (thanks to my dealer who did all the leg work!). They did replace all the pistons and piston rings. They said that there was not cylinder wall damage. They did find that the piston rings were stuck due to carbon build up. Had them do the spark plugs, timing belt, water pump, tensioner, adjuster and idler since they were working in that area as well.Will see how things go.
If it is back to normal, I will have to re-think the oil change strategy. Up to this point the car has been serviced according to the Maintenance Minder with whatever oil the dealer uses (5w20). Might be worth trying shorter change intervals with a different oil. Many forums recommend using 5w30 full synthetic instead. Will need to research this more. Any input is appreciated.
If it is back to normal, I will have to re-think the oil change strategy. Up to this point the car has been serviced according to the Maintenance Minder with whatever oil the dealer uses (5w20). Might be worth trying shorter change intervals with a different oil. Many forums recommend using 5w30 full synthetic instead. Will need to research this more. Any input is appreciated.
They have mine AS WE SPEAK...Im so stressed in hoping the cover it. How does it drive? Any different?
#332
Oil consumption 4G TL SH-AWD Automatic transmission (J37 engine)
I have looked up the internet and found this is a common issue for the J37A engine (Also used on the previous generation RL, MDX, ZDX etc.) . I started to notice this on my 2010 TL around 8k km (5k miles) where at 30% oil life the low oil indicator comes on. I suspect this is a problem right off the beginning just getting worse and finally noticeable when the engine gets to a certain age. Right now at a little over 13k km (8k miles) I am consuming a little over a quart every 2000 miles, requiring 3 quarts between oil changes. There seem to be people with the same engine having even worse oil consumption than me. Since the owner's manual doesn't say exactly what is "normal" oil consumption I am wondering about the oil consumption level of other people with the same engine?
By the way, I have been using mobile 1 5w-20 fully synthetic oil (although recommend by the manufacturer this is quite thin which may worsen the oil consumption). I am wondering has anybody tried a heavier viscosity oil or conventional oil and does it help reduce oil burning?
I am suspecting there is a design flaw with the J37 engine, as the block is made of aluminum (instead of cast iron for the J35) and since aluminum is softer the internal parts (cylinder walls, piston rings etc.) wear prematurely and oil start goes into the combustion chamber..
It is interesting that they dropped the J37 all together starting from the TLX, which makes me wonder there is really a defect (apart from the reason that they need to make the engines more efficient)
By the way, I have been using mobile 1 5w-20 fully synthetic oil (although recommend by the manufacturer this is quite thin which may worsen the oil consumption). I am wondering has anybody tried a heavier viscosity oil or conventional oil and does it help reduce oil burning?
I am suspecting there is a design flaw with the J37 engine, as the block is made of aluminum (instead of cast iron for the J35) and since aluminum is softer the internal parts (cylinder walls, piston rings etc.) wear prematurely and oil start goes into the combustion chamber..
It is interesting that they dropped the J37 all together starting from the TLX, which makes me wonder there is really a defect (apart from the reason that they need to make the engines more efficient)
Last edited by hyh; 07-19-2018 at 06:47 PM.
#333
The inconvenient truth
Not all consume excess oil. It seems to be hit or miss. Not sure why some do and some don't. FYI acura has put out a service bulletin saying 1 quart for every 1000 miles is "normal". Which means they wont do anything for you unless its consuming that much or more.
Mine does eat oil, not sure how much exactly. I just check it regularly and top up if needed.
Mine does eat oil, not sure how much exactly. I just check it regularly and top up if needed.
#334
Not all consume excess oil. It seems to be hit or miss. Not sure why some do and some don't. FYI acura has put out a service bulletin saying 1 quart for every 1000 miles is "normal". Which means they wont do anything for you unless its consuming that much or more.
Mine does eat oil, not sure how much exactly. I just check it regularly and top up if needed.
Mine does eat oil, not sure how much exactly. I just check it regularly and top up if needed.
Unfortunately nowadays they also recommend longer oil change intervals and thinner oil which just magnifies the issue...
As for why some cars consume oil and some don't, as I mentioned, it may be the aluminum engine. There are always manufacturing variations and some engines are better built than others. If you are lucky you will get an engine that wears down slower than others. However, on average aluminum engines wear down faster than cast iron engines so the percentage of cars having oil consumption issues is way higher. But this is just my guess.
#335
The inconvenient truth
I thought it had to do with the silicon lined cylinders as well.
Last edited by EE4Life; 07-20-2018 at 12:54 PM.
#336
The inconvenient truth
The 3.5 in the FWD cars dont seem to consume excess oil at all the the 3.7's do. The biggest difference between the two engines seems to be;
3.5 has: Aluminum alloy block with cast-iron cylinder liners
3.7 has: Aluminum alloy block with high-silicon aluminum cylinder liners
3.5 has: Aluminum alloy block with cast-iron cylinder liners
3.7 has: Aluminum alloy block with high-silicon aluminum cylinder liners
#337
10th Gear
Acura actually has a TSB open for this issue, It may be listed in the thread dopeboy linked but if you take a look at the bulletin here Acura states it is caused by carbon deposits on the oil control rings causing them to stick and allowing oil through. They have changed the procedure to fix it from a whole short block replacement to just swapping out the pistons and rings. I don't believe the different liners have much to do with excessive oil consumption.
#338
Senior Moderator
The 3.5 in the FWD cars dont seem to consume excess oil at all the the 3.7's do. The biggest difference between the two engines seems to be;
3.5 has: Aluminum alloy block with cast-iron cylinder liners
3.7 has: Aluminum alloy block with high-silicon aluminum cylinder liners
3.5 has: Aluminum alloy block with cast-iron cylinder liners
3.7 has: Aluminum alloy block with high-silicon aluminum cylinder liners
#339
Burning Brakes
Not all consume excess oil. It seems to be hit or miss. Not sure why some do and some don't. FYI acura has put out a service bulletin saying 1 quart for every 1000 miles is "normal". Which means they wont do anything for you unless its consuming that much or more.
Mine does eat oil, not sure how much exactly. I just check it regularly and top up if needed.
Mine does eat oil, not sure how much exactly. I just check it regularly and top up if needed.
#340
Problem Solved. They pulled apart my engine and Saw no significant damage. They allowed me to see engine when torn down,
Based on Photo comparison from Acura Tech guide and What I saw in real life they looked almost perfect. The culprit for my Excessive oil consumption...The oil.
Techline instructed to switch oil to 5w30. I had already instructed on my last oil change to do so, SOMEHOW, they failed to do it a few oil changes back. It was only whe nacura Requested the Service Records (they wanted proof I was using the Reccommended oil) did I realize they were using 5w20 Even after telling them i wanted 530.
Anyway, Im at 1400 miles into the 5w30 FULL SYNTHETIC and not a single drop of oil seems to be gone since the day the oil change was completed. Even though the manufacturer suggesst 5w20 for our cars in the onwers manual, the manufacturers suggested in my case 5w30 and..well, it worked!!!!!! They urged me to ONLY use Acura 5w30 as its carries some seal of approval? Anyway, I now feel free to enjoy my car.
Based on Photo comparison from Acura Tech guide and What I saw in real life they looked almost perfect. The culprit for my Excessive oil consumption...The oil.
Techline instructed to switch oil to 5w30. I had already instructed on my last oil change to do so, SOMEHOW, they failed to do it a few oil changes back. It was only whe nacura Requested the Service Records (they wanted proof I was using the Reccommended oil) did I realize they were using 5w20 Even after telling them i wanted 530.
Anyway, Im at 1400 miles into the 5w30 FULL SYNTHETIC and not a single drop of oil seems to be gone since the day the oil change was completed. Even though the manufacturer suggesst 5w20 for our cars in the onwers manual, the manufacturers suggested in my case 5w30 and..well, it worked!!!!!! They urged me to ONLY use Acura 5w30 as its carries some seal of approval? Anyway, I now feel free to enjoy my car.
#341
I used 5w30 Motul since the 2nd oil change (First one was free from dealer). I started burning oil (1L every 5k km) at 150k km or so (I just hit 190k). Up until then, I only burned around 200ml every 5k km. I recently did Seafoam, like another forum member had suggested in this thread way earlier. So far, I no longer SMELL oil burning (driving, or revving) but i have to give it some more km's to really be sure. I can tell you that the Seafoam calmed my idle when the AC kicks in.
#342
Latent car nut
iTrader: (2)
Yup, it is certainly powerful enough to kill cockroaches, but for cars it is pretty much worthless.
#343
The inconvenient truth
Problem Solved. They pulled apart my engine and Saw no significant damage. They allowed me to see engine when torn down,
Based on Photo comparison from Acura Tech guide and What I saw in real life they looked almost perfect. The culprit for my Excessive oil consumption...The oil.
Techline instructed to switch oil to 5w30. I had already instructed on my last oil change to do so, SOMEHOW, they failed to do it a few oil changes back. It was only whe nacura Requested the Service Records (they wanted proof I was using the Reccommended oil) did I realize they were using 5w20 Even after telling them i wanted 530.
Anyway, Im at 1400 miles into the 5w30 FULL SYNTHETIC and not a single drop of oil seems to be gone since the day the oil change was completed. Even though the manufacturer suggesst 5w20 for our cars in the onwers manual, the manufacturers suggested in my case 5w30 and..well, it worked!!!!!! They urged me to ONLY use Acura 5w30 as its carries some seal of approval? Anyway, I now feel free to enjoy my car.
Based on Photo comparison from Acura Tech guide and What I saw in real life they looked almost perfect. The culprit for my Excessive oil consumption...The oil.
Techline instructed to switch oil to 5w30. I had already instructed on my last oil change to do so, SOMEHOW, they failed to do it a few oil changes back. It was only whe nacura Requested the Service Records (they wanted proof I was using the Reccommended oil) did I realize they were using 5w20 Even after telling them i wanted 530.
Anyway, Im at 1400 miles into the 5w30 FULL SYNTHETIC and not a single drop of oil seems to be gone since the day the oil change was completed. Even though the manufacturer suggesst 5w20 for our cars in the onwers manual, the manufacturers suggested in my case 5w30 and..well, it worked!!!!!! They urged me to ONLY use Acura 5w30 as its carries some seal of approval? Anyway, I now feel free to enjoy my car.
#344
Burning Brakes
So the 5w20 helps with gas mileage but makes the oil consumption worse?
Thank you everyone for posing updates.
Thank you everyone for posing updates.
#345
Interesting, my mechanic also strongly recommended I switch to 5w30 to help with the oil consumption. I was reluctant to do so but maybe ill give it a try next time. It doesn't seem to consume much oil when the oil is fresh, it really starts when the maintenance minder is at say 60-50%.
#346
Pretty much. But I watch my Gas milage like a hawk, I notice no degradation in MPG. None. perhaps under certain conditions? But Daily "Spirited" Commuter driving on freeway and streets the MPGs stayed the same.
#350
Cruisin'
I've put 600 miles on mine so far, doesn't look like it's consumed much of any at all. It's still at the full mark, maybe even a little above. Even my TSX consumed more than that.
#351
Just an update...after switching to 5w30, not a single drop of oil used. Car runs smoother, revs come on like velvet.
I made the switch - Im a believer. For me here in California, this oil worked better than 5w20. I did notice a slight downgrade in mpg's.Just by like a couple miles.
I made the switch - Im a believer. For me here in California, this oil worked better than 5w20. I did notice a slight downgrade in mpg's.Just by like a couple miles.
#352
Just an update...after switching to 5w30, not a single drop of oil used. Car runs smoother, revs come on like velvet.
I made the switch - Im a believer. For me here in California, this oil worked better than 5w20. I did notice a slight downgrade in mpg's.Just by like a couple miles.
I made the switch - Im a believer. For me here in California, this oil worked better than 5w20. I did notice a slight downgrade in mpg's.Just by like a couple miles.
#354
Definitely does not fix the problem, but I also wouldn't let it turn you away from the car completely. A quart of oil every 3-4 weeks is no big deal in my opinion. Of course I'd love for the problem to go away!
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wreckon06 (08-27-2018)
#355
It's def a nice car. I think the handling is better than the Lexus GS 350 AWD I'm looking at. Both are 2013. My previous 04 TL did not give me any problem for 10 years (got it used in 08). Ah I wish I still have it. Getting a new car is such headache lol.
#357
Instructor
On my 12 SHAWD ADV with almost 96K miles I recently replace spark plugs, head covers gaskets and pcv valve. Car used to burn almost 2 quarts every 7K and after replacing this parts the comsuption has reduced to 1 quart, I think the PCV valve helped a lot, replacing it took me almost 15 minutes. Also noticed the exhaust pipes stay clean for a longer time.
#358
On my 12 SHAWD ADV with almost 96K miles I recently replace spark plugs, head covers gaskets and pcv valve. Car used to burn almost 2 quarts every 7K and after replacing this parts the comsuption has reduced to 1 quart, I think the PCV valve helped a lot, replacing it took me almost 15 minutes. Also noticed the exhaust pipes stay clean for a longer time.
Last edited by mossman77; 08-29-2018 at 08:36 AM.
#359
• having buy oil more often ( I was having to add a quart every 500 milles or so. This is after checking and there were no leaks found by acura)
• oil changes sooner. My % of oil quality started to slow down. I went about 5000 miles before my car reach 0%. The thinner oil seemed to shear faster.
it also quieted my engine, smooth out starts ups and it idles consistently smooth. Now that to me sounds like a fix. But again it all depends on what the problem was.
In every stage of issues i loved my car and still get excited to drive it EVERY time I approach. Yeah Its THAT fun to drive. The feel of the controls...
and until you've driven through some dangerous weather and see just how quickly the car regains crontrol after losing it to a hydroplane or a spin out...
I wouldn't pick anything else at this time. I love my car. How it looks. How it drives.
#360
Latent car nut
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