jnc2000

I've got a question for those 4G owners that do mostly all highway driving.

I currently have 5600 miles on my TL, and the MID is reporting 50% oil life. I know there will be slight oil consumption during the breaking period, and before the first oil change - thus I already added a bit of Mobile 1 to bring it back up from low.

However, I question the rather long oil change interval for the first change. My Ridgeline MID popped at 15% right around 6500 miles (all highway). Keeping up this pace I'll see 9k miles or more before my first oil change. Should I change the filter just to keep things cleaning?

Thoughts / feedback?

docboy

I would get the required services as the MID dictates; the TL and Ridgeline are different animals.

I wouldn't change the oil/filter early, as you have plenty of oil life left.

compewterbleu

I'm with you on that docboy.

JM2010 SH-AWD

Agree with the previous posts. Both the manual and my dealer are pretty emphatic about relying on the MID.

I do about half my driving on the highway. I'm at 7500 and showing 20% (it's probably very close to 15% by now). The oil life is not linear, in my experience. I was about at 50% at your mileage, and I will be about due for a change very soon.

I had to add a quart at about 4300 miles, but oil consumption seems to be all but stopping now.

jnc2000

I guess my major concern is the MID seems to shift naturally to 10k plus oil change intervals (depending on driving habits, {RPMs, speed, load etc} ) - Changing the filter half-way couldn't be all that bad.

It'll be interesting to see what Blackstone says about the oil as well. I'll be sending a vial off to them for analysis as I always do for each and every fluid change.

chinolatte

My dad has an MDX which uses the same system. We've been doing comparisons between our MID notification intervals. So far, it seems that they're pretty close together, we both get oil change notifications every 7-8k miles. Curious thing is, he does almost all highway driving, and I do a good amount of city driving with a tendency to drive with a lead foot sometimes.

I'm starting to think that the MID indicator is almost entirely mileage based.

Recall

The MID indicated that I had 20% oil life, I didn't bother to wait for the Service Now indicator. The oil on the dipstick was little below half on the dipstick and dirty so I took it into the dealer and they change it and rest the MID. The car has 8,900kms now.

KeithL

I used to do my oil with my TL's , gf's RDX when Oil gets to aroun 20-30% or 6K miles, that happened to work out to be about the same for me.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

i have done my last two tl's at 5k and rotated my tires at the same time...i then reset the mid...

also, i do the work myself

Cubanaso

I took it to the dealers @ the 20% of oil life with 4987 miles

hectic1

I had my first oil change done at 3700 miles and went with Mobil 1 5w-20...not that I don't trust the MID but I wanted to get over the synthetic sooner rather then later.

Pete2010

I would not recommend changing the oil early, we learned from another member that the oil in the TL from the factory is different than normal oil in that it is designed for the first 6-8k miles breakin process. Changing oil early (even to synthetic) in that first oil change could go against what was designed for the car.

Here is the thread:
https://acurazine.com/forums/4g-tl-2009-2014-123/first-oil-analysis-758962/

I think after the first oil change, you could change the oil at anytime, but that first change, just follow the MID.

Six Shifter

I did my first oil change at just over 9000 miles ... my next at 18,800 miles ... and I'm averaging about 1000 miles for every 10% decrement on the MID. My driving is approximately 98+% highway.

JM2010 SH-AWD

SS-how's your oil consumption been?

Frank Bradley

I'm at 4.8K and showing 60% and was getting concerned about changing. Glad I read this post so will wait until the MID tells me it's time. Acura put big investment in tech so we should believe unless experience dictates otherwise.

muggs

Changing oil is always a very hot topic on most car forums. Honda emphasizes leaving the factory oil in the engine until the computer says to change it. I just picked up my '11 TL six speed.
I'm going with the maintenance minder and resist the urge to
do an early change.

JM2010 SH-AWD

^^ Congrats on the new car - welcome to the 6MT club.

Let's see some pics!

Six Shifter

Haven't noted any real issues with consumpton to date. Will need to fill tank on Monday after work, and as MID should read 60% I'll check the stick then.

Kingmeow

Exactly my experience. The past two oil changes were at the 10,000 and 20,000 mile points, respectively. I have 10% left right now until my 3rd oil change and I'm 1,000 miles away from 30k.

I drive 98% highway too.

Six Shifter

3600 miles driven since last oil change and oil is up to the top. 70% on MID, which I expect to drop to 60% as soon as I get another 400 miles on the odo.

Frank Bradley

I'm a little over 5K and MID read 50%. I checked the stick and its right up there so no consumption issues so far. I drive about 75% h-way. By the way I drive a lot in the Mts of Vt skiing so the car is getting a good work out and the mpg is a tad of 25. I don't like the price of premium but it works.

JM2010 SH-AWD

I took mine in for first change (MID popped at about 7500 miles). I've put about 1.5 quarts of oil in since the car was new, beginning at about 4300 miles.

I asked my dealer about oil use. They told me the usual about break-in period oil consumption. They also said that a lot of their cars come with oil filled to the half-way mark on the stick, so being at the lower end of the stick would mean you've only used half a quart from new.

In any event, they did a compression and visual check. No leaks (I knew that), and compression was perfect. The OBD showed nothing abnormal.

They seemed pretty confident there was nothing wrong. I'll continue to monitor. Now that I'm past 7500 miles, I'm hoping the rings are fully seated/sealed, etc. and that oil use stops.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

i am now at 7k miles, changed the oil at 5k, i added about a 1/2 qt during the first 5k miles...now at 7k it is still at the top mark, so i would bet its something during the first 5-7k miles of use...owned many hondas, a few acuras, a hand full of honda motorcycles and not one has used one drop of oil inbetween changes...

JM2010 SH-AWD

That's been my experience too - two Accords, two Integras, a Legend and too many to count Honda motocross bikes. I'm hoping the TL falls right into line, now that I've passed 7.5K.

jspagna1

I've heard that about Hondas?Acura cars. That is surprising since the things can rack up mega miles. This is my first Honda vehicle so I'm learning. I am also anal about oil changes so I'm not that concerned.

Motorista

[quote=Pete2010;12598206]I would not recommend changing the oil early, we learned from another member that the oil in the TL from the factory is different than normal oil in that it is designed for the first 6-8k miles breakin process. Changing oil early (even to synthetic) in that first oil change could go against what was designed for the car.

Very true! And for the same reason if there is a need to top up the original oil before the first change I would strongly recommend *against* using a synthetic: Honda uses and prescribes mineral oil for our car, so I decided to stick with mineral even after the first change (Castrol GTX in my case).
Regarding oil interval, in my case (95% city driving and short runs) the computer recommends changing at 3800 to 4200 miles. Blackstone's analysis confirmed the accuracy of the computer.

donaldhall

I would go with the oil life computer, always got about 7500 miles, but then I used full syn oil.

compewterbleu

...it's based mainly on how you drive the vehicle, weather plays a role too. Had the oil changed twice already and I noticed a different span in the mileage driven between the two and presently this oil change is going farther. I'm on the HWY to the ATL often and I've hit Richmond, VA and Chattanooga, TN during this interval too. I'm in Augusta, GA by the way.

Eli

I'm guessing it counts the number of revolutions the engine made since its last oil change, and it's mostly based on that. Is there any authoritative source on how it works? Service manual, etc.

Little Gator

My car is a 1 1/2 year old and has 5000 miles on it. Am I suppose to wait until it is has approx. 10K miles at 3 years old (per the MID) before doing the first oil change? That is hard to imagine Acura wants us to risk a very expensive motor just to wring out 5 bucks worth of oil life to put off a 30 dollar oil change to the very last possible moment. There has to more than just miles to be concidered when deciding when it is nessessary to change it.

JM2010 SH-AWD

I believe the manual says to change it at one year even if the MID hasn't poppped.

jspagna1

Dude why are'nt you driving the car? Yes I would change it NOW as oil does break down over time.

Little Gator

My manual says "always change the oil and filter according to the maintenance messages shown on the multi-information display" (pg. 510). It is only when I got to my maintenance journal that I found a footnote in very small print "perform this service according to the maintenance minder or annually, whichever comes first". Thanks Acura for sneaking in that important information like that so that none of us could miss it.

Little Gator

If we always blindly follow the manual like it was never wrong or has never omitted something important, I would still be 1 1/2 years away from a oil change. It was only today that I found that footnote stating a annual change. But since I didn't trust Acura's manual or dash, I changed my oil many months ago. As cheap as oil is and as easy as a change is to do, I change it regular. I am not convinced that old oil in my motor is better than fresh oil. O miles new oil is far better for my motor than old 5000 mile oil, even if it has more "life" in it still.

I am not pilling on the miles simply because it is not my daily driver. And when the weather is nice, I drive my sportscar instead most of the time.

jnc2000

Quick update.... 6900 miles and MID is still reading just changed to 30% this morning

jspagna1

Ha the benefits of living in Texas.

Little Gator

I grew up in Detroit but I got out of there 30 years ago just 3 days after finishing college. I could not stand the cold and all I did with snow was shovel it, drive thru it, cuss it, and hate it. Now I can drive my toys almost year around. Today, I got my Porsche out for a sunny day-off drive.

enbe

It's difficult to get used to longer intervals; came up on 11 month 4000 miles and just changed its synthetic oil. It's done and my runs to grocery and fueling are nicely done for another year until that TLX is intro'd; it's been the best Acura I've owned once I got the hang of the navigation; that was far from intuitive; now am glad I purchased the tech.

C8N

I have a 12 TL SH-AWD with just 3k and MID showing 50% oil life. My car was delivered to the dealer on Feb of 2012.

Just spoke with the service advisor at my dealer and he said that the fine print in the manual is rather more intended for older Acura models. Also said that considering my car is a 2012 MY, if really concerned, it would be ok to bring her in for service in a couple of more months at approximate 30% oil life.

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

At 30% oil life, you can drive for another 1/3 of the total mileage driven since the last oil change, before going to 0%.