2010 acura tl awd oil life vs. Oil consumption
 

Hey all,

My low oil level indicator came on yesterday evening. When I check my oil life on my dash it is still displaying 50%. I have gone about 3800 miles or so since my last oil change. About 500 over what the sticker says on the windshield. I am under the impression the "oil life" gauge on my dash is the life of the filter? Am I ok to add a few more quarts of oil and ride another thousand miles? Thanks all!

oil life % is a calculated formula. it uses; start-ups, engine revolutions and other factors to figure out the life of the oil.

which is completely independent of oil consumption.
yes, if your engine is consuming oil, you can add oil to where it comes up below the max line on the dipstick

which means, who ever is changing your oil according to the sticker is CHANGING it early...
but that might not be a bad thing, as you can monitor oil consumption by reading the dipstick and catching before the engine goes dry

Help!
 

Heres the thing, if you car does have an oil leak then how can they do an accurate oil consumption test? There would be no way to tell what oil has been burned (consumed) or what oil has been leaked. And of course the dealership repair of an oil leak will be expensive.

I would take it to another dealership and make no mention of the leak and just ask for an oil consumption test and see what they say. Or take it to an independent mechanic and see if they can confirm there is an oil leak, if there is they will likely want much less than a dealership to fix.

Thanks
 

Thanks, yes that’s what I was thinking I will take it to another dealership with the paperwork for the oil consumption test and see what they say I take my car to the same dealership every single time and I have a hard time believing that this is the first time they’ve seen the oil leak now that I’m requesting the test!!! Did I mention it’s a 2012 MDX with less than 70,000 miles

2013 MDX 86K consumed all the oil and engine is now damaged and the dealer said it is my fault. I took it to them as soon as a light came on and they say it is not covered and will not pass the consumption test. Live in SF Bay Area if anyone is interested in the car or has a recommendation on what to do?

In light of how much oil these engines can burn its my opinion they should help you out. But at the same time I know they wont. Why you ask?

Because in your owners manual it tells you to check the oil level once for every tank of gas. If you had done this then there would be no engine damage. Therefore they are right, it is your fault.

I suggest you check your oil bi-weekly and keep it towards the full mark (the top of the markings) to avoid ever getting low. My 2012 TL SH-AWD uses ~1qt per 3500 miles or so. I typically change it around 4k-4.5k on a nice day, regardless of the oil life indicator, and never worry about running low on oil. My indicator is typically around 30% left or so and I reset it with every oil change.

Has anyone tried using different types of oils?
I heard the rumor that Walmart oil helps (Super Tech advanced full synthetic)
I added 1qt to my 2010 mt shawd and for almost a month no consumption.
Can anyone confirm this?

I also would love for someone to confirm that Walmart has magic oil.

no way

Clogged oil piston rings can be only flushed or changed, all other manipulations are just a short-term solution to the problem.