3.7L engine oil consumption...another thought
08-10-2016, 08:26 AM
#1
3.7L engine oil consumption...another thought
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.
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.
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Icetracer (08-10-2016)
08-10-2016, 10:34 AM
#2
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?
08-10-2016, 03:03 PM
#3
Senior Moderator
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?
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?
08-10-2016, 04:14 PM
#4
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.
08-11-2016, 09:38 AM
#5
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?
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?
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.
08-12-2016, 09:43 AM
#6
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?
08-12-2016, 10:33 AM
#7
2011 SH-AWD 6MT
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.
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08-12-2016, 10:35 AM
#8
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
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
08-12-2016, 11:04 AM
#9
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.
I really think its a ringland problem, with the piston sleeves or lack thereof is what is causing oil loss
Interesting comment I found on MDXers.org:
One consequence of using high silicon sleeve is that its break-in process is different. For J35 and other engines with cast iron sleeves, you want to break in smoothly, i.e., 4000 rpm or less in the first 1-2k miles. But for high silicon engine sleeves, you want to break in more violently, so that the piston ring can smooth out the silicon particles. Otherwise, the silicon particles are going to deform the ring. A lot of high end German cars use this kind of sleeves so you sometime hear that you want to drive hard to break in them. Same applies to J37.
So if it is not broken in right, it will burn some oil. The plus is that high silicon aluminum is much harder so even though it burns some oil, it will last a lot longer than cast iron.
Is the primary difference between the J37A1 and the J37A4 the exhaust VTEC functionality? My 2008 MDX has the J37A1 and doesn't burn a drop of oil.
So if it is not broken in right, it will burn some oil. The plus is that high silicon aluminum is much harder so even though it burns some oil, it will last a lot longer than cast iron.
Is the primary difference between the J37A1 and the J37A4 the exhaust VTEC functionality? My 2008 MDX has the J37A1 and doesn't burn a drop of oil.
Last edited by mossman77; 08-12-2016 at 11:16 AM.
08-12-2016, 11:35 AM
#11
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.
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!
08-12-2016, 11:38 AM
#13
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.
Last edited by mossman77; 08-12-2016 at 11:41 AM.
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justnspace (08-12-2016)
08-12-2016, 05:22 PM
#16
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.
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.
08-13-2016, 12:17 PM
#17
08-13-2016, 05:18 PM
#18
Senior Moderator
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.
08-14-2016, 11:21 AM
#19
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
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
08-14-2016, 04:37 PM
#20
Racer
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.
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.
08-14-2016, 09:31 PM
#22
^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.)
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.)
Last edited by Mr Marco; 08-14-2016 at 09:34 PM.
08-15-2016, 05:13 AM
#23
08-15-2016, 05:24 PM
#24
Racer
^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.)
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.)
You're probably right, Honda probably wouldn't make a mistake that big, but who really knows?
Last edited by Yikes; 08-15-2016 at 05:26 PM.
06-03-2018, 01:06 AM
#25
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.
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.
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