Acura Recommendation

[totalstu]

Hi, first time poster.

I've searched the forum and don't really find mention of this car. I just got 2000 Acura RL that's been on the road for 4.5yrs. It has 88000KM and has only used regular oil. Changes were done at the dealer.

Before I got this car my old Acura had oil changes every 3 months with regular oil. I'm not so inclined to be able to do the changes myself so I go to the oil changers 3 blocks away.

It's difficult to decipher what Acura Canada recommends as to when to change oil. On their website they suggest 3months/6000km. In the manual it says 6months/6000km for severe conditons. I don't think I'm so severe, as I don't see them mentioning in the manual about using severe if in Western New York, Michigan, etc. They are just as severe as me in Toronto. Nevertheless, I figure "severe" is the right thing to go by. I drive about 800KM/mth and mostly city.

I'm thinking of going to synthetic oil and changing it every 6 months. Mid April, put in 5w30. Mid October, put in 0w30. I'd save a few bucks with the two less changes but, better than that, I'll enjoy the benefits of synthetic oil.

Is this a good course of action to take? Is the current mileage an issue to consider? Is there anything else I should consider? Like brand of oil. What about filters? I'm in Canada so finding Mobil or Pure one filters will be difficult at best, if not out of the question.

Oh, one other thing. Also confusing me in the manual is this:
Oil; 4.6L including filter, 4.3 without filter. What is the difference? They sell jugs of 4.4L . Do I buy that or that and 1 extra bottle to be safe?


Thanks

[ March 05, 2005, 02:18 AM: Message edited by: totalstu ]

 

[pee-wee]

Its perfectly fine to change your oil every 6 months with synthetic...heck...even dino oil would be fine.

I change my oil every 6 months or 8000kms as per my manual, but I could go much longer now that Im using synthetic.

I gues it comes down to your budget and how much you can spend on an oil change.

 

[The Critic]

quote:

---

Originally posted by totalstu:
Hi, first time poster.

I've searched the forum and don't really find mention of this car. I just got 2000 Acura RL that's been on the road for 4.5yrs. It has 88000KM and has only used regular oil. Changes were done at the dealer.

Before I got this car my old Acura had oil changes every 3 months with regular oil. I'm not so inclined to be able to do the changes myself so I go to the oil changers 3 blocks away.

It's difficult to decipher what Acura Canada recommends as to when to change oil. On their website they suggest 3months/6000km. In the manual it says 6months/6000km for severe conditons. I don't think I'm so severe, as I don't see them mentioning in the manual about using severe if in Western New York, Michigan, etc. They are just as severe as me in Toronto. Nevertheless, I figure "severe" is the right thing to go by. I drive about 800KM/mth and mostly city.

I'm thinking of going to synthetic oil and changing it every 6 months. Mid April, put in 5w30. Mid October, put in 0w30. I'd save a few bucks with the two less changes but, better than that, I'll enjoy the benefits of synthetic oil.

Is this a good course of action to take? Is the current mileage an issue to consider? Is there anything else I should consider? Like brand of oil. What about filters? I'm in Canada so finding Mobil or Pure one filters will be difficult at best, if not out of the question.

Oh, one other thing. Also confusing me in the manual is this:
Oil; 4.6L including filter, 4.3 without filter. What is the difference? They sell jugs of 4.4L . Do I buy that or that and 1 extra bottle to be safe?


Thanks

---

Esso XD-3 is an excellent oil that can be had for under $4/liter I think if purchased in bulk. Pretty sure that it is a petroleum baseed PAO synthetic, don't hold me to it though. Please excuse the fact that I really don't pay much attention to Esso at all since I cannot get it here in the US. Its 0W-30 is excellent judging from the analysis results; it should be safe to run this product year-round.

With the mileage that you have on this vehicle, you should run two Auto-RX cycles with a conventional motor oils to clean out any sludge buildup in the engine before switching to a synthetic to provide a cleaner operating environment for the synthetic and to minimize the possibilities of developing leaks from seals.

Once a year with Esso should be fine, if I'm not mistaken, 9600KM translates to 6000 miles. Make sure you have it analyzed, and get a TBN reading, and that should tell you whether or not the oil is suitable for the interval. If you are very concerned, consider drawing out a sample after six months while the oil is still being used.

Amsoil or K&N oil filters are great, though they cost about $8-$12/each. For a cheaper alternative, try Supertech.


Hope this helps,
Michael

[ March 06, 2005, 02:50 AM: Message edited by: Michael Wan ]

 

[totalstu]

I went to the Auto-RX website and read the application instructions. I'm a bit confused when you say "run two auto-rx cycles". My car has 55000 miles. Are you suggesting following the first or first & second application process?

Thanks