I've been going 10k miles on Mobil 1 and OEM oil filter changes since the early 1980's. Until recently, I never had a car that burned any oil between changes and the top end of the engines have always looked super clean. My latest vehicle, a 2011 Acura TSX wagon purchased new, started consuming oil at the rate of about 1qt per 4,000 miles three years ago at around 65k miles. That increased to 1qt per 2,500 miles the following year. Then I got a notice from Acura about low tension oil control rings sticking from combustion deposits along with an extension of the warranty which just expired. At that point I started adding Techron every few thousand miles and switched to top tier gas. Oil consumption has slowly dropped to 1qt per 6,000 miles. I still have to add a half quart a couple of times between oil changes and am hoping that holds or improves. I am now thinking of switching to 7,500 miles for oil and 15,000 miles for the filter. Still using M1 0w20, but might switch to high mileage at this point. For a filter, I'm looking at Fram Ultra Synthetic because it seems more robust than the OEM Acura filter. Never thought much about filters until now, but I've never gone 15k miles with one before. I'm mainly worried about the high concentration of detergents in the fuel when I add the Techron two or three times between oil changes and the chance of fuel and detergents washing down into the oil. Some people only add Techron before an oil change because of this.
Changing Filter Change Interval
- Thread starter rvsarch
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use a XXW30 synthetic + don't extend filter or oil changes if you intend to reach 200 thou like my 2001 jetta 1.8T did, still 20" + vacuum at trade time + running great. with 10 thou oil changes i changed filter at 5 thou. as noted on noria filters are as important or even more than oil
Originally Posted by benjy
use a XXW30 synthetic + don't extend filter or oil changes if you intend to reach 200 thou like my 2001 jetta 1.8T did, still 20" + vacuum at trade time + running great. with 10 thou oil changes i changed filter at 5 thou. as noted on noria filters are as important or even more than oil
That doesn't prove much. For counter-example, editing that story to fit mine, we get this alternate version:
"use a XXW40 non-synthetic + don't extend oil changes if you intend to reach 600 thou like my 1981 GLC 1.5 did, still 21" + vacuum at 500k + running great. with 6 thou oil changes i changed filter at 18 thou."
(Not that I'd actually recommend non-synthetic nowadays ... )
use a XXW30 synthetic + don't extend filter or oil changes if you intend to reach 200 thou like my 2001 jetta 1.8T did, still 20" + vacuum at trade time + running great. with 10 thou oil changes i changed filter at 5 thou. as noted on noria filters are as important or even more than oil
That doesn't prove much. For counter-example, editing that story to fit mine, we get this alternate version:
"use a XXW40 non-synthetic + don't extend oil changes if you intend to reach 600 thou like my 1981 GLC 1.5 did, still 21" + vacuum at 500k + running great. with 6 thou oil changes i changed filter at 18 thou."
(Not that I'd actually recommend non-synthetic nowadays ... )
I would not be concerned at all about oil contamination from Techron or Top Tier gas. If you stick with M1, use the EP or AP version for your 15K OCI along with the Fram Ultra. Honda even recommends replacing the OEM filter every other oil changes, so you should have no issues with the Fram.
I don't think going to a heavier weight oil is a good idea at all. A stuck piston ring from combustion deposits is not like a heavily worn engine with low oil pressure. I had a 1958 Porsche back in the nineties and I ran 15w50 Mobil 1 after rebuilding the engine. Clearances and the stock oil pump needed relatively heavy oil to work as intended but I always felt full synthetic helped with cold starts and the fact that I rallied the car with the local Porsche club.
I hadn't thought of adopting a 15k OCI, but 10k has served me well over the years with no ill effects, so it is something to consider. Not so much worried about Top Tier gas, but from what I've read, a 16oz bottle of Techron contains about ten times the detergent that is present in normal tank of gas. It certainly has worked to reverse the effects of combustion deposits on the rings. Apparently Subaru and VW have even worse issues with low tension rings and oil consumption.
I hadn't thought of adopting a 15k OCI, but 10k has served me well over the years with no ill effects, so it is something to consider. Not so much worried about Top Tier gas, but from what I've read, a 16oz bottle of Techron contains about ten times the detergent that is present in normal tank of gas. It certainly has worked to reverse the effects of combustion deposits on the rings. Apparently Subaru and VW have even worse issues with low tension rings and oil consumption.
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Originally Posted by rvsarch
2011 Acura TSX wagon purchased new, started consuming oil at the rate of about 1qt per 4,000 miles three years ago at around 65k miles. That increased to 1qt per 2,500 miles the following year. Then I got a notice from Acura about low tension oil control rings sticking from combustion deposits along with an extension of the warranty which just expired.
Go to Acura and ask for an "after warranty adjustment". It's a problem which they know about, which is not your fault, or caused by you.
2011 Acura TSX wagon purchased new, started consuming oil at the rate of about 1qt per 4,000 miles three years ago at around 65k miles. That increased to 1qt per 2,500 miles the following year. Then I got a notice from Acura about low tension oil control rings sticking from combustion deposits along with an extension of the warranty which just expired.
Go to Acura and ask for an "after warranty adjustment". It's a problem which they know about, which is not your fault, or caused by you.
The car is currently consuming 1 quart every 6,000 miles. You are not going to find any manufacturer that considers that a legitimate claim for any sort of adjustment. Quite frankly, I prefer to have an engine assembled and installed in a factory and not by a car dealership. I check the oil level frequently and add a half quart at a time as well as an occasional bottle of Techron to the fuel in order to reduce the deposits that cause the low tension rings to stick. Now that oil consumption is significantly reduced, I was wondering if more frequent oil changes were in order. I could see where the detergents in the oil might work to keep the rings clean from the other side. I suppose if the oil consumption ends, I'll stop adding Techron and just continue with Top Tier fuel.
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