First topic... 1998 Acura RL with 158k miles

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I just bought this car, and it is 5k overdue for an oil change. It has run 5w30 dino oil as of last oil change, I know nothing about the history of the car.

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Planning an oil change in the near future, so I bought 5L of Mobil 1 full synthetic, thinking the all-aluminum Honda 3.5L engine would appreciate it.

I also bought a filter, Wix brand, and I'm debating taking it back and grabbing one from the Dealer... thoughts?

Thoughts on putting full synthetic oil in an engine with 158k miles? (255k km) Or should I stick with a good brand 5w30 dino?

I'm hoping to keep this car a long time so I want to make sure I'm taking the best care of the engine as I can!

Thanks for any help
Stumpy

-edit-

Figured I should give some more info...

I do mostly city driving, it's probably 70/30 mix of city to highway, I drive very easy (looking for optimum fuel economy) most of the time, rarely accelerate hard.

I plan to change the oil 5000km (3000 miles) intervals.

I live in Kelowna, BC, Canada, where summer temps can break 35C (95F) in the summer and dip to -20C (0F)
 
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I would run what you purchased, I've run M1 for over 20 years, and change at 5-6000 mile intervals. I still own a 95 Cirrus 2.5 V-6 with 236,000 miles, used less than 1/2 quart in 6000 miles.
 
My neighbor is a heavy duty mechanic, and he recommends either running a half a litre of ATF or some sort of engine treatment/cleaner with my current oil to de-sludge the motor, so when I put new oil in it will be in a much cleaner engine.

He did suggest doing the oil change HOT, which I agree with... Never done an oil change myself actually!

thoughts on that?
 
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def run the synthetic, as its overdue, maybe varnish or some deposits in engine as well, take a look through filler hole. Running synthetic will act as a light cleaner as well with those short intervals will do the motor good first few changes.
 
Mobil 1 will easily go double that interval...

Window regulators, EGR system, ABS are all problem areas....

If the timing belt has not been done it is probably on borrowed time...
 
No, do not put ATF in the engine oil. Use the M1 or Pennzoil Platinum or Pennzoil Ultra. Do a couple 3K OCI's to clean things up then use 5K OCI's. Wix makes a good filter, no need to take it back. Use it this time, and if you feel like changing then, go with a Fram Ultra for 2 OCI's.
 
Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
Mobil 1 will easily go double that interval...

Window regulators, EGR system, ABS are all problem areas....

If the timing belt has not been done it is probably on borrowed time...


Aha, another RL owner!

Funny you mention, the rear windows don't go down.. but I believe it may be something to do with the rear-window lockout.

ABS light is on, not sure what's wrong there yet.

Timing belt was done @ 76k miles, it's the one thing that's both on a sticker in the engine bay and in the owners manual. It's technically time to do it, but I took the front end apart when replacing the radiator and the timing belts looked brand new still.

I didn't really feel good about putting ATF in the engine, I would rather just do an oil change
smile.gif
 
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Wix makes good filters so use them without fear. My Acura prefers Pennzoil Ultra or Platinum over Mobil 1 but prefers Mobil Super 5000 over PYB. Go figure.
 
Don't put atf in the oil. The oil you have will clean. Mobil 1 high mileage is advertised to be their best cleaning oil. Techron in the fuel then a fuel filter change is a good idea too.
 
I used to have a 97. I wished the transmission had an extra gear, and the engine had variable cam timing.

Other than that, what a fine automobile it was.
 
Agreed, it does rev surprisingly high at highway speeds for such a luxury car. Power-wise though I feel it is more than adequate
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: JavierG
My Acura prefers Pennzoil Ultra or Platinum over Mobil 1 but prefers Mobil Super 5000 over PYB. Go figure.


When you say "prefers".............. you mean the car runs quieter on that oil ?
 
OP has NO IDEA YET whether the engine will "use" oil much...so whatever oil is used OP should monitor the dipstick level at every fill-up of gas (600km or so) DILIGENTLY until it is clear how many miles pass before the level goes to "L"/"0", the fill line on the stick...

If the level drops to "L" in less than 2000km then I'd add a quart of HM oil and at the next OC go with a full crankcase of HM

...and pull the valve cover to inspect the top of the engine and change the spark plugs and valve cover gasket at the same time...

BTW...I would also change ALL THE OTHER FLUIDS as well...

...and change the PCV valve/hose too if cracked/brittle, as well as check the other hoses, engine mounts and other rubber components for wear/aging...
 
ATF as a cleaner is an old wives tale that may have had some validity way back in the days when some ATFs really did contain whale oil.
This is a Honda, so it's typically neither picky about oil nor OCIs.
Honda used to recommend either 7.5K or one year for OCIs, whichever came first, with no requirements beyond whatever API spec was current for the year of manufacture.
Unless the PCV system is clogged somewhere, this engine is probably fairly clean, although you probably will find some varnish.
Any decent oil on 3-4K drains will clean up whatever needs cleaning. Heavy deposits are easy, unless they're heavy enough to clog the oil pump pickup screen, while varnish is tough to get rid of.
 
Did you have a great personal mechanic? I am interested in understanding how you purchased a vehicle with unknown history and 5K miles over due oil change. Are you somebody who knows vehicles very well that you do not need mechanic before purchasing a used vehicle?

I know that car looks extremely tempting and I would have jumped on it too but I would have taken it to my mechanic before closing the deal.
 
a mechanic is not going to be able to tell you much that you can not figure out yourself...unless he is very knowledgable on that particular year and model. The 5k overdue on an oil change probably would have turned me away from this car, but if I could see much down the oil fill hole and tell that it was fairly clean I may have changed my mind on that. Personally I would be as concerned about the trans as much as anything. Any plans to do a pan drop and filter change on the trans?
 
I know of a Honda/Acura indie who could have found anything there was to be wary of in this car in exchange for a hundred and change.
Of course, this guy has worked on these cars exclusively for more than a couple of decades.
Does this transaxle even have a pan to drop?
 
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