Please give oil and filter recommendation for 2014 Acura MDX.
1. What kind of vehicle you have
2014 Acura MDX with optional transmission cooler to provide tow capacity rating of 5000 lbs. Currently with 6000 miles on MDX with oil and filter changed once by dealer (was free and they may have used Honda synthetic blend with Honda filter). I will be driving more miles per year here on out than before.
2. What your owner's manual says -- not just viscosity, but certifications (look for acronyms like API SM, ILSAC GF-4, etc.) and change intervals as well
0W20 with API logo is all it says. Follow maintenance minder for OCI or one year.
3. Where you live
Colorado, so temperatures vary a lot--both high and low.
4. How you drive (easy? hard? fast? slow?)
I drive easy but this vehicle is used about 50-70% of the time towing a 3300 pound (actual weight, just two passengers and 150 pounds of gear in MDX). Much of time driving is in the Rockies (hills!).
5. What your daily drive is like (short trips? long trips? city? highway?)
This is not a daily driver and vehicle can sit idle up to 4 weeks at a time in the winter. When towing on the highway I drive at about 62 mph (85% highway/15% city). Most trips (70%) are 1-3 hours long. Most driving is in the summer and fall. I try not to use this vehicle for any short drives.
6. Whether your car has any known problems
None.
OCI is driven by Maintenance Minder (MM) but an Acura dealer online posted (formal document) range of 4-9,000 miles or one year. First oil change was at one year due to low miles driven but MM would have been at 5% remaining at over 9,000 miles so MM is not indicating that the towing is driving frequent oil change intervals. The manual does not have any OCI specifically when towing or any other special condition. It does for timing belt and rear differential.
I am concerned that this is a direct injection engine and if any oil or OCI can reduce problems with carbon buildup on intake valve area (have not seen any posts on the web showing that this or other Honda engine as having problems with buildup). I believe that buildup on some cars is mostly caused by crankcase gases being recirculated though intake and that no fuel with additives passed through intake due to the DI.
I keep vehicles for many years and over 200,000+ miles (just following manufactures OCI) if they are in good shape. Due to so much towing I possible will sell sooner than 200,000 miles.
1. What kind of vehicle you have
2014 Acura MDX with optional transmission cooler to provide tow capacity rating of 5000 lbs. Currently with 6000 miles on MDX with oil and filter changed once by dealer (was free and they may have used Honda synthetic blend with Honda filter). I will be driving more miles per year here on out than before.
2. What your owner's manual says -- not just viscosity, but certifications (look for acronyms like API SM, ILSAC GF-4, etc.) and change intervals as well
0W20 with API logo is all it says. Follow maintenance minder for OCI or one year.
3. Where you live
Colorado, so temperatures vary a lot--both high and low.
4. How you drive (easy? hard? fast? slow?)
I drive easy but this vehicle is used about 50-70% of the time towing a 3300 pound (actual weight, just two passengers and 150 pounds of gear in MDX). Much of time driving is in the Rockies (hills!).
5. What your daily drive is like (short trips? long trips? city? highway?)
This is not a daily driver and vehicle can sit idle up to 4 weeks at a time in the winter. When towing on the highway I drive at about 62 mph (85% highway/15% city). Most trips (70%) are 1-3 hours long. Most driving is in the summer and fall. I try not to use this vehicle for any short drives.
6. Whether your car has any known problems
None.
OCI is driven by Maintenance Minder (MM) but an Acura dealer online posted (formal document) range of 4-9,000 miles or one year. First oil change was at one year due to low miles driven but MM would have been at 5% remaining at over 9,000 miles so MM is not indicating that the towing is driving frequent oil change intervals. The manual does not have any OCI specifically when towing or any other special condition. It does for timing belt and rear differential.
I am concerned that this is a direct injection engine and if any oil or OCI can reduce problems with carbon buildup on intake valve area (have not seen any posts on the web showing that this or other Honda engine as having problems with buildup). I believe that buildup on some cars is mostly caused by crankcase gases being recirculated though intake and that no fuel with additives passed through intake due to the DI.
I keep vehicles for many years and over 200,000+ miles (just following manufactures OCI) if they are in good shape. Due to so much towing I possible will sell sooner than 200,000 miles.
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