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Acura MDX Care and Maintenance

180 messages,  Last post on Aug 11, 2009 at 1:23 PM

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#41 of 180 OIl Change by sbcooke Jul 07, 2003 (6:45 am)
I got my oil changed at a Jiffy Lube yesterday. I had to insist on getting 5W-20 weight oil. The girl running the shop kept telling me that the the 5W-30 was "better" for the car. I took out the owners manual and read her the section on oil and grades. The problem turned out to be that she had to go in back to get bottles of 5W-20 vs having 5W-30 on tap from the vats they keep on hand.   I was very careful and made sure they didn't check anything else, open the transmission or differential to check fluid levels, change my tire pressure, etc. I often find that it is the other areas at these places where mistakes are made.   It was expensive, $34.50 for an oil change, but the convenience of getting it done on a Sunday no waiting was worth it. So far I have had mine changed every 5000 miles...I have a road trip coming up and noticed it was starting to change from clear brown to slightly black, so rather than go 7500 miles I had it done now.
#42 of 180 oil change by hopeitsfriday Jul 07, 2003 (7:59 am)
I am still very edgy about changing the oil at jiffy lube. I am just thinking about the training that these so call mechanics have. Sometimes they can do more damage than good, especially with foreign cars. The oil is about the only fluid that is interchangeable to a generic brand on the MDX. The transmission fluid, differential fluid and the oil filter should be Honda brands. They are suppose to change the drain plug washer also, which they dont do. The dealer I go to gives me a loaner for oil change or I can just wait there for 30 minutes or so for what they call the express oil change service. They are open late on Thursday and half day on Saturday, and the price is about the same as Jiffy Lube.
#43 of 180 oil change by fndlyfmrflyr Jul 07, 2003 (10:07 pm)
The 01 and 02 MDXs use 5W-30 (the 02 owners manual has an error for the recommended viscosity - corrected by a service newsletter). Chances are no harm would be done using 5W-30 in an 03, but mpg might be slightly less.   Hondas in general now call for 5W-20 and an oil change shop should know that. Do you know what brand oil was put in your MDX?
#44 of 180 re: oil change by sbcooke Jul 08, 2003 (6:51 am)
Penzoil was the brand.   I will have to check with my dealer on the viscosity, I never got a letter regarding the error?
#45 of 180 re: by sbcooke Jul 08, 2003 (6:59 am)
I just checked with my dealer...they said it is a mistake? Thanks Acura. However they did say that using 5W20 shouldn't have any negative effect on the engine or performance...only using above a 5W30 will cause slight performance decreases by effecting the timing?   I am not sure if I should worry about it or not?
#46 of 180 sbcooke by fndlyfmrflyr Jul 08, 2003 (1:55 pm)
The correction for the 02 owners manual found in the Acura Service News (I think it was March 02) the dealers receive says the oil specs on pages 261 and 262 are wrong. The S/N had a picture of the chart for page 262 that shows 5W-30 for all temperature ranges and 10W-30 for above 20 degrees is also okay. There is also a note to check the January 02 S/N for a complete chart.   The 02s' oil filler cap on the engine calls for 5W-30 and that prompted me to question why the owners manual said something different.   When it was time for the first oil change I got the impression from my local dealers that they used whatever bulk oil they had for all oil changes. None knew the viscosity without looking at the big drum.   Probably the only disadvantage to using 5W-20 is if the ambient temperatures exceeds 100 degrees and or the engine starts to run hot. Not likely situations.   The advantage of 20 vs. 30 is slightly better mpg, though I doubt you would notice the difference. For temperatures above freezing, while the engine warms to normal operating temperature, there should be essentially no difference between 5W and 10W oils.   If you are concerned about temperature extremes you can use synthetic oil, which flows better when very cold and can take more heat before breaking down. The down side is synthetic costs about $4 per quart or more (I just paid about $3.90 per quart for Mobil-1).
#47 of 180 re: oil change by sbcooke Jul 14, 2003 (5:42 am)
My main concern was that I had a big road trip planned this last weekend, and the last thing I wanted to do was put 700 miles on in hot summer weather with the wrong weight oil. After some research and confirmation from dealers I just went with it.   I seemed to have better performance off the line? Or at least I imagined a slightly more spry feeling to my MDX? I may just have been imagining it, but once again my MDX drove like a dream on a long family weekend road trip. The only thing I wish it had was better cup holders for the front. The 2nd row gets 6 with everything folded out/down, the front has 2 shallow holders. Oh well.
#48 of 180 Oil by hopeitsfriday Jul 14, 2003 (8:17 am)
I am thinking about using Amsoil for my MDX. Does anyone have any experience using Amsoil on the MDX or any other vehicle. It is suppose to be the best oil in the market, better than mobil one.
#49 of 180 Amsoil and synthetic oil by fndlyfmrflyr Jul 14, 2003 (7:49 pm)
Amsoil is very good. I know people that have used Amsoil for years. I doubt Amsoil lubricates any better than Mobil-1 nor protects a 'healthy' engine any better than other synthetics. The MDX engine is not turbocharged and I have not read anything about hot spots like Mercedes and Toyota had on some of their engine that would imply there is a need for synthetic oil.   In short, it is unlikely, unless one tows without an oil cooler, an MDX will need the higher temperature performance of synthetic oil. The possible added protection for extreme high temperatures from Amsoil is unlikely to be used.   Unlike Amsoil, Mobil-1 and other synthetics are available virtually everywhere and usually cost less than Amsoil (unless you become an Amsoil dealer).   Personally, I use synthetic oil (Mobil-1), and have for over 25 years, because I like having the added protection available, just in case. It is not necessarily cost effective. I have not observed any performance or mpg increase on any of my cars when I switched to synthetic oil with the same viscosity as the regular oil that had been used in the engine.   Some people, when they use synthetic, use extended change intervals as long as one year. I have on some vehicles and seen no ill effect. I just changed the Mobil-1 in my lawn mower. The last change was 20 years ago. The mower doesn't need oil added often, maybe an ounce or so every few years. Only one of my cars using Mobil-1 has needed oil added between changes and that is my newest car, a 2003 model.
#50 of 180 price for 15,000k service by dorene1 Oct 15, 2003 (8:08 pm)
Our dealer is quoting $185. Anyone have any comparisons? Thanks!!!

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