2011 Acura MDX.Honda
My 2011 Acura MDX has 99,000 kilometres on it and is burning a litre after 6,500. A second litre is required after the next 4,000 kilometres, and a third litre before the maintenance minder calls for an oil change at 15,000 kilometres. Acura is telling me this is within the guidelines. Is this accurate? – Brent
Oil consumption tests are performed the same way by most manufacturers. A dealer will perform a fresh oil change and have the vehicle owner travel precisely 1,000 kilometres, then return at this interval so that oil can be added to bring it back to full. The quantity of oil required is recorded on a worksheet and averaged out over three visits.
Most manufacturers are having oil-burning issues, and Acura/Honda is no exception, with a significant amount of its 3.5-litre V-6 engines experiencing an engine ring misalignment problem. A warranty extension is in place to correct this error.
It would appear your vehicle is consuming approximately one litre per 5,000 kilometres, which Acura and most manufacturers consider normal. A quick Internet search shows many 3.7-litre MDX owners complaining of excessive oil burning, which I believe to be a similar problem to the 3.5-litre motor.
You are going to have to continue adding oil for the time being and hope that Acura has a plan to take care of these engines, since it is more than likely your vehicle will use more oil as it ages.
Lou Trottier is owner-operator of All About Imports in Mississauga. Have a question about maintenance and repair? E-mail globedrive@globeandmail.com, placing "Lou's Garage" in the subject area.
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