Anyone know what the 'acceptable' oil consumption is on an NSX?

[paulviriyapan]

I may be paranoid about the oil consumption, and I just wondered if anyone knew what an 'acceptable' amount of oil consumption would be per month or per 1000 miles on a '91 w/68k miles? All the cars I've had before consumed some amount of oil, and I was wondering how much is okay, and what the amount is that I should be worrying about. Thanks.

 

[sjs]

A healthy NSX engine at 68k should not "consume" enough oil per 1000 miles to see the difference on the stick. On the other hand, it may well leak a bit from common places for older cars and therefore loose enough to notice.

As for what's acceptable, that's pretty much based on the owner's tolerance for such things. The car will run without doing and damage even when burning a quart every thousand miles, assuming the oil is not fouling plugs or causing detonation problems, the latter more likely in a boosted engine and/or one run very hard. Of course it may down on power both because of the oil itself and from what ever causes the consumption, such as blow-by past the rings.

Not what you wanted to hear, but there isn’t really a “correct” answer. If you mean at what point should you hang your head in shame because you own a sickly NSX, I’d say when you can’t see the guy behind you through all the blue smoke.

 

[nsxtasy]

If you're asking what is typical, most NSXs don't consume any oil between changes. We don't see a lot of posts here about oil consumption.

That doesn't mean that a small amount of consumption is necessarily a serious problem; as sjs notes, if you have any, you might be willing to live with it. But it's not common.

Are you having any oil consumption? If so, how much?

 

[paulviriyapan]

As it stands, it is averaging about a quart a month, give or take. When I say give or take, it is because I had the oil changed three months ago and I don't know if they did fill it all the way. No, there isn't a huge screen of blue smoke, but it has puffed a little when it first starts up in the morning, but I don't know if that is attributable to consumption of oil or the fact it may be colder in the morning and it is water condensation. It isn't blue, and that's for certain. I suspect that maybe the jokers that replaced the oil put the wrong filter or there's a small leak somewhere, but I have yet to see any oil on my garage floor (which has a finish on it, making any oil spots obvious). Knowing that replacing the rings or valve guides on an NSX ain't cheap I'm just a little paranoid.

 

[westernb4]

My 56000 mile '93 has consumed no oil in the 20000 miles I've driven it.

 

[PKim]

Oil consumption

A quart a month is pretty excessive. Where are you having your oil changed, are they using genuine Honda filter? I do my own oil change and I have a '91 with 58,XXX miles and absolutely no oil consumption.

Paul

 

[jadkar]

too much consumption

Yeah, that is definietly too much. I have a 1988 911 and those cars are known to consume some oil, and mine doesn't even consume a quart per month. My NSX doesn't consume a drop (remember we have Hondas), I would definietly do a compression test on your car.

 

[Acura NsX Pilot]

I suspect that maybe the jokers that replaced the oil put the wrong filter or there's a small leak somewhere, but I have yet to see any oil on my garage floor (which has a finish on it, making any oil spots obvious). Knowing that replacing the rings or valve guides on an NSX ain't cheap I'm just a little paranoid.

Maybe they used the wrong oil......do you know what weight oil they used ?

 

[paulviriyapan]

Mobil 1 15/50, the highest viscosity stuff they make.

 

[ChopsJazz]

I thought the owners manual specifically recommends the use of 10-30.

 

[svalleynsx]

I may be paranoid about the oil consumption, and I just wondered if anyone knew what an 'acceptable' amount of oil consumption would be per month or per 1000 miles on a '91 w/68k miles? All the cars I've had before consumed some amount of oil, and I was wondering how much is okay, and what the amount is that I should be worrying about. Thanks.

Same year/mileage on mine. Zero(0) oil consumption between oil chnages. About every 4,500 miles. Castrol GTX 10W-30. Genuine Honda oil filter & washer.

 

[jrehner]

Ken--here in verrrry hot AZ, we use Castrol 20-50. Basch Acura just replaced all the fluids in my car and used the above everywhere that oil is used. I asked the same question you did...