What Oil Does Your Car Take?

 
Your new or pre-owned Acura comes with a recommended service schedule, devised by Acura to ensure optimal performance as the years go by. Oil changes are included at every routine maintenance visit, and for good reason: this quick and simple service keeps your engine clean, prevents overheating, and maintains performance and efficiency on Golden roads. Your Acura vehicle will likely need an oil change about every 10,000 miles, but this frequency can differ based on the age of your vehicle and the type of oil you’re using. Not sure what kind of oil your car takes? The team at Fisher Acura will be covering what you need to know about Acura oil types in the guide below.

Engine Oil Grades & Density

Still wondering to yourself, “What oil does my car take?” There are two main oil types available for your Acura: conventional motor oil and synthetic oil. We’ll discuss the differences between them in the following section, but for now, let’s look at oil density. Whether you buy conventional or synthetic oil, it should be one of the following two grades:

• 5W-20
• 5W-30

5W-20 or 5W-30 grades offer the proper density for your engine. These oil types have the right amount of viscosity to flow and coat all parts of the engine and properly protect them from friction and overheating. Our team can answer questions about selecting the right oil type when you visit the Fisher Acura service center or order oil change supplies online.

Oil Type by Engine: Conventional vs. Synthetic

What oil does your car take, conventional or synthetic? And what about synthetic blends? At the end of the day, it’s up to you. Your vehicle’s combustion engine will run just fine on conventional oil if you follow the recommended oil change intervals. (However, keep in mind that age can impact what kind of oil your car takes; high mileage motor oil is recommended for older vehicles.)

Does synthetic oil improve gas mileage? Not directly. What it does do is keep your engine cleaner—and a cleaner engine operates with less friction. If you’re using conventional oil and miss some of your vehicle’s recommended oil changes, sludge will build up in your engine, causing it to run a bit hotter. The result could be lost efficiency. In other words, using synthetic oil enables you to change your car’s oil less often without sacrificing fuel economy on Golden roads. Synthetic blends offer some of the longevity benefits of synthetic oil but at a lower cost.

Schedule Certified Acura Service Near Thornton

If your Acura car or SUV is just about due for an oil change, be sure to check out our current service specials to see how much you could save at your next appointment! We’re also happy to help if you have service-related questions about what oil your car takes or how to change motor oil yourself. Reach out to our service center, conveniently located in the heart of Boulder, to speak with a technician today.