The Acura Service Bulletin Letter states that regardless of mileage or time in service, Acura will extend the warranty to resolve this issue.
So I called Acura service and started the engine oil consumption test where they top off the oil and allow the vehicle to be driven 1000 miles to see how much of that oil has burnt. But the first day, after only examining the car for 30 minutes, they tell me that the rear main seal and few other parts needs (about $4,000 repair) to be replaced before the service bulletin can be honored. They further added that Acura is requiring the this to be fixed before they perform warranty repair.
Today, I went back to Acura service department after driven the car for 1,130 miles. It turns out 1.8 quarts were burnt. That is quintessential example of excessive oil consumption. If the motor leaked that much oil from the engine seal over the 2 weeks period, I would have seen oil stains all over my garage and driveway floor. I do not see any drops at all. The service advisor explains this phenomenon to me that there is oil pan underneath the vehicle that catches all the oils and it only dumps when the vehicle is in motion. (are you kidding me?)
Just last weekend, (memorial weekend) I changed tie rod, lower control arm with ball joints, stabilizer bar bushing and hub assembly. I looked around the driver side where the rear main seal is located and it is bone dry. Only wet area I see is the inner tie rod and very little at CV boots. There is no sign of anyone even opening the case to examine the rear main seal. In order to see the rear main seal, you have to drop the entire subframe to gain access and remove whole bunch of other moving parts that gets in the way. They could not have done it in 30 minutes. There is no sign of anyone opening the case.
Rear main seal usually starts to leak as early as 75,000 miles. My car has over 140,000 miles. They are probably right; it is probably leaking inside but all the other things they have told me are not true. (Oil pan that gets rid of leaking oil when in motion OR Acura requiring this seal issue addressed before warranty repair)
Either this is cheap attempt in ACURA to have make the service dealer generate revenue OR the dishonest business practice by Park Avenue Acura service department in Maywood NJ in trying to make extra money by having ACURA HQ to pay for the tear down of the motor, and they change $20 parts and keeping all the labor fee to themselves.
I am taking this issues to the end and I will keep this site updated.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
click to see larger images
The Acura Service Bulletin Letter states that regardless of mileage or time in service, Acura will extend the warranty to resolve this issue.
So I called Acura service and started the engine oil consumption test where they top off the oil and allow the vehicle to be driven 1000 miles to see how much of that oil has burnt. But the first day, after only examining the car for 30 minutes, they tell me that the rear main seal and few other parts needs (about $4,000 repair) to be replaced before the service bulletin can be honored. They further added that Acura is requiring the this to be fixed before they perform warranty repair.
Today, I went back to Acura service department after driven the car for 1,130 miles. It turns out 1.8 quarts were burnt. That is quintessential example of excessive oil consumption. If the motor leaked that much oil from the engine seal over the 2 weeks period, I would have seen oil stains all over my garage and driveway floor. I do not see any drops at all. The service advisor explains this phenomenon to me that there is oil pan underneath the vehicle that catches all the oils and it only dumps when the vehicle is in motion. (are you kidding me?)
Just last weekend, (memorial weekend) I changed tie rod, lower control arm with ball joints, stabilizer bar bushing and hub assembly. I looked around the driver side where the rear main seal is located and it is bone dry. Only wet area I see is the inner tie rod and very little at CV boots. There is no sign of anyone even opening the case to examine the rear main seal. In order to see the rear main seal, you have to drop the entire subframe to gain access and remove whole bunch of other moving parts that gets in the way. They could not have done it in 30 minutes. There is no sign of anyone opening the case.
Rear main seal usually starts to leak as early as 75,000 miles. My car has over 140,000 miles. They are probably right; it is probably leaking inside but all the other things they have told me are not true. (Oil pan that gets rid of leaking oil when in motion OR Acura requiring this seal issue addressed before warranty repair)
Either this is cheap attempt in ACURA to have make the service dealer generate revenue OR the dishonest business practice by Park Avenue Acura service department in Maywood NJ in trying to make extra money by having ACURA HQ to pay for the tear down of the motor, and they change $20 parts and keeping all the labor fee to themselves.
I am taking this issues to the end and I will keep this site updated.
- Patrick L., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, US