"Jean S. Barto" <jsbarto1@cox.net> wrote
> Also, I asked him about replacing the valve cover gasket,
> as I have some oil
> leaking from the around the engine. Someone else told me
> that a failing
> valve cover gasket would cause that.

Yes, it will.

> The mechanic told me that there were
> two different types of gaskets now, one with Kevlar, and
> the older
> conventional kind. He also quoted a cost (around $100.00)
> for the repair,
> which I thought was fair. Is that in the ballpark?

Yes, it's in the ballpark, but I'd expect a bit less from an
independent mechanic. Closer to $75 total.

I haven't heard about the Kevlar type gasket here. If it
were popular or recommended, it is IMO the sort of thing one
would hear about here, since valve cover gasket replacements
are pretty common around a ballpark age of 100k miles/7
years or so.

I would buy the genuine Acura gasket instead of the Kevlar
one, unless googling or someone here speaks up and confirms
this is the latest technology.

> Is there anything else
> that would cause the car to use/burn excessive oil?

Yes. I suggest also replacing the PCV valve. This is a part
that will cost around $20. Get only an OEM (= genuine Acura)
one.

Also, the seals around the spark plug tube holes (and in the
valve cover) probably need replacement.

> Until the last service
> (replaced spark plugs) the car used 3/4 of a quart of oil
> in a month, and
> nearly left me stranded until I had the spark plugs
> replaced.

Can you elaborate?

I have a suspicion about what happened here, but want to
hear more from you.

When was the last full tuneup of your car (consisting of the
items listed at
http://home.earthlink.net/~honda.lioness/id11.html ?

Were genuine Acura parts used in this tuneup?