Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

albert5

Did you used 5w20 or 5w30?
What year is your TL?

albert5

Do you think its a good idea to do the first oil change at 3k miles?

sacdriver

I am leasing an '05 TL that has 35,000 miles on it and is 2-1/2 years old. At about 33,000 miles the maintenance minder came on and I took it in for an oil change. However, it has now dawned on me that perhaps there is additional maintenance that should have been done at 30,000. There is nothing in the owner manual that tells me what should be done when-- it just says to read the code on the maintenance minder. But I failed to do that. Is there any additional servicing I should have done now? I don't live in a city and don't drive in dusty conditions. One dealer's site I look at listed about everything possible, including draining the break fluid (which the manual says do every 3 years). Help !

jvette

HOG WASH on Synthetic oil making oil leaks. Got a Van that has used it since day one and it has 140,000 miles and going strong with 10,000 mile oil changes and it pulls a 3000lb boat!!

starman98

Does anyone know on a 2006 Acura TL what maintiance is needed other then oil changes/tire rotation? I am afraid to ask the dealer and have them charge me for stuff I dont need.

Can anyone help do I need a new Air filter, PVC valve or oil filter at 20K miles?

I enver had this expensive of a car so I don't know.

rvator4

I have a 00TL with 58K on it and it has never had any maintenance except oil and lube ( not counting recall on the tranny). I have the oil and filter changed every 3 to 4000 miles. They use Castrol.
I do not live close to the dealer and I take it to a Honda garage and they will not even pay any attention to the Acura maintenance book even though I always show them what is recommended at a particular mileage.

pat

It should be in your manual, but you can look it up right here: Maintenance Schedules, Recalls and Technical Service Bulletins.

richa502

I test drove a 2006 TL this past Fall and was disappointed by the harsh suspension. I know, I know, it's a sport car and that's what some people want, but I still thought it was too firm. I just got an e-mail from my local dealer saying the 2007 TL suspension has been re-tuned and is now more compliant. Does anyone have experience with the new suspension, and if so, what is your opinion? Is it more like an Accord/Camry, or still firm? Thanks.

scottm123

It's firmer than the Accord and although I have not personally driven the Camry, I assume that is softer as well.
It if softer than the TL Type-S though.

It's firm enough to allow the car to be driven in a spirited way, but soft enough to still be comfortable during typical driving.

According to Acura, the new 07 TL is stiffer, but I personally find the ride in the 07 base TL to be nicer than that of the 06.

leelee7

can anyone give me directions to a engine repair manual for a 1999 acura tl. I need to replace the worn timing belt.

albert5

To all TL Owners,

I have my TL for 7 weeks now. On the first 6 weeks the engine was still quite, but i just noticed it last week that there is a wierd noise coming out on the right side on the engine. I opened the hood and checked around. It sounds like a air leaking on the right side of the engine itself. I put my hand and i can feel the air coming out. It wasn't like that before.
Anybody had this problem? any suggestion before I call the dealer to have it check?

scottm123

Even if I knew what was broken, I'd bring it to the dealer.
The car is old 7 weeks young... let them troubleshoot and fix it.

davidg1

i have a 2005 tl i have been using mid-grade gas and never get less than 29mpg on highway my combined is about 23-35 i commute 19 miles non-highway funny rattle story had one on driver side driving me nuts so i finally made a note to call dealer for apptment(first step is remembering to make the note) so a week later i call and book time prior to going in, i had inspiration and put my sunglasses into their case and then into sunglass holder no more rattle never had windshield problem either
what do you do in snow? even though light 2 yrs not happy snow tires???

tigertail

I've had my new TL w/navi exactly two days. Drove it home from the dealer (over 100 mi drive) keeping the speed under 60, didn't have any problems. Today, went for a drive in the area on a straight level road. Was accelerating through 25mph, with foot on the gas to get up to 40mph. When the car was shifting from second to third gear, there was a one or two second delay. It was like there was no power to the wheels, while the engine continued to accelerate. When the transmision did engage, the tires squealed, the car bolted forward, then continued on normally. I had the car in automatic drive, VSC on, road conditions were dry. I tried to replicate it later, but couldn't ... the car performed fine! Basically, seemed like a delayed shifting between gears. Anyone else have this problem? Any ideas??? Otherwise, I love the car!

z71bill

5W20 weight synthetic -

If you really want the whole story.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/oil_viscosity.htm

5 - First number is the weight at 0 degrees
W stands for winter
20 is the weight of the oil when the engine is completely warmed up.

5W30 is not "better" than 5W20 - although there seems to be a large number of people who think that the thicker oil (30 VS 20) provides better protection.

Someone will say - it gives you a thicker OIL film - and that may very well be true - but that does not mean it is providing better lubrication.

5W20 is recommended by Honda (Acura) - one of the main reasons is it gives you slightly better MPG - now think about this - if it gives you better MPG - does than mean MORE or LESS friction is being generated with a lighter weight oil?

It always makes me scratch my head a little when someone claims to know more than the engineers that designed the car.

scottm123

They shouldn't be called "Foglights" anyway.
Foglights are low and pointed slightly outward, toward the curbs, for lighting in foggy conditions.
They should have the ability to be on without the headlights, as the headlights point straight and reflect too much light.

They should also be Amber in color, thus removing Blue from the light spectrum (The potion of light reflecting off the fog)

What comes on most cars today are "Driving" lights, and not foglights at all.

ficuss

Has anyone else noticed that the 07 TL headlights point too low? They are very bright but do not illuminate roadside signs at all. Overhead signs are left totaly dark and do not reflect anything at night since no light hits them. I understand the desire to not blind oncoming drivers with bright xenon bulbs, but what good are they if they are pointed towards the ground a short distance from the car? Roadside signs ,other roadside vehicles and obstructions are left in the dark.

tlpete

My 2003 TL is approaching five years old.
The headlamps have developed a haze that appears to be inside the unit. This is decreasing the effectiveness of the night visibility. I see nothing in the Technical Service Bulletins on the subject. Has anyone dealt with this issue?

rambler216

The owners get an extra 2500 miles on the warranty, and the class action attorneys get 25,000,000 in fees

redwagon1

I wondered about this too. From what I read, my guess is your headlighs are nominal and raising them won't illuminate overhead signs with "low beams." TL Xenon/HID headlight uses a single gas-filled tube instead of two separate filaments for low and high beams. Then the projector lens focuses the light into a tight, intense forward beam. To create a low beam effect, it uses a mechanical shutter that flips down and cuts off the upper half of the beam - thus the sharp horizon line. The combination of projector and shutter eliminates the little bit of light that scatters upward from conventional headlights that reflects off over-head road signs. On the other hand the HID produces a much brighter side-beam illuminating cars, kids, bikes, balls, animals and blue storm drain-reflectors(whats that about?). For evidence ( or trade propaganda) http://www.mvlc.info/tech/xenon_analysis.html.

nnnnnpatel

I'm wondering if there is a product we can apply to prevent this headlight hazing. From what I read, and you have to be careful here, you can use vinagar to remove it. Don't know how effective that would be though. Any thought here???

angie

ficuss

That's fine and well, but the headlights still don't illuminate an important part of the roadway which contains direction and speed information as well as possible obstructions. Emergency road side workers wear reflective vests so that oncoming cars will see them at night. The positioning and focus of these lights negate the benefits of the reflective materials both on signs and people. I doubt that a deer on the shoulder of the road will even be seen at night. They should be able to improve on this.

hauss

Does anyone have any experience repairing a paint chip themselves? I saw some stuff on the net but I'm leary of trying it myself. My chip is on the edge of the driver's side front quarter panel just above the headlight and it's about 2 mm by 2 mm.

www.langka.com

http://autorepair.about.com/cs/doityourself/a/aa110803a.htm

http://www.automedia.com/Paint/Chip/Repair/res20020901cr/1

http://www.apexcone.com/JimPowellHomepage/TechProcedures/PaintChip/PaintChip.htm- l

If anyone has any advice for me I'd love to hear it.

hky

I tried langka before but never have a success, it always remove too much touchup paint even after few weeks; so it end up back to square 1.

The old fashion touch up and wet sanding still the best bet, just make sure you have a good buffer and know how to use it.
The other option is find a reliable pro to do it, they usually do it better.

hauss

Thanks for the tip. I've been thinking that all the quick fix solutions I've seen out on the net are too good to be true. Any suggestions on how I could find a pro? Do I just call up body and paint shops? I contacted my dealer for a recommendation and I talked to a guy they referred me to that works on their used cars. I wasn't too pleased about using that guy because 1) he estimated it at about $250 for the repair and 2) he mentioned some technique involving spraying paint that seemed like overkill and probably more harm than good.

z71bill

Many times the repair job to fix chips in the paint will drawing more attention - and end up looking worse - than just leaving the chips. Unless they are down to bare metal I just leave them alone.

hky

You can look into some shop that does dent repair, sometimes they can also fix minor scratch; some auto detail shop can do it too. However, finding a trusted one with the right skills is very important; you can ask them for reference or see if they take any pictures.

Last time I had a stone hit on my fender and left with some white scratches, I used meguiars scratchX to get it better but still noticeable; since I am working with a guy to put on the clear bra, he helped me to buff it off and now is not noticeable at all (its free).

At the end, it depends on how deep your chip is and how much time the guy has to work on it (may requires couple visits); repaint may be required if it is too deep or crack in surrounding paint but doesn't sound like in your case, certainly I will avoid spending too much on it - who knows whether you will get another chip on the way back home.

Good Luck.

carteach

I posted here a number of weeks ago about how I opened the door of my TL against a metal post and nicked it very badly along the edge. I decided not to do anything; but yesterday when I looked at it, I swear I saw some rust. So it's going to a professional on Monday. The car barely has 4000 miles on it! Very depressing. (I haven't even begun to look for road chips and nicks!)

z71bill

I agree - if the paint is scratched and chipped to the point where it looks like it will rust - its a good idea to get it fixed.

I was talking more about your everyday nicks & chips - every car gets them - I seem to notice them the 2nd or 3rd time I wash a new car.

normh

How did you wind up fixing the clock bulb? Did a dealer do it or did you fix it yourself? I wanted to know because I just bought an '01 TL, and I need to replace the clock bulb.

Thanks for any help you can render.

Norm........

carteach

I keep getting small scratches on the metal strips that are next to the gear shift. I keep thinking that I'm being careful when I get into the car... but there they are. Anyone else have this problem? If so, have you been able to fix it?

chkntony

I bought the car about a month ago,
and i hear buzzing sound coming out from the center audio whenever i drive uneven road. Its really annoying. :mad:
anyone experience this? What should i do?
the car is only 1500 miles.. Sux.. :sick:

bodble2

It's probably not from the speaker. Likely a dashboard buzz/rattle, which, unfortunately, commonly haunts the TL. :sick:

chkntony

is it possible to fix?

bodble2

The trick is to locate, and isolate where the buzz is coming from. But from my experience, the success rate for eliminating noises is fairly low.

chkntony

Oh that sux,

so i'm the one with bad luck? :mad:

bodble2

Believe me, you're not the only one! Lots of TL owners have suffered from rattles/squeaks/buzzes. I have had a horrendous one from the glove box door. :mad:

chkntony

So you weren't able to fix it?

I called the dealer and they said to bring it in. saying they'll fix it.

bodble2

A word of caution though...sometimes the dealer would make it worst. I had an intermittent rattle in my glove box door, and I thought it was slightly mis-aligned. The dealer offered to put in a new door. I thought, Great! Now, the door is still mis-aligned, and I ended up with a worse rattle.

carteach

Can anyone comment about their experience buying their car one place and having it serviced at another dealership. Does anyone feel that they got better service where they bought?

bodble2

It's not supposed to make any difference, but I've always felt you do get some extra consideration at your "home" dealer.

rvator4

I have never had mine back to the dealer except to get the transmission call back once. It is too far away. I take it to a local Honda garage and they have always taken good care of it.

z71bill

Could be a difference if you are in a small town and the owner of the dealership is personally involved in running the business. He knows you - his kids play ball with yours - he remembers you took a test drive - and also knows you went to the "big city" dealership to save $250 on the purchase. It should not matter - but it could.

Most larger dealerships - it will make no difference - the sales and service departments are like separate as businesses.

carteach

When I was car shopping, the Internet Salesperson gave me a price which was not as competitive. When I turned his offer down, he said " You know if you bring your car here for service you won't get the same loaners as the people who buy from us." I guess at the time I should have called Acura to complain. :mad:

The place where I bought my car has a very welcoming service department. It's just further away.

dgenx

I been to my Acura dealer 8 times (not joking) since my purchase of 06 TL in July'06 for rattling sounds coming for passenger seats / dash / passenger door and back audio side. Everytime I go something gets fixed and new sounds comes haunting. Last time I talked to person from Acura Corp, go my car last week, still sound is not fixed. Dealer has been corporative but not sure what they do with the car ... The sound has been a nightmare for me ... planning to sell the car ...

ggesq

Here are some more links:

-040: DIY: Rattle Fix - Upper Door / Window Trim
http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84527

F-041: DIY: I finally got rid of the b-pillar rattle...
http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130207

F-043: DIY: Rattle Fix - Glove Compartment
http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83788
http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86178
http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101293

ecnirp

My windshield on my 06 TL with Nav was replaced last Monday. I had them put on an OEM Honda windshield. Tonight I noticed the auto dimming feature on the rearview mirror was not working. It would not turn on.

I'm guessing something was either broken or not activated when the windshield was replaced by Safelite. Is there anything I can do to get the mirror to work again? Do you think the dealer would fix this under warranty or would I have to have Safelite fix the problem? Thanks.

scottm123

I had Safelight come and do my MDX windshield, and they had to come back a second time, due to a moron installing the first one.

I watched the second removal/install.

The guy used a tool which looked like a large drill, but had a flat blade instead of a drill bit, which reciprocated in and out.
He used this barbaric tool inside, along the bottom of the windshield, where it met up with the dash.
This was used to cut the adhesive along the windshields bottom edge.
My guy made a small scratch in the dash, but it's hardly noticable and wasn't worth fighting over. (We all know replacement dashes rattle like heck)

If your guy used this tool and clipped a wire, it would be a cause of the auto-lights no longer working.

The only other thing I can think of is if there enough distortion in the OEM windshield to hamper the sensors light detection.... but that would have to be one horrible windshield, so that's most likely not the cause.

bodble2

Unfortunately, getting the dealer to fix rattles is always a bit of a crapshoot. More often than not, home remedies are more effective, or just learn to tune out the rattles!

jkm900

If anyone knows anything about transmission on the TL please see my post in the Transmission section. That section doesn't seem to be very active as opposed to this one. I could use some help, thanks!