Acura RSX Maintenance and Repair

li_sailor · June 2005

I second the motion for a pic...or at least a good description of your exellent idea.

My Pathfinder had a similar problem with an exposed radiator that somebody here came up with a similar solution for.

jstacy · June 2005

Thanks for the info. Any further information regarding creating and installing the homemade screen would be very helpful.

nitromax · June 2005

posts # 212 and 426 describe the process that I did.

I will try to get some pics but I'm in the process of renovating a couple of rooms in my house. (tearing up the wall to wall carpet, crown moulding, base board...) so I'm kinda busy

BTW, did you know that a 8 x 11 area rug and it's corresponding pad fit into the RSX with the hatch closed?
:-)

li_sailor · June 2005

I can't believe I forgot about those posts, I remember them now. Those are good descriptions, I'm going to implement that. Thanks!

I've put large power washers, dressers, lumber, etc. in my RSX. A hatchback is an amazing thing. When I was shopping for a car in '03 ( I bought my 1 year old '02 in Sep '03), a hatchback was an absolute requirement (if only the TSX came as one!).

The American public completely underestimates the added utility of a hatchback. I've never understood it.

Then again, they buy SUVs like mad (or used to). Go figure :=)

bobbid · June 2005

That's why I love hatchback car, you can put a lot of things in there. :shades:

bobbid · June 2005

how did you do your mounting screen? do you have a picture of your home made mounting screen and if I go with aftermarket device do you remember the website address? I want to install this screen before spending $500 that I don't have.

joe249 · June 2005

I gave my daugter my types S as it low end torque drove me nuts. I was at Sam's Club and a kid there had an 01 silver GSR with 19 K on it and he wanted $ 19000.00 for his car.
The styling of the Integra is so much better to me .So I offered him the 02 type S with 30K ,just spent $311.00 for check up and 2 grand.
Also, when researching my Type S Edmunds said no options available. Funny a spoiler from the dealer cost me $472.00 and fog lamps $450.00. A rock broke the fog light lens twice@ $123.00 a clip as I had to purchase the whole assembly.Himmler clued me in on stone guard for protection.Plus I spent $400.00 for a clear plastic mask for the hood.From X pel also,thanks to Himmler.
I gave her the Type S and bought a M 5 BMW as far as I'm concerned Accura has lost touch with the whats happening .

li_sailor · June 2005

...as far as I'm concerned Accura has lost touch with the whats happening.

Well, if Acura's lost touch, it should give some lessons to GM...they should be so "out of touch" :=)

If you wanted a tourqey beast, one has to wonder what you were doing buying an RSX. It's basically the opposite, a high-revving engine with peak HP above 6000 rpm. Didn't you test drive it?

...Edmunds said no options available.

That's correct. The items you mention are dealer installed, not factory options. The number of accessories that can be added post factory are nearly limitless for any vehicle.

...an 01 silver GSR with 19 K on it and he wanted $ 19000...

That's not a very good price for a 4 year old Integra. I paid less than that for my 1 year old RSX 1.5 years ago with fewer miles. KBB has it at under 13k. Sounds a bit...unlikely.

nippononly · June 2005

wouldn't have spent 19 grand on a four year old Integra. Maybe he meant TYPE R? Now that would be worth 19 grand and then some! :-)

Got back from my service today - they "removed right air bag and insulated. Also secured at center dash area", which seems to have gotten rid of my infamous dash rattle. They also "applied sunroof insulation", whatever that is, and lubed the seal, and voila! No more moonroof creak, and no rattling when tilted, because they tightened the screws too.

bobbid: don't know what you found out, but my seat back rocking left to right was not just a figment of my imagination: they ordered a "left front seat slider assembly", which they will replace when it comes in. I am assuming that is the tracks the chair slides in, and I fail to see how they could be defective and allow the seat to rock? But whatever, they seem to have fixed the other minor complaints pretty well, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and await the final repair next week.

nippononly · June 2005

I should probably give my dealer their due: they have amended their service schedule for the RSX so that it is a little more realistic. They just have "minor" and "major" now, and basically what was formerly the "major" has been wiped out, so that the old "intermediate" is now the major. The point being that there is no laundry list of extraneous services now, and the most expensive service is $250, as opposed to the $499 it was before.

Now, they do still "recommend" the minor service at 10K intervals, when you could get away with 20K going by the book (which I will very likely do). But the major service is recommended at 30K intervals, and is actually composed of the things the book calls for at 30K intervals (what a miracle!). Kudos to Marin Acura.

carguy46 · June 2005

How often does Acura recommend that you change the oil in an RSX?

bobbid · June 2005

bobbid: don't know what you found out, but my seat back rocking left to right was not just a figment of my imagination: they ordered a "left front seat slider assembly", which they will replace when it comes in. I am assuming that is the tracks the chair slides in, and I fail to see how they could be defective and allow the seat to rock? But whatever, they seem to have fixed the other minor complaints pretty well, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and await the final repair next week.

thanks nippononly for the update. i went to the dealer last week and they told me that they will call acura technical support regarding the problem. when i call them back friday to find out what the acura tech have told them, they told me that they will have to tighthen some screws or something and see if that will solve the problem. i will bring my car saturday and i will update you about it. about the rattling problem, i have one in the front dashborad and at the hatch. thanks again

bobbid · June 2005

5,000 miles

bobbid · June 2005

nippononly, what do you think is the best bolt on to improve handling? i want my rsx at least a little bit closer to the handling of my integra gsr.

nippononly · June 2005

actually the book in 2004 still listed 2 intervals - not sure about the '05. For '04, it was 7500 miles in normal use, and 5000 miles if you use the car as a taxi or for delivery service. I do 5000 anyway - lingering superstitions from the past!

bobbid: the fix they did on my dash sure seems to have eliminated the rattle completely - they also installed tape between the dash and the front cover (where the HVAC controls are). Time will tell if that was lasting fix or if it comes right back, but I drove around on some really crappy roads yesterday, and nothing seemed to shake loose. :-)

I forget what model you have - if it is the '05 type-S, you already have the front strut brace and the larger sways - from what I have read it already has exceptional handling, although I have not driven the '05 S myself. The strut brace makes a difference, as do the upgraded sways for '05. And you could always do a +1 rim and tire - would improve looks and handling at the same time, two birds with one stone.

Hold it - your profile says you have the TSX?

bobbid · June 2005

I corrected my profile, i probably scroll down the mouse accidentally and end up in tsx, anyway, i have a 05 base model. is there any other thing that i can replace to improve handling other than rim and tire?

carguy46 · June 2005

Is it common practice and/or accepteable to get oil changes done at a honda dealership? I know that Lexus allows their vehicles to get such service done at Toyota dealerships, and it would save me a two hour drive to be able to take the car to a Honda dealersihp for oil changes.

nippononly · June 2005

yeah, I think they will do it. Give 'em a call and ask them before heading over there...

bobbid: if you have the base model, then you do NOT have a front strut brace or the larger sway bars of the type-S. If you want to talk easy to buy and install mods, that has to top the list. The type-S has razor sharp handling for '05, supposedly. If you are interested, Acura also does "A-Spec" stuff for the RSX that sharpens up the handling even more. You can buy individual stuff as you like, rather than buying the whole package like some cars that dealers have dressed up and sitting on the showroom floor. Go to the dealer and ask to see a catalog, or it may be available on the Web.

A lot of people would suggest lowering the car as well - that will certainly sharpen up your handling, but has downsides too, and watch out for your warranty if you take that path. Try some of those other things first, and you may just decide you are happy enough without doing more aftermarket stuff.

heather4mazda · June 2005

My new RSX is equipped with leather seats and they are very, very hard. I did not notice this when I test drove the car at the dealership. After riding in the car for two hours, my tail get very numb, like sitting on a church phew for two hours. I am miserable. I now dread taking a long trip in the car because of the hard seats. The dealer and Acura Client No Service will not do anything about it. The other good attributes and quality perception is destroyed by the hard seats. What can be done?

christinersx_s · June 2005

I recently noticed that my leather seats are beginning to show signs of cracking. My 2002 RSX-S is still under warranty, and I wanted to see if anybody knows whether seat repair/replacement is covered under warranty? If not, any suggestions on repairing them myself?

nitromax · June 2005

Have you tried any leather conditioners?

This stuff is supposed to be good....from what I hear.

http://www.lexol.com/newauto.html

nippononly · June 2005

any chance you could use a cushion on top of the seat? There must be something you could get at the parts store for a few bucks that would solve this problem. A padded seat cover perhaps?

fat_city · July 2005

Hi,

My car will be 30K in next week. Can you let me know what the differ between engine air filter and cabin air filter ?

Thanks

nippononly · July 2005

engine air filter is under the hood and filters the air that goes into the engine and gets burned with the gas.

The cabin air filter is inside the car and filters the particulates out of the air that your air conditioning system pumps into the car.

nippononly · July 2005

the auto up and down feature on the driver's window has quit working, the window itself still goes up and down if you hold the switch. With the number of little things that have been flukey or replaced now, I am beginning to get the itch to trade this car a lot earlier than I originally meant to....

In the meantime, back to the dealer AGAIN tomorrow.

bobbid · July 2005

sorry to hear that you have another problem with your car. what year is yur car and is it base or type s?
my car is in the dealer today for front and back rattling, loose driver side backrest, that's what they call it when i complain about the driver seat rocking back and forth. i will pick it up this afternoon and will update you what they did to my driver seat and the rattling problem.

nippononly · July 2005

mine is an '04 base model.

I just got an internet quote for 10% under sticker on an Audi A3, and I may be doing something about it. This is the third intermittent problem I have had with this RSX, and of course it is impossible to get intermittent problems fixed because they just tell you "could not duplicate" if you take it in. So you are just at the mercy of the problem, never knowing which parts of the car are actually going to work as advertised....

Can you tell I am a little annoyed about it?! :-P

bobbid · July 2005

i'm the same way, i could not stand it if something is not working properly with my car. that's why i traded my other car for this because of some problem that i need to deal with it on a regular basis (need to clean throttle body on regular basis), srs light is on, don't know why, did not get a chance to bring it to the shop. oh well its gone now.... hope you solve your problem with your rsx. do you mind if i ask you what's the other intermittent problem that you have with your rsx?

nippononly · July 2005

A couple of times in the past, the HVAC button that shifts the air flow from the windshield to the face vents to the floor has quit working. Each time, turning the car off and on seemed to reset it. And the cruise control was a little erratic a couple of times - wouldn't set once, another time dropped the set speed while I was rolling along, without any input from me.

Just little things, but on a car I am still making payments on (is only 18 months old) and which is still under warranty, annoying to me. Now I will have to see how often the auto-windows decide to stop working.

bobbid · July 2005

Yes, Its very annoying to drive back and forth to the dealer. hope they fixed your window right.

I was disappointed when I pick up my car yesterday, the rocking driver seat was not fix, the front rattle is still there, but at least the back rattle was gone. they said that they tigthen the bolt and everything in my driver seat, but still did not fix the problem, i asked the guy to get another base model and i want to see if the driver seat will rock back and forth like mine. its not rocking at all, so they need to fix it or get me a new driver side seat. did they fix your seat, i remember that they will put a new slider assembly right to fix the rocking? please let me know if that solve the problem. thanks

nippononly · July 2005

yes, the new sliders did fix the problem perfectly. No more seatback rocking. They had to order the whole slider assembly, and remove the seat to replace it. They claimed the old ones were defective, and like I said before I have no idea how a slider can be defective, but whatever, glad the problem is fixed, hope it does not recur.

Ask you dealer about replacing the seat sliders, I bet it will cure the problem.

They didn't fix the wondow because the window fixed itself, for now. Who knows what it will do later. I am looking at a couple of possible replacement cars....we will see.....

bobbid · July 2005

at least your seatback rocking is gone. who's your dealer? i'm not sure if my dealer will accept that the seat or seat component/slider is defective, they trying to tell me that its normal to do that, rock back and forth with the manual adjustment. i not sure what to tell them if they insist to me that its normal for my seat to do that.

what cars are you considering getting in replacement of you RSX? before i bought my RSX i'm thinking about getting the mini cooper but we don't have a dealer here that carry them. so i did not get a chance to test drive one. i've been reading some reviews about the mini and not too excited about it, more complain than satisfaction.

i need a dependable and reliable car.

keysmia · July 2005

I am in the same boat. I have a 2003 acura rsz type s and the seats are very uncomfortable, (in fact the 2005 seats are softer) but i absolutley love the car. I went into the dealer to look at a tsx but I eould lose a great deal of money in the trade. Is there any options here. I am trying to get new seats or find seat covers with cushions. If anyone knows any info please rply.

nippononly · July 2005

my dealer is Marin Acura in the San Francisco Bay Area. The fix they performed on the seat did the trick 100%.

If I give in to myself and up-price, the strongest contenders are the Audi A3 and the TSX. There are drawbacks to both, and Acura has not knocked my socks off with its quality in the car I have now, although I certainly have had no major problems. A distant possibility is the upcoming base model IS250, due out in about three months.

If I stick to this price range, I am almost able to talk myself into a Mini Cooper, although there are some definite drawbacks including the endless list of owner complaints on this model. I also wouldn't mind taking a closer look at the Corolla XRS, the one with the 170 hp VVTL-i engine. That would actually be cheaper than the car I have now, as would an Impreza 2.5 with the sport package, another possibility. As you can see, I haven't narrowed it down a whole lot yet.

galacto · July 2005

I've just purchased a 2003 Acura RSX Type S with 86,000 KMs. When I start it in the morning and after work it idles at around 1600 to 1800 RPMs, after a few minutes of driving it then idles at 900 RPMs. Also, it turns out the car had an after market cold air induction kit put in.

Is this normal? Could the induction kit be causing higher idle RPMs?

Thanks,

bobbid · July 2005

You can sell your '03 seats and buy you an '05 seats thru rsx forum. Or you can trade in your leather seats for a cloth seats (ask for extra cash), that's if you want cloth seats. Or you can buy the Tempur-Pedic® Seat Cushion it might help. I have '05 cloth and its pretty comfy to me.

afstudly_dude · July 2005

I dont know what to say, I got my RSX last Tuesday and the brake was working very smoothly but after I let my friend drove the car, he tried on manual very hard and then on the next day, when i drove the car, the brake felt really weird, like it was as smooth as it was. Like it has some rattling noise when I step on the brake. Is this normal for the RSX or is it just me? Please help. thanks.

nippononly · July 2005

perfectly normal - idle when totally cold is around 1600 rpm. It should drop pretty quickly with some driving though - no more than a couple of minutes at that idle.

afstudly: so your friend did some full-force braking in your 3-day-old car? Congratulations, you may now be the proud owner of warped rotors. If you glance at the book, in this car or just about any other, it will tell you to NOT brake hard for the first few hundred miles, to allow the pads to seat properly to the rotors. I would suggest you take it to the dealer and have them turn the rotors, which they will hopefully do for free - I would think that would be covered by warranty.

afstudly_dude · July 2005

Whoa, I didnt know that. What else do I need to know about the new RSX? I'm a safe driver and try to keep my RSX as clean as possible but I really dont know much about it when it comes to keep it in good shape. If theres something wrong with the rotor, will they be kind enough to replace a new one? cause its still under warranty and I really dont wanna walk in and come out a few hundred bucks poorer.

Thanks nippononly,
Andrew

nippononly · July 2005

Well, if it has actually been raced, or appears to have been, they may get a little sticky with you, although I think Acura dealers overall aren't the sticklers that Mitsubishi and Subaru are, for instance.

Otherwise, they will turn the rotors, not replace them, which will smooth them back out. You should try to avoid hard braking for the first few hundred miles, avoid really high revving for the first 1000 miles (to give the rings time to seat), and in general try not to rev it hard when it is stone cold. I try to stay under 3000 rpm in the morning until the temp gauge moves up off the bottom peg.

rambunxious · July 2005

So i just got a 2005 rsx type s and i love it. i have put about 3000 miles on it already and i've had a clicking i've noticed get louder and louder as i turn both left and right stopped or in motion. So about a month ago i took it in and they told me that the shocks are rubbing against the springs when i turn so it's chunking out my springs. they told me to drive it like that until they get the parts. which they didn't tell me they had to get from japan. so i drove it for about a week and it just got worse and worse so i got a rental car. and they said that it was only the second one in new mexico to have this problem. won't be ready for a couple weeks. Has anyone had this problem. And what the hell is up with not having the parts in the us??? it just bugs me new $24,000 car and has manufacturing problems.

nippononly · July 2005

that's weird. First I've ever heard of a problem like that, and it must be pretty rare for them to have to get the parts from Japan. Of course, they could be telling you a little white lie on that count.

rambunxious · July 2005

thats what i've been thinking but at least i don't have to pay for anything.

10a · July 2005

So I went to the dealer to have my car checked as I got my oil changed. They first heard the "click" sound coming from the shift box area when the car comes to a stop from first gear. They replaced the shift assembly. I went to pick up my car 2 days ago and test drove it. I still get that "click" sound from the same area, except the sound's a little softer even though it's still there. Any of you have that problem? If you drive an RSX 2005 (not type-S), if you put your hand on the shift handle, drive and then brake and stop, does your shift handle "click" and shift a little? That's what my car does, and Acura says this is normal with all RSXs. I'm going to talk to the service manager today and try to get this resolved, but if anyone knows about this problem, or if you drive an RSX and don't have this problem, let me know.

vickat · July 2005

Gents,
I'm driving my RSX'05 for 56K, mostly blissful, miles by now. Sunroof started to show some hesitation when being retracted all the way back. Dry Teflon lubricant doesn't help anymore. Does anybody know what kind of lube should be used on sunroof guides?
Thanks, Victor

sharon30 · July 2005

I bought my 05 RSX at the end of March and I'm bringing it back to the dealer for the 5th time now for the same problem which can't seem to be fixed. At about 1000 miles, I started to hear this thumping noise under the front end. It would happen sometimes when I was putting the car into gear and turning the wheel--usually if I was parking into a space. The dealer told me there was a problem with a spring in the strut assembly and they fixed it. The noise returned after a day. In trying to recreate situations when the noise happened, I discovered that the popping/thumping noise occurred when I was steering. If I put the car in neutral and then moved the steering wheel back and forth, the pop would occur in either direction. The dealer said their was a problem with the macpherson belt. The "fixed" it. After a couple weeks, the noise returned, but was only happening under the passenger side. The dealer had my car for about 2 weeks and said it was the strut--but it had something to do with being attached to the body of the car. They once again fixed it, but after a day the noise returned. It is now more frequent and louder than before. It is almost like a rumbling noise under the car--definately happens when I turn to the right sharply. It will also thump a couple times under the passenger side when I'm putting it into first going straight and sometimes when I come to a stop. I'm getting really annoyed and frustrated---I wouldn't be okay with any problem on a brand new car, but with this they just can't seem to fix it. Does anyone know what is going on???

wizard2345 · July 2005

I have an 02' rsx type-s and I luv it no problems or issues until now I also recieved free oil changes for life at dealer so no complaints here my glovebox just recently while driving at night the light flickers on and off when turning or on bumps I can tell the glove box is loose and now light stays on once headlihts are turned on at night my question is will the dealer fix this and do u think it is still under warranty I only have 23,000 miles on it

nitromax · July 2005

Your car sounds posessed. Enact the lemon law on it if you can, and get a new one. Sounds like you bit a bad apple.

I have 61000 on mine with very little problems. And if the dealer can't figure it out it must be doozy!

nippononly · July 2005

my 2004 doesn't do that, although I am not sure from the description that it is a problem. Do you have hard or sticky shifting? The transmission will naturally move a little as the car moves and stops, and if you are resting your hand on the shifter (which you really should not do by the way - it wears out the pilot bearing) you will feel that movement going on.

sharon: now that you mention it, I do get a slight thump from my P/S pump on the first steering action I take in the morning after the car has been parked overnight. That is the only time during the day that it does it - a slight thump as it gets going when I steer backwards out of my parking spot. I have not worried about it, although thinking about it now, I suppose it might be a problem. If yours does it all the time, then that is totally different, and I am very surprised the dealer is unable to fix a verifiable and repeatable problem. Perhaps a trip to a different dealer (with all repair invoices in hand) is in order?

wizard: if something is broken or not working to spec, the dealer will fix it under warranty, yes. Is your car still under warranty? The warranty lasts four years from the first in-service date for your car. I would think you must be under warranty for at least a few more months, possibly up to one more year or so.

rambunxious · July 2005

i'm just curious to how long it took to get your parts. I'm having the exact same problem and they told me about a month a month ago and now they are telling me another month. and from the problem you are having it seems like it's not going to fix it. if that is the case they need to give you a new car thats just not right to pay that much for a car and have a problem with the suspension. i've been getting pretty annoyed with the dealership and they aren't doing anything to fix this problem just telling me its on backorder and they can't do anything until they release the part. its total BS!!! I refuse top drive it like that so i left it there and they gave me a rental. but still that isn't enough.

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