Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

new2cars · January 2009

Thanks for the info and link! I must be blind because I cannot locate "front door panel" in the left column. Am I doing something wrong?

Thank you!

gineric · January 2009

I need new tires for my TL. I drive less than 10K mi/year. I am looking for a good inexpensive tire that is not loud. Does anyone have any recommendations?

bobhoops · January 2009

I bought a 06 TL in November and had Sumitumo's HTR+'s put on them, I drive about 12K a year. The tires are under $90 per at www.tirerack.com. Read the reviews. For the price. . .

imprezu · January 2009

hi everyone. i am looking at purchasing a 1996 tl. it has 143k on it and is in great condition. i just don't want to get into some expensive repairs. i was wondering if there are any known common problems with these vehicles?. my brother has a 03 tl and loves it. i know he had a trans replaced, something bout not enough oil or something along those lines. any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks

rvator4 · January 2009

I have not heard that this is a common problem, but when we traded in our 00 TL in August, they asked if we had replaced the timing belt. We had 70K on the car, but it was 8 years old. I have heard that a failure of the belt can cause major engine failure, like a valve punching a hole in a piston. An '06 TL should have had it replaced a second time because I think they recommend 70K miles or 5 years.

vaughn4 · January 2009

My 08 TL Type-S is on it's 3rd new battery in less than a year! Anyone else experience battery issues in their TL's? This time it only sat for one (1) day in the garage and it was dead the following day. Is it perhaps that the Acura batteries are not worth anything or is it the car draining the battery?

bodble2 · January 2009

A couple of years ago my battery went dead over a long weekend. It hasn't happened again ..... until today! Or at least I think it's dead. My car's been parked for over a month because we've had dreadful weather here this winter. I looked inside the garage this morning and the red LED on top of the door is not blinking. When I get home I'll check to see if the battery has died again.

(As an aside, does anyone know, with a healthy battery and engine, how long should one be able to park a car continuously, without the threat of the battery dying? A month, 6 months, indefinitely?)

elvis4prez · January 2009

I had two battery replacements on my 06 TL, each after a week vacation. After the second, they investigated and found a faulty handsfree link module (continuously draining) that solved that problem. There may be a bulletin on that.

new2cars · February 2009

I'm so sorry to hear about that! I am currently on my third battery as well. I have a 2007 TL with nav. I had it flatbedded to the dealership in December '08 and they conducted some draw tests without finding a draw source. They gave me my 3rd battery and sent me on my way. I am more than certain that if I leave my car for a day or so, the same problem will happen. I'm disappointed with the lack of evaluation and attention to this repeat problem.

I've asked several car experts and a new battery should not drain this quickly. There seems to be a draw somewhere in the car, but so far, the dealership claims they can't find one.

See my previous posts re: battery problems for details on my situation.

It's such a hassle and a complete inconvenience not knowing whether or not my "new" car will start.

Have you taken your S-Type into the dealership? What was their response?

acetrace · February 2009

I have a 2007 s type.
No battery problems. (yet)

delmar1 · February 2009

I have a 2007 Acura TL (no Brembos) that have 50k on it. I can easily inspect the rear brakes and there is a ton of miles left. However....trying to visually inspect the front pads (before I bring it in to the dealer for oil change) so I can determine what is left on the front. However...I can't see it because of the housing surrounding the pad. Tried to bring a mirror along side the housing with a flashlight...but can't see the pad.

How do I inspect the front pads?

How many miles do everyone here have with their original pads?

How much quicker do the front pads wear out compare to the rears?

Thanks for the help

rvator4 · February 2009

You should be able to see the pads left if you take the wheels off.
I recently sold my 00 TL with 70K miles. I had put new Brembo's on (calipers and pads) at 65K because we were going on a long trip, but the pads I took off were good for another 25K miles, at least.

delmar1 · February 2009

How can I check the brake pads without taking the wheels off? I heard that if you take a mirror to the rotors...you can visually inspect.

Is there a trick to that process?

Also...how much quicker do the front brakes wear compare to the rear?

ewsnc · February 2009

I've had a 08 TL Base for about a year. Since new, the car has an annoying issue. The engine seems to chatter when runs at 1800 -2000 RPM and gives a grinding feeling from the floor. The feeling clears up if RPM is below or above the range. Running the engine without load doesn't give this problem. Is this normal?

mmelone · February 2009

I complained of the same issue when I returned by car for it's first scheduled service visit. I was told this was normal. It interesting becuase I just drove the new 2009 TL and there was no issue.

semez · February 2009

Anyone have any opinions on having the 2 recalls on an 05 TL done.
I dont really have time and was wondering if anyone has had an issue with the Power steering or wiper motors. Not really interested in wasting my time if its no big deal. Opinions??

mikey38 · February 2009

If you have an automatic I believe the car shifts into 5th at a fairly low speed which causes the engine to lug due to the low rpm. Manual shifting to 4th clears up the grinding....this is based on my experience with my 06

laurasdada · February 2009

I had these two done at once. Left the car for the day, got a loaner TSX. I'd get it done. While you never know when a component may go, I believe that a recall denotes a greater likelihood.

armanipatrick · February 2009

I ran out of gas on the highway this morning. I know, I know. I've already been given the incredulous "How could you?" look by my co-workers, wife and the NJ highway employee who pulled over to inquire, so please no more piling on. Have some mercy.

My question is this: I've heard letting gas tank run to empty will damage the fuel filter because of the sediments at the bottom. Has this happened to anyone on the forum? How do I really check if my fuel filter is ok? Is this one-time transgression going to cost me dearly? I just recently had an oil change done (if that matters).

By the way, I thought once the fuel warning light came on there are still about 4 gallons or so in the tank. I don't think I went even 50 miles after that light came on. But I've learnt my lesson -- no more futzing around once the warning light comes on.

Armani

rvator4 · February 2009

I don't know about the filter(although I suspect that you would notice a clogged filter in performance), but I think the onboard computer calculates how much gas is left in the tank from fuel flow. The only problem I have with that in my 08TL is that the estimated MPG on a trip shows 5 to 6 MPG more than actual. If that info is used to tell when to turn on the low fuel warning, it is way off. That is what I see when I compare miles left in the tank to the gauge after filling it.

camon · February 2009

My 05TL manual indicates that when the low fuel light comes on there is 1.2 gallons of fuel left.

While there may be a bit more fuel than that, it is not all "usable" fuel. When the car accelerates, decelerates and turns the fuel can move away from the tank's fuel pickup and not be available to be pumped to the engine. The Acura's trip computer has a seperate screen that tells you how many miles you have until empty and I've found that it is reasonably accurate.

While I've read that running out of fuel can cause a clogged fuel filter and/or engine damage from the engine having run lean, I've never known anyone that actually had such damage in a newer computer controlled car that can adjust air/fuel mixture on the fly.

I guess we all have to run out of gas once for it to sink in. So quit beating yourself up. It's done and you have learned from it.

FUNKYWITNESS · February 2009

Anyone have a problem with there 2006 Acura TL suddenly leaking oil mixed with other fluid without any indication of a problem leading up to it?

FUNKYWITNESS · February 2009

Anyone have a problem with there 2006 Acura TL leaking oil mixed with other fluid without any indication of a problem leading up to it?

strokeoluck2 · February 2009

I've had my 2005 Acura TL for about four years now (bought it new) and still love it. But I must admit the wheel/tire situation gets a little frustrating every now and then. For the second time in the last couple years I need to replace one of my rims because it's bent. The last time I had this done in a different state the tire shop told me if I were to buy a new rim from Acura it would be about $400, but they found a refurbished one for $200. I purchased the refurbished one and it worked fine (looked brand new too). The tire shop in my current state is saying the Acura tire would be $400, and they'll try and look for a refurbished one this coming week. They're also fine w/me finding my own rim and bringing it in. I really don't have the time to search for one on my own, but I thought I'd ask the forum and see if there's a good website/source of such rims - a place that would ship them to me or the tire shop.

Thanks in advance.

rvator4 · February 2009

If you don't have time to shop for a rim, I probably cannot help, but.....
A kid on a bicycle scratched my previous TL and both doors needed painting. No dents but scratched. I had previously scraped a high curb and I hated the rim just because it looked rough on the outside bead. I asked the body shop if he could do anything for that and he had one there that looked new. He swaped the rims. Didn't cost me a penny. Must have been off a car that was totalled and before it left the shop, they saved a good rim from it.

lhy · February 2009

I am thinking about buying a 1996 ACURA TL 2.5 Sedan and am wondering about general repair costs for the car.

Is this model more expensive to repair than comparable Hondas (Accord, Civic), Toyotas (Corollas, Camrys), or even other Acuras like Legend and Integra sedans from the 1990s.

Since this model has a 5-cylinder engine, would that make it more expensive or difficult to repair?

And can most non-dealership mechanics handle Acuras in general?

trailhiker · March 2009

I have a 2008 Acura TL with Navigation. Since February 14th, I have not been receiving the Live Traffic Incidents on the GPS. I get the Message "There is no traffic incidents within 30 miles." Until recently, there has not been a instance in my morning commute in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where there are not numerous traffic incidents that are displayed on the GPS screen. I called XMradio and over the period of 2 days, they sent 4 "refresh" signals to my GPS which did not resolve the problem and also verified my subscription was valid. I also purchased from Acura, the latest 4.73a DVD update to see if that would fix the problem which it didn't. A coincidence I found is that XMradio combined their radio traffic channel for Dallas/Fort Worth with the traffic channel in Houston that occurred around February 14th the same time the "Traffic Incidents" on the GPS no longer provided information. I called my Acura dealership today and they advised they were not aware of this problem. I would appreciate a helpful reply if someone else has encountered this problem.

kaushikg · March 2009

My 2005 TL is just past 30K miles and I will be taking it to the dealer tomorrow for servicing. The quote I have received is for $460 with oil change, air filter change, transmission fluid flush and a few other things. Is the price reasonable? Also, is transmission fluid change recommended and the norm?

strokeoluck2 · March 2009

I don't want to tell you what to do, but I can tell you that after having a few of these "regular service" things done, I stopped taking it in to the Acura dealer. Some of it, IMHO, is just bogus stuff that either you could do on your own or a local mechanic could do for you in a few seconds or a few minutes. I recall things like "check wipers", "look at brake pads", "check brake fluid level", "check belts and examine for excess wear", etc. Don't get me wrong, these things are very important (well, the wiper deal probably isn't critical unless they're horribly shot and you're driving through the rain forest). But I think you can take care of most of these things either by checking them out on your own, or asking other service providers to review them while they're doing their regular stuff, such as rotating tires or changing your oil.

Now, when the "regular service" message comes on in my car I just read the service info in the manual and make sure I'm either on top of everything or get the appropriate items checked out soon thereafter. The dealers get rich on this stuff. I have 42k or 43k on my '05 Acura TL now and haven't had it into the dealer for probably two years. I plan on taking it in before 50k miles just to have a few recall items fixed. Other than that I doubt I'll take it back unless it's something highly technical.

strokeoluck2 · March 2009

Well the local discount tire place called around and found a refurbished rim for $225. By the time they balance it and put it on it will be a total of $250 or so. Sucks, but necessary. There's a tiny little "shimmy" in the steering wheel that I'm almost positive is coming from the bent rim.

hardtop1959 · March 2009

I still haven't gotten over the shock of having to replace and entire transmission on a car that had 62k original miles. Acura dealership hit me with a $3500 bill on that so didn't take to kindly to their wanting to replace my front and rear brakes for about $600. (BTW, Acura Customer Svc was no help.) Can anyone tell me if they have had any good or poor experience with getting their brakes replaced by their local mechanic or one of the brake places? The original owner (I'm the second owner) had the car in for all required maintenance and upkeep at the dealership. I'm so dissappointed in this pos. I bought it thinking of the reputation Honda cars have and by association, the Acura should be that much better as it is supposed to be the "luxury" Honda. That'll teach me. Thanks for your input.

mikep7 · March 2009

hey hardtop,
i have a 02 with 65000, why did they make you pay for the tranny? it has been recalled, should be covered??... i recently went in for a oil change, and told me i needed new brakes and quoted me $400, so i went to parts department bought the brake pads for $100 front and back, took them to a local mechanic and had them installed for $60 and was out of there within 45 minutes, when acura wanted to keep my car for the whole day just to do brake pads, and they work perfectly fine, i paid a total of $160, more than half the cost they told me.

zeen · March 2009

I notice the same thing on my 08 with 6100 miles. I didn't notice it when the car was new. A friend with an Audi A4 had the same issue. Apparently, it's the way the tranny manages fuel consumption. It stays in a high gear, perhaps higher than you would be in if you had manual. Saves gas but is a little annoying.

rvator4 · March 2009

We have an 08 with 5500 miles and I have never noticed anything like that. Didn't on the previous TL either. I cannot believe it is a normal thing.

new2cars · March 2009

Hi everyone,

My 2007 TL needs an A1 service and I'm close to 20K miles. What does this service entail at the dealership and what do you think they will charge?

Thanks. It seems like dealerships inflate their prices so I'm wondering what price range is.

Thank you in advance for your help!

rvator4 · March 2009

Like I have posted before, the dealer is 60 miles away so I take mine to a local Honda dealer. At first, I would show the service manager what needed done according to the book, but after hearing him say, "We don't do that....not needed....forget that... about 4 times , I gave up. From then on, he did oil and filter basically and that was all unless I wanted the tires rotated. I take my new 08 to the same place. Wouldn't think of any other place.
Your mileage may vary.

laurasdada · March 2009

The service codes and required maintenance is listed in your Owner's Manual. IIRC, A1 is an oil change/tire rotation and maybe some inspections. I think my Boston Acura dealer charges ~$100 for A1, but I don't use the dealer for my '05 TL. A local shop (with coupon, of course) does it for ~$35!

YMMV

camon · April 2009

Does anyone know of any recent deals being offered to renew Sirius XM Radio ?

rvator4 · April 2009

http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=633759

They just wrote me and asked me to update my credit card....exp date runs out this month. I am not going to give them the new date. I will wait and get the $77 deal hopefully in October.

camon · April 2009

I noticed that the $77 deal discussed at the link was from Feb 2008.
I wonder if it is available now that Sirius and XM have merged and Sirius has taken over control of XM?

rvator4 · April 2009

Don't know but I am going to try this fall. I did get a letter recently where they are adding a fee to listen over the internet which we do almost everyday. They are also on the verge of bankruptcy I understand.

sanish · April 2009

There was a 6 month deal $30/6 months which expired yesterday. Sorry, I just saw the post.

rvator4 · April 2009

It is worth a try. Go for it.
Where did you see the ad for it?

aaargh · April 2009

Just this past February, I threatened to cancel my subscription at renewal. They sent me to the cancelation department where they eventually (after some haggling) offered me the $77 deal again (for the third year in a row). I guess $77 is better than $0 for them.

And yes, I WAS prepared to cancel if they stuck with their $107 or $144 deals they initially offered. I like XM, but for that nuch $$$. So my suggestions is that you do have to be prepared to cancel if they don't offer what you want.

laurasdada · April 2009

Hi, Folks:

'05 TL, great car. The warning lights for VSC & ABS stay lit concurrently (with the ! warning light). This has happened intermittently after I changed my 17" tires for my 16" winter tires, but a reboot of the car usually resets this. Not now... They're staying lit.

I'm changing over to my 17" tires on Friday, hoping this will reset the sensors? Does anyone here have any experience/advice? Or, off to the shop...

TIA,

Laurasdada

hardtop1959 · April 2009

Hi MikeP.

Unfortunately, my car did not have a VIN that was within those that had been recalled. I was told that only certain ones had total tranny replaced because of recall. Not mine, of course. And then, there was another "little" recall to check 2nd gear. Mine was brought in by the first owner to check on that and supposedly the car checked out okay. Yeah, uh-huh, right. So now about the brakes...was told by Brakes Plus that it would have to be the ceramic brakes because that was original factory. Calipers need to be rebuilt? Etc, etc. $430 estimate. Yee haw. $3600 for tranny, $400 for brakes. Oy vey!

greenacura · April 2009

OK, I am having a bizarre issue with my Acura dealer and I would appreciate any advice. I have a 2007 Acura TL that I purchased new at First Acura in MA. The dealer had a program called "life care" which means if you purchase a new acura from them and perform all the service at the dealer (expensive!) they provide a lifetime warranty on the engine & replacement tires. Having had to replace tires on the 2004 TL, I realize how expensive this can be. First Acura matched the quote from the local dealer (Acura of Boston) so I thought, why not go for the free tires? Well service at First Acura has not been great, many issues. The last time my car was in for maint. & a warranty repair they really screwed up. I spoke to the service advisor and got nowhere, so I placed 3 calls to the service manager who never returned my calls. So when the Acura survey came in, I gave the dealer the lowest scores. The survey was followed up by an advisor from Acura who wanted to discuss my service issues. Well, I called today to schedule my A1 service and the dealer told me they would not service my Acura! When asked for a reason, I was told I could talk to the service manager who was currently "unavailable". I've since placed a call to the dealership general manager who also was unavailable. Obviously, my bad review got to them. Now my concern is at 41,000 miles I have paid the expensive acura dealer service thinking I would be somewhat ahead when the car needed new tires. First Acura obviously isn't going to honor the "life care" contract. I called corporate Acura who said they can not make a dealer service my car since the dealers are independent. Any ideas on my next approach with this dealer? I could care less about servicing the tl there, I just want to get the free tires (I probably only have 5,000 mile of tread left).

rvator4 · April 2009

Sorry to hear about your problem with the dealer, but they have no right to do that since you paid for the service. I also had a problem with the dealer where I bought my 08 TL and would never go back.
Listen to this story.
We bought a new matress (very expensive) from Macy's last year in January. After only one year, it had grooves where we lay and we are not heavy persons. I wrote a letter to the store with pictures. No response. I wrote the corporate office. No response. After waiting two months, I wrote the BBB. After only 3-days, we got a call from Macy's and after 5 days, an agent came to the house and declared it faulty. Full refund immediately.
I am a big believer in the BBB. I think you will be amazed at the swiftness of the response from the dealer. Write it up well like you did above and leave out no facts. Include what you paid for the lifetime gaurantee. I think the very least should be a full refund.

greenacura · April 2009

rvator4 thanks for the advice! I just went on line an filed my report with the BBB. I would have never thought of that great tip. I've decided not to call the dealership, I left a message for the general mgr yesterday but of course no call back. Hopefully the BBB can work it out. I have owned 4 Acura's and this might be my last based on this experience.

tee15 · April 2009

Can somebody tell me where to find the A/C compressor fuse on a 2004 Acura TL?

Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

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