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Acura TL Paint and Exterior Care

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Comments

  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    Ah!!!
    I get it now, much better... :)

    Bad News:
    There's nothing you're going to do to get those to look any better.

    Good News:
    Those pieces are replaceable and really shouldn't be all that expensive. (Even if you have to hit a junk yard)
    I believe they're held on with clips, so they can be removed and replaced.

    Let me know what they say!
  • nwtlnwtl Member Posts: 1
    i call it wrinkling. like shrink wrap gone horribly wrong... only this is a $30,000 car.

    at any rate, yes, the dealers know all about it whether they admit it or not. my local acura parts department told me that even though i could replace it, it would just do the same thing. appalling. anyway, what he did tell me is that what people are doing is removing the trim including the black plastic trim on the pillars (eg, front right trim on driver door) that peels and oxidizes, is remove all of it and paint the underlying metal flat black at an auto body shop.
    and honestly, come spring i'm going to do that as i don't even like the shiny black trim... he told me they were doing it for about $200-300. :lemon:
  • nim4evernim4ever Member Posts: 5
    nwtl hit it right on the head.... my dealer said basically what he wrote. Not under warranty and a couple hundred dollars to replace. Said some people actually remove it all, sand and prep and paint for a longer lasting solution. I noticed that once it starts it deteriorates rapidly as I was surprised how quickly it is cracking and peeling.
    Thanks all for your comments and feedback.
  • tltypektltypek Member Posts: 8
    I have a 2003 Nighthawk Black Pearl TL-S purchased new with the worst case of this problem I've ever seen. I started losing the paint less than a year after purchasing the car - everything that landed on the car seemed to go through the clearcoat. Bubbling, cracking, spotting... despite using Pinnacle and Meguiar's Gold Class car care products obsessively, nearly 5 years after purchase, the car's finish is trashed. Dealer in NorCal said it was "berry eating birds" - nothing they could do. Dealer in Phoenix said it was "poorly applied clearcoat" or a bad process for applying water based paint - nothing they could do. Dealer in Colorado said "environmental damage" - nothing they could do. This car was not Simonized.... I also took delivery right off the truck without dealer prep. Car looks like acid is eating through the hood, passenger side doors, roof, and trunk lid. Toss in the peeling B pillars and the car looks pretty hideous. I'm somewhat relieved to hear that others are having similar issues - I thought my car was cursed!! :lemon: Only have 34,000 miles on it too... :cry:
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    Nighthawk Black Pearl is notorious for this.
    It does NOT like the elements.

    Waxing alone won't help Nighthawk Black Pearl.
    Bird droppings on most cars, you have 12-48 hours to get it off without ghosting or damage... not on the Acura Black.
    You have seconds...minutes at most.

    I clay my cars twice a year.
    Once in the Spring and once in the Fall.
    If I owned a Black TL, I'd clay every month.
  • tltypektltypek Member Posts: 8
    ;) Yep, I learned this after leaving my month old car at the airport for a 3 day business trip .... problem is, 90% of this wasn't bird droppings. It's become ANYTHING that touches the car. I was hand washing my car every week (as often as I could manage with a 100 plus hour work week at the time) plus I'm known for being an excellent detailer (all my other cars have been almost showroom perfect when I sold them). "Waxing" to me includes cleaning, polishing, glazing and usually 4 light coats of a very high quality carnauba. It takes a couple days to do by hand - no buffers touch my cars. Pinnacle products have essential oils in them and are my favorites - I use Meguiar's if I'm just doing a quick touch up and know I will be stripping the car shortly and starting again.

    At this point I've given up and just accepted the 10,000 buck hit I'm going to take when I get rid of the car. Estimate on a full body re-paint was over eight grand and it isn't worth it after already undergoing 3 warrantied transmission replacements. :sick: Guess a lot has changed at Acura since I last owned one.
  • oc2020oc2020 Member Posts: 14
    I just bought a black TL and was wondering if the paint protection the dealer offers for $600 is worth it. I forget what it is called but he said that everything just wipes off. Can I get this somewhere else cheaper?
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,674
    Pretty much anything a dealer offers is not worth it and you can get somewhere else much cheaper.

    For "paint protection" visit zainostore.com

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    OC, it depends.

    Is the protection they put on your car worth $600?
    Absolutely NOT!
    And that's assuming they even put it on to begin with.

    What may be worth the $600 is the warranty it comes with.
    Some people claim that their package comes with a lifetime warranty on internal or external stains.
    Check the fine print before shelling out your hard earned dough.

    If the warranty stinks, as it did with my Acura dealership, then yeah... spend a percentage of that on good car care chemicals and do it yourself...it's not hard and doesn't take much time, unless your slightly obsessive like me or laurasdada up there. :P
    I also like Zaino.
    It works well and is very easy to work with, once you learn the steps.

    If you want to learn more on dos and dont's, check out Autopia
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,674
    Another coat of Z-2 last weekend... :shades:

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    Countdown continues to next weekend's 8 hour fall treatment.

    Dawn
    Clay
    Wash
    Dry
    Z-5
    Z-6
    Z-2
    Z-6
    Z-2
    Z-6
    Z-2
    Z-6
    Z-2
    Z-6
    Wax
    Wax
    Wax
    Obvisously, dress tires & wax wheels as well.

    Haven't informed the wife yet. :sick:
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,674
    Your disease runs much, much deeper than mine...! Good for you! You don't want to Z-6 before your first Z-5 (post Z-7)?

    Start early, sun is setting too early now!

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    Z-5 is formulated to fill any slight spider webbing you may have from towel drying and washing.
    A coat of Z-6 may hamper this filling/hiding affect.

    Z-5 is the very first thing to touch my babies butt. :P

    I will start early and tend to the crazy wife's chores between coats.
    As for early sunset, that's what the garage is for!
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,674
    Enjoy. Be sure you're done in time to watch the Red Sox pound the Indians. And the Pats crush the Cowboys... Kinda an Old West Weekend!

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    It's a good time to be a sports fan in Boston! :)
  • upstatedocupstatedoc Member Posts: 710
    How much do you charge for that service? :P
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    LOL
    I should consider that...
    The problem would be explaining it to the crazy wife.

    She hates when I wash my car, never mind when I offer to clean someone else's!
  • tl_2007stl_2007s Member Posts: 34
    Well, I felt very stupid afterwards, but here it goes.... While trying to park the car at the shopping mall, I came too close to the pavement. That part of the pavement was red. So, now under the front bumper of my TL, I have red paint scratches...about 10 inches long area! It is not visible unless you go down and look at the bottom of the bumper.

    I read elsewhere that some polish might remove the paint marks. I guess I should try polish first and then rubbing compound.

    Sonus has so many kinds of polish products and someone suggested using Zaino Z5. Any other ideas? What should I do?

    Thanks,
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    You'll need a polish that has a light abrasive in it to remove the red paint and to take down the scratches it created.
    Zaino won't work... it's called a polish, but it's really a non-abrasive polymer sealant.

    Try good ole' Scratch-X.... that should get the job done.

    Glad it's only the lower bumper... it won't be noticable to anyone but you once you get it cleaned up.
  • upstatedocupstatedoc Member Posts: 710
    Yes, definitely something with a light abrasive or you'll be rubbing and scrubbing until the cows come home (which I learned the hard way).

    BTW, Scott what's the count down for your spring ritual? I think my wife would kill me if I spent 8 hours cleaning my car, even if hers was included. :P
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    I spent 2 hours on it last weekend and we got hit with crappy weather for 3 days straight afterwards :mad:

    The Spring ritual will take place in a few weeks.... just waiting for the warmer weather. I froze my butt off last weekend.

    I can't wait.... the car needs it SO badly.
    It's going to take some serious bribery this year.
    The wife hates the amount of time I spend on the car and although she put up with it in the beginning, I think she thought this love affair would wear off.
    It hasn't. :blush:
  • misterfinchmisterfinch Member Posts: 6
    I'm seeking help because i just noticed that my brand new TL has a scratch about 1 3/4 inch in length that's fairly deep and looks to have been caused by a razor blade... possible done at the dealer when removing the plastic... I'm really not sure, but upset at myself for not noticing it. It's a very fine scratch... I would appreciate any suggestions anyone would have. Thanks!
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    If you can feel it with your fingernail, it's most likely too deep for it to be polished out.
    It'd be best to have a reputable body shop touch it up for you, but if you are dreading the cost, you could try to touch it up yourself, since it's a fairly small scratch.
    Hit it with some touch-up paint and use This System when applying it.
    It won't bee 100% perfect, but it'll protect it from getting any worse and you'll be the only person who knows the scratch was ever there
  • tl_2007stl_2007s Member Posts: 34
    Last weekend, I used Scratch-X and it took away all the red paint. Scratch-X instructions suggested to wax the area afterwards. So, I used Meguiar Cleaner Wax to complete the task. What is left is that a small scratch and it looks like it needs some touch up paint. Thanks everyone for suggestions. This forum is a great place.
  • goravensgoravens Member Posts: 4
    I am the new proud owner of a TL-S (white w/ black int). Folks say to use the micro-fiber washing gloves, however they also say do not use polyester on the car. All the micro-fiber washing gloves I can find are made with 80%-85% polyester. What should I use?? I do not want to scratch or swirl my new finish.
  • tltypektltypek Member Posts: 8
    I use plain old thick and soft 100% Egytian or Turkish cotton towels when nothing else is available, otherwise natural sheep's wool gloves. Swirls are somewhat inevitable as time passes, though you can manage their appearance with the right products. My 13 year old sports coupe looks terrific - I use cleaning products with a lot of conditioning oils in them - minimizes the chance of stray scratches from loose dirt or tar. (The Acura came from the factory with defective paint so my finish is screwed on that one)
  • new2carsnew2cars Member Posts: 71
    Hi fellow Acura TL enthusiasts,

    I parked underneath a tree yesterday for 3 hours yesterday and as I drove away, I noticed plenty of tree sap spots on my entire car. For fear of making it worse, I haven't tried to wash my car by hand because the sap was sticky and I didn't want to harm the paint.

    What do I do? How should I remove this sap safely? I wanted to take my car into the detailers but I want to make sure they are careful with this sappy stuff. It looks like a risky job. Otherwise, I would prefer to take care of this myself. Help! Any ideas are appreciated.
  • jerseyslimejerseyslime Member Posts: 2
    Purchased an 07 TL with Navi at the end of Jan 07. Morrocan Red Pearl with Parchment interior. I have only seen one other TL in MRP in 17 months. It is by far my favorite TL color combination, with Carbon Bronze a distant second. Does anybody have any numbers or percentages of the different color combinations that the TL and TL-S have been manufactured? Tried many internet searches with no luck. :shades:
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    I would definitely request a new car with the wrapper still on it. I cringe, when I see the mobile dealer washers using the brushes and being really aggressive with a car that only sits there, it doesn't move often. So really, all you need to do, is just use a good pressure washer and wash the dust and grime off, thats it. Plus if you get a car that has been their for awhile, like months, it seems to have had some more swirl marks.
    I got a car a few months ago, and it had been on the lot for months, and that would explain a little of the swirl marks, but with my waxing and upkeep, they are basically gone. Took awhile though to get all the imperfections. Now, of course, now that I have bough it, I found 2 dents on the sides of the car, and this is an owner that does not even park remotely close to anyone that can even ding me, so they were there when I bought it, I just didn't notice it. They only thing I noticed were the scratches on the rear bumper, which keep coming back, but I think once, I come in for my first oil change soon, I will get my salesmen, and tell him that they didn't come out when I had them remove them, they are still there. The dents, they won't believe me now though. Oh well. they are so small, you can barely tell.

    I have noticed, that keeping the front of the car, bumper and hood, mirrors waxed with extra layers of wax, you can keep the bugs from sticking to the car. It makes so much easier to come off when you use a manual wash bay.
  • stripe1stripe1 Member Posts: 72
    I recently purchase an 08 TL with same color match. Yes, it's a great color, and I may have seen only one red color in the past year. Maybe it was you riding the GS Parkway. I also like the Carbon Bronze, but I chose the MRP, for it's beauty. It's a color that people look at while passing. Also, I notice on some sites that don't show MRP as one of the colors for the 08 TL. That's good, for I like it better where there are only two of us with the beautiful MRP. The Parchment interior was not my first choice only because of the cleaning up keep. However, the longer I sit in the car the better I like Parchment. The TL is a month old, and I have 500 miles driven. I have some make up on the outside like color matching mud guards, color matching door edge guards, and painted pin stripe. I plan to put color matching molding on the four doors to complete the make up. Good luck with your TL
  • jerseyslimejerseyslime Member Posts: 2
    Good luck with your 08. I have seen only a handful of TL's in MRP, and I've been in a number of states (FL, MA, TX, to name a few). I just want to repeat my question one more time. Does anyone out there have any statistics regarding the number of TL's manufactured in each exterior color choice?
This discussion has been closed.