Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

vinceb81

Achadha,

If it was just one rattle, I would be extremly happy. The service department manager found rattles in both doors and the sunroof. Sad thing is those are not the rattles I took it into the dealer to have fixed. When you spend this kind of money for a vehicle, I think we should expect a little more.

Tedescm1

I agree with all your above comments. I could not have said it any better myself. I guess my problem is my previous vehicle was a Lexus (plus my exceptional hearing). I sold it because it was not sporty enough. You are right, the Acura does not come close to Lexus when it comes to overall quality. I really do like the look, style and features of the TL. If they fix a rattle or two, I think I can keep this car for years.

eglewis

Yes, I've also noticed the jagged appearance of the headlights on the driver's side. Based on the comments I've seen, it appears to be normal.

bowers32

First, everyone who posts on this board.. thank you... I have used this board in the past right before I bought a Solora Convertible... and every little picky thing that people on this board brought up, sure enough I experienced. So now that I am buying a 2004 TL this is the first place I came.

First thing I would appreciate is if anyone can let me know what phone they are SUCCESSFULLY using with the TL (hands free link). Knowing that someone else is having success will go a long way in helping me decide about which phone to get. Most seem to use the Sony Ericcsson T608, but I read bad reviews about it so want to know the other phones being used.

Thanks again

mdhauke

I use a Sony T608 and haven't had any problems at all. I am not sure what bad reviews it got but it works great with the TL. Remember the T608 is the only option for people with Sprint PCS coverage. I drove for 3 hours today and spent all the time on the phone. The handsfree link is definately worth it.

mdhauke

Well I took it back to the dealer today and they were very helpful. They said it probualy wouldn't be covered by warentee but since it happened on the same day I bought it they would replace it and if the warrenty didn't come through they would eat up the cost. They already ordered a new windshield and will get it reinstalled later next week.

Who said Acura's service was bad?

debis04tl

re your tire info., that is exactly what I was told about a month ago from an Acura rep. who also passed it on to my service manager. They are both well aware of the problem and will deal with my "official" complaint as soon as the new tires are ready. Anyone at Acura, dealer rep., or salesman who denies having heard of this problem is simply not being truthfull, it's as simple as that. Does anyone know if Falken tires are distributed in Canada?

pmf13

Debis, use the Find a Dealer locator on the Falkentire.com web page. I've just tried it for the Toronto area and half a dozen dealers are displayed.

gcruzsmith

I have an '04 TL WDP/with Navi and I enjoy reading the message posts on the TL boards. I drove home the other day and noticed a few flaws and wondered if anyone had the same problems with their TLs as well.

Yes, I too have the ANNOYING rattles! It is truly disappointing that in less than three months for anyone to go through this ordeal. I don't like to whine and complain so I tried doing something about it. I took my car to the dealer and explained the rattles. Funny thing, when they took it for a test drive there were no sounds - I hate when that happens! So I drove it home and they came back!!!!

I owned an '86 and '99 Accord and NEVER, NEVER had anything like this happen before. I thought buying an Acura would be an upgrade, a treat, a new luxury. I can't seem to understand why Honda Corp. would treat their luxury line (Acura) this way???

Thanks again everyone! I hate reading the sad news and problems but I love reading the hype and cool things about the car - I guess it makes it even

G

dulnev

"I owned an '86 and '99 Accord and NEVER, NEVER had anything like this happen before."

What in world are you talking about? I had three Accords before my TLs (85, 90 and 98) and all of them were full of rattles, creaks and squeeks. I bet you simply didn't pay attention to those, because you had lower expectations than you have now.

Yes, the rattles are annoying, but you CAN get them corrected instead of pissing and moaning about them. It's a first-year car and these are sadly expected.

bowers32

Thanks for the info on the T608... The reviews I read said that the battery life was really bad, of course I would thing using the car charger would fix that. Plus no analog roaming. But I have heard that it works great with the acura TL.

gcruzsmith

"Yes, the rattles are annoying, but you CAN get them corrected instead of pissing and moaning about them."

Excuse me for being "pissy" and "moany" about the issue but the whole thing is based on PRINCIPLE. Anything purchased over $10K - I take seriously. I did take it to the deaaler (in fact) all Acura dealer within the radius of 50 miles from my home. No one can fix it and they can't seem to find it.

I understand the "first-year" model excuse. Buth the car is only 3 MONTHS OLD - C'mon now!

gkearns56

"gcruzsmith": If you have a rattle and the dealer can not fix the problem, keep getting it documented. Let them know you are going to pursue the Lemon Law if it's not fixed within the allowable time frame your state stipulates. Surely something like this should motivate them to try and correct the problem. They can't just say, "we can't find it". Honda wouldn't allow this because they know they could be in jeporady of having you return the car under the Lemon Law.
Good Luck!

igiban

I've owned two Hondas b4 and none of them had rattle and any finish/build issues until they were quite old due to W&T. To hear all these Rattle Inc.'s claims from a new lux. Acura is troublesome. I read JDP's quality surveys for the last few years and it seems that both Lexus and Infinity gather a large leap over their lower selves (Toyota and Nissan). Lexus and Infinity have been ranked top two for most of the time actually. Acura's rating has been just inch better than Honda's, which is not bad of course, but the point is that it's not much better than Honda. It just seems that Acura is not that much upscale over Honda as that of Lexus over Toyota and Infinity over Nissan.

brew99

Great! As I think I posted before, the sales mgr at the dealership I bought from denied any knowledge of any kind of problem. I am getting a slight vibration at about 90 k which I will be letting them know about shortly. I would imagine that the best thing to do would be to let Acura and your dealer know that the tires are indeed an issue as many have already suggested. BTW, my tires were all overinflated to 35 psi upon delivery (vs. 32 psi for AT model).

bodble2

I hate rattles as much as the next guy (unless the next guy happens to be dulnev )but I'm afraid rattles won't qualify for lemon laws. Lemon laws only apply to defects that materially affect the safety or performance of the car, or which would materially devalue the car.

tedescm1

It’s unfortunate that buying a new car has to be such a frustrating experience. Over the weekend my car developed another rattle coming out of the passengers side air vent.
I plan to take it back to the dealer for the fourth time in three months.

Someone on this site mentioned the LEMON LAW. Would it be possible to file a claim under this law for rattles that cannot be found or fixed after three or four tries?

Are there any smart lawyers out there?

volvo03

I just bought a used Acura 3.2 TL(black on black). This is my first high end Import. I love the car. It has 47K and I believe its warranty expires in another 3000 miles.

I feel the car is wobbly while turning. I am not sure if it's a tie rod problem. But has anyone experienced this at such low mileage.

Please do tell me all the differnet maintainance work that need to be done at this mileage. Also, if someone can highlight the major maintainace work that I can expect in the next 15000 miles, I'd really appreciate it.

Thansks guys. The discussions are awesome.

paul_philly

Today my Navigation, upper display (clock/radio/climate control), and trip computer froze up. I couldn't switch between Map/Audio, no voice recognition, etc. Has anyone else experienced this?

Also, the side bolster of the driver's seat has gotten freyed already. It's the spot my coat rubs against when I enter the vehicle. Anyone experience this either?

eglewis

I've had my new 2004TL for around 10 days now. I have about 700 miles on the car, and have not
experienced any problems. No rattles, no flatspotting of tires, seat memory works, no antifreeze odor. I have yet to experiment with all the features of the car, but I am very satisfied so far.
The car does not ride as smoothly as I expected, but a tire change may help there. The leather in the seats does "soften" up, and there some imprints, but really nothing major. I've already fallen victim to scraping 1 of the tire rims. As has been stated, be careful when parking. The visibility could also be better.
I highly recommend the NAV system. It works great and is easy to operate.
Overall, it's a super car, which I truly enjoy.

kahunah

Next time you drive the car and you hear the rattles or squeaks, pop open the glove box while driving and see if the rattles/squeaks are significantly reduced. If they are reduced, let us know. I may have a theory about the source of these rattles/squeaks. For better results, make sure the glove box is empty. For best results, make sure all of the storage bins and compartments are empty.

prelec

After reading all of the problems on this board I started to pick my car apart.(04 WDP/nav) But in the end, it's a great car. There is a minor problem with the glove box (misalignment and slight rattle), and the gas mileage isn't as good as i'd like. But that said, with 3100 mi &4 months, I love this car. It's not perfect, but go check the boards for the $80K bmw. Come on!!

tedescm1

Hi Kahunah

Thanks...I’ll give that a try...

What is your theory about the source of these rattles/squeaks?

dtate99

Due to a loose antenna connection, I had been unable to use the XM for the first month of owning my TL. The dealer has fixed the problem, and overall the XM is great.

But, does anyone else notice a discrepancy in the sound quality between some of the stations? To me, none of them really sound "CD quality", but some are quite close. Some, on the other hand, sound almost unlistenable. The ones I seem to notice the biggest problem with are the rock stations like "Bone Yard." The crispness of the treble and tight bass are really lacking. I've adjusted the bass/treble/fade/sub etc. settings so I know it's not that. The CDs and DVD-A discs sound great in comparison.

Any advice?

kahunah

...but let me know what you find.

legend91

1st, thanks all for the great info. I expect to buy a TL very soon. (fyi, almost bought a G35x but could not get comfortable w/my already bad back. It drove/handled great but I am no expert nor even enthusiast, still driving my '91 Legend).

Tires:
pmf13 is correct about the 'reformulated' EL42s, at least according to a local dealer in Atlanta. Working with web sales I emailed concern over tires about 2 weeks ago. I got a call today from the dealership about how Acura is always continuing to test etc. and they said they are aware of problem and are now using a "New" EL42. I don't know details of change but supposedly new tires from new lot # and it should solve problems.

They claim the cars currently being delivered have this new lot # tire.

Has anyone else heard this?

Can someone with original EL42s post all identifying numbers and IDs on tires so I can compare this weekend to what is on lot here in Atlanta?

Also, I got an email stating all '04 TLs now on sale for at least $1200 below MSRP. We are stuck with a whopping $300+ doc fee here in Atlanta. But, since I decided I probably want Navi and most of you said little discount w/Navi it may be time to jump on this "sale" if it includes TLs w/Navi and "New" tires.

stats

I know that some manufacturers make changes (hopefully improvements) during the course of a model year. When does Acura introduce the 2004.5 version of the TL? Or do they not do that? I know Audi does this. Basically, I want to buy one, but I would like to get the early bugs worked out (many of which are identified by people on this board).

Thanks in advance.
Mark

igiban

My old compact car needs seats folded down to fit. Wonder if TL, which has no fold-down rears, can fit a full set of club?

jime6

Stats,

I play about 100 rounds a year checked out the trunk space before I got my 04 TL.

I have a 46 inch Driver and a "cart" bag, and also store a pull cart in the trunk. The opening is a bit snug for the Driver, but both the cart and bag fit fine.

Jim E

bodble2

Wonder if two 29" suitcases would fit in there?

dulnev

Yes, XM does not have a consistent tonal quality or volume accross channels. I also find that music selection is bargain-bin. I'm leaning towards not subscribing at the end of the trial period.

mdhauke

That's right Dunlev, as the same with the music that comes with Digital cable and Satellite TV, Satellite radio plays mostly 2nd rate groups.

kahunah

Today, I took my 2004 TL into the dealer for the first oil change. While the car was there, we took care of the minor squeaks and rattles that would intermittently occur. I say we because I actively got involved with the problem solving process.

First, the sunroof rattle:
In message #5003 on the Acura TL board, I described the problem and the cause in great detail. I also indicated that it would be an easy fix, and it was. At my suggestion, the service technician placed (glued) a 4x1 inch piece of black foam rubber (approx. 3/8" thick, dead center in the canal where the retractable wind deflector sits and it did the trick. This stopped the wind deflector from vibrating when the sunroof was closed. No more sunroof rattle!

Next, the passenger side dashboard squeak:
This phenomena would happen when I drove over rough roads. However, I notice that when I opened the glovebox door, the squeaks would disappear, and then reappear when the glove box was closed. In this case, the service technician adjusted the striker slightly further in, so that the glovebox door would be closed more tightly, and that did the trick. No more dashboard squeaks!!

The car now feels and sounds more solid. Just wish they could do something about the rough roads in this town.

bmd

With just 100 miles on my new TL, I already heard a very minor rattle sound near left windshield & dash board area when going over rough pavement. I believe with music on, I can hardly hear the rattle but it is still annoying that a brand new car has this kind of rattle in the second day. I’m having my finger crossed that other rattles won’t show up! My thinking is like some other at this board – "...learn to live with this rattle because I don’t want the dealer to open the dash & break something else!" So far, the tires are ok to me.

dulnev

I had a rattle for couple of weeks coming from the direction of the door handle of the front passenger door. I scheduled an appointment with my dealer to get it fixed, but the day before it I decided to try to track down the exact source.

I asked my coworker to drive my car, while I sit in the passenger seat. I got into the seat, adjusted the seatback to make myself comfortable and prepared to listen for the rattle.

We drove for 10 minutes over various sorts of rough pavement and NOTHING! No rattles, squeeks or creaks. That was three days ago and my rattle has not returned. I think it heard when I told my coworker that I was going to fix it, got scared and hid ;-) I hope it stays this way as I'm really enjoying the rock-solid rattle-free interior.

I can't imagine what happened, if it was moving of the seatback that somehow "fixed" the rattle, but it really did seem like it was coming from the area of the door handle. All I can say: strange and a pleasant surprise!

msf2

How are those tires holding up?

msf2

On acuratl.com much concern about a memory seat issue. What has been the experience of TL owners on this site?
Apparently, the memory dies and must be reset often in many TL's. I'm curious about the problem.

dulnev

The Falkens have been great! I now have close to 2,000 miles on them and I couldn't be happier.

Now that my rattle is gone, I'm back to the feeling of awe I had on the first day. People keep saying how great this car is, but words just don't do it justice!

orange_peel

My TL Navi was built in December. I don't have the memory seat issue - but I do have slight flatspotting problem which manifests itself at about 50-55 mph. Supposedly Bridgestone has reformulated the compound used to make the tire - I'm trying to get Acura to give me the new tires.

msf2

Has anyone had any luck getting Acura TL acccessories online yet? When I try to get on Acura accessories.com I don't get anythong for the2004 TL
Thanks.

legend91

Orange peel, my dealer also said Bridgestone reformulated tires. Does anyone know of a build date for TL which we KNOW will have new tire?
Or, is there some identifying number on tire we can check? I tend not to trust everything a dealer says. Another Atlanta dealer claims only 2 people have complained about tires.

Also, we know they are trying to move ($1500-$2000 off MSRP) non-navis on lot. Is there any way to know if next months deliveries will have enough navis so they will start to sell below MSRP?

Thanks

mdhauke

.

pmf13

Do you think that you'd choose the Falkens again if price was not a consideration?

johnny420

Flatspotting is the tendency of some tires to literally develop a flat spot on the tread if the car is left sitting for too long. The effect is subtle, but it can cause noise/vibration at higher speeds until it works itself out of the tire.

Cold weather can exacerbate this problem.

Johnny

kahunah

Some TL owners forget (or don't realize) that for safety reasons, the seat memory reset will only function when:

a) Parking Brake is on, as in the case for the 6-speed manual, or b) Car is in Park, as in the case for the automatic.

This is to prevent the driver from accidently (or intentionally) changing the seat position while driving.

billyperks

You are right- it happened to me.
I took my 03 tls for the 15k mile service at the dealer.
After picking the car up (on the highway), I pressed the memory seat beacuse the dealer had adjusted it. It did not budge, I started cursing under my breath about how the dealers screwed my car up.

To end a long story-when I got home and tried again (while in park) it worked.

raher

I reset my seat memory again yesterday. I followed all of the instructions but the memory was gone the next time I drove the car later that day. I was in park in the garage with the parking brake on ( automatic )when I set the memory.

bodble2

Were you also in Park when you RECALLED the memory setting?

paulg54

I don't know if any other TL 6-MT owners are having this problem or if it's just me. I've been driving MT's since my 1964 Falcon Sprint without any trouble but for some reason I cannot make the 1st to 2nd shift smoothly in the TL. I've had it for 4 weeks/1500 miles now, and I embarrass myself just about every time, especially with the radio on. Maybe the TL's too quiet or the radio's too loud. Maybe I should get my wife to drive me around town. Oh! the shame. Anyone else experiencing this?

dulnev

As far as my research went, I narrowed it down to three tires IN THE ORDER OF PREFERENCE:

1. Michelin Pilot A/S
2. Falken ZIEX ZE 512
3. Continental ContiExtremeContact

The reason I would've preferred Pilots is because everyone reports amazing handling with them AND long tread life. The reason ContiExtremeContact was third is because they are supposedly a bit noisier than Falkens and may possibly exhibit flatspotting.

Obviously Falkens are #1 rated Performance tires by Consumer Reports, so that places than very high on my list. But, if price was no issue, I'd go for Pilots because Michelin has THE best quality control in the industry and excellent reputation. Falken, on the other hand was an unknown brand to me.

But given a 100% price difference ($420 vs. $870), choosing Falkens over Pilots was a no-brainer. If I were unhappy with them, I wouldn't feel too sorry about wasting $400. But as it is, I couldn't be happier with these tires. There is ABSOLUTELLY NO NEGATIVES to these tires: they handle great in dry, wet and snow, they are quiet and comfortable to ride, and they don't flatspot anymore than you would expect from any good tire.

Yes, I did experience normal flatspotting with these tires couple times: very minor flatspotting after the car sat undriven for two-three days in cold weather. The flat spots would straighten out after 5 minutes of driving and not reappear. Which is what I've experienced with all my previous tires (almost all Michelin).

kahunah

... I've had my TL 6MT almost four months and I have little problem shifting from 1st to 2nd but it does take practice, and you don't have to plow through all six gears. When I'm driving slowly (as in traffic) I ease the clutch up slowly at first to feel for the clutch engagement, then I release and accelerate. When I'm driving faster (no traffic) and I accelerate hard from 1st, I often skip 2nd and go directly to 3rd for a smoother, more exhilarating driving experience.

Because the gear ratios are close, I can shift from 1st to 3rd to 5th, no problem (maybe that's how Car & Driver got the 5.7 sec timing on 0-60). Sometimes 2nd, 4th, 6th, depending on starting speed. The TL is very forgiving that way.