Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

igiban

Lexus service may be more friendly than Acura's as reported here. I've heard that Lexus' better service is not much of a factor over Acura because with Acura cars you don't need much of it anyway. Well that depends....

keithl

"Lexus service may be more friendly than Acura's as reported here. I've heard that Lexus' better service is not much of a factor over Acura because with Acura cars you don't need much of it anyway. Well that depends.... "

hmmm,

My 04 with 1336 miles has now been in twice for a total of 4 days off the 28 days I have owned it, so I would guess many would also say the opposite! I know my 2 Infiniti's over 4 years were not in the shop a total of 4 days! And these are minor issues, squeaks, rattles, tires, and such. Hate to think how long to repair something major! 23 months and counting then time to ditch this and move on...

kahunah

Were any of your Infinitis first model years? BTW, 2 cars, 4 years, that's at least a week in oil changes alone.

pulisubs

I got my spanking new TL 6-Spd today and everything's great, except for my brakes squealing :-(. They really squeal loudly at very low speeds in the 2nd and 3rd gear. Anybody had this problem?

Everything else in the car is fantastic. Love the interiors, the blue light etc. But am put off by the squealing. Its so loud its embarassing...

Now, this car came with factory fitted HPT which I changed to regular. Don't know if they changed the wheels or just the tires. If they changed the wheels, would the squealing have anything to do with it? I'm taking it back to the dealership tomorrow to get it checked anyway...

dtate99

Don't waste your time just yet taking the car back to the dealer. The brake squealing is a very common problem on the 6 spd. Scan back throught the message boards a month or two and you'll find discussions on it. I have the auto, but from what I remember, others who noted the problem found that it improved significantly after several hundred miles.

kahunah

...have nothing to do with the wheels. If you have the Brembo brakes, squealing is very common (like dtate said). My 6-speed didn't stop squealing 'til about 3000± miles. Yeah, I know...crank up that stereo!

For more information on the causes and possible remedies, go to my post #335 on this board.

tedescm1

I could not have said it better...

squeaks, rattles, tires,........These are really minor issues but it's a real annoyance. Makes me feel like a fool for paying list price!

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raher

Got a new seat motor put in on Monday and the seat memory works now. I had one of the early VIN numbers that was identified with the problem.

pulisubs

I think I'll live with it for a while. I'm kind of getting around the squealing by adjusting my braking so they don't squeal.

But its encouraging to know that it'll eventually go away. For now though, its annoying and embarassing.

Everything else is absolutely perfect in this car for me. I like the nice 'roar'ish kind of noise it makes when we start up. And the 6-Spd does give it a nice zip. I was used to a '97 Toyota 4Runner with 183 horses. So 270 is a huge jump for me. Love it...

Thanks everyone for the responses...

exb0

A few weeks ago there was a series of posts about how bad Acura Client Services is. I just want to share my experience.

On March 3rd I tool my 04 TL to my local dealer and complained about tires flat spotting and the memory seat problem. The service writer pretended to be ignorant about the tires problem. “What’s wrong with the tires? I have never heard anything!!! What is flat spotting?” It was obvious he was lying. As far as the memory seat issue, he told me that there is no fix, and when there is a fix they will contact me. That was good enough for me.

Last Monday I decided to call the Acura Client Services. The kid who picked up the phone didn’t deny the tire issue, but tried to shake me off by referring me back to the dealer. I told him about my dealer experience, but he said that I have to take it back to the dealer for them to verify that there is a problem. When I asked him if there is a memory seat fix, he told me that he doesn’t know and I should ask the dealer. That is when I got a little irritated and told him that the dealer would not give a straight answer, just like he is not giving the answer, and demanded to speak with somebody who has an answer. Half an hour later Acura zone rep called me and said the he spoke to the dealer and they told him that they don’t have any record of me complaining about tires or the memory seat. I told him the whole story all over again and he said that the dealer will contact me.

Yesterday the dealer replaced all four tires and the memory seat control unit. They didn’t even have to order the new tires or the control unit. The Acura Client Services rep called me twice to see if the problems have been fixed.

In the end, I am very satisfied with the Acura Client Services. I think they did the job they where supposed to do, and I will continue to be loyal Honda customer. Only next time I will wait until the second model year.

lobito17

I was one of the posters a few months back who complained of tire vibrations. I received a call from my dealer who told me that Acura had sent new tires to swap. As others have posted, they are the new Bridgestones that Acura has switched to, which apparently are made out of a different compound and solves the problem.

The difference is night and day. My car is now as perfect as one could reasonably expect. The difference in ride quality is astounding.

In short, I am now a completely satisfied customer. The dealer, without being reminded or harassed, tracked the problem, called me, arranged for a loaner, swapped out the tires and sent me on my merry way.

For those of you who have one of the "pre-fix" TLs, I strongly urge you to take Acura up on their tire exchange. I do believe you need to have registered as a "complaint" in order for this to happen automatically.

igiban

come with the new Bridgestones and memory seat control unit, leaving pretty much just the reported rattles a potential problem?

armand

My TL was built in Feb and so far I have had no tire problems but the weather has been warmer and I do keep the car in a garage that probably doesn't go mush below 45. Is there a way to identify the new tires? How would I know?

keithl

"Were any of your Infinitis first model years? BTW, 2 cars, 4 years, that's at least a week in oil changes alone. "

The 2000 I30 was a first year car. And as for oil changes I do them myself, takes about 45 min, I can't get tot he dealer and back in 45 min. I also had a 98 Concorde that had some more problems that the TL, but it's interior cabin didn't squeak and rattle liek this car, it just kept blowing power window motors. Hell my gf's 2000 Mirage with 75k miles does not squeak and rattle like my 04 TL.

dtate99

I have found the source of a rattle that comes and goes seemingly from the dash area! I had the opportunity to ride for about an hour today with my wife driving, giving me some time to snoop about the cabin.

The main culprit is something that I would bet others who have had a dash/steering column rattle have heard but have previously been unable to localize. If you look on the washer control column, there is a squarish piece of plastic at the tip. This piece has an ever so slight amount of wiggle to it which can be reproduced by flicking it quickly. While going over rough pavement, it becomes even more obvious, but was quickly and completely quieted just by placing my finger over the square piece of plastic. I haven't tried yet, but I bet the piece can be easily removed and a small amount of something (vaseline?) used to coat the plastic-to-plastic areas, thus silencing the mysterious steering column rattle.

I also happened to be able to find another dash area sound which had previously escaped me; it comes from the speaker grill of the center channel speaker. I think the reason I had a hard time localizing these two sounds is that when driving, they are in relative alignment with my right ear and I was hearing them separately on occasion, leading me to believe that the sound was somehow moving. Once I localized the first noise, the other became much easier.

I hope these findings are helpful to those of you who haven't had the time or opportunity to do what I did today, which is spend some needed time in the passenger seat while someone else drove. Needless to say, I was thrilled that these noises were relatively easy to find and seemingly easy to fix.

Good luck!

dtate99

Has anyone tried to remove the speaker grilles in the dash, particularly the center? It feels like it should just pop-up and out like most any other metal type speaker cover. I tried with just my fingernail but couldn't seem to lift it away completely. I think something like a small paper clip could be used to hook inside one of the holes, but wanted to see if anyone had tried it yet so as to not damage anything.

ihaberman

Having heard about the tire issue before I picked up my TL in mid-Feb, I made a comment to the service dept at time of delivery. Low and behold, they took the initiative and called me 2-wks ago offering the new replacement tires which apparently come on all new TLs from the factory. I was quite impressed to say the least.

They also fixed some minor other issues, including: leather material on seats popping up (due to heated seat blower), and the thermometer, which seemed to be about 5-6 degrees above the real temperature.

95gt

Anyone ever have an issue with their navigation screen on cold mornings? My 2001 has, for the last few months, had problems bringing the screen up when i start it in the mornings. It comes up with a lite screen but just lines down the front. If i shut it down and restart it it comes up fine. I am guessing it is an issue with LCD screens in general but i have never had this issue before. Anyone have anything similar

gkearns56

"New Tires by ihaberman": Can you tell me what tire the dealer actually put on your car. In Feb the dealer offered to replace my tires with Bridgestones RE750s. I was just wondering what tires replaced the EL42s. Was it the same but a different compound? Thanx

cyclist2

I guess the Turanza tires are not the best. They seem to ride OK but I put lots of miles on the car. I have 18,000 miles already. The tires are shot. The dealer agrees they are shot. Wear on 2 of them is almost to the minimum tread line. I have been rotating them. Should I expect this wear from these type of tires. I have asked for new tires and the dealer is checking this out. What tire should I ask for?

dflipchic

I'm so glad I found this chat room. We bought our TL in 12/03. We love the car except after a month or so, we started hearing this rattle or flapping which we think came from the dashboard, sunroof or glove compartment. However, the noise is now gone... or either I just got used to it. I also have squeak or rattle on the steering wheel column and something above my head on the driver's side. Could be one in the same.

Recently, at the speeds of 50-60 mph...more so 60....my steering wheel/car/tires (whichever) vibrates lightly and the car pulls slightly to the left. Could this be the Fspotting issue on the tires. My car is due for an oil change soon, and I want to go in the dealership armed with enough info so they can hopefully remedy the problem with the tires and noises easily. Any advice would be appreciated!

kahunah

"...something above my head on the driver's side." go to my message #495. It may help.

bodble2

Lucky the tires don't have Gspotting issues!

dflipchic

thanks, I'll mention that when I have my car serviced. Any experience with the TL downshifting somewhat roughly when coming to a stop...I have an automatic and when I come to a slow stop, I can feel it downshift. Is that normal?

kahunah

I have the 6-speed, so I can't comment on the auto tranny's behavior. In my test drive with the auto a while back, I don't recall the downshifting being rough. Maybe someone else can comment further.

claimguy

Just took my 04 NAV/AT in with a list of rattles, vibrations and defects to discuss with service writer. I am not sure if it has all of these problems or if I have just been reading too many of these forum discussions and imagined them to be there. Seems as though the rattles/vibrations have increased of late and all seem to mirror what others have complained about. Dealer just called and they are replacing the molding around driver window as it is either loose or defective. You can recreate the clicking sound when pressing on it with your thumb. Also will be replacing a the driver door panel. I drive with my arm/elbow up on it and now have a dent that won't go away (hell I am not that heavy!). I was expecting an argument on the tire issue (mine are the older PVC version with 0204 on the two left and 0304 on the two right tires), however was advised that my tires were fine and have higher psi in the driver left front and right rear pass tires than there should be. Since I have never touched them, this was how it came. This, they explained, was why I was getting vibration they said because they couldn't feel anything during test drive. Anyone knowledgeable on this? Is this a significant cause of vibration? Also had a severe sun visor vibration which they claim not to see/feel. Hopefully the tire pressure was the issue, however I am foreseeing a continued fight over the vibration/rattles. I see it/feel it and they don't. Next step is a test drive with the Sr tech. I live in SoCal so I am not sure if flatspotting is a problem or just that tires are bad for this veh. Any other SoCal owners have tire issues? Anyone successful in getting tire replacement from any SoCal dealer?

sftroy

My tires (old version) are at 32psi as recommended (yes, I check all the time) and I have the vibration in NorCal even on warm days. Still patiently waiting for resolution with Acura Cust Svc . . .

kahunah

Actually, it will go away if you keep your elbow off the window sill for 2-3 weeks. I know. Old habits are hard to break.

electrons

cyclist2, I looked into the Turanza tread wear and that tire is very soft, hence the short mileage to life of that tire. Usually soft tires are more performance oriented and grip the road better, that's why they tend to be soft. Harder rubber usually means longer wear but it comes at a certain price, stiffer ride, usually won't handle as well etc.. I wouldn't get the same tires because my bet is that tire is over 200 per tire. I'd look at a competitive brand if I were you. Suggest either Yokohama or Falken tires. If you go w/ companies like GY or Bridgestone, the larger the and the more well know they are, the more expensive the tires usually are.

njdriver2

"Dealer just called and they are replacing the molding around driver window as it is either loose or defective. You can recreate the clicking sound when pressing on it with your thumb."

I have this exact problem. The clicking sound is driving me batty. Please let me know if replacing the moulding cures the problem. I am very, very interested in your result. Thus far, my dealer continues to work on the headliner, but that has not solved the problem. It is clear to me that the moulding is the causing the noise. I can also reproduce the sound by pressing on the moulding. Thank you.

hoyahenry

The downshift is normal. It is also apparently more aggressive when stopping on descending grades.

I believe this is a grade-logic feature of the transmission, but I don't know this to be true. I have not read anything to substantiate a claim that it exists, but it is a feature of other Hondas, including the Odyssey, iirc.

chas083

I notice considerable wind noise at my left ear. When comparing the rubber moulding on the left and right side, the left side does not cover the gap between the front and rear door window frames whereas the right side does. Without adjusting the door, gaps look close, how can this be corrected? Anybody else have this issue?

mhewitt

I bought my TL in Nov/03 and now have 6500 miles on it. In the beginning there were some rattles that came and went. Some of the sources were obvious and easy to find, i.e. loose change in one of the compartments behind the shifter etc. Other sources I never could id or figure out. But one by one the cabin vibrations and rattles just faded away and now everything is tight as a drum. Obviously some cars are just cursed, some drivers are obsessive to the point of being diagnosable, and some situations are just plain unfortunate. But for me nothing beats this car--its a blast to drive the back roads of the Catskills/NY with Bluesville cranked up with no particular place to go. My advice to people thinking about buying the TL is to move past the awfulizing of some of the critical comments made here and buy what's got to be, all things considered, the best cruiser in its class.

durgak

I just got my new TL and I was on a long drive back from washington DC and all of a sudden I noticed that The audio system would change with out even touching it. It just changes rapidly from cd to xm radio to Fm and so on. Did anybody had this same kind of problem?
Thanks

claimguy

As soon as the part comes in and its installed, I will let you know if it does the trick! Hopefully it will be some time this week or early next.

kahunah

Sounds like you have a problem with the "mode button" on the steering wheel. You may have a short or it's just sticky. Either way you need to bring the car in and have it checked out.

njdriver2

great. keep me posted.

winmill

Re: #692 New Tires now standard.

Did anyone get an answer as to when Acura shipped the TL with new tires and are they still a modified version of the Turanza EL42 or a different brand/model?

durgak

thanks I am going to do that this weekend.

keithl

My car Vin ends in 323xx which I picked up March 3 has the new EL42 on it, I feel bad for anyone with th eold ones as the new ones suck, can;t imagine what the old ones were like. I escalated through Bridgestone and they swapped them for LS-Z tires, much better, they still flat spot a bit, not as bad as the EL42. Personally I think the tire is not all to blame, I think suspension tuning could have relieved much of the vibrations.

armand

I picked up my TL about the same time. It was built in Feb - but I don't know how to tell if the tires are "the new ones". Please help.

njdriver2

Any news? On another note, my car is in the shop again to fix the rear door. They did get it aligned, but now it doesn't close properly. While I am there, the dealer says they have replacement tires for me and that they would install them. I'll let you know if the tires are any better than old ones. Ugghh, I am spending too much time at the dealer.

1gianni1

Hi keithl

I was wondering who you contact in Bridgestone to get your tire replaced. Please advice. Thanks.

claimguy

Nothing yet...still waiting for the parts to arrive. I am very interested in how your new tires work out. I will let you know as soon as the molding is replaced and would appreciate your keeping me updated on the tires. Every day I drive the car I seem to hear rattles from different places one day and not the next. I truly feel it is related to the tires, but even if they are replaced, I am unsure as to what is the best choice for a smoother ride. At least with the molding, I am positive it is the source of one rattle and can't wait to get it fixed. The clicking is driving me crazy!!!!

pbuckthal

The "old" EL42's had a code "PVC" and a stamped date prior to "0504". The new compound EL42's have a code "TU2" and a date after "0504" (week number/year number). The last old tires were made week 4 and the first new tires were made week 6 of this year. The new compound doesn't make very much of a difference by most opinions.

pbuckthal

To repeat in case the new numbers are not yet common knowledge:
The old EL42 tires were compound "PVC" and a week/year of 0404 or earlier.
The new EL42 tires are compound "TU2" and a week/year of 0604 or later.

armand

Thanks for the info. So far I haven't noyiced any tire problems but will check them based on this info.

hoyahenry

Closed the driver's door with the window all the way down today... the rattle from the inside trim piece along the top edge of the door lasts for several seconds.

vinceb81

Hoyahenry,

Totally agree with you. When my window is open but not all the way down, and you shut the door, it sounds terrible. Definitely not a sound of top quality.

billherrmann

In January I upgraded my Nokia phone to Sony/ Erickson T616 [from Verizon} and had the dealer couple the phone to my new TL. Really, no problems with TL & T616...works great IN THE CAR.
Outside the car a totally different story. Ther cannot be a more difficult phone to use on the market!!!! complex, confusing, constantly hopping to another screen that you didn't request. The latter problem will possativly happen to any user who has fingers with a diameter larger than a toothpick. Today I returned the T616 to Verizon and left it on the counter {no refund..did I mention that I had returned it once to have it "reset" when it stopped working completely!] I'm waiting for the new Motorola V600 which Verizon expects nest month.