Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

billyperks

No she does not-she was really upset about this, the car is new and I sort of feel her pain.

Also she got her first door ding and this(wheel scratch) was like adding fuel to the fire.

I made an appointment with Dent Wizard for tomorrow so that's one problem out the way.

bodble2

the rather strong spring action of the TL's doors takes a little getting used to. I have to have a fairly firm grip on the door when I open it to prevent it from snapping into the car next to me.

c5_4fun

ExbO:

Thanks for your information, I'll give you an update this week. I thought I got service bulletin information off this site a couple months ago; do you know if Acura actually issued a service bulletin on the memory seat issue? So far, the dealer and customer service are denying any knowledge of a memory seat problem with the TLs.

armand

I was told by my dealer that they had received a service bulletin on the memory seat problem. he replaced mine with no problems.

jwats

Acura indicates you "can" use lower octane. Is there any risk of engine damage when used over the road and not stressed? What have your experiences been? how low did you go? would you do it again?

Thank you

John

exb0

I don’t know the service bulletin number. The dealer just fixed the memory seat and I haven’t had any problems ever since. Acura and the dealer did admit to these problems to me after they were pressed.

95gt

It requires premium. The computer can retard the timing to handle regular fuel but at a detriment to both performance and mileage. I would not recommend more than a couple fill ups with regular for fear of permenant damage.

aaargh

> I think the "crunchy noise" is the ABS self-test.

I agree. Mine does the same thing. It only lasts for a half second or so as I accelerate. It sounds like the ABS sound too.

bodble2

It had me wondering the first couple of days too. My CL-S had a very distinct buzz sound. But the TL just sounds like you ran over some debris on the road.

aaargh

I had the same reaction. The first couple of times I looked in my rear view mirror to see what I ran over. Eventually I figured it out.

rtabick

Having the same exact problem as mdhauke with cracked windshield. Came out one morning and looked at the passenger side and saw a 8 inch crack in the windshield going from the edge horizontally to the center of the windshield about half way up. So far dealer is saying it's not covered under the warranty. The car has only 1400 miles on it and it appears to be a stress fracture as opposed to a rock or pebble, there isn't any indication of a hole or puncture mark. Has any one else had similiar experience. What exactly is the 12 month adjustment period policy?

bodble2

12-month adjustment period is the courtesy period during which the dealer would repair/replace certain items that normally would not be covered under warranty. These are typically wear and tear items such as wiper blades, light bulbs, alignment. However, I'm not sure if this policy would apply to big ticket items. And a new windshield may be considered a big ticket item. From what your dealer is saying, it appears they are not prepared to apply the 12-month adjustment period for it. You could give Honda Customer Service a shot (not literally!).

mdhauke

Well at least yours didn't happen within 3 hours of picking it up! The dealer showed me two little white specks near the edge of the window and said that is where one or two rocks hit that caused the crack. Unfortunately I had to pay for it, well at least the $250 deductible for my insurance. The total job cost around $550. My suggestion would be to take it to a glass repair shop and get their opinion on it. If it really is a stress fracture I think it's the manufacturers responsibility to fix it. Otherwise you might be SOL like I was.

tomsr1

My 01 with 49000 miles is pulsating through the
steering wheel slightly when braking at high speed.Could the rotors be warped again?They have been turned once.I guess it is cheaper to not drive so fast that I have to do high speed braking.Overall I am impressed it still looks and drives like new except for brakes.If I could just get that new car smell back.I just inherited it from my wife cause she got a Highlander Limited.That car could be related to the TL but it is not.Two great cars,how lucky can you get.I think Acura is missing out by not offering a sportwagon version of the TL.I considered an IS300 sportcross but they are not dealing on a limited production car.

kahunah

"I think Acura is missing out by not offering a sportwagon version of the TL."

Thanks goodness for that!! If you want such a car, get a Volvo.

billyperks

Thank you Aura for not going that route.

bodble2

I think Honda should offer a wagon version for the Accord.

billyperks

I guess it did not go well in terms of sales.

jwats

I have an 03 CL type S--now with 18" wheels--but want to get a set of rims and winter tires. Car originally came equipped with 17" I think.

1. Is this a standard Honda offset and bolt pattern or do I need Acura wheels? if so, what year would fit?

2. Could I use 16" if I can find them or is 17"--original size--necessary?

Thank you!
John

dtate99

I recently traded in my reformulated EL 42 Bridgestone Turanzas for Micheling Pilot Sport A/S. What a difference! The car handles much more responsively and, more importantly, the rough ride and flatspotting have been eliminated. Even after the car sat for a full week while we took the Expedition on family vacation, no flatspotting whatsoever. For those of you still having tire problems, I'd strongly recommend swapping tires to a new brand and ditch the Bridgestones altogether. I was able to do the swap for a mere $200 out of pocket, which to me is worth it for better ride and better piece of mind with wet and dry weather handling.

bodble2

I recall you're also using Sony Ericsson T616. Do you find that after using Handsfree in the car, the phone cannot place or receive calls. I find that I have to turn it off, then back on, to "reset" it. Have you encountered something similar with yours? Also, using Bluetooth seems to drain the phone battery fairly quickly.

achadha

where was the place that bought your el 42's? can you just trade them in and get new ones at any tire store? how many miles did you have on ur el 42's. thanks

dtate99

I literally drove from the dealership to home (approx 150 miles) and into the local tire store the next morning to discuss swapping the EL 42s for something better. It took approx 8 business days to get in the Pilot Sport A/S, so by that time I had over 500-600 miles on the Bridgestones. Because I live in a small-moderate sized town and am a physician, I undoubtedly got a little extra special treatment, but it wouldn't hurt for you to try something similar. In essence, I was given a "credit" of over $150 per Bridgestone tire (which retails around $185).

The new tires are great. Very smooth with much better handling.

bodble2

This is not really technically a problem, but I think the carpet-like material that is used to line the rear wheel wells really retain water. It was raining last night and sometime after parking the car in my garage I noticed this huge puddle of water at the back of the car. First I thought "what the ---- is that?" I thought something was leaking. Then I looked under the car and noticed that the water originated from the 2 areas right under the rear wheel wells.

Kind of makes for a constant wet garage if you live in rainy regions.

dtate99

You could move!

bodble2

Seriously though, anyone know why Acura would stick that carpet material inside the rear wheel well, but not the front?

pmf13

Sorry for the delay answering your question. I've been offline for a few days.

No, I haven't noticed either of those conditions. I've never had to reset my phone after a hands free call, but I'm not sure that I recall making two calls in a single trip. I try not to talk on the phone alot in the car. Given the way I drive, it's for the best.

I also find that my battery lasts 4 or 5 days on a charge and the bluetooth connection with the car doesn't seem to affect that, as far as I've noticed.

deliberatedude

Has anyone had an experience with the new 2004 TL in the snow and other inclement weather? I am considering purchasing the TL but I live in the Midwest where we get our fair share of snow. Tnanks!

mdhauke

Yes, I plowed right through 6 inches of snow with the Acura, I was even on what everybody calls the "bad" tires and I still handled fine.

calwhiz

I have succesfully paired up a SonyEricsson T68i with my TL. I can make calls, answer calls, etc. But the Send button on the Calculate Route screen of the Navigation System still isn't enabled.

According to page 14 of the Navigation Manual, as long as there is a phone number on the screen, and there is a phone paired, and that HandsFreeLink isn't in use, the button should be enabled. I had made sure all three are true but the stubborn Send button just won't enable itself.

Any ideas on what I am doing wrong? Do I have a faulty Navigation System?

wr_g

I am due to pick up an 04 TL early July. I think the car requires premium fuel. Has then been the experience of other owners or can I use the medium grade?

dtate99

You can do a keyword search for "premium fuel" to get an idea of what others purport, but the general consensus is this: 1) it should not damage the car to use regular and not premium fuel but at the expense of economy and performance 2) why spend $32k+ on a car and then skimp on the remaining $0.10-0.15 per gallon for the good stuff? At most you'd be saving around $10-15 per month.

deliberatedude

Thanks for the information. I am researching cars for my in-laws, and I think this car would be great as long as it will handle the snow in northwest Indiana. When you say that people have refered to the "bad" tires, are you talking about BF Goodrich tires that come with the car? Thanks again.

dtate99

No, he's talking about the Bridgestone Turanzas (BF Goodrich tires do not come with the car BTW), which are now "reformulated" b/c of so many complaints initially with rough ride and flatspotting. Some have also complained about the appropriateness of the tire's all-season rating due to reports of poor handling in rain and snow.

aaargh

I have a '04 5-AT with about 2,000 miles on it. When I lift off the accelerator, it almost feels like the brake is being applied. I'm sure it's the transmission staying in gear and slowing the car.

Example: There is a hill near my house that is a perfect 'coasting' grade. That is, in my last car ('98 Grand Prix), if I lifted off the accelerator, it maintained a constant speed down the entire hill (45 mph start to finish). In my TL, if I start at 45, i finish at 35. What gives?

dtate99

I believe you are experiencing the joys of the technologically advanced "Grade Logic Control System". Here is a clip from the Acura website which discusses it:

GRADE LOGIC CONTROL SYSTEM

"When in automatic mode, the transmission incorporates an advanced Grade Logic Control System and Shift Hold control, which work to reduce gear "hunting" and unnecessary shifting.

To cut down on unnecessary shifting when negotiating winding roads, the Sequential SportShift automatically incorporates improved logic called Shift-Hold Control. When the throttle is suddenly released and the brakes are applied, as is the case when decelerating at the entrance of a corner, Shift-Hold Control keeps the transmission in its current (lower) ratio as it negotiates the corner and accelerates out. This feature leaves the chassis undisturbed by excess shifting, and ensures that abundant power is available without a downshift at the exit of the corner."

I have noticed that the TL will slowly slow down if you coast down a slope, as opposed to my Expedition which actually speeds up as you coast (actually cost me a speeding ticket two years ago!). Maybe if you really want to coast you can just slip the tranny into neutral for a few seconds, hold your arms up, and shout "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

mdhauke

When washing my car I discovered some sap or like substance on the top of my trunk. I tried hard to get it off, I ended up claybaring it off which took a while. Now there seems to be some darker areas in the area that I removed the sap. I hope I didn't ruin the paint job in that area. Then 2 hours later at the Burger King drive through I scraped the crap out of my back left rim. All the way around the edge. Great, just great.

bodble2

bodble2

I've been very happy with my TL so far. I just passed 1,000 KM, and the car is breaking in nicely. So my only real complaint so far is some squeaking in the moonroof interior shade, and also somewhere around the glove box door. Has anyone experienced the same problem and do the dealers have any solution?

brew99

From my experience, the TL handled snow quite well this past winter. If you live in an area of heavy snow then a switch to winter/snow tires would definitely be the way to go. The Turanza all-seasons were "ok" but were far less competent then the Continental Extreme Contacts I had with my previous vehicle. The TL certainly has a leg up on the RWD competition however.

dtate99

Kahunah had the exact same two problems, I believe, several months ago and posted solutions in this forum. A quick search should find the answer, but as I recall he used a piece of inexpensive foam to stop the rattle in the moonroof shade and had the striker adjusted on the glove box. Apparently completely solved both problems for him.

Fortunately, I haven't had either problem. The only rattle I continue to get is from the center channel speaker but it's just a matter of time...

dtate99

Kahunah had the exact same two problems, I believe, several months ago and posted solutions in this forum. A quick search should find the answer, but as I recall he used a piece of inexpensive foam to stop the rattle in the moonroof shade and had the striker adjusted on the glove box. Apparently completely solved both problems for him.

Fortunately, I haven't had either problem. The only rattle I continue to get is from the center channel speaker but it's just a matter of time...

dan2345

As you all know, the SE T608 is the only phone out there right now for Sprint with Bluetooth (BT). There is no word out there as to when Sprint will get a new BT phone and I am very anxious since my car is going to be ready in the next week or so. Does anyone have any comment on the performance of this phone, in general. Most importantly, how does this phone perform with the TL, since it's the only BT phone on the Sprint network. Thanks in advance for all your comments.

mdhauke

It works alright. The only problems I have is answering the phone. The button on the steering wheel doesn't always do it.

bodble2

Thanks for the heads-up! You have the memory of an elephant, my friend!

tedescm1

Welcome to the club.... snap crackle and acurapopmoble

...too much noise for a $35K car.

bodble2

I can't say I disagree with you. I love the styling, the fit and finish, the quality material, the gadgets, the power...pretty much everything...EXCEPT, there ARE a little too much squeaks and pops. I was driving around this morning, and now I'm not sure if the glovebox door and sunshade are the only 2 areas where it's squeaking. The front seats seem to squeak too! I can't figure out how though. I can't really see any area where the leather is making contact with another surface. There are also little crackling/snapping noises from somewhere in the front door that you can only hear if the stereo is completely off.

tedescm1

I’m sorry to report that I purchased my car last Nov and have taken the car back to the dealer on four occasions to have the pops and rattles fixed. They were not able to correct the problem…

At one point the dealer rep told me that in order to fix the rattles in the door they would have to take the car apart and that would lead to additional rattles and other problems. I tended to agree with him.

By the way, I also contacted the Acura factory reps. They were very non-responsive.

As you stated, it’s a really nice car but the pops and rattles are really annoying...next time i'll buy a Toyota.

johnnyv

I have just passed 2000km on my 2004 TL and love it. I have just begun to experience the squeeking at the front right of the dash too. Have you had it into the dealer yet.

Minor problem but detracts from a great driving experience.

Otherwise the car rocks. Great ride, little road noise and great audio.

bodble2

I haven't taken it back to the dealer yet -- might make an appointment for next week. I think the problem is the glove box door. Does yours show more of a gap on the right side of the door? Also, open the passenger door and look at the vertical gap of the glove box door. On mine the gap widens as it gets down to the bottom (where the door hinges). Hopefully that's something the dealer can adjust and eliminate the squeaking.

However, there are more than 1 source of squeaking though. I'm sure one or both of the front seats squeak and either the sunshade or the headliner squeaks.