Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

endale

my car has vibration coming from the steering wheel especially when the car is in idle (at stop). Also there is a lot of squeaking noise coming from the CD player area. I took the car to the dealer and they could not solve these problems. They actually want me to talk the zone manager. Now I really regret buying this car. What is luxury about this car ex. for DVD-A and
Bluetooth. My take on this: it is going to be a major problem as many people start to buy these cars and experience the same problem.
Anyone with the same problem please advise.

mobofe

is there no low-washer fluid indicator on the TL.

kahunah

There most certainly is a low-washer fluid indicator on the TL. On the 2004, the "Maintenance Minder System" displays a message and an image of the washer fluid symbol.

bodble2

US gets XM radio, we get washer level indicator. Hmm...me thinks we've been shortchanged again!

LanceL99

aciampi, I have the same problem starting my '04TL. It is not every time, but I have to crank it for a long time, stop, crank it more, and then it finally starts but sputters and coughs. If I rev the engine it smooths out. The dealer insists that the engine may start rough occasionally as it is cleaning out emissions. I'm not sure I buy that, at least not to the degree that this thing is starting so poorly.

On the other note, I am now into week two (I just received my new registration today) and the AC went out again. They replaced an O ring last time. This time, who knows? Anyone else with AC problems, or just me?

I had two Infiniti's before this and they were extremely reliable. I expected better... Otherwise, I love the car.

aciampi

Yeah I'm not to sure that sounds like sounds right either but I will be able to find out Feb 3rd when mine goes in for service. And when the weather warms up here in Mass I hope I don't have those AC problems because I am not one who takes the heat gently. Thats horrible that it is happening to you so early or even at all and that it is continuing to happen.

gregory28

I have them and like them very much. They finish the car off nicely, don't scratch the paint and help to keep mud/snow off the car.

igiban

It's all black right? Think it'd look good on all exteriors (colors)?

mattpa

I am experiencing a maddening problem that I think has been mentioned previously. You hear pops, almost like static, coming from what appears to be the roof (but sometimes sounds like the dvd). You lean over to get a better idea and it stops. When I push up on the roof where the sunshades are you definitely get a crackly sound. What is the fix for this? I saw one post that said close the sunroof shade, but I shouldn't have to do that for this otherwise beautiful car?

vinceb81

I have various vibrations. Sometimes I can't even tell where they are coming from. I often hear one noise coming from over my right shoulder. Thought it was coming from the speakers but now I don't think so. Also heard a fluttering sound from the steering column area 4-5 times. Every time, I was driving about 30-40 miles on city streets. Have heard other noises/vibrations from the radio/navigation area and from the passenger door area. Took the car to the dealer but they could not find anything. It is driving me crazy. Car does not compare to my prior Lexus for quality. I love all the various features, look and design. I waited and researched all the other vehicles in the class and felt the TL was the best choice for the money. Now, I have been second guessing myself. I am really disappointed.

2003tls

I like mine, but since they are black plastic, I think they do look nicer on the darker colors. They really stick out on White TLs. Why can't they be body-colored?

gregory28

The tires are black :-), so I think the black mud guards go well with all exterior colors.

trosketj

There isn't a gripes board, so I'll complain here-I would rather have a six disk CD player with MP3 disk capability than DVD-A. Granted the surround sound is beautiful, but having the ability to store 600-800 songs in your car player is a much nicer benefit to me than $20-25 DVD-A disks.

mdhauke

MP3 will go away in a year to a better format. I have a gripe with DVD-A's also but it isn't that. It's the fact that their are so few DVD-A CDs out there and none of today's artist are producing new CDs into DVD-As. Seems like SACD is now taking over as the wave of the future with over twice as many CDs. Why didn't Acura go with that?

chuck04tl

Does an one have rattles in the sunroof and front right seat? It is driving me crazy. I am taking the car into the dealer next week.

billyperks

I have the white tls and the black mud guards looks stunning with the white exterior.

Even if they offered the mud guards in white I would still choose the black.

The Nissan Altima offers the white mud guards and they look real CHEESY on the white exterior Altimas (IMO).
Personally I think Mud Guards should only come in black.

jforkner

I had that same thing happen to me the first time I got the car home, programmed in all of my stations, and turned it off... the next time I turned it on, it was gone! I redid it and grumbled the whole time. It's kept it's memory ever since though. Strange...

igiban

Does the plant make any other Honda/Acura cars? Just wonder if the reported rattle/noise/.... seemingly workmanship/build issues are related to the plant that's making these cars? There're 1st year model issues but these 'fit' problems can be simply bad workmanship.

Also I am wondering how common these minor annoyances are (5-10% of cars sold?) and if those things are hard to catch during test drives.

sirdarby

If the TL is driving rough or hard to start, take back to dealer. There are 2 software upgrades that will fix the problem. Takes 30 minutes.

dtate99

I was wondering if you have the 6 speed MT. I have heard others complain about the Brembo brakes being loud. I haven't had the slightest squeak from my automatic's brakes.

aciampi

First of all the TL's are being produced in Ohio and I believe the accord is their as well but don't hold me to it. As far as the vibrations and rattles everyone is talking about, I have expierenced none other than a slight vibration from the top left corner of the glove box. Nothing from my dash, sunroof or sunvisors. But I also have never opened my sunroof yet due to the cold in the northeast which may or may not have anything to do with it, I guess I really wont know until the spring.

Now about the software upgrades for the rough start, does it completly fix the problem or just make it less often or a little smoother. I am wondering because I have and appointment for my TL for the rough start problem and want to be able to have as much information as possible.
Thanks

dtate99

I'm trying to figure out how to use the Hands Free Link and Bluetooth Technology with my new TL. I live in a fairly rural area, and the only mainstream wireless service here is Verizon. Nobody at the Verizon store knew what in the world I was talking about when I tried to find out if my phone was (or could be made) compatible.

The owner's manual states the following: "To use the HFL, your phone must have Bluetooth capability along with the Hands Free Profile. This type of phone is available through many phone makers and cellular carriers. You can also find a phone by visiting www.acura.com."

Well, I visited www.acura.com and cannot find any links or lists outlining which phones are compatible or how I can make my current phone compatible. I use a Motorola V-60.

I tried the Bluetooth website, too, but couldn't quite figure that out either. Any info on what I need to do would be appreciated. I'm feeling pretty dumb, but I would consider myself at least halfway intelligent! Maybe I should stay at a Holiday Inn Express tonight.

dulnev

It's really simple: Verizon doesn't have any Bluetooth phones. One of the old Verizon phones - the Motorola 270c - could be made Bluetooth-capable by adding an adapter, but it would still not work with the TL.

Various rumors circulate about a posibility of a Bluetooth Virizon phone by the end of this year. I wouldn't hold my breath. Just forget that you have Bluetooth in your car. That's what I'm doing...

mdhauke

As dunlev said with Verison you cannot utilize the Acura handsfree link at all. You would have to switch to Singular or ATT. I am running into the same situation with Sprint however they do have one phone that is compatible with Acura HFL but are in very limited quantities. They are selling for double their value on Ebay. I called sprint and said they were getting another shipment in mid Feb. If not I might be desperate enough to by one of the phones on Ebay. Like Verison, Sprints coverage is excellent and don't know if I am willing to sacrifice it by switching to ATT or Cingular just so I can use HFL.

k_chui

To see a list of bluetooth phones:

goto www.acura.com
click on TL model
click on confort & convenience
click on handsfreelink
click on "handfree link click here"
click on phone compatibility

I think the newer phones are not yet listed.

orange_peel

If you are interested in the T608 from Sprint, I would suggest you call every day as the situation is dynamic. I know of someone who got a T608 yesterday.

Good luck - it is a good phone and works well in the TL

igiban

Can BT/HFL handle speed dial on cell or you just have spell out the number exactly? If you turn on HFL and then use cell directly to speed dial can you still speak to the car to phone?

orange_peel

The subwoofer in my TL doesn't seem to have much "volume". When I play the demo dvd that comes with the car and they play individual elements through each speaker, I can barely hear the subwoofer element. I asked a tech at the dealer and he said this was normal. But I'm not sure. Do others have any comment on this?

acurahelp4u

Many of the vibration problems that people are reporting are due to issues with the tires. The Tires are a high performance tire with threaded overlapping belts at a 45 degree angle. The problem with the high performance tires, which is true of any high performance tire is that as the tire heats up the belts want to expand (like drag racing vehicles). In order to control and limit this expansion the tires are belted with a strap in order to maintain a consistent tire size.
VIBRATION - the vibration is a result of cold tires. If the tire has sat for any extended length of time the belt will form a small flat spot that will go away as the tires warm up! So you can settle down and realize there is a reason you are driving the number one selling sports sedan in its class. It rocks.

As to blue tooth questions about pairing feel free to e-mail me at lostdogman@aol.com

The memory seat issue will be resolved shortly. Yes you are correct, they are having a memory card problem, it happens to reset itself in some of the vehicles in a 48-72 hour period. It's a minor issue and will be resolved with an upgrade later in 2004.

acurahelp4u

Don't think you are getting a ported box with amp and ghetto roller quality output. It is a system designed to give a full spectrum quality sound performance package, not thump the neighbors. For that I recomend a nice ported box, high-end 10" subs and a sustain amp of at least 300 watts.

raher

I bought my wife a new TL because she looks good in it. Auto, NAV, Silver/ebony. I also bought her a new TL so I could drive it on weekends and trips.
Strange thing happening with the windows. She told me that on three occasions she came back after parking the car and all 4 windows were down about 2 inches. Anybody seen or heard anything or have an idea what might be going on ? No window connection to the remote or anything else I can think of. May be one of those very dreaded "electrical problems" that are always an adventure to your wallet.
It has never happened to me and I drove the car every day for the first 800 miles.
I love the sound system in this car. I have a nice system in the Durango I drive but the system in the TL is superb. I took a CD out into the garage last night and sat and listened to it in the TL. It was a DVD-A and that's what the system is really about. Frank Sinatra with Count Basie at the Sands in Vegas. Those were the days.
Does anyone know if you can hook up a power amp to the system ? I owned a 91 Legend and you couldn't hook up a power amp. It's my only knock...it doesn't play loud enough. When you're rollin' to The Donna's you want it LOUD.
Absolutely no other problems. I ditched the EL42's after 400 miles and put on Bridgestone LSZ's. Major improvement in sound and noise.
Yo, Acurahelp4u..any ideas on the windows or answer to the power amp question ?

dtate99

First of all, thanks to dulnev, mdhauke, and k chui for answering my bluetooth question. Very helpful. You confirmed what I suspected: not gonna happen with my Verizon Motorola phone.

Second, to oragnepeel regarding the sub: I, too, noticed on the sample DVD-A that sound from the sub was very hard to detect when individual channels were played (I'm assuming you're referring to track 21 at the end of the disc). But, I guess it also depends on the settings you've chosen for your bass and subwoofer. I put the bass @ 3, treble @ 5, and the sub @4. To me, for now, this gives the best overall sound. On bass heavy tracks like #16 and #21, you can really hear and feel the extra bass. But what I really thinks sounds best is the fullness it adds to routine tracks, particularly to "Long Train Runnin'" on track #5 (in full digital surround).

Finally, to raher, I can speculate as to what happened with your wife and the windows. The remote has the ability to open the moonroof and all windows when you push the unlock key once, and then push it again within a few seconds while hoding it down when it is pushed the second time. If you release the button before the moonroof and windows open all the way, they will stop. Your wife, if she's like mine, puts her keys in her purse. I'll bet as she was walking away, something shifted in her purse which pushed on the unlock button and voila! The windows mysteriously were open when she came back.

P.S. To acurahelp4u...are you a spokesperson for Acura? How do you know this information? I can attest that, for me, the noises I am hearing are NOT from vibrations exclusively from the tires. Maybe that will help some, but I shouldn't be hearing vibrations as I'm backing out of my driveway that sound the same as the sounds when I'm going over 40 mph down the road.

eglewis

I spoke to Acura client support a few days ago. They said that they have received numerous complaints about the vibration issues. They recognize it's a problem, and are pretty confident it's caused by the tires. I was told that they have relayed this information to their dealers.
     Once they have the resolution they will notify their customers, and fix the problem. If the tires are the issue, then they would probably replace them at no cost to the customer.
They hope to have this resolved within the next few weeks.

raher

Thanks very much for the info on the windows. I am guessing you are right on this and will try it out in a few minutes in the garage. A waaaay better answer for me than looking for some electrical malfunction.

raher

dtate99...It is as you said. I just got back from the garage and opened the windows and the sunroof by clicking twice and holding the second time. Mystery solved. Thanks again

smoore5

I just ordered my TL and won't receive it until late March. I have read a couple of posts about the subwoofer being hard to hear on the test disc. I haven't reviewed the test disc but most test discs are designed to play each channel at the same level. On home stereo systems you would use a sound pressure meter to ensure that the sound pressure from each speaker reaches the listener at the same level. This is also done with the subwoofer. On home stereos the subwoofer always sounds like it is at a lower level than the other speakers even when the sound pressure meter indicates the levels are identical. I suspect that is what is happening with the subwoofer in the TL. If you want to check this out you can buy a sound pressure meter from Radio Shack for a reasonable price to balance your home stereo system. It will be hard to balance the speakers in the same manner as you would with a home stereo because, I believe, there is no individual speaker controls just fader and balance controls. Personally, I find that balancing the subwoofer this way doesn't provide enough bass. I usually take the subwoofer up about 5 db over the other speakers.

I can't wait to get the car and really check out the sound system.

dulnev

It pays to read the manual ;-)

aciampi

I am having trouble with programing my homelink to my garage doors. I have read the manual multiple times and am more than certin that I am doing everything right. I hold the left and right button down until it flashes quickly. Then I hold down the first button with the button held down on my remote and wait until it flashes quickly but it never does. Am I missing something?
Thanks

lobito17

I just picked up my 04 TL today and the car now has 65 miles on it. Big vibration issue. At low speeds (indeed, while stopped at red light), the steering wheel noticeably vibrates. Even worse at speed (60 mph/100kph). My arms positively tingle after getting out of the car. I have read several posts relating the problem to tires, which is probably right for some of it, but when idling? Any thoughts or solutions out there? I just leased the car for 42 months. The notion of having to undo the transaction is more than I can bear, but I can't drive 2 more weeks, much less 3.5 years with this issue. (For the record, I love the car in general and I am not a real car person or hypersenstive type. Most things that drive other folks crazy with their vehicles I wouldn't begin to notice.) Obviously, speaking with the dealer is first step, but I thought I'd pick some of the large brains on this forum before doing so. Thanks.

bodble2

I'm not sure if it is just mistakenly pressing the remote. This was not the first time I've heard this phenomenon with the windows. And I was at the dealer first thing this morning and saw one TL with the front passenger window down about 1 - 2 inches. This was a brand new car (not a demo) so no one has test driver it. And don't they usually have a guy go around in the evening just to make sure all the doors are locked and windows closed before closing up shop?

raher

but if everyone read the manual then these forums with all of these knowledgeable people wouldn't be as much fun !

kahunah

There's something definitely wrong. My TL, and I'm sure most, do not have a vibrating steering wheel problem. Have your dealer check it out thoroughly and demand satisfaction.

endale

read my earlier post. I have the same problem. The car vibrates when in idle, I do not feel it as much when the car moves. I do not think it is related to tire. The dealer told me that all TLs are made like that, which is the most funny thing i have ever heard. I called the main accura/honda number and I complained about it. I am waiting a response from them. May be you should call them too.

trosketj

Sounds like you have a garage door with "rolling code" capability. My Genie does-it changes, or rolls the encryption codes to prevent someone else stealing your codes.

Anyway, read further on in the manual, it describes how to program your TL remote. You have to get access to the training button on the motor unit of the garage door.

endale

does anyone experience the same problem I have?

Does your steering wheel have vibrations when the car is in idle? I am talking annoying vibration not violent shaking or violent vibration. I would like to know since the dealer told me this is a normal finding in all TLs.

Thanks for your help

danny1878

This is wierd, I can see if cold tire make vibration for a couple miles but steering wheel have vibration, its impossible. Unless you bought a 10 years old car besides which dealer that said all acura TL made like that?. Can you tell me the name of the dealership and the first 6 digits of your VIN number maybe I can find something. Cuz mine doesnt vibrate except for flatspotting.

davekissoon

I am thinking of buying a TL (in fact I have already made a down payment). But the discussion of vibrations is really bothering me. Is everyone experiencing this problem? SHould I buy this vehicle? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

onlysimulacrum

Aciampi, in addition to the rolling code possibility, if you have an old garage door opener (pre 1983) it's possible your homelink will refuse to learn the code b/c older doors don't have anti-crush mechanisms. I've tried to find a way to fix this for my wife's accord, and the cheapest fix was a new GD opener.

trosketj

I have a 04 TL, 5AT, no Nav, Bought it 1/29/04. Now has 750 miles...

Timing worked out great-we left next day for a weekend skiing at Mammoth Mountain CA. So excited about the new car we took it instead of the trusty 99 Odyssey. Just got home, drove over 600 miles.

The car drives great. Didn't notice any of the rough ride, vibration, or noise problems others have noted. Car starts right up, idles a little rough the first 30 sec, but not annoyingly bad to me. I'm not gonna go buy new tires like others have.

Great acceleration, tight handling, and passing, even loaded with four people and a full trunk. Accelerated from 60 to 85 climbing the I-5 Grapevine out of LA-very impressed.

Stereo sounds great. heated seats are great. Access to the two storage compartments in the dash is poor.

I am a happy owner of a sports sedan.

jjsacura

To answer your question, yes, I have the 6 speed manual transmition. I called client services at acura 1-800-382-2238 and made my complaint about the brakes squeaking at low speeds. The guy told me that not enough people have complained about the problem for Acura to research the problem. So if you are also have this problem please make a complaint to the 1800 number I just listed.