Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

bplayer

I think there is remembers if it has recently been in heating or cooling mode and requires a fairly large change in temperature to switch from cooling to heating. Try turning the temperature control to max heat and after heating starts back it off to the required temperature.

If you have already tried max heat and it does not work it is possible that the valve is stuck. Your dealer should be able to fix this quite easily.

tmace

Just to let everyone know....My problem is solved! Yea! The Acura dealership replaced my suspension with all new A-Spec suspension! My car rides like a dream. I think this will resolve my tire problem.

I'll keep everyone posted on how this turns out.

go_mdx1

I see lots of posts with folks successfully pairing a Motorola V710 to an 2004 Acura TL. However, I'm not so lucky. Each time I go thru the pairing process searching for the phone, it can't find the phone and then the audio system freezes (unable to use radio). Disconnecting the battery frees up audio system.

For the record, this is a brand new V710 from Alltel.

Has anyone else experienced this problem??

Thanks in advance for the help here!!!

bodble2

Actually quite of few cars have an oil-level monitor. Don't quote me on it but I think the RX330, IS250/350, Sienna, and Land Rover LR3, to name a few.

Mr_Shiftright

New BMWs have a bar gauge and no dipstick anymore.

armand

Thanks for the info. I guess I was behind the times.

bodble2

I didn't know that. You mean a bar gauge in the dash instrument pod? For all new Bimmers, from 3-series up? In think in general, cars are moving toward being no (or at least minimal) user-maintenance required. I think GM has introduced, on some very pedestrian models, sealed tranmission units so you don't need to ever check tranny fluid.

markehmark

Same problem.

I have an 05 TL dynamic with less than 4K KM on it.

It kicks out of third all of the time.

My wife mentioned it to me first, and it is definitely there.

Took it in and they replaced some third gear stuff and it kept happening.

I took it back to the dealership and they couldn't reproduce it a second time.

Then it kept happening more often and eventually it affected my reverse gear - such that I couldn't shift into reverse. I took it in and the car sat with the dealership for weeks while I waited for a new transmission.

They pulled a new tranny off of the line from an 06 TL and I've had the car back for about a week now.

Since then, it is again having the third gear problem - I think it's happened about seven times now since we've driven it.

Extraordinarily frustrating.

The dealership has been great about things, but this problem started with less than 2500KM on the car - didn't happen initially as in your case.

I can't believe it's still happening with a brand new transmission.

Not sure what to do at this point.

I'm calling the GM of the dealership tomorrow to discuss.

I think I'll be asking for another car at this point, as a new transmission was their last resort. Have to see how that goes.

Any idea what the problem really is?

Obviously, not the transmission itself, as it is still happening. I think the car is just cursed.

All I can say is trust your instincts. I kept second-guessing myself on this at first (and my wife as well), but I've been driving manual transmissions for 18 years and have never had anything like this happen - and it has never happened on my new 06 SAAB.

Let me know where you're at with this, and if you've found anyone else with the same problem.

I'll keep you posted.

Mark.

goodegg

I'm calling the GM of the dealership tomorrow to discuss.

Good luck having a GM dealer service an Acura....hmmmm...

markehmark

I found this:

http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125763

Check it out.

Not sure if it will work or not, but I'm getting mine done ASAP.

Same comments over here too.

http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-message?message_id=489847&page_number=1

Good Luck!

qbrozen

markehmark: I'm calling the GM of the dealership tomorrow to discuss.

leadfoot6: Good luck having a GM dealer service an Acura....hmmmm...

ummmm... mark said "GM OF the dealership." GM = general manager.

maybe you were making a joke? i'm not sure. just in case you were serious, thought i'd clear up any confusion.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, any new Bimmer with iDrive has a bar graph in the NAV display and an oil level light on the dash. There are no more dipsticks !!! (Sorry, off topic but sorta kinda relevant).

bodble2

But only with iDrive? Thanks, sorry about off-topic but I am curious!

Mr_Shiftright

only with iDrive, yes, you get the bar graph.

go_mdx1

UPDATE....

I noticed that Acura only officially supports Alltel's Motorola Razr V3C phone for Bluetooth connectivity. So, I returned the V710 for a Razr upgrade. The result was the same....Car hangs in pairing mode - draining the car battery!

I took the car to the dealership and they are going to replace the HFL (HandsFreeLink) unit.

zeak

I remember from a past post concerning a technique to run diagnostics by holding in two buttons below the navigation screen. Did a search and can't find the post.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

tpacar79

I had a 04 Acura TL which was lemon lawed in the state of florida. Unfortunately, replacing your unit WILL NOT correct this issue. The problem is with the software and was corrected in 05 units. But it gets worse for you. THE DEALERSHIP will not replace 04 TLs with the 05 upgrade as under warranty they need to replace with the same part, its a different part/sfortware, basically you are screwed.

tpacar79

Candidly speaking, this why you would not purchase this type of tranny which is not produced much on the vehicle.

tpacar79

I will be pursuing the lemon law to have Acura buy back my 05 TL ASPEC as its worse than the 04 TL they already boguht back under the terms of the lemon law last year. I am done with ACura. PLease contact me if you want your car repurchased as the process, although tedious, is quite real and possible to have done.

tpacar79

2004 TLs are plagued with a host of annoying problems and issues that Acura will not pay attention too. the purpose of this mail is to warn you to avoid purchasing a 2004 TL at all costs. The dealers are aware of these issues however many of them will be deemed characteristics of the vehicle. If you are the type who values top notch qulaity Id recommend another product. If you handles such tedious annoyances..well the Acura TL may provide you with the best bang for the buck. I have lemoned my 04 TL

2004 TL Qurks...in no particular order
Vibrating Transmission due to imporper shift points.
POOR quality tires which flat spot and wear out prematurely as well as add to vibration issue above
Poor Quality leather, you know yours looks like sh*t!
Rattling doors/windows due to poor assembly/insulation.
Acura's normal sunroof rattles each month
Hands free system improper software link which cannot be fixed in 04s, if you use the system reguarly you will already be aware of this issue.
Misc Computer issues with regards to Temp Control/Info Screen
Car not being able to hold an alignment
Excessive brake wear/rotors warping...have yours been replaced prematurely, chances are yes!
Navigation not recongizing roads, automatically recaluctating routes and also stating it was on roads the vehicle was not on whatsoever
Shut down of memory mirrors, seats and some mirror functions
Random loss of memory settings
Subwoofer rattles consistently
Ignition module failure resulting in car failing to start many times
If you have window tint, forget it...it will scratch.........I can go on and on feel free to inquire if you want more reasons...

Undertsand the job of the District Parts and Service Manaher is to spy and report back to corporate office, they are NOT your friend and the 2 i encountered I was not even impressed with, I could do their job!

armand

My '04 TL have NONE of these problems with 16K miles and others that I know are also excellent autos! Many messages on this site confirm this - not to talk to the excellent rating consumers reports give it.

mvc_jones

I think it is important to know of others experience and insight with their cars and Edmunds is a great place to do this, and I appreciate your experience, as it is good to hear positive and negative experiences.

However, I think you should represent your statements as your experience or experience you have first habd knowledge with, and not as the fate of all 2004 TL's, to be fair. Others have had flawless experiences with 2004 TL's.

Likewise, when I had my 2003 Passat, I heard many a horror story of quality and dealer service, but my particular experience was near flawless with the car and about average, maybe a little better with the dealer.

My 2005 TL has been very good so far. Only issues at 2000 miles (I drive very little, 600-800 miles per month or so) are rough ride cold (believe the Michelins flat spot as well, as this smooths out), slightly rough idle/vibration cold and stopped, didn't use the car for a week and my radio memory presets were wiped out, and a few rattles (drivers window, passenger seat, console). All else has been very good, including comfort, performance, fuel economy for 270 hp, and overall enjoyment.

Plan to address the list of issues above at my first service, right now at 2000 miles am still showing 70% life remaining on oil, so it will probably be at the 6 month mark that I change my oil, as 6 months will come before the oil indicator suggests an oil change.

bodble2

Wow! 2 consecutive cars, in 2 consecutive model years, and 2 consecutive buybacks! That may be some kind of record! :P Acura probably would refuse to sell you a 3rd car!

cerauli

I feel badly about your many issues! I lemon lawed a new 97 Mustang GT... it was my dream car at 27 years old! I know it is not fun to have these problems!

I have an 04' TL and I have to admit that aside from the rear main engine seals letting go at 900 miles, dash rattles (Now fixed), Faulty gear lock sensor(Fixed), driver window rattles(Hopefully soon to be fixed), and the ever famous cold vibrations that go away after 3-5 miles... I LOVE MY 04' TL!

Unfortunately, I have come to learn that any new car is going to have its quirks that need to be ironed out. I guess it is like buying a new house... sometimes it is better to buy a 3 year old one that has been worked out. I am not advocating buying used cars, but I think if you buy a new car knowing that there might be a few things that the dealer needs to fix, then when it happens you will not be that upset! It is a sad commentary on society about how workers/companies do not value the quality of the job they do/provide. (an entirely different topic...)

I place a lot of emphasis on a dealership with an outstanding service department. I am not afraid to go in repeatedly until a problem is fixed. Just give me a loaner and don't give me my TL back until the problem is resolved... "PLEASE".

It sounds like you have had your share and I agree that we would all expect a little more than that from an ACURA. Would I buy another one... IN A HEARTBEAT!!! (Just without the sh#$ty Bridgestones...) A year and a half of ownership and I still stop an stare at it in the garage.

mikefm58

I have to ask, why would you buy another Acura after going through the lemon law with the 04? If I'm ever unfortunate enough to have to go through that, I would avoid the manufacturer like the plague.

steveb9

I bought my wife a 2004 TL that now has 18K on it and is a year and a half old. The only thing that I've noticed is the "flat spot" on the tires when cold. Other than that, it's been a great car which I drive every opportunity I get. This 2004 TL replaced a 2001 3.2 TL which was also a fantastic car especially taking the long road trip.

It's really unfortunate that you have such a long list of problems. I think everyone always get stuck with a car or any type of mechanical device once (or more)in their life that becomes a nightmare. It's just too bad it was the highly rated TL.

I hope you get all your problems resolved to your satisfaction and soon.

cassiri

I just discovered today that my transmission sticks under certain circumstances. I was accelerating away from a light on a wet road. As anyone with Michelins knows, it doesn't take much to break traction. As the traction control came on I continued to lightly apply the gas and the traction control continued to kick in. By the time I got to second gear the engine revved and never shifted. I couldn't make it shift even by moving to the manual shift mode. I had to put it in neutral and bring it back to drive. Must be a quirk in the tranny program/traction control.

Anyone else find this?

tpacar79

The major problems in 2004 were fixed for 2005, but nobody here seems to have an ASPEC model, just the standard nonnavi tls, the TL with navi MY FRIENDS is a different car and the ASPEC makes it even a more different car, lets compare apples and apples not oranges.

tpacar79

I wouldnt purchase an acura again, its not a true luxury car, i will drive a more exclusive car which will (hopefully) prove to be more reliable and even when it may not be, it at least will; command more respect on the road! acura's are known as the cheap quick fix to a luxury need in atlanta.

mikefm58

Of buying two vehicles back to back and having BOTH end up being a lemon, let alone from a manufacturer with a reputation for reliability. I can see "maybe" a Daewoo or early Hyundai.

Sorry folks, but I smell a troll......

goodegg

Sorry folks, but I smell a troll......

Pretty evident. I was gonna post the same thing but I think everybody else realized it as well.

bartalk3

What's a troll?

ggesq

The only difference between an "ASPEC" car vs. a non "ASPEC" car is the grounds effets, steering wheel and spoiler, depending on which spoiler you get; lip or wing. Dude, your seriously lost credibility. Additionally, the fact that you listed every known TSB that Acura has on the 3rd generation TL is really absurd. If you really had every problem that you listed previously then I empathize. However, to say that this occurred twice on your 04 and then on your 05, I can only conclude- your a TROLL. Get out of here and let the people with real problems try and get help.

mikefm58

I've seen a couple types.

1) Someone who had a bad experience and probably did have a lemon, but rather than move on with their life, they make it their life mission to tell everyone on the net how bad the manufacturer is.

2) A competing sales person, maybe from Lexus or BMW who goes out and trashes their competition on msg boards saying how all Acuras are lemons.

Like the previous post states, he posted every TSB for that generation of the TL (nice catch ggesq) and blew his credibility.

ggesq

Let me correct myself first- ASPEC also includes a suspension as well as a wheel/tire upgrade. Forgive me if I left anything else out.

confusedontl

I totally agree with you here. The TL is a great car. We just purchased ours as a Pre Owned Car. It has 23,000 miles and is in excelent condition. I have noticed 1 rattle when we are driving on rough roads. I do have 1 problem...when I make a hard right turn my steering wheel tends to pull to the right after the turn. I was wondering if anyone else was having this problem and how to fix it?

The TL is a great car for the money!

bartalk3

Steering wheel pulling to the right? You may be experiencing torque steer, a problem with powerful front-drive cars. There ain't no fix, except don't accelerate so hard.

laurasdada

Or, accelerate hard and hold on!

But, hey, let's be careful out there...

tpacar79

well tell it too the arbitrators who ruled in my favor. Also, the springs are different on aspec models as well as the alignment settings (tires will go out premature if they are set to standard) steering wheel, (resulted in my airbag problems) so I appreciate your humble response but creditability, have fun owning an acura, i am going for something a lil more fancier and considering I am 26 years old and drive the same or more expensive car as most 30-40 year olds, i think i am doing quite nicely. don't get mad when something is called out...happy driving!

ggesq

Not mad at all my friend. Thanks for your well-wishes in regards to owning an Acura. Going on 7 trouble-free months with my TL and am happy as a fat kid in a buffet line. Again, sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience with your vehicle and Happy Motoring with whatever car you go with, especially with you being all modest and all...

meateater

When you said you bought another TL after the first one was a lemon was where your credibility tanked. Every post is viewed with skepticism here. Yours was ignored quickly.

Will you still have a 'fancy' car once you move out of mommy's house?

booyahcramer

You bought another TL after having the previous one be delared a lemon. Now that's blind faith!

matthias

HI, I'm interested in buying a 2006 TL. My wife really wants the chrome rims which apparently only come in 18" wheels vs. the standard 17". The dealer package costs an additional $3K and change.

My question is how do the 18" wheels wear over time? Also, how do they handle in the winter?

We live in Michigan so we have a few snow days per winter that are difficult to drive in.

Also, what is the cost difference between replacing the 17" and 18" wheels?

Anything else I missed that I should be concerned about, please include in your reply. Thanks!

mikefm58

Tirerack.com is a pretty good site to compare tires and see how each tire will wear and also handles in all types of weather. Just from my own experience with 18" tires on a Mustang, I'd never buy them again. High performance low profile tires wear out very quickly and cost more to fix a flat than a standard tire. I'm in Florida so I can't say how they handle in snow, but in wet weather, they were pretty bad.

tedescm1

Me too..

I also went through the lemon law but I’m not allowed to speak about it!

I would never buy another Acura.... very poor quality and even worse ...a total lack of responsibility for the poor quality.

They deny everything....

navarch31

My 2001 Acura 3.2 TL Clock Light at the top of the dash is out. The HVAC and Radio Controls continue to light as normal. Has anyone repaired this? How do you get to it? I assume you need to replace the entire clock?

Price to do repair yourself?
Price at dealership?

Thanks for the assistance.

booyahcramer

I'll bet you a dollar you can pop out the clock unit itself and find the tiny bulb in there that needs to be replaced.

tlshark

NOW THAT YOUR FINISHED DEGRADING THIS CAR WHAT ARE GOING TO BUY NEXT?LOL :confuse:
WHEN YOU PERCHASE YOUR NEXT CAR FROM WHATEVER BRAND U CHOOSE, I HOPE IT WORKS OUT PERFECT FOR U...

I REALLY FEEL BAD THAT THIS CAR WAS A "LEMON" FOR U,ESPECIALLY SINCE YOUR FREAKING OUT ABOUT IT!

WE ALL GET YOUR POINT OF HOW DISAPPOINTED U R BECAUSE OF UR CONTINUIOUS COMPLAINTS, BUT NOW UR JUST SOUNDING LIKE A NAG.U SEEM VERY VERY PICKY.U SEEM WORSE THAN THE CAR.U NEED A RECALL.

I MEAN 2 CARS "LEMON LAWED"? U SHOULD HAVE QUIT AT THE 1ST CAR... NEWAYS BEST WISHES ON WHATEVER U BUY...TRY AN AUDI

bhelsdon

Are these bulbs supposed to light:
1. Main cruise control button on steering wheel.
2. both back buttons for the voice command and the bluetooth on the steering wheel.
3. the select/reset button on the dash for the trip computer.
I would really appreciate it if someone could please tell me of these buttons light up on their TL.

backbrusly

I am new to this board, but I have exactly the same problem with the tires on my Acura. At 21,700 miles, it appears as if I need new tires. They are Turanza's. Have you heard of any recalls? Have you had any success with challenging the dealers or with tire manufacturer?