Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

upstatedoc

That's a load of crap. I've reset the service indicators on all my Acuras from the '03 up through the '07. The manual tells you how.

upstatedoc

I assume one of our gracious hosts cleared this forum of what looked to be an obvious solicitation for a website. Still no filters for that stuff?

Mr_Shiftright

Help your regular hosts pat and karen when you can by reporting all possible spam/solicitations. They have a lot of posts to read everyday, among other duties. Much appreciated! These forums are yours and ours.

MrShiftright
Visiting Host

pat

I've gotten rid of a bunch of spam today. As Mr_Shiftright says, it would be very helpful if you would drop me an email when you see such rather than just waiting for one of us to stumble into it. I hope I got what you are referring to, but if not, do please let me know (via email ).

Thanks!

z71bill

I was messing around a little today - with tranny in park I pushed the RPM up to 4500 - and the engine cuts out - at first I thought there was something wrong - but am guessing it has some safety feature that shuts the engine off at a set RPM.

Anyone know if the TL has such a feature - and what the shut down RPM level is (when not in gear) I always just thought it would be red line.

I have been above 4500 RPM a hundred times while driving and it does not cut off the engine.

Is this normal? Or is there something wrong with my car?

nring

thank you!!!

jkstew1

Check your owners manual. I have an 05 TL and the manual on page 204 says to

1. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
2. Press the > key until oil life is displayed.
3. Press and hold the Select/Reset button for 10 seconds. The display will ask for confirmation.
4. Use the Select/Reset button to select OK.

upstatedoc

Acknowledged, upstatedoc on spam patrol!

ticos

Need your help I have a 2007 TL with only a few months on it. I noticed a shimmy/vibration on the car above 70 MPH and took it in to the dealer. They balanced the tires and indicated the problem was fixed. However after I took the car out on the interstate I noticed the issue is still there. The vibration can be felt through the steering wheel as well as the floor and once it appears it does not appear to increase along with speed.
Is this a common problem with the TL's? I know there is an issue with a low speed vibration with RPMs between 1500-2000 but I was not aware of any high speed issues. Do you have any suggestions on what to look at next so that this can be fixed? Thanks in advance....

monica1975

Hi - I own a 99 Acura TL 3.2 L and the maintanence required light is staying on continously now. It was flashing at first when I started my vehicle. Now it is just "on" . I took it and had it hooked up to the code machine. No codes found it said. So how do i get it to go off without taking it to the acura dealer and having an expensive "tune up" . I have no symptoms of anything wrong, BUT it does have 155,000 miles on it. But oil changes and maintanence has been kept up.
Thank you.

rvator4

Go back to message 4886. I think that is how I turn mine off.

monica1975

Thanks I will try that... I didnt know if that would work since mine is older than that.

rvator4

Ours is a 2000 (just turned over to 64K miles). We bought it new and have never taken it to the Acura garage except tranny recall and to reprogram the Nav.
John

monica1975

I tried that and it didnt work. I would be open to any suggestions before I take it to an expensive place to have it shut off. Thanks... any other ideas...

rvator4

I will call my Honda garage tomorrow and find out again. It has been a while since I did it myself, and that was as close as I could remember. Did you start with the engine off, hold down BOTH buttons, turn ignition on, hold for 15 seconds, and turn off the ignition? It is either that or hold down both buttons, turn ignition on, hold down buttons for 15 seconds, and release buttons.
Stay tuned.
John

rvator4

I called and he said: ignition off, press both the buttons down and hold them. Turn on the ignition and continue to hold the buttons down and the maintenance reminder will go out after 15 seconds or so.
Please try it.
John

monica1975

Thank you so much!!!! That worked... I really appreciate it. U saved me some money. I'm really happy now!!!
Thanks aggain
monica

rvator4

I have always done most all my own auto work but I have never replaced a rotor on an Acura. I have an 00 TL that we bought new with 64K on it and I want to replace the rotors with aftermarket ones. How difficult is it to remove the two flathead screws holding the rotors on?

ealmekinder

My wife took our 2000 TL in to the repair shop yesterday for a new battery. After installing the battery they said that even though the car had only 67,000 miles on it, Acura recommends a timing belt change at 7 years or 105,000 miles and it should be done immediately or the engine will have to be replaced.

Is this true? Do we need to replace the timing belt now for $850.00?

Can anyone shed some light on this for us?

scottm123

It's a belt and not a chain, so it has a life expectancy.
The issue is that this is a zero tolerance engine. If the belt breaks, severe internal damage will occur (valves and pistons), pretty much rendering the engine useless junk.
As preventative maintenance, it's recommended. Since the mechanic is hip deep in the motor anyway, I highly suggest having the water pump replaced at the same time. This will save you $100's in labor charges down the road when it also needs replacing.

Now, the good news. The dealer is charging WAY too much for the job.
95% of that price is labor.
Do you have a good mechanic? (I know... hard to find)

My Honda dealer wanted close to $900 for the Accord timing belt. We paid our mechanic $400... and that included a new water pump.

Shop around.... but I do suggest getting it done.

carteach

Just want to double check. Do you have to have all maintenance done by an Acura dealer in order to maintain your warranty?

scottm123

Absolutely not.
I currently have an 06 MDX and we go in and get the oil and differential fluids changed at the recommended intervals.
I do not, however, have them do any of the "Inspections" or "Adjustments"

In the 7 years that we had the 2000 Honda Accord, we had oil changes done at the dealer (they had a great rate, free car washes, and it was easy for the wife).
I had brakes and the timing belt/water pump done at a mechanic, and the car carried it's full warranty, even though we never paid top dollar for those other little things... which are sometimes never even performed.... not that they'd ever admit it.

You really think they're gonna inspect my propeller shaft?

herbert11

I own a 2006 TL with a tan leather interior. The armrest on the driver's door is turning
black. I believe it is because I wear a black jacket and the color might be rubbing off on the armrest. I have tried different cleaners to get the black out but nothing is working. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to get it clean?

scottm123

Gently... keyword being "Gently", try a Mr Clean Magic Eraser.
Same thing was happening to someone in a Lexus IS... his black leather belt was marking up his stone colored leather.
The Mr Clean Eraser took it right off.
It is slightly abrasive, so go lightly

new2cars

Hi-
There's a tiny but noticable tear in the driver's seat of my TL. I bought my 2007 TL last March. Eeeeks! I brought this to the attention of the dealership and they are ordering a new "leather seat cover" to replace what was torn. Does this make sense as opposed to fixing the problem area? The dealership said it is covered under the warranty.

Need opinions as I'm taking it in tomorrow.

Thanks in advance!

scottm123

Go with the new cover.
When the work is done, you'll never know there was an issue.
Attempting to fix only the problem area would never correctly repair the issue.

Dealer is doing the correct thing.

new2cars

Another question- I had the protective coating applied to my interior back when I bought the TL so how do I go about getting the new leather seat cover sprayed again? I shouldn't have to pay extra.

The tricky part is that I got the interior treated at the dealership (via their vendor) where I bought my car, not at the dealership who is replacing the leather cover. How should I go about this?

scottm123

I'd mention it to the dealer.

I honestly think that most of that stuff, sold at time of signing, is snake oil and hog wash.... but that's another story.
They should treat the new cover since it's replaced under warranty.
The treatment is not the key... the warranty is.

You paid for something that a quick wipe of Zaino Leather Treatment could have done for 100's less. The good part of the deal is the warranty that came with it.
Down the road, problems are covered.

Mention it, and they'll treat it for you, or at least let you believe they did

laurasdada

How do you know if something offered by the dealer is not a good deal for the customer? Simple, the dealer offers it... Always a good deal for the dealer, though!

Mop & Glo, Rust & Dust, Extended Warranties... Just Say No.

rajar

Hi folks, just bought 2008 TL two weeks ago. One problem I'm keep on having is that every time I come out from my driveway and for that matter most other driveways, I always scratch the front bottom of the car because it's front end is too low. Is there anything I can do about this? Has anyone else is experiencing this problem? My driveway entrance is already very low so I can't do anything much as for fixing this driveway. Thanks. :confuse:

mikey38

drive slower...enter/exit the driveway on an angle and not straight on.

bodble2

Did you add the accessory front air dam on your car? The entrance ramp to my office packade is quite steep and a lot of cars bang their front bumpers on the way in and out, but I've never scraped mine, as long as I slow down. So I'm surprised you have trouble with yours.

rajar

No, I didn't add any accessory. I thought air damp was standard in all car. Is that the plastic piece under the car? Yes, unfortunatley, I scratch it almost every time.

aaargh

I have an '04 TL with about 55K miles on it. When starting the car, it seems the battery is not providing as much power. The chugs are slower and the dash lights blink, but the car does start.

How long should a OEM battery last?

bdemarr

Mine on my '04 TL lasted abot 20 months-be happy you got that much life out of it.

Mr_Shiftright

3 to 5 years is about normal life.

upstatedoc

I got just over 4 years out of the battery in my '04 MDX. Didn't have either of my TL's long enough to change the battery. However, I had a VW Golf for six years and never replaced the battery. :confuse:

bodble2

But if the car is not used daily and sits for extended periods, would the battery life shorten?

cancel99

130,000 MILES, THE CAR HAS BEEN FULLY MAINTAINED SINCE DAY 1 - I PUT ABOUT 400 MILES PER WEEK - 80 - 90% HIGHWAY DRIVING - I NOTICED THAT AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN I COAST IT IS SMOOTH BUT WHEN I TOUCH THE BREAK OR ACCELERATE THE CAR VIBRATES - I AM TOLD THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS ARE PROBABLY THE CAUSE. ANY ADVISE ON THIS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED - HAVE I BEEN STEERED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND IF SO ANY IDEA ON THE COST - ALSO SHOULD I HAVE ACURA DO THE WORK OR IS BRINGING IT TO MY LOCAL OIL CHANGE (GOODYEAR) OK FOR THIS.
THANKS,
LORI

Mr_Shiftright

yeah it would especially...ESPECIALLY...if the battery has been allowed to go totally, completely dead a couple of times.

Mr_Shiftright

It's one of a number of plausible explanations, sure. I'd also check CV axle joints.

uvasa

As a new owner of Acura, my question "Do I follow recommended Service Schedule as per the manufacture or Just regular Oil change, rotate tires, brakes (when needed) should be okay?

I'd like to hear from Acura experts to teach this novice owner.

Thanks lot.

rvator4

This has been discussed many times.
My TL has been to the dealer twice....both times for recalls. Other than that, it has only been to the local Honda garage and I have been perfectly happy and so has the car (2000 TL, 63K miles bought new and still new).
Nothing fancy ever done except regular oil changes and a battery once. But I am going to put brakes on it this summer myself.

drea02

i own a 2002 ACURA TL TYPE-S W/NAVI. there is a crack in my passenger headlight and water is getting in. how can i fix this without going through the dealer and paying $400 for a new headlight assembly???

upstatedoc

I had an '03 TLS and had to repair a tail light thanks to vandals. I believe I bought an entire tail light assembly on line, can't remember the cost. Try hondacuraworld.com. I did the replacement myself.

nring

hi. I leased a new tl 08 with navi and i must say i am not happy with the MPG. i have been using premium gas and from empty (light on) to fill up..i am gettng about 215 miles to a full tank...seems low...anyone have this issue?

tom19382

Hi,
Yes, that is very low. I usually get anywhere from 325 to 380 miles from a full tank. I have an 06 TL 6 speed. Whether yours is automatic or manual, it shouldn't make that much of a difference. Unless you are flooring it everytime you start out, you should be getting many more miles per tank than that.

tom19382

Hi,
I have an 06 TL with the Parchment (tan) leather interior. Does anyone know of a product that will clean the leathetr seats? My driver's seat has some stains from regular use on it and none of the general auto leather cleaners I have tried have had any effect on it. Thank you in advance for your help.

bodble2

I hate to say it, but if you're driving almost exclusively in urban setting, that is typical mpg for the TL. And I don't believe manual or auto would make much difference. The TL is just a gas-hog in city-driving.

willis3

Is this all city driving?? If so, then you're probably only getting high teens for gas mileage.

If this was all highway driving, then I think there's something wrong with you car. I get 24 mpg mixed driving. Easily get 32 miles per gallon on highway trips.