Acura TL Maintenance and Repair

scottm123

Zaino Z-9

Although most leather cleaners are okay, I prefer this.
My wife bought some leather cleaning wipes from the grocery store once, to clean our leather furniture, and the wipes pull the pigment right our of the leather!
For this reason, I'm careful with what I use.

The Zaino Leather Cleaner has worked well for me.

nring

mainly city driving...auto and i dont floor it...what a hog

nring

wow..serious...that is bad...never would have leased it if i new it...it is auto and i dont get on the gas too often

zeen

I just leased an 08 as well. I am using mid-grade and it drives fine. I probably lose a little hp. That is one way to make up for the poor gas mileage.....saving 10-15 cents per gallon

warriorzerosix

Good Evening All,
Have a 3 month old 2007 TL Type S and am averaging around 25-28mpg in moderate driving. However, if caught in stop and go traffic mileage is attrocious, around 13-16mpg. Agree with the other postings, as they are spot on. After looking at the manufacturers ratings, well within the ball park. Would not recommend using a lower octane level in our high-speed, low drag automobiles, too many bad issues can develop that are not good for the high technology engine. Drive em with pride! My two cents. :shades:

herbert11

I have a 2006 TL I recently had a problem with the gear shift stick refusing to go out of "park". I had to jiggle it many times to move it. I took it to the dealer this morning and they said the shift interlock switch had burned out. My car is still under warranty but they refused to pay for the fix because it was not a manufacturers defect.
They claim they found coffee on the console and the coffee leaked onto the switch causing it to burn out. I am not surprised that they found coffee on the console since the cup holder is directly adjacent to the shift console and I would imagine that some coffee might slosh out of the cup if you hit a bumpy road. They nailed me for $320 for the work. Has anyone had a problem with this? I am pretty bummed out about this.

chirocat

A good dealer would give you the benefit of the doubt, they get paid to replace under war. Just my 2 Cents.

chirocat

Yup, NEVER use low octane gas in the TL, it was designed for premium and it will get worse mileage with regular....so much so that you will probably lose money.

I have a 3 month old 2008 TL-S 6M, and I get about 23 mpg overall (calculated, the computer says 25) in my loop which is about 13 miles freeway (at around 80 mph ave) and 5 miles side streets. I accelerate hard,or brisk if you will, most of the time. I think the city driving mileage depends on your shift pattern though, I seem to get around 17 in city driving where I always accelerate harder than traffic. I have to wonder what I would get if I drove even 70, but then again I would have bought a Prius if I was gonna drive slow!! :surprise:

rvator4

I have a 2000 TL bought new with 64K now, and have seldom ever used the high test fuel. On vacations driving 85 to 90, I still get 27 to 30 MPG. Local driving is still 25 MPG or more.

rvator4

I bought new a 2000 TL that now has 64K miles. We are going on a vacation soon and I wanted to replace the rotors and brakes. I bought Brembo solid rotors and installed them myself. It eliminated the whel shimmy when stopping. Anyone that has ever done much car repair would find it a snap to do. I have some pictures if anyone would like to see them. I do recomment purchasing 8 of the flat head screws(two per wheel) that hold the rotors on because it is nearly impossible to remove them without damaging them. Honda parts had them for about $1 each.
The OEM brakes still had 1/4" of pad left and I could have easily reused them.

tlmike

I am leasing a 2008 Acura TL. I like it fine, except when I take my foot off of the accelerator, instead of coasting smoothly to a stop, it feels like the brakes are being applied, especially as it downshifts, and I can actually lurch forward. It drives me crazy. Also, if I am braking, then take my foot off off the brake and hit the accelerator, there can be a delay and another lurch before it accelerates. Other complaints: poor gas mileage and surpisingly bad acceleration for a v6.

Is this stuff common, or do I need to take it in for maintenance?

thanks

kkrtrek

"I am leasing a 2008 Acura TL. I like it fine, except when I take my foot off of the accelerator, instead of coasting smoothly to a stop, it feels like the brakes are being applied, especially as it downshifts, and I can actually lurch forward. It drives me crazy. Also, if I am braking, then take my foot off off the brake and hit the accelerator, there can be a delay and another lurch before it accelerates."
--------------
I experience the same thing in my 2008 TL. It is certainly no coaster, that's for sure. When I leave the house, I go down a short hill and take my foot off the gas (or ease off, I'm not positive) and the downshift is very noticeable and dramatically slows the car. Also, like tlmike, I experience the delay when reaccelerating. I haven't driven automatics much at all for decades,so I feel I may not be qualified to critique, but I experience just what tlmike describes. I assume it is "just the transmission."

ranger521

buy it on line and install it yourself. Just make sure you don't twist the assembly when you install it or the seal will brake and you will still get water it.

ranger521

Its called ethanol. It does not burn like gas without it. It also causes carbon to build up faster causing egr and valve issues if fuel services are not done on a regular basis. The only real way for the best gas mileage is 4cyl no a/c no power stick shift.

ranger521

The dealer has to send the old part back the factory for claim reimbursement. If the part failed do to an outside source the dealer does not get paid for the claim. Therefore the dealer has to make a determination as to what the failure is, because I am sure if the did not charge you then called you 60 days later and said it was not covered, you woukld rush right down and pay them. Ever tried to take a watch back that you went in the pool with and it was not water proof, they'd laugh at you. Why are dealers suppose to be any different?

moneyfool

:mad:

I have TL 05 for 3 years (bought it brand new) and now has 18K miles (ONLY)

Had taken it to local dealer for Inspection and he told me I needed new tires as the thread wear was at minimum and probably caused by lack of rotation. This is frustrating as I have never had any service indicator ever and yet according to him I should rotate my tires every 5K miles.....last visit when I asked them to rotate they said service indicator would let me know as to when to rotate.......hmmm

Question is whether service indicator is any good at all???

Also do you think I can contact the tire manufacturer (Michillen) and talk about the tread wear since it is only 18K miles on the car???

Thanks for input

freestyle06

I just got an '08 TL and love it; however, I've begun noticing a small, yet annoying, rattle on top of the dash. It seems like it's coming from the speaker on the dash but am not sure.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Thanks.

P.S. I first posted this message in the Acura TL Leasing forum so my apologies for the error.

upstatedoc

You managed 3 years and 18k miles on the original tires? Welcome to the club....
The Acura techs words still echo in my head... "these cars just hate tires"
Both my '03 and '05 TL's tires lasted approximately 20k miles. It has nothing to do with the brand, my MDX got 40k+ from the Michelins it came with.

rvator4

I replaced my Michelins at 60K because winter was coming and Goodyear had a great sale. I could have gotten 70K in a warmer climate.
And that doesn't include the mileage towing it for a 6000 mile western trip a few years back that didn't register on the odometer.

herbert11

I didn't drive my car into a pool.

I have since found out that the dealer would have gotten $175 from Acura for replacing the switch. They nailed me for $320. am 71 years old and have been buying new cars for 45 years. I have never ever dealt with an honest dealer. In fact on 2 occasions I had to take them to small claims court. I prevailed both times.

bodble2

Common sources of rattles: glove box door; the storage compartment door right below the stereo, the sun visors (especially when flipped down). Perhaps what you hear is from one of those places?

The only one that I have been able to fix (temporarily) on my own is the glove box, but lubricating the 2 little "fins" that stick out on the rim of the glove box cavity. The visor rattle can be more or less eliminated by keeping them closed (up position)

laurasdada

I also have an '05 TL. With regular rotation, two of the OEM Bridgestone's were done around 33k miles with the other two with about 2k miles left. This was last summer, I replaced 'em with Toyo Versados. But, the Toyos were even worse in the snow than the Turanzas, so I now have Dunlop Wintersports mounted. Of course, since I bought the snow tires, I haven't really had to drive in the snow (driveway, streets nicely plowed by the time I was on the road). Of course.

charles12

I have a 08 TL with 2000 miles now. The rattle started at 500 miles from a few locations. The most annonying one is from the back - (around the speaker?). I have sent the car to the dealer twice, they could not fixed it - or locate exactly where the noise comes from. Each time they said they found it and fixed it. The noise sometimes very lound and comes and goes with temperature change.

There are other noise comes from somewhere near the passenger door. More little ones come and go from center of the dashborad and right driver door.......

I regret buying this car instead of Luxus ES350. If the dealer could not fix these annoying noise, I will trade in it with Luxus and Will NEVER NEVER buy Acura car again.

mikey38

I have Michelin's on my 06 TL..32k+ miles and the tires still look pretty much brand new.

bodble2

Yes, unfortunately your experience is not uncommon. The rattles are very temperature-sensitive. I have not had the one from the back, but if I recall, other TL owners have reported that it is from either the subwoofer and/or from the third brake light housing bumping against the rear glass.

laurasdada

Driving home last night, suddenly the ABS and VSA warning lights came on. Stayed on after a reboot. I'll see if they're still on today (my guess: yes...). I'll theorize it may be due to my winter tires? Went -1, from 17" to 16" 235 to 215?

We'll see, still under warranty if it's something more serious.

Has this happened to anybody else? ('05 TL, AT)

upstatedoc

LD,

I ran the 16" blizzaks for a season on my '05 w/o any problems, sounds like you may have to bring 'er in for a check up.

rick_in_folsom

Hi,

I've noticed that the air vent/fan on my 08 TL is not very strong. Is this normal or could there be a problem with the vent/fan? I am comparing this to my 04 Pilot and 02 Passat.

Thanks for your comments.

laurasdada

Ok, today's cold boot of my TL seems to have extinguished the ABS/VSA lights. After about a quarter mile of driving, they went out. Phew! For now...

strokeoluck2

I have an '05 TL as well, with 26,000 miles. I had to replace the factory tires at about 24,000 miles. I wasn't happy about it, but a) virtually everyone on this board seems to agree that the factory tires are worthless, b) the TL eats through tires - partly due to the "sports car" nature of the beast and partly due to the low profile tires, and c) I replaced them with something else...I forget the details now, but they were highly recommended by others on this board and the tire shop...and I love the new tires.

Frankly, at this point I almost don't even care if I have to replace the tires every 25,000 miles (about every 2.5 years for me). I absolutely love this car. $900 every 2.5 years for a new set of tires is a small price to pay for a vehicle that gives me so much joy almost every time I drive it. I still find myself sometimes taking the long way home just so I can crank the stereo, pop open the sunroof (even in Minnesota...when it's 40 degrees!; then I just crack it) and let 'er rip.

Thank you Acura!

strokeoluck2

My .02 worth. I just replaced the battery in my '05 TL - it was two and a half years old. The mechanic said he was a bit surprised, normally they last 3+ years.

upstatedoc

Yeah, the battery on my '04 MDX lasted over 4 years.....I seem to remember some people on the TL and MDX forums having battery issues.

ricko

I had an 04 same problem, it is a defect in the design there is no fix I had it out with Acura they are a joke I now own a RX330 and love it. ricko

scottm123

From the times I've seen this reported, it has always ended up being a bent wheel.
The rims on the TL are not very forgiving to abuse.
One wrong pothole... even a small one, can cause damage.
Looking at the wheel, you may not see anything wrong, but I bet one of the wheels is no longer running true.

strokeoluck2

I've had this problem a couple times now, that's definitely it. The aluminum (?) rims are too fragile for the midwest roads I drive on. For now I just get them repaired. But I'm wondering if I should invest in new (steel?) rims? Has anyone done this?

financebuzz

I have just over 28K on my 07 TL and I just had it for service. Had the tires rotated and one tire's air leak patched. The dealer did not say one word about the tire wear getting bad. I checked the wear indicator last week and I still have some distance to go. I have the Michelins as opposed to the Bridgestones so I do not know if that makes a difference. I have never had Bridgestones, but my experiences with Firestones on my previous vehicle was less than satisfactory. How are you driving the car? That might have something to do with it. I am generally not very aggressive in my driving.

scottm123

I wouldn't go steel.
Steel is ugly and too heavy.

There are PLENTY of aluminum wheels that do not bend as easily and can take the abuse of any midwest, or even worse... New England roads.
The TL wheels are delicate, but not all aluminum wheels are.

new2cars

On driveways that are too low, I have scraped mine too. I told my car detailer about my problem and he taught me how to turn the tires to an angle (far left or far right) to avoid the "scrapage." It works! Every once in awhile, I continue to scrape mine even after the tutorial.

jefh

One might be wondering if there're quality issues w/ 05 TL battery that some of them die in warranty? Just listened to XM in car w/ engine off for around 1 hr. Couple hrs later it needs to be jump started, but it starts fine after that once. Dealer found the battery didn't pass the load test while in routine service and said it's not unheard of dead battery after just 2 yrs' usage. Good news is, battery in 05 TL and after has 4 yrs full-replacement warranty and pro-rated after that. Highly recommend 05 TL owners to ask for battery load test while you do your next service.

Mr_Shiftright

4 years is within range of normal battery life on modern cars.

new2cars

I noticed that wearing dark denim jeans, the blue has rubbed off onto the leather seat. My interior is taupe so was very light to begin with. How do I clean it off? Since there are tiny holes in the leather, I wasn't sure how much water or cleaner I should be using. What is gentle enough on the interior? Do I use a washcloth or papertowel?

Thanks for your advice!

scottm123

If you do a gentle cleaning often enough, the dyes won't build up and become a problem.
A 6 to 1 solution of Water/Woolite works very well.
I suggest microfiber clothes.

If you cannot clean it off with leather cleaner and conditioner, or with the woolite solution, you can use a Mr Clean magic eraser.
BE VERY GENTLE and paitient and it will take care of the issue.
If you work too wuickly and rush it, it can be abrasive, so take your time.

strokeoluck2

Good question. I'm a bit aggressive with it, for a 38 year old father of two. I don't "squeal out" at lights or anything (do people still say "squeal out"?!) but I like to gun it at least a few times a day. But, like I said, a small price to pay. I always arrive at home with a smile on my face. And I have to admit that when the silver Acura is washed and the tires are glossed up, sometimes I just sit and stare at it for a few seconds before I close the service door to the garage and walk in the house. It's beautiful!

strokeoluck2

Thanks. Where would you recommend I look into such wheels? Can you recommend a national retailer, or website? Thanks in advance.

upstatedoc

I've ordered several sets of tires from tirerack.com with good service. Never rims though that would be one of the first places I would look. Acura also has replacement rims but I imagine they would be a fortune.

rvator4

Are you sure the shimmy is not an out of balance condition? Have the wheels been spun balanced? I have a 2000 TL and drive quite fast on vacation (who said 85 to 95) and I have never had a vibration except when braking and that was fixed with Brembo rotors.

stickyman

I noticed that the driver seat is wearing like crazy. The seat is Taupe and the leather is cracking, peeling, and dye is fading.
I'm taking to the dealer for the 5,000 mile oil change and will have them look at it.

Anyone else with a similar type problem with the seats?

laurasdada

'05 TL, gray interior. Leather looks almost new with minimal care... Dash, however, still has that hazy, degassing, issue. Still, love the car.

semez

I had the same problem w/ a 05 TL couldnt believe it went out after 3 yrs but was surprised they replaced it w/o any questions. I noticed the one they put in was prob just as bad as the first one but what the heack if i get another three yrs i cant complain....

semez

What type of tires did you purchase. I am going to have to do that real soon.