Acura RDX

edr10

I just recently bought a 2007 RDX but was not able to aford it with Navigation, does anyone know if i could purchase the navigation for it and have them install it in the near future?

bodble2

I would just buy an aftermarket, portable unit instead. There are tons of good choices out there now, and all are way cheaper than a factory unit.

wwest

The automatic transaxle designers are simply trying to emulate what you might do if driving a stick, a FWD or F/AWD with a "stick". With a FWD or F/AWD vehicle they dare not inadvertently create an instance that results in a not insignificant level of engine compression braking. Therefore NO downshifts simply as a result of throttle "lift"(***).

But...

Touch the brakes, even ever so lightly...

And you have not only just "told" the engine/transaxle ECU that you wish to slow to a lower speed, you have also "told" the ECU that in your "view" the roadbed traction is high enough for braking, primarily FRONT braking.

So if the "grade logic" indicates that just before brake application the vehicle was gaining more speed than would indicate a level roadbed the engine/transaxle ECU will command a downshift when you "touch" the brakes.

Try using the e-brake as a temporary trial to avoid the downshifts.

I am continually puzzled as to why so many dealers think reseting the ECU would result in a long term fix for these problems, it CANNOT.

Keep in mind, with FWD or F/AWD it can be HAZARDOUS to downshift the transaxle BLINDLY, absent knowing the roadbed conditions insofar as traction is concerned. ABS can and will RELEASE excessive braking HP at the front wheels if the roadbed conditions are no conducive to same, but in the short term, milliseconds, it cannot CANCEL engine compression braking.

"(approaching a curve when I decel..."

I hope, like to think, you meant to say "approaching a downhill curve, or approaching a curve directly from a downhill slope.."

If the RDX transaxle downshifts on a "level" curve as you describe then the grade logic is flawed.

The default transaxle "action" in a FWD or F/AWD with throttle lift, even the slightest lift, is to upshift IMMEDIATELY. Downshifting, or even remaining in a lower gear ratio just previously being used for acceleration, can easily result in loss of control should the roadbed traction be questionable.

Toyota & Lexus are currently encountering HUGE problems surrounding this very issue. Back late in the last century in order to put a relatively large V6 engine and ROBUST transaxle in tandem SIDEWAYS in the upcoming RX300 they eliminated a few transaxle components they THOUGHT to be not important.

Wrong..!!

edr10

Bodle2 -- any GPS that you would recomend??

bodble2

I've got a NUVI 350 which I find quite good. Only negatives for me are, the street names pronunciation can be a bit off at times, and the volume has to be turned up almost to max if the ambient noise level is high. But there are so many choices now. TOMTOM makes some good ones. And 4.3" screen models are coming down in price if you prefer a larger screen.

monkeybaronjr

Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone has opted to get any type of extended warranty for their RDX. I am just under 6000 miles (the max to get the cheap Warranty Direct deal). Therefore, if I'm going to purchase it, I need to do it soon.

Other than the 54 RDX's with bad turbos at 50,000 miles, has anyone seen or heard of any long term reliability issues that would make an extended warranty a good financial decision?

Thanks everybody.

tidester

You may be interested in Extended Warranties while you're waiting for a reply here.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

edr10

Has anyone install the Ipod adparter kit on to there RDX?
Also would you recomnded? and which one?

ateixeira

I'm happy with my Garmin Nuvi 200W, which only cost me $199. I added a vent mount from Mount Guys for $15 and it's up close and has the wide 4.3" screen format.

There is a GPS thread and if you hop over there you can get all sorts of tips about those.

Link: http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef14ab8/1496

snapcracklepop

I agree with bodble2 that TomTom makes good GPS models. They recently came out with a few new models, the ONE 130S is great because it has text-to-speech with a 3.5" screen and the XL 330S has a 4.3" screen with text-to-speech (which is a great feature, imo). Both have the new easyport mount and map share.

micktooth1

All I did was buy a cable from the Apple store. It has two male end attachments.One goes into the Ipod and the other into the jack. The sound is great.

infinitimn

I got my '08 RDX in mid March '08 and have about 3,000 miles on it. The service indicator says that it will be due for service soon, as the oil life is around 15%. Anyone else have such a short service interval?

bodble2

That does seem rather short. Do you do a lot of stop and go driving under severe conditions?

angelina247

My 08 RDX service indicator light also started to come on around 3000. According to the manual, that's standard. I dreaded taking it in for service, but my Acura dealer made it a complimentary service. That was WITHOUT me asking for it. Perhaps there have been complaints about the short service interval. I'm sure you can get something similar at your dealership if you ask for it. On the other hand, I'm sure they have it in store for me when I bring it in for the next service.
Nevertheless, I still love my car.

bodble2

My dealer provides the first two service free of charge, so maybe your dealer is not as generous as you think. :P

angelina247

You might be right. But thanks to you, now I know. I'll make sure to get the 2nd one for free also.

bodble2

I'm not 100% positive, but the free service may even be an Acura policy, rather than a dealer-provided perk. And really, the first couple of services are no more than just an oil and filter change.

2 things that are unique to my dealer are free wheel locks and free life-time oil, for the original owner.

ateixeira

3000 miles seems a bit early but it's the first oil change, so you sort of want them to inspec the quality of the oil to make sure the break-in process is proceeding as planned.

They'll find metal shavings on the drain plug if it's not.

bodble2

"They'll find metal shavings...."

Does that still apply in modern engines? I know back in the "good old days" that was the reason for doing an oil change at 1000 miles or so.

ateixeira

Good question. I'm sure tolerances are MUCH tighter today, but I'd trust the trip computer. Perhaps new owners are enjoying boost quite a bit and that puts more stress on the engine, shortening oil life cycles.

Just a theory. I'm sure Acura is going to err on the careful side, to protect their engine (and reputation).

dep

If you think the dealer is going to inspect the quality of the oil to determine if the break in is taking place in a normal manner you have another think coming! Drain and fill is all you are going to get; they won't even change the oil filter on the first oil change unless you specify it!

ateixeira

Well, I do my own servicing, anyway. It's the only way to be 100% sure.

tazmwl

My wife got her RDX in June and the service light didn't come on until 5,000 miles and it will still have 5% service life left when it goes in for service tomorrow with 6400 miles.

mfeirman

My service light went on at about 4k miles - time for first oil change. When I called the dealer, they said it costs $89!!! Why so much? Can I just go to Jiffy Lube and do a change for $20? Is it any special kind of oil that only Acura can do the change?

-Mark

johnny98

Acura RDX requires synthetic oil. You should be able to get synthetic oil at Jiffy Lube, but the price will be similar to your Acura dealer.

ateixeira

May as well go to the dealer. See if they have coupons on their web site or something.

Ask for a discount, I bet you get one.

wwest

Most dealers use bulk re-refined oil purchased from a local refinery.

wwest

REQUIRES...?

Or simply recommended..??

I always use Mobil 1 but I'm quite sure the only short term advantage is slightly improved FE (maybe...) and possibly (???) extended engine component life long term, say beyond 150,000 miles.

ALL engine lubricating oil is made from molecules resulting from the big bang eons ago.

ateixeira

One reason why it may be required is the extended oil change intervals.

That's why, for instance, some BMWs go 10,000 miles between service stops.

infinitimn

It's Required. From the Owners Manual (everyone who posts here reads theirs, don't they?):

Oil is a major contributor to your engine’s performance and longevity. Your vehicle is equipped with a high performance turbocharged engine that requires the use of synthetic motor oil. Always use Mobil 1 5W-30 or an equivalent oil that meets the Acura HTO-06 standard. Not all synthetic oils will meet this standard.
Only use oils that display the HTO-06 standard on the label. Failure to use Mobil 1 or an equivalent oil that meets the HTO-06 standard can lead to a reduction in engine performance or durability, and can cause engine damage not
covered by your warranty.
Also, are you saying that dealers use oil that doesn't meet API/SAE standards and the manufacturers overlook it?

stever

I bet if you nose around the garage you'll see big tanks in the ceiling with hoses coming down, pumping one size fits all oil into every car that comes in to the shop. It's probably all 10w30 at that.

Unless enough people have caught on by now to make the dealers actually pay attention to the oil requirements.

angelina247

Don't know where you live, but many dealers are offering the 1st service free, - sure it's to keep you coming back. See if you can get them to offer you the same. Some posters have said their dealer has offfered the first 2 oil changes for free.

They should offer something similar - otherwise what's the incentive for you to go to them? With this economy, it's in their best interest to lure every potential customer they can. They will lose nothing by changing the oil for free.

infinitimn

I spoke to the sales manager. After initially declining to do anything for me, at which point I told him I had bought 4 cars from another of their dealerships, and had bought my last from them, he called back an hour later and said the American Honda rep was in and agreed to pay for it.

ateixeira

Cool. :shades:

mfjarvind69

My wife drives a 2008 RDX w/ Tech Package. The car has 9000 miles on it. From the very first day, we noticed a constant knocking sound from the rear. When we finally found the time to take it into the dealer, they said the rear driver-side strut was working ok, but was making a noise and needed replacement. Has anyone else encountered this problem? What was your course of action?

Thanks in advance for all answers!

kyfdx

I've had bad struts before... If your car is that new, it should be covered under warranty, right?

If so, let them replace it.. Struts last a long time, any more.. Having one new one isn't going to throw anything off..

regards,
kyfdx

mfjarvind69

Bad struts in a new car?
I understand how struts work and that they last a long time, but was curious about other instances in such new cars....again, thanks for your insight about the warranty replacement! Take it easy....

ciscokidd

TomTom XL330S is what we picked up and it has just been awesome, no issues at all.

ON another note tommorrow I will be doing a deal on a 2007 RDX base in mint shape only 11K miles on it, I am looking forward to it feel we got a great deal here in Coquitlam BC Canada. I am just hoping I get decent gas mileage some of the #'s I have seen are scary I would have got the 07 SE Murano I was trying to pick first but the deal just was not good enough Acura really went the extra mile to get my business...

wwest

You can only get "decent" FE from a turbo engine if you LOVE being a "boy-racer", 0-60, type. The RDX and CX-7 engines are so severely derated during normal non-boost operation that it is impossible to attain a reasonable level of FE vs a non-turbo 4 cylinder engine of equivalent size.

In order to get the turbo to spool up quickly the engine must put LOTS of WASTE ENERGY into the exhaust manifold at the low end. Additionally in order to take full advantage of the BOOST the native compression ratio of the engine must be lowered.

Both of those design effects result in HORRIBLY poor FE at normal highway cruising speeds.

mfeirman

Some of the plastic pieces on my passenger side air vent broke (the thing that directs the air).

Any idea if this is covered by the warranty? And will Acura fix for free?

I have a 2008 RDX Base Model on lease

Thanks,
Mark

ateixeira

I doubt it - something must have hit it, causing the damage.

mfeirman

Does anyone know how to change the battery in the key fob for a 2008 RDX?

I toko the key fob apart (unscrewing the one screw), but when I popped it open, I did not see the battery.

Any help would be great.

Thanks,
Mark

tiger120

I have seen people are intensively discussing about the stiff suspension :sick: and rough ride of RDX, but not a lot of info about how to soften them. There is a rumor, saying Acura has softened suspension from 07 to 09, but it must be very minor as I can not feel it after test driving. I just got one 08 model but start feeling the stiff roughness, although I like all the other features.

It definitely a personal preference, as someone like stiffer but other don't, unfortunately I am not really in the stiff side. As I am now stuck with Acura RDX and stiff suspension, does anyone know how to soften the suspension a little, except reducing the tire pressure? I already reduced it from 32 to 30 PSI, but didn't feel any improvement. Does any one have experience with dealership to make any adjustment? Of course, the cheaper approach the better.

Thanks for any advice,

novice

Tiger,

I feared the same issue but must say, I have found the ride to be okay. I went from a 2006 TSX to the 2008 RDX. It's obviously a different deal, but I was expecting a noisy, rough ride. Not the case. And, I set my tires at 34 lbs. I know this doesn't answer your question---but some of this is an expectations game. The same is true for MPG. I hit 35-36 mpg highway on the TSX. I knew the RDX would be far from it. But, it still meant I had to get used to something even though I knew it when I purchased. By the way, it's a new 2008 for me but I recently clocked 24.5 on the highway @ 65-70 mph. I expect this will improve when the RDX is 'broken in' but so far so good. I live in Washington state where we had a once in a 15 year snow event, and the RDX was phenomenal. Lots of other AWD's were spinning wheels and sliding, etc. but the RDX was terrific. I hope you can get the ride figured out. If others have suggestions I'd be interested.

mfeirman

I lease a 2008 RDx base model. My car is due for a B1 service, and Acura quoted me $245 plus tax (Nassau county New York).

I am leasing the car from American Honda. Do I need to do this maintenance or can I skip it and be ok when I turn in my car?

Thanks,
Mark

weiss981

Hi did you ever get an answer on the RDX suspension? I love everything about the car except it is just to rough for me during my 30 min drive to work and frequent road trips. I really am hoping there is something I can do about the stiff suspension/rough ride.

I went to the dealership and they said there was nothing they could do, I find that very hard to believe since there are so many people asking about it.

mtairyordge

I need to replace/add to the radiator fluid for my RDX. the manual says to use HONDA fluids of course, but goes on to say that a high quality non-silicate fluid designed for aluminum engines should be used.

Can anyone tell me what OTC radiotir fluid that is?

Thanks in advance.

Firebird_EOU

30k, 40k, 50k? your driving style? Are OEM tires good or any other better replacement tires after the first set is worn out?

mark4490

I'm got to play around the the SH-AWD some more this weekend and I was downshifting, instead of braking, while going into flat, downhill, and uphill turns. You have to press on the gas through the turns if you want the SH-AWD to kick in.

The road conditions were very good (smooth new asphalt) and it didn't seem dangerous in the RDX. The engine braking slowed the vehicle and when I turned and stepped on the accelerator, the revs jumped/turbo kicked-in, and the RDX carved around the turn. I only tired braking into the turns a few times. It seemed like downshifting was a better for getting the revs up fast when accelerating and kicking in the SH-AWD around the corner.

I only overcooked one turn because I wasn't expecting it to be an S and the rear has drifted slightly into the opposite lane. I'm not sure if the VSC kicked in at the point. Fortunately, the roads were relatively empty. I took it down a notch after that.

aardx

Hello all,

I just bought a 2007 RDX - and after driving it for the last two weeks I have started to notice that there is odd smell coming from the engine (outside the car) and its not exactly a burning smell but smells like over heated metal. The smell stays for only 10-20 seconds than disappears. I am getting no warning messages from the car that it is overheating but I am wondering if any of you have come across this? Perhaps I am over analyzing this??