Acura RSX Maintenance and Repair

muffin_man · July 2002

Do you spend a lot of time in high RPM's? That can definitely do it, although you probably aren't if you are still breaking in the car.

luvmyrsx · July 2002

Not really. I occasionally will hit 6000 but certainly not enough to reduce my mileage the way it is. Before I went to the dealership, I thought I would see what type of mileage other drivers are getting. I bet no one is getting 30 mpg.

kevin111 · July 2002

If you feel the stock stereo-
A. Should be more powerful
B. Does not have enough base

There are a couple of fixes you can do that are not expensive at all.

Generally, Honda uses Alpine components. This means, you should be able to get an Amp at your local car stereo store, Circuit City, Best Buy, or Goodguys. If the stereo is not Alpine, most likely they will have an adapter you can hook up to the stock stereo.
This will increase volume and Base.

Another option is to hook up an extra Base speaker and/or replace the rear speakers, assuming you have already installed an amp.

Just go to any car stereo dealership. It may cost you $150 - $500 for the amp upgrade depending on the Amp, installation price, and where you get it.

willg1961 · August 2002

I've had my RSX Type S for five months and am very happy with the car. I had previously owned an Integra GS for 13 years and 208k. The new car is a whole new ball game and makes me miss my old car less and less as the miles go by. Anyway, my one gripe is that the driver's seat is too damn firm to the point where it's very uncomfortable. I find I have to constantly shift positions. I thought it would break in, but it hasn't. Today, I compared it with the passenger seat which I found to be firm but really comfortable. The driver's seat in my car is like a board. Does anyone think the dealer will address this issue if I show it to them. It's really getting in the way of my enjoyment of the car and am in need of a solution. Thanks.

kevin111 · August 2002

While at the dealer, sit in other RSXs to see if it is just your seat. I have not had problems with the driver's seat myself.

Also, there are many covers/paddings you can get for the front seats that will make it that much more comfortable.

beowulf7 · August 2002

I'm averaging in the upper 20s MPG. I have pretty much achieved the entire 24-31 stated MPG. I've heard of others getting in the mid to upper 30s even in the Type-S (which is what I also have).

When cruising on the highway, try to put it in the highest gear so that your tachometer shows you under 3krpm. Also, try not to fluctuate your speed if possible. And use A/C instead of driving w/ windows open when on the freeway.

kgilkerson · August 2002

After reading GBT2's post, I thought I better check my oil level. I am at 4400 mi. on my Type-S, and it, too, is 1 Qt. low. I was going to wait until 5000 to change the oil for the first time, but I may just do it early to be safe. I think it may just be a break-in situation. (I hope!)

As far as gas mileage, I have been keeping track of mine since I got the car in March, and I average about 30 MPG (90% hwy driving). I've been pretty happy with it so far!

silverrsxs1 · August 2002

These posts scared me silly. I ran down to check the oil level on my Silver RSX-S (about to turn 5,000 on the ODO) and found that the oil was clean and the level was right where it should have been: on the high side between the dots. I routinely run into high-revs (I just can't help it, despite the hit to my wallet at the pump) and I haven't seen any oil burn. I wonder if all of your gaskets are in order. My old Integra LS burned a quart or so every few thousand miles, but it was a 100,000 miler. BTW, just because a perfomance car cooks/leaks a little oil doesn't mean it's going to be a maintenence hassle down the road. In fact, the Legend historically had the worst reliablity record in the Acura stable, while the Integras (and I've got to assume their descendents) have been bulletproof.

silverrsxs1 · August 2002

If you're whining about torque in the RSX-S, you obviously don't own one. I'll murder your Protege or any other slightly torquey Japanese 4-banger on the market (barring the big WRX turbo). I love the dual personality of my car. When I'm tooling around town with nowhere to go in any hurry, it's a docile econobox, but when someone (Integra Type R, Mercedes Sedan, pick your poison) makes the mistake of challenging me at a stoplight, I spool her up and remove the fetters. Torquey cars are easier, but if you want easy, buy a Mustang GT automatic and be done with it...

beowulf7 · August 2002

You said it better than I ever could. I also own an RSX-S and laugh when some dude in his base trim Mustang (V6) revs his engine at me. Just b/c my engine doesn't make that growling sound doesn't mean I can't beat his [non-permissible content removed] (eventually). He might get the headstart, but once my tachometer cross 6 krpm, it's c'ya later, sucka!

Also, one of my good friends just bought a 2003 TL (base). Even though he's got 225 HP and 200+ torque, he knows better than to test my RSX-S. ;-)

muffin_man · August 2002

silverrsx1 - you picked some weird examples. The ITR is faster than you, and at worst, a drivers race, if you are blowing them away, they aren't racing. And what Merecedes Sedan are you talking about? Beating a non-AMG C-class is nothing to brag about.

beowulf7 - and neither is a V6 Mustang or base TL.

You guys must be on clubrsx, right?

silverrsxs1 · August 2002

I just picked the two most recent examples of who I came up against. I couldn't give more specifics on the Mercedes since I only saw him from the side (and out of my rear-view mirror). As for the ITR, I was on my way to work, minding my own business when this guy in a white Type R screeches up next to me and starts staging. If he wasn't racing, he could have fooled me. Granted, we were on a well patrolled public road and he could have chickened out after the hole-shot (which I won) but that's his problem. Also, Car and Driver gives the (slight) edge to the RSX-S over the ITR in both 0-60 and quarter-mile testing.

But the bigger point is this. The RSXS has more than enough available power (probably too much if the ticket I got during my third week of ownership is any indication) and complaints about torque in a discussion about a VTEC car seem kind of off-point.

You buy a sports car with a 7800 redline because you like to rev. I love the scream of my engine past 6000 RPM. And once you get into the upper registers, you would never think to complain about low-end grunt.

And if that's what you do care about, Detroit still does it best. A bargain, end-of model Z28 will still dust anything out of Japan costing less than $50,000, but it's an ugly brute and handles like a cow.

michiganman · August 2002

The brakes on my new RSX (only 50 miles on it) feel "squishy" to me. I guess I expected a little more responsiveness to them. Could this be due to the fact that I'm still in the break-in period? Are brakes supposed to improve during the break-in period? (This is my 1st new car, and I don't know these things yet). How concerned should I be?

Otherwise, fantastic car so far.

muffin_man · August 2002

I think we are pretty much in agreement then.

beowulf7 · August 2002

Yes, the break-in also applies to the brakes as well. Don't slam on your brakes for the first 600-1000 miles. Braking responsiveness should improve after the break-in. However, the brakes aren't as grippy as say, the Celica GTS. That's probably due to mediocre 16" tires that come w/ the RSX.

michiganman · August 2002

Thanks beowulf.

acurarsxnut1 · August 2002

I was reading your posts regarding the oil consumption issue that I brought up some time ago. It really is a strange occurence, and like others it doesn't seem right. I have changed my oil every 5,000 miles and have been using Mobil 1 Tri-Synthetic 5W-30 in it ever since August 18th, 2001. Now I have 27,500 on it, and about every 3,000 miles it seems to need about a quart of oil or less, but it is consistent. I usually take it to Hagerstown Honda in Hagerstown Maryland because it is about 1.5 hours away from where I live. Rosenthal Acura in Gaithersburg, MD is farther but I only take it there for major stuff which I haven't had to yet! "Knock on wood!" Anyway, I asked the Honda dealership about oil consumption, and Honda actually has oil consumption allotments on vehicles. Like the Honda Passport, in 3,000 miles it isn't unusual for it to use 2 qts. of oil! I couldn't believe it, so when I take it for the 30,000 mile service I'm going to ask then. BTW- Has anyone had the 30,000 mile service done, and how much does it usually cost?

I have an RSX-S too, and I get great gas mileage. I drive 45 minutes to work everyday 5 days a week. On roads that go anywhere from 25 mph - 65 mph for 27 miles. The week before last I filled my car up completely to the top where it was floating in the gas filler and 7 days later and 451 miles on my way home I filled up again and got 34 mpg. It is remarkable, and when I baby it and not run it into the high rpms, which isn't often, I have gotten 37 mpg! I couldn't believe it! I strictly use 92-93 octane gas and always feel it up to the top. AC doesn't seem to kill the mileage nor does winding it out some, but when I hit 135 mph it sucked it down!:)

719b · August 2002

it's hard to believe that using a quart of oil every 3000 miles is considered normal on a new car. seems like too many rsx owners are posting the same problem.

michiganman · August 2002

I apologize in advance for the newbie question, but this is my 1st new car:

The oil in my new RSX is so clear that I can't read the dipstick! I know it's good that the oil is clear, but I would like to track oil consumption based on the comments above. Any ideas?

A second question is: how many quarts of oil is it between the "high" mark and the "low" mark?

kgilkerson · August 2002

Okay, here's the deal, I think I may just be an idiot and not know how to read my dipstick... I changed my oil last night, filled it with 5 qts., ran the engine for a couple minutes, shut it off, and checked it again. It still appeared as it had earlier (when I checked it at 4400 mi), at the lower dot. However, if I flipped it to the other side, the oil level looked full. I'm not sure what the deal is, maybe my dipstick is faulty or something. (Or maybe I'm a dipstick!) So I guess my previous post was not true, based on the fact that I KNOW I put 5 full quarts in the engine, and it still read it as being low. Who knows? Any thoughts???

jasonv65 · August 2002

I was wondering if anyone else is having the same problem that I have run across. I have a 3 month old RSX Type-S that leaks water thru the 2 protruding stops that are at the front of the sunroof. I was able to redirect the water from leaking onto the sliding shade (which was dripping on me if the shade was moved) to draining into the roof where water is supposed to go by sealing the back half of the rubber stops.
But I noticed when I was trying to find where the water leak was coming from that there is rust starting to develope where the metal posts are that the rubber stops cover. Has anyone else noticed the water leak and the rust starting? The dealership says the leaking was normal, which to me is a bad design, and the rust is nothing to be worried about, which bothers me since water is always going to be going thru the stops and will continue to rust more and more.

719b · August 2002

don't accept the dealer's explanation that a leaking sunroof is normal. try another acura dealership if you have one in your area.
if no other dealership is available, call their corporate office through the 800 number that is in your warranty book.
it's absurd to be told that a leaking roof is normal

kevin111 · August 2002

"The dealership says the leaking was normal" -

maybe +20 years ago, but not this day and age! My aftermarket sunroof leaked only once in 7 years, and that was recently at a car wash!

On a possitive note, if you live in California or another state with a Lemon law, you can start keeping records for this.

kgilkerson · September 2002

Anyone else experience mirrors that constantly drip after a bath? I know MDX had this issue, and something was done by the dealers to solve it, but I don't know if they have fixed it on any RSXs yet.

acbe · September 2002

YES!! >:( If anyone knows of a solution PLEASE let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jasonv65 · September 2002

Has anyone here had problems with the emissions light coming on for no reason? (it's the orange light under the temp gauge that looks like an engine) Mine came on before I filled up yesterday and stayed on till I drove it 10 miles or so after filling up. The emissions sensors seem to be over sensitive to me. BTW I did get the moonroof replaced by the Tallahassee dealer and seems to be fine.

lngtonge18 · September 2002

Small world!! I live in Tallahassee too. Cool to meet a neighbor. How low did you run the tank? I have heard of some lights coming on when the tank is run down too low and than they need a certain amount of time to reset. But more than likely, it is just an overly sensitive sensor. You could have the saved code checked to see if a problem was recorded.

jasonv65 · September 2002

The tank was down to about 1/8th of a tank when it came on. I've been keeping an eye on it and it hasn't come on since then. BTW I live in Panama City and the closest Acura dealer is in either Ft. Walton or Tallahassee. Since I've had bad dealings with the Ft. Walton I tried the Tallahassee dealer. They were great.
Just a curious question, did you have a rattles from the glove box? I did and ended up fixing it myself by putting thickly padded sticky feet to each side of the glove box door and put padding in the latch. Why they left a 1.5in gap between the glove box door and the dash when closed makes no sense to me. It made all kinds of racket before I fixed it. I'm still trying to find/fix a rattle coming from the passenger door. Do you have any complaints about rattles so far?

caligirl1 · October 2002

I just got a new 2002 RSX three weeks ago. My air conditioning acts up...only in the morning! When I drive to work each morning, I have to have it down to the coldest it will get (and I turn it off of "Auto") to get comfortable. Any other time of the day, I keep it at 72 degrees on "Auto" and it's perfect. I've tried every possible setting and every possible combination of settings. I can't figure it out, and neither can the dealership. It's happened to me every morning for three weeks now. I'm very frustrated and I'm wondering if anyone else has had the same problem.

beowulf7 · October 2002

The car needs to warm up before it can blast out cold air. I know it seems like a contradiction, but that would explain why you're not getting good A/C when you cold start the car.

michiganman · October 2002

Hi everyone, I just moved to the midwest and have some questions about snow and ice melting chemicals on the roads. Sorry if this isn't the right topic, but I didn't know where to post:

1. Do they use salt or calcium chloride, or both, on the roads? (I live in Chicago).
2. I know salt is bad. Is calcium chloride bad too?
3. I have been hand washing the car, but in the winter I think I will need to use a car wash to make sure the underside of the car gets cleaned. Do all car washes clean the underside, or do I have to check? How often should I get it washed?

jm4782 · October 2002

Hello I know I've seen the how to on this earlier, but I can't find it right now. Just wondering because the manual says not to run the AC once it's below freezing and we're almost there here in MD (btw...acurarsxnut1 I'm in Baltimore and work in NOVA nice to know there are other owners of the Type S in the area)

Got mine in late June and already have 10,700 miles already (problem free though) but I am going to have to keep an eye out for the oil consumption issue.

Thanks for any help you can provide

edberg_dc · October 2002

michiganman,

Yes calcium chloride (CaCL2) is bad, it's the same as regular salt (NaCL) in that both have chlorine, which is the bad stuff. They just use CaCL2 because you get more bang for your buck (2 Cl's versus 1 Cl). In terms of washing, as a former northeasterner, definitely get everywhere. I have a 94 Accord that has two very small rust spots forming right behind the wheel wells in the same exact place that must have been missed in the many years of washing/waxing.

hope this helped.

beowulf7 · October 2002

Check out ClubRSX's site for this info.:

http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16399

Basically, this is how someone on that site says you can disable A/C if you want to (but I haven't done it myself). And I quote:

What you will need: Two Fingers

Time Needed: 10 seconds.

Annoyed with how you can't turn off the A/C when you turn to defog? Here's the override (realize that A/C expediates the defog process).

These steps are taken from a discussion thread on 2k1civic.com

Turn Car Off

Turn Temperature Knob To Full Blue (All the way to the left - Counter-Clock Wise)

Turn Vent Knob To Off (All the way to the left - Counter-Clock Wise)

Hold Down Air Recirculation Button As Well As A/C Button

Keep Both Buttons Depressed and Start Car

Keep Both Buttons Depressed for 7 Seconds

*AC LIGHT SHOULD BLINK*

You will now have control of your A/C regardless of what setting you are in, to revert back, simply repeat the procedue.

gbt2 · November 2002

I just tried the fix to allow independent use of A/C (see post #85) and it did not work. Has anyone gotten this to work and/or does anyone know of another fix?

thanks!

erictooley · November 2002

According to the owner's manual, the A/C compressor won't operate if the system senses that it's too cold outside. That was your main concern, right? It gets cold in Japan, too: I think we can trust Honda on this one.

beowulf7 · November 2002

To tell you the truth, I haven't tried it myself either. I just saw it on ClubRSX and a couple people said it works. Did you follow the instructions verbatim? I'll try it in my car one of these days. Sorry you didn't have luck w/ it.

amarsa1 · November 2002

Has anyone heard of the shifter "popping" out of gear in 5th, while driving?

I picked up my new 03 RSX Premium yesterday and it happened twice today. The service department told me it "wasn't in gear". I have a hard time believing that, this isn't my first standard.

beowulf7 · November 2002

I've never heard of the shifter popping out of any gear. (Knocking on wood!) If it keeps happening, take it to another Acura service center.

himiler · December 2002

Sounds like a bum synchro. If that is in fact what the trouble is, it'll start popping out more often as the synchro wears. Warranty!

michiganman · December 2002

I get a rattle in the dash when I go over bumps. It seemed to start when the weather got colder, and it is quite pronounced and annoying now. Anyone else have this problem?

I'm calling Acura soon - can I expect a loaner vehicle while my car is being serviced?

skierxg5 · December 2002

I've had my RSX for just about two months. I think I might have some helpful information. Soon after buying my car, the most annoying rattle noise was apparent when going over any bumps. When going over bumps at night, the glovebox light would flash on and off when going over bummps. The glovebox was just loose, and had it completely fixed under waranty. The car is now quiet as could be. About the engine light: mine went on, and there actually was a small problem with the emissions, and that was fixed under warranty. But I do know that when filling up, if you don't turn the gas cap until it clicks loudly 2 or three times, the emission light will go on. To reset it, tighten the cap and drive for a few days, it should go away.

michiganman · December 2002

Thanks skierx, but mine is definitely more than the glovebox. It's rattling on both the driver and passenger side, kind of where the dash meets the windshield.

Thanks for the info. I will post back and let everyone know how it went with the dealer.

tmc1688 · December 2002

Hi all,

Just bought my RSX about a 2 weeks ago. Does anyone know where to purchase some good seat covers? Thanks

revka · December 2002

Btw, this discussion is about Acura RSX problems. You should try asking your question in our main Acura RSX discussion. Good luck. ;-)

Revka

Hatchbacks & Wagons Host

tmc1688 · December 2002

Thanks Revka..
BTW has anyone experienced 2nd gear to be a little notchy? I just noticed it all the time when the car is cold, but also happens occasionally when I'm driving around town. So far I only have 700 miles on it. I'll ask the dealer when I have time. Take care all.

michiganman · December 2002

tmc, I think this is a common problem (I have it too occasionally), due to they syncros not meshing quite correctly. I think the general consensus is that that's just how the car is. www.clubrsx.com has tons of threads on 2nd gear notchiness, if you do a search on that website.

michiganman · December 2002

OK, I had a weird experience last week as I filled up. When I fill up, I always divide the miles by the gallons to calulate the gas mileage. Based on the miles since my last fillup I expected to put in about 8 gallons, but to my surprise my RSX drank almost 11 gallons! At first I was just disappointed because I got crappy mileage for that tank. However, during the next week I noticed that my gas gauge stayed at full for about 80 miles, before starting to drop!

I am now convinced that when I filled up, somehow I filled up past "full." This is sort of freaking me out. Anyone had this happen? Is this even possible, is there more room in the tank past the "full" mark?

ahktseng · December 2002

My second gear is notchy too. Almost feels like I am grinding the gear into place. I also noticed a different problem. Sometimes I have to really push into 3rd gear. Couple of occasions now, I thought I had shifted into third gear and let out the clutch. My gears started grinding. I had to reshift. Then I started shifting into 3rd gear stronger and more consciously. I noticed, on rare occasions, I get this last hard notch that I have to push into. Other times, as I let go of the clutch, the last notch gives and pops into gear. Has anyone ever had this experience. I have driven a Honda Civic stick and a 300ZX stick. Compared to them, the RSX Type-S shifter does not feel very smooth to me. I have taken the car to a dealership and their mechanic can not duplicate the problem since it only happens once in a while. Any ideas?

beowulf7 · December 2002

The 1st to 2nd gear notchiness is common across RSX owners. (Fortunately, I haven't experienced it ... yet). The 2nd to 3rd gear notchiness is not as common. Your Acura dealer should be aware of people complaining about the problem and should suggest some solutions. Try searching on clubrsx.com if you are still unhappy w/ your shifter.

Acura RSX Maintenance and Repair

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