Acura RL Maintenance and Repair

satire · April 2005

Regarding the wind noise from the sunroof on your '02, I put a wind deflector on mine and the difference was dramatic. They look goofy but they work very nicely. Plus it helps me to find my car in a crowded parking lot.

dib · April 2005

I have a 2005 RL and notice that when I direct the nav system to take me to a particular street number, it tells my "i"ve arrived" about 200 feet from the true address.

Is this normal (and the fault of the mapping not the GPS?) or is there a way to calibrate the system. For example, I live at #17, but when I enter the "current location" button, it tells me I am at #62).

DIB

rajabhat · May 2005

Hi all, regarding my Acura 2005 RL. First 2-3 weeks I was so enthused with the fabulous sound system I just did not drive without the XM radio on. But once I drove with no sound, it was then that I heard this clanky rattling sound from the suspension going over ruts and bumps. I have an appointment with Acura tomorrow. The first visit last week, the service manager said he heard nothing, so I took his assistant over some ruts and had him listen. I just can't imagine what this is. Best thing probably is to test drive another new RL and see if it has the same problem; perhaps its to do with the AWD. I have not reviewed *all* the messages here, I wonder if anyone else has had this problem.... :confuse:
Raja

rajabhat · May 2005

Hi,

I'm severely disappointed with our Acura dealer's service department. They don't return phone calls. I told them there was a clanking noise from the suspension going over ruts and they said they could not hear it, until I took the assistant for a drive over some ruts and showed him. (they're supposed to check it again tomorrow) I told them to check the Onstar phone which won't receive a phone call until I press the Onstar button, and after hanging up, it will receive calls. The service manager mumbled something, and nothing's been done. And lastly, the Satellite radio often forgets its presets which go blank. If I go to XM2 and then back to XM1, voila, the presets are back!! (I guess I'll put up with that one).

Overall it is a great car but the ride is pretty choppy, suspension is too tight for a luxury sedan although it is a sports sedan. And the clanky noise is terrible for a car that costs so much. Above all, though, is the awful service department. I wish I'd stayed with my 5 year old Lexus RX300!!! No more Acuras for me, thanks but no thanks. My next car will be a Lexus again. :mad: Advice: DON'T buy a 2005 Acura RL. Don't.

Raja

bodble2 · May 2005

Perhaps you should try another dealer for servicing. I wouldn't write off the brand yet over bad service from one dealer.

dennis721 · May 2005

Hi,

I hate to burst your bubble, I had good curtious service from Lexus, but; I had a problem with warped front brake rotors on a nearly new Lexus and they told me I had to pay for replacement during the first year as the warrenty did not cover them. They argued I must have abused the brakes (curtious service might be a stretch on second thought, since they inferred I was lying). I had to argue with them that I had not mistreated the brakes (which I hadent!!!). It was going to cost me over $750 on a less than one year old LX to replace them.

On the other hand I have had 4 Acura's including a new 2005 RL and "0" complaints and excellent service form 2 differnt dealerships . I love my 2005 RL and I dont have the noise you mention either. In fact I havent had any problems with my 2005 RL. I did have one problem each on my 3 previous Acura's and they were repaired quickly at no cost and professionalism at the dealer was superb. All 3 problems on my other Acura's were minor, one was cosmetic.

Best oif luck, remember though all cars and dealers have problems occasioinally, even the best of them.

dennis :surprise:

rajabhat · May 2005

Hi Dennis,
>

Certainly. However, this particular dealership has voicemail and don't return messages you leave. Also, I told them the Onstar phone does not take incoming calls and gives an "activation failure" voice message every time I finish talking to Onstar, but when I went to get the car they hadn't even called Onstar and were mumbling something about Onstar being only for emergencies, and such...Lastly, the service people must have implied I was imagining things when I said there is a prominent rattle going over ruts at low speed. I had to take them to a rut-filled parking lot next door to show them....!
Raja

dennis721 · May 2005

I would go to another dealer and tell them your having problems and the dealer you bought from is ignoring you.

dennis

rajabhat · May 2005

Hi all,
In a previous message I had mentioned a significant rattle in my 2005 RL while going over ruts at low speed. Anyhow I finally got it into the dealer. Initially they called and said they had ordered some kind of a bushing by FedEx. But today they said they called the central office and were told, which they confirmed, that one of the brake pads was loose and just needed tightening, a problem others have had. Whew..hope that indeed solves it.

I don't have the car back yet because the Onstar phone has a problem and tomorrow they will remove it and replace it with another unit. The thing won't receive incoming calls, and after talking to an onstar rep it says "activation failure" every time. I'll lose the phone # it has and get a new phone #. Ah well. In any case since it would not receive incoming calls what the heck is the use of knowing its number!!!

Raja

rajabhat · May 2005

Hi

The major problem I had with my Acura RL 2005 is a rattle while going over ruts at low speed. They found it was a loose brake pad. (initially they thought it was a bushing of some kind but on calling the national service center they were told it was from a brake pad, as that had been found in one or more other cars) Got that fixed and it is just fine now!! Whew what a relief, I thought I had gotten a lemon with a shaky drivetrain due to a new AWD design or something!! It is a great car, really. But the rattle described above had me worried. Hopefully I can now sit back and truly enjoy this marvel of engineering.

They put in a new Onstar unit with a new phone # also. It is a fully functioning Verizon phone but the previous unit would not take incoming calls. This one is yet to be activated but it ought to do fine....I hope!!

Raja

scbrl · May 2005

Cingular with Motorola V551

scbrl · May 2005

Have had this happen once. Not specifically with warm weather bt with prolonged period of being stuck in traffic with brake on. Switched to N to allow to cool off and now if stuck for a while I do the same. No problem since.

scbrl · May 2005

Correction:

Hands free link yes but not acuralink; An earlier post I think has a working provider and phone combo.

scbrl · May 2005

Just had 7500 mile service but the service tech did not know how to reset the service light so "need service soon B" is on my display until they figure it out. Anyone know how to reset it? On my old TL it was just a button combo on the odometer/trip meter but those buttons aren't on the RL.

Thanks

BTW

Brake squeal did go away on its own.

Door locking has been an issue as in other posts. Waiting on drivers handle replacement. There was a short in the passenger handle that was associated with a loss of all "customized" features that are set to go with fob and driver 1 or 2. When replaced this was cured. Drivers side will unlock by hand contact but won't lock if recently wet from heavy rain or wash.

jmancini · May 2005

Hello all:

Been reading the posts in this forum for awhile. Just purchase the new RL about a month ago. I haven't experienced any of the issues that have been brought up on the list, however the car is now starting to develop a rattle/squeak in the dashboard and in the headliner. Haven't been able to pinpoint the spots yet.

I am very happy with car and very excited to drive it. This is my third RL. Does any have an idea when the oil should be changed? I understand the "oil life" indicator, but wondering what the proper timeframe is?

arejay · May 2005

The noise my vehicle is making is a low whistling sound (harmonic resonance) and it is present at speeds of 38-41 mph. I have now been informed that the propeller shaft has now been redesigned/reengineered and that I'm supposed to be next in line for this new repair. The prop shaft in my vehicle was already replaced once but with the originally designed one.

bodble2 · May 2005

I don't think there is any set timeframe for oil changes anymore, now that they have the oil life monitor. It just depends on your driving pattern and habits.

dan43 · May 2005

I find that my RL's headlights do not do a good job on hilly, backroads. The lights project a very direct horizontal beam, with everything above the horizontal beam is not really illuminated at all.
This is not too much of a problem on flat or well lit roads. But when you are driving up and down on hilly roads (with no steetlights) - it is very difficult to see more than 20-30 feet in front of the car.
It is the most extreme when driving downhill.

dib · May 2005

I've had my RL since April 1 and drive frequently in NYC area. I have nav system programmed to show "Traffic".

Observations and questions:

1. The XM radio traffic reports for NYC are not very good at best, and terrible some times. For example, driving home from midtown last night to CT (where I have multiple options on routes), I chose to take the Triborough to Bruckner to 95. Listening to XM radio NYC traffic - no problems reported on Bruckner (I-278). In reality, there was planned road construction (per flashing highway signs) reducing flow to one lane and 30 minute backup. Also, none of this showed up on Acura nav system map. Really ticked me off because I could easily have exited onto Bronx River north to Hutch and avoided entire problem.

2. Similarly, I usually drive into city on Saw Mill to West Side Hwy. Twice in past two weeks, there was planned tree trimming on Saw Mill with slow downs, none of which was reported on either XM traffic or on nav system.

3. Have also been driving south on I-95 in CT (Norwalk -Stamford area) and seen northbound was a parking lot. Tuned to XM traffic - nothing. Same on nav system.

I have always used the traffic reports on 880 AM (WCBS) and 1010 AM (WINS) which I find are generally excellent even though their traffic reports are much briefer than XM's.

Does anyone know where XM Traffic NYC gets its info and how that info is programmed into the RL's nav system? Seems to me to be not only a pretty worthless system but even worse that no data is bad data.

Any other experiences in NYC or elsewhere with quality of XM traffic or nav system showing traffic problems. I have also used in Boston, Philly and Balt but not as familiar wiht those areas but have noticed heavy/stopandgo traffic not shown on nav system.

DIB

exhaloprez · May 2005

Anyone have a problem with the outside temperature reading? I have had this repaired once and now the reading is at least 15 degrees below the actual temperature.

rajabhat · May 2005

Dan43:
The high-intensity discharge headlights are very sharply focused to avoid blinding oncoming cars. In fact you can see virtually nothing above the beam; I guess you will need to use high beams on hilly roads....

gulu · May 2005

Just got a 2005 Acura RL 2 days ago. Reading this board has been very helpful. I am unable to eliminate the chime when I have the headlights on Auto and get out of the car in the garage, where the low ambient light trigggers the headlight. One of the posts recommended the 3 finger salute, going into XM diagnostics and then into Diagnostics. Was able to eliminate passenger airbag OFF message and keyless remote not in car message but did not see any option to eliminate the chime.
Any suggestions? Love the car.

nebraskaguy · May 2005

>> I am unable to eliminate the chime when I have the headlights on Auto and get out of the car in the garage...but did not see any option to eliminate the chime.

If anyone finds it, let us all know. That has been a common complaint on this board.

larry6 · May 2005

Dead Battery Issue

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While we have not experienced the dead battery problem, our dealer alerted us to the following bulletin from Acura. Apparently, there is a problem if the driver turns off the ignition -- and then opens the trunk using the button on the driver's side front door. A fix is supposedly on the way.

Meanwhile, when the ignition is off, opening the trunk using the remote on the FOB or by hand (with the FOB nearby) are two safe ways of opening the trunk without draining the battery. If the ignition is on...then it would also be fine to open the trunk using the button on the driver's side front door (but not when the ignition is off).

nebraskaguy · May 2005

>>While we have not experienced the dead battery problem, our dealer alerted us to the following bulletin from Acura. Apparently, there is a problem if the driver turns off the ignition -- and then opens the trunk using the button on the driver's side front door. A fix is supposedly on the way.

I frequently do this and have never experienced a problem.

larry6 · May 2005

I'm happy for you that you have not experienced this problem. Chances are though that you have not left your automobile for an extended number of days without starting it up...... Indded, the problem involves a slow drain on the battery that takes a few days to become severe. So, if you park your 05RL at the airport and you plan to return after 5 or more days.... don't accesss your luggage with the ignition off by pressing the trunk release button on the driver's side door panel.

Happy trails.

rljinx · May 2005

I agree that you must turn it ALL THE WAY OFF, but that mistake only happens once. Frankly, I think it is a design flaw not to have the ACC mode BEHIND the OFF position. However, my dead battery has occurred even when I have turned it ALL THE WAY OFF. That's just an excuse the dealer uses for stupid customers. They also told me there was ice in my hood latch when it wouldn't close and the temperature had been above 50 degrees for a week!

tommyc1 · May 2005

have 4700 miles on my RL. found that I have to inform my dealer of recalls etc (2 of my friends also have the car).

- XM radio reception goes out frequently: need to have wiring cable and receiver replaced
- a/c blows hot air in the morning (SF area temperature): put a/c on low then cold air should blow out. problem appears to be when the outside temperature is warmer than the set inside temperature
- apparent recall on first 7500 cars on Real Time Traffic and XM antenna unit that is corrected by software update and replacement
- no rattles underneath however a rattle near drivers heat vent which was adjusted by my fist

admit that i do love the car, however have visited the dealership 4 times for repairs which is 4 times more than with my LS 400

kacurat · May 2005

I have a new RL also. Same thing, everything is going fine, however, I have a very annoying rattle in the dashboard. Every honda/acura I have owned has been the same, is it just a Japanese vehicle thing or is there something that needs to be tightened?

I was told by 2 mechanics to go with the oil life indicator. The new type of synthetic oil that they put in lasts about 7,000 miles or so. That's when mine was due. Otherwise, I love the car!

rmd3003 · May 2005

Hmm, so Honda uses synthetic oil????

mozgifix · May 2005

have 2500 miles and average is 19.6 mpg in city driving with 26 miles/h average speed. My tires are at 42#

jmancini · May 2005

The rattle on my dash is somewhere near the side view mirror adjuster to the left of the steering wheel. I also have a slight rattle in the rear of the cabin either in the headliner or the sunscreen. It's on my list for the dealer.

I had to have my XM receiver replaced as the XM radio needed a signal refresh daily, then it just stop working. We are back in service now. The dealer gave me a TL for the day that I enjoyed, but I couldn't wait to drive the RL again.

John

kacurat · May 2005

I purchased the wood steering wheel when I bought my car and it was installed a month later. I asked for the old steering wheel back b/c someone suggested it, but now I have no idea what to do with it. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Karen

galileo · May 2005

I received my new 2005 RL in late October. Within 24 hours, I had the first dead battery. Dealer attributed it to my not turning off the ignition completely.
Since then, I have experienced 5 (five) more dead batteries. Dealer attributed a few causes to the fact that the steering wheel was not set in a manner where it would completely retract upon ignition shut-down.
Finally, the dealer replaced the battery two weeks ago.
Everything was OK for two weeks. Then another dead battery, the 7th (seventh) after the car was parked for four days.
The dealer now has the car and is attempting to replicate the problem.
Would appreciate any comments. :lemon:

nebraskaguy · May 2005

Do you always lock your car? I parked my car tonight and tried to lock it, but it wouldn't lock. I couldn't figure it out. After several minutes, I finally noticed that the ignition wasn't turned all the way off. It could have easily resulted in a dead battery if I'd left it parked for several days. I don't know whether I've ever done it before, since I don't lock it in the garage, but I rarely leave it sitting for more than a day.

cstiles · May 2005

This is probably obvious, and I assume the dealer has already explained this, but it's important that the car reads out "GOODBYE" on the dash readout when you fully switch off the ignition. If it doesn't say "GOODBYE" you will run out your battery. We've had our RL for 2 mos. without any problem. But everytime I step out of the car, I make sure the car says goodbye to me. It's almost akin to shutting down your computer.

Good luck.

blubandit · May 2005

Has anyone else had problems with the External Temp Guage not showing the correct temp?

cstiles · May 2005

I have an 05 RL and no problems with my external temp gauge. However, I have owned 7 different cars now with this feature (3 of them made by Honda or Acura, and the rest were Audi, Toyota or Nissan), and it's not uncommon for any of them to read one or two degrees higher or lower at any given time. It's not a perfect science, and you have to basically learn to allow for a small amount of error, IMO. Sometimes engine temperature, or whether the car has been sitting outside or inside, can affect the initial temp readout, especially immediately after the car is started. Once you're on the road for a while, it should calibrate to the correct temperature.

If your RL is within a couple of degrees, I wouldn't worry about it, but if it's obviously way off, talk to the dealer. Expect them to push back and say that it's correct before they offer to replace it. But even after they replace it, don't be shocked if it's still off by a degree of two.

It's kind of like driving past 5 different banks and seeing 5 different temp readouts. Different news outlets will also give you slightly different temp readings at any given time, also.

bartalk3 · May 2005

Remember the good old days when you didn't have to worry about getting a dead battery if you didn't say good-bye to your car, or the other way around, or if you locked your car, or didn't lock it, or left the windows open, or whatever? All this new stuff seems like technology for its own sake, with the sole purpose of relieving the owner of the slightest physical exertion, like pushing a remote to open the car doors, and inserting the key in the ignition and, ugh, turning it.

Also what's the deal with the new BMW330i and those weird, user unfriendly turn signals? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Whoever complained that turn signals should be redesigned because they were too easy to use? They must have a guy working for BMW called the Director of Complications. His job: making things more difficult. He of course designed the idrive.

nebraskaguy · May 2005

>>All this new stuff seems like technology for its own sake, with the sole purpose of relieving the owner of the slightest physical exertion, like pushing a remote to open the car doors, and inserting the key in the ignition and, ugh, turning it.

It's not a matter of not wanting to insert a key in the ignition and turning it. It's having to constantly pull keys of pockets (and especially in the winter, trying to remember which pocket I've put them in), juggling them when I have my hands full, not dropping them, etc. There are days when I'm in and out of my car a dozen times, or more. The RL's feature of not having to use my key is one of my favorite features.

cstiles · May 2005

I love my RL, but have to agree with Bartalk about "technology for technology's sake."

Although you're correct to say that you no longer have to worry about juggling, dropping, losing, or inserting a traditional key, Acura (and other lux makes) have simply replaced the key with the personal driver ID keyfob. You still have to carry this thing with you in order to start the car. So now I am constantly thinking about where I've left my keyfob (instead of a key). Where's the improvement in that?

And now, if I lose the keyfob, I'm in serious trouble. I think the dealer told me that an extra one is $350 or more (I forget). And everytime I hop out of the car with the ignition running with the keyfob in my pocket, the car starts beeping and leaving me security notices on my NAV screen (each of which has to be individually deleted.)

I'd rather have a regular old key in my otherwise fabulous RL.

bartalk3 · May 2005

The next step after keyless entry will be fobless entry. The car will have on file the fingerprints of the owner and the doors will open and car will start when the correct fingerprints touch the doors, steering wheel, etc. This will relieve the driver of the really terrible burden of carrying heavy keys and keyfobs. They haven't perfected the system, however, and in some cases, owners may have to have their fingerprints physically altered, a very painful process done only by plastic surgeons working at the dealer's service facility. The cost will be $5,000, but well worth it considering the convenience and technological advance.

nebraskaguy · May 2005

>>You still have to carry this thing with you in order to start the car.

I simply keep my house keys on a ring with the fob. Nothing extra to keep track of.

>>And now, if I lose the keyfob, I'm in serious trouble.

I believe you'll find that keys with computer chips for any of the new cars are pretty expensive to replace.

nebraskaguy · May 2005

>>This is probably obvious, and I assume the dealer has already explained this, but it's important that the car reads out "GOODBYE" on the dash readout when you fully switch off the ignition.

The car says "GOODBYE" as soon as you switch the ignition even partially off, so this is not assurance. As near as I can tell, the only assurance, other than just making sure you turn the switch all the way off, is that the steering wheel doesn't move up and out of the way until you have the switch all the way off.

nebraskaguy · May 2005

Another way to be sure you have the switch turned all the way off is to try and lock the car. As I discovered last night, you cannot lock the car unless the switch is completely turned off.

cstiles · May 2005

You're right, Nebraskaguy...there are 3 distinct detentes. On the first click back, the readout shows GOODBYE. Then on the 2nd click, the GOODBYE fades away. Then one more click to the 3rd position, and the steering wheel electrically moves into the neutral position and the car completely shuts down. It's very intuitive once you get used to the routine, but I can see why first time users leave the system running and end up killing the battery.

I'm still not convinced that the keyfob/keyless ignition is a major improvement over a standard key. Another concern is the other point that Bartalk3 raised---this is merely Version 1.0 we're dealing with. Carmakers will use these platforms to push additional enhancements of dubious value.

bodble2 · May 2005

Isn't the solution to this problem already available, in the form of push button to start/stop the engine? You wouldn't have to worry about clicking to 1st, 2nd, or 3rd position.

Or as someone suggest, go back to the old-fashion way -- the key, which cannot be removed from the ignition unless it's turn all the way to Off position!

acurafan4 · May 2005

I was just wondering, but if a driver does not turn the car's system off completely and walks away with the fob, can someone come along and still start the car?

nebraskaguy · May 2005

>>I was just wondering, but if a driver does not turn the car's system off completely and walks away with the fob, can someone come along and still start the car?

No, the key fob has to be present to start the car.

tayl0rd · May 2005

I commented on Acura's rendition of keyless start a few months ago. The way they executed it begs the question, "What's the point? :confuse: " The thing works EXACTLY like a traditional key in having to twist it to the various positions! If the owners would simply realize that, there would be no dead battery issues. :sick:

REMEMBER, PEOPLE, THE THING WORKS EXACTLY LIKE A TRADITIONAL KEY. You have to twist and release to start it and turn it all the way back to turn everything off. It's not difficult.

I would expect these problems from cars that have actual push button start where you have to hold the button down for a second or press it twice to turn everything off. Yet, I haven't read any reports from owners with cars equipped this way coming back to dead batteries. And that is a more foreign method than twisting the thing. I guess Acura's version is simply too simple in relation to all the other gadgets in the car; especially considering how the owners always comment on how simple everything is to operate on the car when lots of non-owners opine that it's a pain in the neck. But simply twisting a non-traditional key in a still traditional manor somehow escapes them. :confuse: Go figure.

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