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Acura RL Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • billyperksbillyperks Member Posts: 449
    Is the RL manufactured in Japan or Ohio?

    This car was on my short list to replace my TL next summer, but after reading all the misfortunes here, I am having some doubts.
  • ozzynycozzynyc Member Posts: 31
    Stop reading the misfortunes and get the car. People complain more on internet than praise... Remember that. The car is great. FYI, the transmission is build in Japan. Most of the car is made in US, just like 2003.
  • hendjazhendjaz Member Posts: 155
    The 05 RL is manufactured in Japan. I have no idea if there is any change in that for 06, but I have never heard of an 05 RL being manufactured in the US.

    I purchased my 05 RL in the first shipment received by dealers in October 04 and it has been and still is a wonderful car, without any reliability faults IMHO and actual experience. There have been no Acura defects at all. Only the aforementioned non-Acura NavTraffic/XM receiver issues have been noteworthy. If the RL is the right car for someone, they should not turn away to another car because of reliability concerns as that is one of its many strong points. Also, the RL user friendly electronics are light years ahead of the electronics we have in our 06 Lexus 400h.

    Also as mentioned by others, if you go to the Problems & Solutions forum for any vehicle you will primarily find negative comments as that is the nature of the forum. Those without problems usually don't take the time to read and comment. I hope it is helpful to others that they have this positive counterpoint to consider as well.
  • getakeygetakey Member Posts: 23
    I have posted problems regarding the XM and Navtraffic as well as some other anoyances, but to be clear I like the car. I would purchase again based on the value and driveability. I think the dealers should be more pro-active in working with owners of a first year edition. I expected problems in some of the technology items, but the Dealers act like they don't exist. That's my biggest complaint.
  • sgl1sgl1 Member Posts: 34
    Anyone else notice a little bit of rough idle at start-up on a cold engine? Mine has done it since I bought it a couple of months ago, but I'm not sure it's worth mentioning to my dealer. I thought I recall others noting the same issue, but that Acura said it was normal. Are there any TSBs on the issue?

    Also, I've noticed some engine thrashing at around 3500 rpm. Seems the engine has some vibration at that rpm level. My engine only has 2500 miles, but I assume that's normal with the way Acura has tuned their 3.5 liter engine for the RL. Comments?
  • hendjazhendjaz Member Posts: 155
    I have not encountered anything like this in the nearly year I have had the RL so you might want to check it out and see if an adjustment is needed. Engine is very smooth and quiet at idle and acceleration, both at start up and afterwards. Certainly no vibration experiences for my RL anyway.
  • steveinindysteveinindy Member Posts: 48
    I first noticed the rough idle at start up AFTER the first TSB concerning a shudder problem that was supposed to be fixed by a software patch. This was back in March, April or May of this year. I could never get the dealer to recognize the rough idle, mostly because I had to leave my car there and let them start it cold, which I only did once or twice--they said they could not recreate it and the car was "within specs." However, I just had three new TSB service items addressed--the onstar lost minutes, the AcuraLink control module and the driveability issue, which is described in the TSB as a fix of a downshift from 5th to 4th gear. The dealer said other driveability issues may also be addressed. All I know is that this latest fix completely cured all of the rough idle at start up. The car is driving much more smoothly and is even getting slightly better gas mileage. I never realized the car was not driving as great as it could until after this last service. Take your car in for this service and I'll bet it addresses your issue. I could not be more happy with it!
  • hendjazhendjaz Member Posts: 155
    I also just had the three updates and it seems that the gearing change in particular has made the RL more responsive to acceleration without some gear changing hesitation that had always been the case. As mentioned I had not encountered the rough idle issue but did find this gearing update to be a noticeable improvement in terms of engine responsiveness.
  • bucketsbuckets Member Posts: 6
    at last! brought rl in week ago to have this problem fixed. so far, working as original. changes instantly.
  • sgl1sgl1 Member Posts: 34
    Thanks for the replies. Anyone know where to find a list of the available TSBs? I don't want to apply TSBs unless they're necessary, but if they include fixes to make the car run better then all of us should have them done. Does anyone have the specific TSB numbers for rough idle and for the delayed XM song titles?

    Lastly, I've noticed my NAV system has rebooted itself during normal driving. This is the third time now. . . anyone else experience this?
  • hendjazhendjaz Member Posts: 155
    The three current TSBs are Service Bulletin 05-027, the PCM Software Update, Bulletin 05-028, the Onstar Control Unit update, and Bulletin 05-022, the Acuralink control update. Had them done last week during a scheduled service visit. Worth a trip in to get these done if applicable to your RL, imho.
  • michaelbmenakemichaelbmenake Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for this information. Posts like yours are what make this site invaluable.
  • acurarlacurarl Member Posts: 1
    Since I bought my Acura RL four months ago, I have had numerous problems when using the Voice Recognition System. A few examples are, when I tell it to turn off the A/C, it says, "the A/C is on". After repeating the command several times, it finally turns it off. Same problem with the radio; I tell it to turn it off and it repeatedly says, "radio on". Eventually it turns it off. It also has problems when spelling out street names or locations of business I want to find the Nav system to calculate a route to. The VRS seems to work just when the vehicle is not in motion (at a stop), but not when traveling on the freeways or streets. I suspect it may be due to road noise. I took the car to the dealership (twice, same dealership), and the second time the dealership talked to one of the tech people at Acura. The tech person said that Acura is aware of the problem, which there have been many complaints from other Acura RL owners, and that Acura is currently working on a fix to the problem. However, no date was provided as to when the fix will be available. I find the failure rate of the VRS unacceptable, and was wondering if anyone else has the same or similar problem(s), and can recommend a solution. :(
  • acusactoacusacto Member Posts: 7
    I brought my car in for the Acuralink control unit replacement to fix the slow title changes, as well as to fix not getting feature guide messages during the first 90 days very often (they are annoying, but I missed them).

    At first, dealer service folks said my VIN was not in the recall range, but then they called Acura, who said the recall VINs were going to be expanded to include mine, so they replaced the unit early as an accommodation.

    My experience: titles switched instantly at last. After the first day, however, XM activation mysteriously disappeared, so I had to reactivate, which I was able to do on the phone. XM said my car had a new radio number (must have been caused by the new Acuralink control unit) which they had to associate with my name.

    One minor continuing annoyance is that preset names still do not display right away.

    I am getting feature guide messages daily so far, annoying as they are.

    Also, the transmission software fix really helped smooth out shifting. I had previously complained about rough shifting before the TSB, and service folks said there was no problem, but the new software really seems to help. I think Acura service people, at least at my dealer, are not on top of RL technology, compared to you and me.

    I really appreciate the folks in this forum sharing solutions. :)

    And, like many of you, I am still excited to drive my RL every day.

    Notwithstanding the technology glitches, I feel I still made the right decision. Did anyone see recent reviews, where Business Week Online was very positive on the RL, and Consumer Reports rated the 2006 Lexus GS300 (the alternative I was considering) one of the worst 2006 makeovers?
  • paul_phillypaul_philly Member Posts: 16
    I brought my car in for 4 items - the three TSB's (XM & Real time traffic, PCM and OnStar) and my navigation seems to be 50-100 feet off.

    The dealer told me that having tinted windows is causing XM channels to have a delayed refresh, causing the Real Time Traffic to stop working and is interfering with the GPS causing the Navi to be 50-100 feet off.

    I have the silver tint (they say titanium in it) made by Johnson.

    Anyone ever hear of this?
  • michaelbmenakemichaelbmenake Member Posts: 12
    It's right there in your owner's manual.
  • shs111shs111 Member Posts: 39
    As far as I am concerned, this forum and also www.acurazine.com should be required reading for Acura corporate and its dealers, especially its service people. Love my new RL (bought it in July), but have been disappointed with the lack of knowledge/awareness by service staff at my local dealer (Boston Acura) with the car's quirks: XM radio title delay, "pause" command in Hands-free link doesn't work as two examples.

    Am I the only one?
  • pds1pds1 Member Posts: 24
    I had a 1994 Legend Coupe that kept flashing the traction control light and losing acceleration. Manhattan Acura (where I bought) almost took the entire car apart but could not diagnose the problem. They were stumped.

    I took it into Acura of Ramsey (NJ) and the service manager quickly informed me that it was uneven tire pressure. He evened out the pressure in all four tires, and the problem went away. The process took 20 minutes.

    Question - who has the most sophisticated service department in Northern New Jersey? There seems to be a wide variation of expertise from dealership to dealership. Where should I get my new RL serviced?
  • kgd_007kgd_007 Member Posts: 8
    This is really the only thing that is really annoying me with this car at this point. It seems like they should be able to fix this through some sort of software patch. It is interesting that if you turn the key off when it is dart and the ding comes on when you open the door, if you turn the lights off once and then turn them back to auto the dinging will stop and the lights also do not come on.

    Does anyone have an update on this?

    Thanks,

    Kris
  • nebraskaguynebraskaguy Member Posts: 341
    This is really the only thing that is really annoying me with this car at this point. It seems like they should be able to fix this through some sort of software patch.

    Up to two weeks ago, I just found the warning chime annoying. Then two weeks ago, I picked my car up at the dealer after being serviced. It was dark when they brought the car around so the lights were on. As I was driving home, something made me look at the position of the headlight switch. It was set on "On" instead of "Auto". If I'd pulled into my garage as normal and ignored the chime, I would have had a dead battery in the morning. I would have been seriously upset. They need to fix this!

    Other than this, I love my RL.
  • kgd_007kgd_007 Member Posts: 8
    I agree it is more than an annoyance. My wife went into the City the other night. All of our cars have automatic headlights as did my previous 2000 RL. When she parked in the parking garage the chime was dinging so she turned off the lights to make sure they would not stay on. When she returned to the car she proceeded to drive home and after about 10 minutes another motorist let her know the light were not on. She was driving in the city where it was well lit, so you do not need the lights to see, but they are nice to make sure other cars see you and you don't have an unpleasant run-in with the law.

    If someone from Acura is reading this board, please make it a priority to get this fixed. This is not new technology and the lights worked fine with the previous RL.

    Still love the car though.

    Kris
  • pds1pds1 Member Posts: 24
    How does one update the restaurant guide in the RL NAV system? Yesterday, the system directed me to a restaurant that no longer exists. How can I tell the issue date of my Zagat's data? How can I tell if there is an update available?

    Since I just picked up the car last week - should I be required to purchase a new version of the NAV DVD?

    Please let me know how to keep the system up to date.

    Thanks
    Mickey
  • hybrid3hybrid3 Member Posts: 22
    I just purchased my RL and will be picking it up on Wednesday October 12th. Would these TSB's been done already? I guess i should inquire to make sure. You would hope any TSB's would be completed on a new car before delivery.
  • pds1pds1 Member Posts: 24
    Not a chance.

    TSBs are only done when the service department has no other choice. I picked up my car last week with the same hope/expectation. None of the work has been done.
  • hendjazhendjaz Member Posts: 155
    I think you are right on both counts. Best to specifically ask before taking delivery to make sure they are done and also correct that you should expect that they are already done. I would guess they are already done if you have a good customer oriented dealer, which most Acura dealers are.

    I think you will thoroughly enjoy your RL. If not too late, highly recommend adding the wood gear shift and faux wood sport steering wheel along with the rear deck lid at the time of delivery. I think they are little touches that really enhance the appearance of the already great package. I got the steering wheel after delivery because I wasn't sure I wanted it but once it was in the car and in use, I never regretted it. I like the look and feel of this wheel much better than the relatively plain stock one.
  • hybrid3hybrid3 Member Posts: 22
    I just spoke to my dealer about the TSB's. I told them I wanted to make sure they are done on the car before I accept delivery on the car tomorrow. The salesman had no clue about them and told me to speak to service(plus he let me know he has no time to deal with it). Service told me that they only perform TSB's on cars that are brought in for service, not for delievery. Service told me if I have a problem with that I need to speak to my salesman who has no clue about what I am talking about nor wants to spend any time looking into it. I only seemed to get somewhere when I told them I was going to refuse delivery on the car.

    As an aside I asked the salesman what was the amount I need to bring in tomorrow, since I wanted to get the bank check at lunch. I am at work and don't have my paper work in front of me. He said, 'didn't we already give you that.'

    I really like this car despite my Acura dealership experience. I have been to 3 dealers since I started looking. All three dealers were no better than any Ford Honda, or Toyota dealerships that I have been to in the past. I knew more about their cars than any of the sales people did. I was also suprised how ghetto their dealerships are compared to Lexus. When I went to Lexus the salesman was patient, nice, and extremely knowledgable about the cars. It was first class all the way. If I only wanted the GS :( However, I wanted the Acura but they are really leaving a bad taste.

    Acura really needs to work on their dealership experience if they want to be considered a luxury brand. Hopefully I won't get too pissed and cancel the deal. We'll see as I wait for them to call back and I vent here.
  • acuraladyacuralady Member Posts: 27
    What does TSB mean? Should I buy my the 2005 Acura RL today at a really low price since they are getting rid of the 2005 and the manufacturer is giving the dealers a $2500 hold back. Or, should I wait and buy the 2006 Acura RL with the new features and maybe less quirks and problems?
  • hybrid3hybrid3 Member Posts: 22
    Technical service bulletins. I can't imagine getting the price on the '06 that they gave me on the '05. However I think it's a mute point for me, I don't think I can give them my money! If this is how you are treated even before delivery, geez.
  • acuraladyacuralady Member Posts: 27
    I am currently have a real quote in writing to buy the 2005 RL for $9,000 under MSRP. I think if I wait until the 2006 RL comes I can get it for about $5000 under MSRP. That is my guess. Should I wait? Do you think all of the quirks will be resolved by 2006?
  • acuraladyacuralady Member Posts: 27
    Sorry for duplicate. I want this on the main message board. I am in SoCal. I currently have a quote for $40,900 on a 2005. Should I wait for the 2006 to remove the quirks or get the best deal on the 05?
  • acuraphileacuraphile Member Posts: 131
    " got the steering wheel after delivery because I wasn't sure I wanted it but once it was in the car and in use, I never regretted it."

    I, too bought the luxurious steering wheel a month after I bought the car - makes a huge difference - has a great feel and truly augments the sparkle and finery of the interior.

    George
  • hwmovadohwmovado Member Posts: 9
    anyone run into this issue where the traffic bar turns off 20 minutes after start of the car?
  • cumbajoeycumbajoey Member Posts: 2
    Haven't read thru the manual on this one yet, but has anyone been able to synch their PDA (I have a TREO 650 PDA/Phone from Verizon) with the RL's calendar ?

    TIA,

    Joey
  • ishanbishanb Member Posts: 5
    Couldn't agree more. The dealership experience at Acura has declined tremendously since 1991 when I bought my first Acura Legend. I asked the salesman to make sure the TSBs were done. I tried to check to see if there was a punch mark above the VIN number under the hood the car, but couldn't find the VIN-and neither could he. He claimed the TSBs were done, however. Suffice it to say I won't be getting my service done at the dealership where I bought the car, and my experience will be reflected in the evaluation they mail out to new car buyers. I have also written a letter to the CEO of Honda/America describing these events. We'll see if it produces anything except a form letter back.

    Having said all that, the RL is a great car to drive!
  • joatesjoates Member Posts: 1
    Yes, we have had a similar problem with the windshield on the driver's side. We've taken the car in three times to the dealer. The last time they replaced the wiper insert. It did not correct the problem. It's as if an oily substance is being deposited on the windshield in an arc directly in front of the driver's view! We're frustrated.
  • pds1pds1 Member Posts: 24
    My driver's side wiper chatters too - is there a fix? It's kinda loud.

    Should I just turn up the XM?

    Mickey
  • lemon2005lemon2005 Member Posts: 2
    Same type of problem. Prior to purchasing my 2005 RL, I researched...and was aware of the ignition switch & dead battery problem. My RL is less than one month old, has less than 200 miles, and over the weekend - battery was dead. Ignition had been turned off...the "goodbye" faded out...steering wheel did its thing...the doors locked. So I KNOW the vehicle was "OFF." It's at the dealership today...and this one "happening" has forever changed my attitude toward this car. I "loved" this car, but will now ALWAYS wonder, as I walk toward it........is it going to start??? I should have kept my Mercedes CLK320. By the way.....what was wrong with a "regular" key?
  • msu79gt82msu79gt82 Member Posts: 541
    Prior to purchasing my 2005 RL, I researched...and was aware of the ignition switch & dead battery problem. My RL is less than one month old, has less than 200 miles, and over the weekend - battery was dead. ... It's at the dealership today...and this one "happening" has forever changed my attitude toward this car.

    :confuse: So you didn't believe your research? :blush:
  • nebraskaguynebraskaguy Member Posts: 341
    So you didn't believe your research?

    Maybe he, like many of us RL owners, believed the problems were isolated problems in an otherwise fine car. Actually, if one were to research any luxury cars using these boards and were to eliminate any cars whose owners reported any problems, there'd be no cars left to buy.
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    I agree with you regarding "No cars left to buy".
    What gnaws at me is the tagname "Lemon 2005" :lemon:
  • lemon2005lemon2005 Member Posts: 2
    It "gnaws" at me too, but I call them like I see them. You just don't spend $50K on a vehicle and 200 miles down the road accept a dead battery as "oh well, I guess those things happen." That's completely unacceptable. It is what it is. Sorry if I offended you........get over it.
  • nebraskaguynebraskaguy Member Posts: 341
    Sorry if I offended you........get over it.

    I seriously doubt any of us were too offended. All cars have problems. I realize a dead battery is a serious annoyance. However, it would take something more serious than that to turn me off of a car that is otherwise a great car.
  • hendjazhendjaz Member Posts: 155
    "get over it"

    Looks like another Camry driver just got an advance from daddy and got a real car, but hasn't learned how to start it yet.

    Interested in having the facts lemon but keep the attitude to yourself. We're really not interested. :lemon:
  • acuralover3acuralover3 Member Posts: 1
    The owner has a serious issue...and some of us are interested. You might want to read all the posts related to this problem before you reply. He did state all the facts. He went from a Mercedes (not a Camry) to an Acura and expected it to work. I'd be extremely upset too. If you have constructive advice or suggestions, we'd all be interested in hearing your comments about this battery problem. But your "Looks like another...." comment clearly shows that you're the one with the attitude.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I have some constructive advice. Please try to avoid name-calling or any personal comments or I'll have to start deleting everyone's posts (we don't edit posts, so we have to erase them wholesale). Line is in the sand, so try to count to ten and not be provoked. Thanks everyone!

    If I may add my own opinion in such matters---it is statistically likely that a very small percentage of every car made on earth will have a component failure early in its life. There will be bad batteries, bad tires and other defects in manufacture.

    I myself would not be very happy to drive a new car home and have it break down but really, if the problem is solved and the car runs happily after that, it's just one of those things.

    If you think Mercedes and Lexus and Rolls Royce owners escape such mishaps entirely , you'd be wrong I think.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Post deleted for continued arguing on this subject.

    Please drop it, take a breath, shake hands and come out enjoying yourself.

    thank you

    Shifty the Host
  • hendjazhendjaz Member Posts: 155
    Sorry, my earlier post was a poor attempt at being facetious. :)

    The battery drain issue is well documented and appears to occur in some of the RLs when they are very new. Happened to me in the first week of ownership, about a year ago, was addressed successfully by the dealer and has never ocurred again. While it does not seem to be a widespread issue, it does seem to happen enough that one would think that Acura would have addressed it by now. The silver lining appears to be that from my experience and that of others in the forums it does not appear to be a recurring problem for the same vehicle.
  • msu79gt82msu79gt82 Member Posts: 541
    msu79gt82 wrote: So you didn't believe your research?

    nebraskaguy wrote: Maybe he, like many of us RL owners, believed the problems were isolated problems in an otherwise fine car.

    :confuse: The dead-battery issue is well documented. The purpose of my post was to point out the inconsistency of buying a car with a known issue and then choosing to "forever change your attitude" about the car when it came up :sick: I do not understand how someone can love a car knowing full well it is susceptible to a certain issue and then hating it after the known issue manifests itself. :blush:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well you know it's like war...none of us think it's US that is going to "get it". :P
  • jjacurajjacura Member Posts: 807
    "Well you know it's like war...none of us think it's US that is going to "get it" :cry:
    .....unless we are in a fox hole and ready to have our cigarette lit by the same match our 2 buddies used. :sick: or also unless of course we had our last post deleted by the host. I thought I made a good point but concede :cry: the fact that it was AFTER you drew your line. Fair enough. :D
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