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ALLDATA: 2001 Acura TL
GENERAL RECALLS:
1. 02-027 AUG 03 Campaign - Automatic Transmission Warranty Extension
BACKGROUND
In certain vehicles, a higher than normal number of
automatic transmissions may have defects in material
or workmanship that could cause premature wear or
failure. To ensure that customers have adequate
warranty coverage, American Honda is increasing the
warranty on the transmission (including solenoids) and
the torque converter to 7 years or 100,000 miles,
whichever occurs first.
But the light problem is definitely covered unless your warranty has expired. Of course if rats have torn up the insulation, they might also have chewed up wiring, and that is not covered under warranty.
Just noticed my headlights need a little adjusment
Can i do this myself? Any tool or gizmos to do it?
Thanks.
Should be pretty easy to do yourself. Just a few minutes of your time.
I'll check it out.
Thanks a lot!
just pry it open with a tiny flat blade screwdriver. Both piece should
separate.You will then have access to the battery. Check your connection and battery voltage & in any case change your battery.
If your thinking of E-Baying one, make sure the FCC# matches the one
engraved on the back cover of your remote.
That's it!
I'd tested my MM's alarm system, but what happened yesterday was a little embarrassing.
I parked in a medical center parking lot waiting for my daughter to come out. To help keep the car cool, I opened the moonroof and windows and wandered around the parking lot to kill time and get a little excercise, with the car always in sight.
When I went back to it, it was locked, then the fun began. Not aware that I shouldn't, I reached through the open driver's window and unlocked the car using the electric rocker switch.
WRONG!!! As I opened the door, the alarm went off in full fury. I used the red remote button to silence it. Ah, fine. Nope!! When I tried to start it with it's proper key, it again threw a tantrum and shut down the ignition system. This went on for about five minutes until I finally hit the right combination of closed windows etc, and it finally agreed it was my car after all.
Moral of the story:
If you leave your MM unlocked with the windows and moonroof open, and come back to find it locked (it seems to have locked itself), DONT unlock it by reaching inside and using the door buttons, use the remote control (I think that would have averted the alarm episode).
I thought I was going to get arrested for grand theft auto. ;-{
Then last year my mom told me that my parents '02 S locked automatically. I told her she was crazy that it does not lock by itself. To my surprise last weekend I was at my parents house and was talking to my dad outside so I unlocked the car door. Then about 2 or 3 minutes later while I was still talking I heard the car door lock automatically while I was still talking, luckly I still had my keys in my hand.
The mechanic that I go too asked my sister, when she was going to pick-up one of her vehicles, if she had ever heard of a car locking itself because he had a BMW that he was working on, he had the engine running at the time, that the doors locked automaticlly on him.
This seems like a lot of miles for a 98?
Thanks!
Sure it is a lot of miles... good idea or bad? Well, for me it would be bad.
I ended up not purchasing that car and then came across this one. The miles just turn me off though. From the looks of the car it looks nice.
I've changed plugs before but never on this car.
The space seems restricted! Anyone with experience
in the matter?
Also, i can't seem to find V-Groove (OR higher performance) plugs for this car, only OEM.
I wouldn't mind the Platinum coated ones.
Anything for Fuel effeciency and performance is good!!!
Your rim is probably OK. When I changed tires, I suddenly had 4 rims with leaks. I had the tires remounted after the rims were cleaned and "lubed" with the standard "sealant" that tire shops usually have.
All the tires leak less air now than they did with the original tires.
If you have a bent rim that is bad enough to cause a leak, you will probably notice it while driving. Been there; done that.
Hope that helps.
dan
I love MY 98 Mazda S hunter green with alloy wheels....check me out --->http://members.blackplanet.com/Jazzygermaine/#
Please help please RESPOND......Im 5'1 in height and cant drive with the steering wheel locked in the postion as though Im driving a BIG RIG.....BIG TRUCK ....I cant see over the steering column
Jazzygermaine, that does seem like an outrageous amount of money for the tax - is that what you meant to say, $3k in taxes?
I, being a person of determination, decided to do whatever it was going to take to fix the problem. As an engineer, I approached this in a systematic way. I first obtained the wiring diagrams and located all the possible failed components.
You have to first start with the two fuses that might be blown.
Next you check the relay behind the rear seat to see if it is powered and delivering twelve volts to the switches.
Next you have to check the switches to see if they are in fact powered, ready and able to deliver power to the seat heaters. In my case the little lights did not illuminate so I replaced the switches. Getting them took a week. Don't try and pry them out, you have to start inside the center console and remove the panels around them.
Each seat is a circuit on its own. There is a heating pad inside the seat bottom, and another in the seat back. If either of them is burned out, the seat will not heat. It is possible for one seat to be burned out and not working, while the other one works fine. They are very separate, at least after the relay.
After I determined that power was being delivered correctly to both seats, and still no heat, I decided to really get into this. This forum contains some real myths about the seat heaters - let me clear these up. You do not have to take apart any of the leather. Once removed, the seats come apart fairly easily from the bottom. You have to remove the hog-rings that hold the main seat cushion in place. This takes hog-ring pliers and some strength. Once you release the hog rings, and are able to lift the seat cushions, you will be able to remove the seat heaters.
Here's what they look like when they are out:
Here's some close-ups of the burned wires sticking out.
It is my opinion that the chance of failure of the fuses, relay and switches are pretty remote. The failures are ninety percent the seat bottom heating element. Failure of the element in the seat back is not very common, and in my case I didn't try and remove them because they worked fine.
Once you have the element replaced, you have to use those hog-ring pliers and some new hog rings to put everything back together.
The replacement heating elements are not made by the same company as the originals - probably a good thing. Maybe the replacement parts will be better than the original ones.
Anybody in Ontario that wants their seat heaters repaired, let me know.
One observation. Quote: "As an engineer, I approached this in a systematic way."
"While you approach it as an engineer, that is the exact method any good mechanic would use to isolate the problem. I am sure you have greatly cleared things up for some who are experiencing cold butts in St. Paul and Alberta. :-)
I think your site deserves this link.
http://www.kw.igs.net/~bradley/
Replacing them requires that the seat be removed and disassembled. It's not a very difficult job, but does require hog ring pliers and a set of new hog rings. A hog ring is a little ring about a half inch in diameter, and they secure the seat bottom to the seat frame. There are a couple dozen of these to be pried apart, and then after the job is done, replaced with new ones.
If your seat heaters don't work, it's more than ninety percent chance it's the elements.
The next one I do I will photograph the entire process, step by step. Seems to be a lot of interest in this....
http://home.att.net/~rexjr/Spark_Plug_Changing_Guide.doc
But please keep MM information coming, I have googled for various aspects of maintenance on them, and seldom find anything useful.
I have removed only one message that you posted and that occurred about four months ago. It was not a "detailed technical post"; it was a message that contained some thoughts and observations about your vehicle. It also, very unfortunately, included a violation of the Membership Agreement. You and I had an extended email exchange about why it was necessary for me to remove it. If you still have questions, please feel free to get back to me off-line and we'll talk some more.
The Membership Agreement and the Rules of the Road (links at left and above) try to explain our community standards, but if anything is unclear, I am more than happy to try to help. Just let me know.
A second question and this may sound stupid but what are hog-rings?
Hog rings are small circles of wire, probably about a half inch in diameter. They are a fairly high quality steel because bending them takes a special type of plier, and when they are bent, they stay bent. They are a very common item used in upholstery and fences.
Here's some pictures of hog rings, and if you surf this site a bit, they'll show you some pliers.
http://www.hooverfence.com/catalog/cpage58.htm
That's an even better picture of hog rings and a pair of pliers.
Thank you wwbradley on your hog ring info.