PA TL

Thanks, I shall try it this weekend.

Mandy

1. Bad Door handles, Pass and Driver.
2. O2 Sensor, Primary and Secondary.
3. Wind noise.
4. Scratched windows.
5. Bad Foot rest, too far.
6. A/C smell. No Cabin Filter.
7. Bad Leather, cracks.

I still love my TL though.

dan jacobsen

PA, can you tell me where the "hidden screws" are for the dash module? My "D4" light has been out for a long time. I would really like to fix it, especially if straightforward.

Cornflake

Going from memory, been a few months, but there are the two that are visible in the upper part of the dash shroud, then two at the bottom behind the little rubber flap on the top part of the steering wheel. That allows you to get out the shroud... I remember there were two screws hidden for the module itself, I think they were on the bottom part as well. :S Sorry Dan, can't think of it without it bein in front of me.

PA TL

Thanks, cornflake. You bit me to the answer. I found the easy way to access the screws behind the rubber flap on the top of the steering wheel is to tilt down the steering wheel first.
The D4 light is a tiny bulb (pushed into a stand/mount). Once you have access to the back of the instrument cluster panel, you can identify the D4 light stand/mount. The mount will come out by twisting either clockwise/counter-clockwise (sorry I forgot which way).
According to the Acura manual, D4 light is also connected to a sensor in the automatic transmission. If there were problems in the transmission, the D4 light will flash. Therefore, I think keeping the D4 light working is pretty important.

Cornflake

Good stuff. Didn't know that bout the flashing for tranny problems, maybe it's good I changed mine too after waiting 2 years, cause my tranny seems to get more confused about when to shift every day!!! I need to make this thing a 6 spd. BADLY.

Ken1997TL

Yeah, I'm waiting for some $$$ before I do the 6 speed swap. Its going to require some serious custom work for the center console.

Cornflake

I dunno Ken. If it will reach to roughly where theAuto's shifter comes out, I've got a few ideas already how to make a simple, clean boot to cover everything up. That's IF the stick's shifter comes to roughly the same spot. BIG if!!! If not, the yeah, it's gonna take some work. I'm more concerned with making sure the ECU swap plugs in directly since they control so much more than just the engine on these cars.

Ron1

My wife says I have to get her a new car if I can't stop the wind noise from the front passenger window in her 96 3.2TL. Seal looks fine. Motor works fine. HELP!!!!

PA TL

Hello hdhaliwal2002,

Well, I checked the brake switch thread. The threads are completely exposed, plus 1/4" of the strud showing. I do not think the brake switch is kicking out the cruise control. Trouble shooting continues. Thanks for the suggestion.

PA TL

Ron1 - that is unusual. I have owned my 1st Gen TL since new, and it has much less wind noise than the 2nd Gen TL. Did the wind noise just started recently? Just a stupid suggestion but did someone push in your driver side mirror housing recently?
I had that happened to me, and it does create more wind noise when it is pushed in.

Hricik

96 3.2tl with 67000 miles

1) cd player blows, now it never works!
2) D4 lite out - dont need it
3) slow windows(passenger side) same exact prob on 92 integra friends ALWAYS complain
4) scratched windows - when will honda get it together with the windows and motors?


pretty minor things compared to the 2nd gen tranny (Haw-Haw)

hdhaliwal2002

Hello PA TL,

Well actually it seems that it might be your problem. You shouldn't see any of the stud. The brake switch should have its threads touching the pedal arm. If you want to test you could tape the brake light switch down or put a penny between the switch rod and pedal arm to push the stud it in all the way. The later is kind of difficult. I did it while i was driving but it is kinda dangerous also your brake lights won't come on if you do this. So if you go on a lonely rode it may be okay or you should just adjust the brake light switch.

Unplug the switch loosen the bolt and turn the whole switch until the threads meet the pedal arm. Next tighten the bolt to lock the switch in that position. Next plug the harness back in and you are done. Press the brake and make sure the swtich is working and it is not pushed in so far that it is pushing the pedal arm and activating the brakes.

I know the position should have the threads touching the pedal arm because I have the service manual. But you should make sure the the switch is not so far in that it is depressing the brake arm and activating the brakes.

Once you are done, just test the brake light to make sure they are coming on properly.

Hope it works.

PA TL

Hello hdhaliwal2002,

I will try to post a pic later to be sure I am looking at the right thing.

00929

1996 2.5TL 155k

14 light out
2:loud Buzzing sound when I lock my doors
3:Windows are slower then a stock civic
4:Rattling sound coming from the exhaust
5:Transmission is acting really strange (slipping and hards shifts, but only after I have been driving for at least 20 minutes. Friend of mine said it is doing that because transmission fuild gets thinner as the tranny heats up, You get less support from the tranny fuild the longer you Drive)
6:Stock HU took a Replaced it with a SONY(God I love Sonys)


Any one know of a good after market exhaust or a half way resonable custom exhaust Guy??????

spooky3ce

Shouldn't this be a sticky before it goes away to the other pages???

Vincent

1. Slow (and sometimes noisy) windows.
2. Scratched front drivers and passengers side windows.
3. Chipped front windsheild
4. Window falling out of alignment.
5. Chipped headlights.

All of these things have something to do with the glass or plastic. And all of these things piss me off because they ruin the image of my car.

AznImports602

Scratched windows, and when I shift from 1st to 2nd gear. Also does anyone feel like it's kind of a hard shift from 1st to 2nd, because the car jerks really hard. Also my gas seem to be eating more than it's supposed to.

WolfpackBill

Hey there!! I'm a noob in this forum but I'm pretty familiar with other message boards. I'm a member at the Explorerforum.com and I currently own a '96 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer. It's very nice but problems start creeping up, for example, blown head gasket, which led to coolant loss without any visible leaks, but you can find it in the oil. But anyways...I don't want to pay for the repair and currently looking for a more reliable and cheaper (gas) mode of transportation. I really like Honda products because I also have a '90 Accord EX with 220k miles on it and my parents have a '98 Accord EX-V6. So this is the reason why I want to get an Acura. I've always loved Acuras and it's definitely something I can afford right now.

Anyways...thanks for all the responses on this thread. Now, my question is, is it worth it for me to get a '98 3.2TL even with these annoying problems?? Are there any mechanical problems with the 3.2L powerplant?? I've learned to stay away from 2.5L because of cracked exhaust manifold. Heh...that's the reason why I'm selling my truck. Thanks again!!!

spooky3ce

Two problems with the 2.5 TL... the cracked Exhaust Manifold and the front breaks... thats about it for mechanical problems... maybe one of the 3.2 TL guys/girls could give you a heads up on the 2.5 TL's big brother... the 3.2 TL... if i were you... i would get a 3.2... there are more upgrades for it an of course its a V6... still, i'm not knocking on my 2.5... its a cool car that like an energizer battery... regardless of what has happened to it... it just keeps going and going and going... etc... whatever choice you make... Good luck on buying your Acura and hope to see some pics of your choice later in the forum...

R6HURLEY

just wanted to throw up the 100th reply to this post

Mateus44

Did you guys get your tranny flush done at the dealers? My Honda dealer says they do not do a full out flush. They claim to flush out as much as possible by running fluid through it a few times. My 96 TL shifts a little hard from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. Do you have any suggestions whether or not this will clear up the problem or should I find somewhere that does a full flush?

1) D4 light is out
2) Back windows are loud
3) Shifts kinda hard
4) loose suspension (may go for tighter shocks)

spooky3ce

Got my TL's tranny flushed at the Chevron station called Splash in my city... They used a machine to do it... so i guess it was a good thing i got it... TL's tranny shifts smooth again...

N.W.A.TL

[list=1][*]windows squeek [*]2 CD player not working[*]3 After acceleration over 60 mph i smell trans fluid[*]4 My radiator fan stays on long after shut off[*]5 When i lock doors electricaly they keep doing it[*]6 Exhaust leaks center pipe and muffler

Ken1997TL

#4 is normal actually.

WolfpackBill

Thanks man!! I was very very close to getting a '99 Infiniti I30. But everyone kept telling me that I look way too young (22 years old) to drive an I30, even though it looks almost exactly the same as the Maxima.

But yeah, I'm definitely getting a 3.2TL. I found a pretty good deal on a '96 with 63k miles and with the Premium Package, which includes traction control, heated mirrors, butt warmers, etc... Heh...my dad fell in love with it so he said he'll get it for me. Haha...I guess it's gonna be his car too...part-time only!!! :p If I happen to buy this, I'll definitely post pics of it!!

Question: I'm planning to tint my windows, but I'm hesitating because of the scratched windows problem. Are the scratches on the outside of the window or the inside of the windows??

Vincent

Good to hear you're getting an Acura man, they're excellent cars. What color (interior/exterior) are you getting? Oh, and the scratchs on the windows/windsheild are outside. I have absolutely no scratches on the inside of the windows. The only thing about the inside of the windows is the hazing (which is easily removed via vinegar/water solution). So tint away!

About the rough 1st to 2nd, I noticed that too. I always though that I was doing it wrong (like too early or too late) but I guess not. I love using the auto as a 'manual' but stopped because of that kick. Is that kick a bad for the transmission or anything?

WolfpackBill

Thanks, Vincent!! The one I'm looking at is a green, from what I've read from paintscratch.com, it's Juniper Green Pearl. The interior is Sandstone, whatever it is, it's beige. I think it looks beautiful. I love green cars...as you can see my avatar. My Explorer green too.

So, I gather that there aren't a lot of problems with the 3.2L engines, right?? Other than the hard shift from the tranny...which can be easily remedied with a flush.

Ken1997TL

The 3.2 engines are quite reliable. Some of the older ones (1991 and 1992 Legends) had blown head gaskets but was fixed before the years of the TL. The engines themselves are solid if maintainence is done regularly.

spooky3ce

... I should have gotten a 3.2 for the power ie:V6... but i like to see the look on peoples faces when they ask... "is it a V4 or V6?" and I say... "V5" lol... they are like... ... lol...

SurfingScotty

D4 light out (came back on for about 3 weeks after having my new deck put in, then went out again, actually did that a couple times)

Scratched tint
Tranny makes a single **click** noise when shifting from part to reverse

slow front windows

less than great gas mileage (aprox. 320 a tank, mostly freeway speeds)

Pass side seat warmer doesn't get real warm

tail lights fog up

I think that's it. Other than that, the car is great! I get stares everywhere I go. The Type-S wheels makes it look a lot newer. Just wish it was a 5 or 6 speed man. transmission. I hope to keep it for 250K miles+

SurfingScotty

Spooky,
I had a '92 Vigor with the Inline 5, and I loved the thing. I noticed very little difference in performance between it and my 3.2. I saw my Vigor (which I sold with 125K) last week. The guy drives it hard, and said he had 152K and no problems. I bought my 3.2 over the 2.5 because they've been around longer and are more solid than the 2.5 (higher recommended by my friend/mechanic) but the inline was a sweet idea! Hated changed the oil filter however.

UnsanePyro

1) http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94039 There you go, step by step on how to replace, $5 and 30 minutes and you are good to go.

2) Havn't found a fix for that yet, yet.

3) Find a dealer that will do a complete flush and refill, mine took around a little over an hour to be comepleted, and cost me $160, but was well worth it. EVERYTHING was flushed out, not just drained, and the transmission feels much much better now.

4) You're on your own there

Also, if you jsut got the car, check out recalls and stuff. I got a O2 sensor, ball joints, exhaust manifold, spark plugs/wires/oil change, all for free. My first $400 are going towards the transmission flush, coolant system, D4 light, and complete exterior detailing supplies

R6HURLEY

Come on Spooky.....V5......you know it's inline

SurfingScotty

Cornflake

So are all the other ones except for #3!! LOL

SurfingScotty

I actually think that this is a very common feature of Hondas. I've owned a '92 Vigor, and my '96 3.2 TL. My brother's '89 Legend, and friends' '96 Accord all shift really hard. Now this is just hear say, but a good friend of mine worked on my brother's Legend (he's been the chief mechanic at a local dealer for 15 years) and he said he actually ajusted the tranny to shift more smoothly for him. He made fun of him and called him an old man, but his Legend shifts really smooth now. I actually love the hard shift of my car!

Cornflake

Spooky, don't take this the wrong way cause I'm not trying to put you down at all honestly, just trying to educate you so that you will sound proper talking about your car. The term "V" when refering to an engine refers to the cylinder layout. Yours is actually an I5 or INLINE 5 V's typically come in 6 and 8 cylinders, with 4 and 5 cylinder car engines being inline (there are also BOXER 4 cylinders where the two banks of two cylinders are horizontally opposed, but there are only a few of those around). Anyways, that's enough of my long windedness. Is that a word?

spooky3ce

Yeah... no offense taken there Cornflake... we are all here to learn and to meet people with similar interests... I'm familiar with the V... for how the cylinders are pasitioned etc... Click here... thanks for correcting me though... i'm not use to typeing I5... since my Cadillac is a V8 and my moms car is a V6... and my dads truck is a V8 4x4 ... and my younger brothers "truck" jimmy is a V6 4x4... and my wifes car is a V4... or is it... its a 1996 Honda Accord... ... ... i'm kind of use to putting the V...lol... i'm the only I5 in the family... 2.5's are Special!!! lol...

WolfpackBill

All 4 cylinder engines are inline. There aren't a V configuration, at least from what I've known. So it's an I4.

Alright. I had the car inspected by a 3rd party and told me that the only problem with the car I'm looking at ('96 3.2TL with only 62k miles) is slow driver's window when going up. That's all the problems that the car have, other than very little cosmetic spots. So we're getting the paperwork finished either today or tomorrow and have it shipped here by next week. I can't wait!!!!