When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So, I bought a 2009 Acura TL w/Tech for 7 Grand. Wait what? I mean 7 years ago this was almost 40 grand brand spankin new... I wanted one back then but hey I already had a 1999 honda civic that just wouldn't stop running. The civic was rusty but very trusty. It recently had a fuel line leak in the civic so I started looking @ the TL that I had wanted back then. I was convinced that I was going to be getting a new(used) car. I fixed the fuel line leak(rust) in the civic and sold her on craigslist in less than 24 hours.. @ blue book with 200k miles.
This is the $7000 TL that I found. I thought I got a pretty decent deal, what do you think? Wait.. before you answer that.. it has 230k miles :-)
I drove 3 high mileage TL's all with Tech, all about the same price range. The first one looked terrible, scratches dents, the smell inside the car was disgusting, the brakes were spongy, but overall it drove pretty well for having 330,000 miles. I offered them 5 grand, they basically laughed at me. But to me that is what it was worth.
The 2nd one that I drove had 230,000 miles as well, but had a funky smell, had some scratches and the front seats were all jacked up like no-one had taken care of it. It drove like a beast, I loved how it drove. I offered them $6500, they didn't want to budge from 8k. I'm glad I didn't get that one.
The 3rd(and Final) one that I looked at I thought that I was dreaming. Now, the dealer(yes a dealer) was literally located what seemed (to me and my wife) like the ghetto in cleveland. The body was perfect(except for a couple of gouges in the front bumper and the front grill was bubbling up near the hood and 1 tiny 1/8th inch rust spot on the small panel near the grill) Interior did NOT smell like sweaty pits and looked perfect, leather taken care of etc. Underneath there was very minimal rust. It had a stack of pages on the carfax, waxed/detailed and all scheduled maint done and shown in the carfax report. How weird that they put that stuff in there...
Drove it, no obvious problems aside from a strange clunking sound, I pushed down on the car after the test drive and the front right damper was noisy, no big deal to replace and bet that was the clunk that I heard... After a little bit of negotiation, they sold the car for 7 grand.
2 weeks later, the A/C compressor is shot, 2 new front dampers installed (shocks struts whatever you call them) I replaced myself $320 OEM whole assembly(very easy to change btw) I gave her new spark plugs$80 Denso Iridium(they must have been in there for at least 100k, a rear window painted spoiler(from ebay- very nice $60) side protection moldings$150 and put on and rear seat covers$190(I have small kids).
My Todo List:
Timing Belt/water pump kit - $200 Amazon Aisin kit ordered
Serpentine Belt replace(Gates $13)
Bumper Replace/Paint - $80 ebay ordered
Front Grill Replace/Paint - Ordered $200 Ebay china sport mesh grill(not expecting great quality here, but we'll see) I want the Grill Nexson made. Very talented at what he does.
ATF Filter Oring/Fluid Replace
A/C compressor$290/Condensor$80/Drier Replacement$10(I have no idea why the compressor failed and the condensor was only $80 so I thought why not)
Anything else that I should consider replacing for a car with this mileage?
What do you think? Did I get a decent deal on the car? Am I crazy for buying a car with 230k miles?(my family thinks so.. The majority also work for GM and only drive General Motors cars). I want this car to last at least 500k. Hey, atleast it looks better than our old civic:
I'm sure the new owner will get at least another 100k out of her..
The mileage would just a scare me and I would be hesitant. Other than that I would bet you came out on top long term
Thanks for response. To be honest, the mileage does scare me a little bit as well. It looks like they were all highway miles. I really was confident in that old civic lasting much longer but just got tired of the old looking car so that is why I went looking for another high mileage car to replace her. And the TL has some cool new tech(new to me anyway) :-)
Thanks for response. To be honest, the mileage does scare me a little bit as well. It looks like they were all highway miles. I really was confident in that old civic lasting much longer but just got tired of the old looking car so that is why I went looking for another high mileage car to replace her. And the TL has some cool new tech(new to me anyway) :-)
yeah I gotcha. My civic have 261,xxx miles. I'm cool with that though because a replacement motor is 500 bucks haha
newer is better though. Luckily I found my TL with low miles. Yours is a lot newer though. Can't say I wouldn't have been tempted if I saw the same deal you got
nice find... kudos to picking up a high mileager... but in all honestly the j-series engines are solid and will go a long time... it's everything else that will need attention to ensure the car continue to lives...
nice find... kudos to picking up a high mileager... but in all honestly the j-series engines are solid and will go a long time... it's everything else that will need attention to ensure the car continue to lives...
Thx, Nice to hear about the J Series. I've always heard about watching out for automatic transmission issues with Hondas/Acuras, and that worries me a bit... Trying to compile a list of preventative maint. things that I can do aside from Acura's recommended to help aid in giving the car a long life. I want to be frugal about additions/mods but I should focus on the important things first to keep her running:-D
yeah I gotcha. My civic have 261,xxx miles. I'm cool with that though because a replacement motor is 500 bucks haha
newer is better though. Luckily I found my TL with low miles. Yours is a lot newer though. Can't say I wouldn't have been tempted if I saw the same deal you got
Wow $500 for replacement? I wonder what this engine would cost. I've seen them on ebay for this TL and they don't look like bad prices. Probably hit or miss on ebay though... Also it's been a long time since i've swapped out an engine. Last time was when I was about 20 years ago, on a 1978 Cutlass. Things sure have changed since then and probably a little more complicated now. But then again its really just taking something apart and putting it back together right? :-D
^since these engines are PLENTIFUL, you'll find them for as low as $500 all the way up to a grand depending on used mileage....
I replaced a 3G TL engine recently for $650 and $650 for labor.
and its as simple as uninstalling and installing engine...
^since these engines are PLENTIFUL, you'll find them for as low as $500 all the way up to a grand depending on used mileage....
I replaced a 3G TL engine recently for $650 and $650 for labor.
and its as simple as uninstalling and installing engine...
Wow, $650 for labor is impressive, At that price I would gladly pay someone else to do it if I ever needed it. I was thinking in the thousands for labor. I don't have a lift or a shop, just a 2 car garage that really dosent fit 2 cars... I know that's not an excuse, I've heard of people rebuilding these smaller engines in their living rooms :-D
Received the new $85 front bumper today(ebay) looks like decent quality.. The compressor and condenser will probably go in this weekend(if i get the drier - not sure if I want to use the one that comes with the condenser - if it's sealed tight I might, but doubt that it is).
Here is the problem spot on the existing bumper
New one came today!
Other stuff that I received:
And, I have to have a shot of the car outside
I'm on the fence about painting the bumper myself, but maybe I'll give it a try. Local bodyshop wants $400 to paint the bumper and the grill. I purchased 5 cans of duplicolor as well, going to try painting some new oem splash guards first that i picked up new for $20 on ebay. (They aren't the right color, but they are brand new). If that works out, maybe I'll give the bumper a try. I am still waiting on my "sport mesh grille" from china
Here's the China Sport Mesh Grill $192(yikes!) total gamble, supposed to arrive in 3 weeks, we'll see...
Example on car:
This car really has me excited about working on a car again. The ole civic just wasn't doing it for me any more...
I just called the local Maaco shop for paint, they said they have a $199 special, and will paint the grille and bumper. Their shop has great reviews but I've always heard bad things about Maaco paint jobs in general.
They said they use 2 coats sealer, 2 coats base, 2 coats clear
They use Sherwin Williams paint.
I'm guessing that would be better than me trying to paint with dupli-color? What do you all think?
Probably better to have them do it so it comes out the same as the rest of the car. Paint still looks good on it.
Not sure if it's a good price or not as I've never had paint work done. Couldn't hurt to call a couple other local shops. I know there's a couple others local that often beat maccos prices
Put the compressor in tonight, took me about 5 hours, if I had to do it again it would probably take around 2-3 hours. Getting the old compressor out was not easy, very tight fit and I did ding up the radiator fins a little bit :-( I think the condenser is going to have to wait. It looks like i need to take the bumper off and its a little more work. I did look @ the condenser and it is really beat up, I'm glad I have a new one to put on. I'll probably do the condenser tomorrow. Hopefully I don't have to take the splash guard off again to remove the bumper because I put it back on tonight.
I still need to buy some refrigerant. Anyone know how much exactly to put in after vacuum in 2009 TL?
Service manual says:
17.6-19.4oz
1.1-1.2 lbs
500-550g
.50 -.55kg
I've never done this before, bought harbor freight gauges and vacuum. I vacuumed for 10 min and waiting overnight to make sure it still reads as below.
Also, absolutely no oil came out of the old compressor, which is weird right? Instructions said to measure the amount of oil in the old compressor, and remove equal amount from new compressor(which comes with oil)
I would not mess with recharging...
I think on my 3G that right gauge was to 190-200...
Also, we swapped out the alternator at the same time and put a piece of cardboard on the radiator to protect it. Might be a good idea next time.
Cool thread, love bringing a car back to life and at 7K...gimme a break...you're golden!
Thx, I did think about removing the alternator, but the service manual said nothing about it. It would have pulled out easily with the alt gone. I did have to remove the alt. electrical connection. Put clutch facing up, pull it up to the right of the alternator. Cardboard is a great tip. I'm going to attempt recharge but condenser needs to come out first. Looks like if I remove the condenser I also need to add 35ml(1 1/5 fl oz) of Denso ND-OIL 8, which I can't find anywhere. I read that it is PAG 46. I plan on adding oil to yellow line, connect to mainifold, open valve on can, release air from yellow line by manifold, then tighten and open up the low pressure on manifold to fill her up. I'll empty a 19oz can in. Hopefully this all works out. There's a first time for everything I guess :-D
If there is anyone that has done this on a 2009 TL and has any tips, plz let me know.
So, I ordered a 19oz can, some dye and some oil and went to pick it up at advanced auto parts. When I went to pick it up, i looked at the 19oz can. It contained only 16oz of refrigerant and 3oz of "additives". I wanted just straight refrigerant so I swapped that 19oz can for 2 12oz cans of straight refrigerant. Thats 24oz, and I didn't want to put all of it in so I went to walmart and picked up a small kitchen scale for $15.
I decided not to replace the condenser at this time. I'm going to wait until I get my bumper/ grill painted, then I'll have access to remove it. Sure, I'll have to refill the a/c system, but I really wanted to see if replacing the compressor actually fixed the A/C..
I connected the ac manifold and the yellow line to the first can. I weighed the can and connector, and watched to see when it weighed 12oz less than when I started. It took a little while, but it finally stopped right @ 12oz less. I was impressed. So, the 2nd can I did the same thing. Weighed the can and connector and shut it down when it was 6oz less than when I started the 2nd can. That gave me 18oz into the system. Compressor kicks on, car is blowing cold air! I'm not sure if the pressure is correct, it may be a little low from what I am reading. I needed to be between 17.6-19.4oz so I still have a little more room to add some if needed.
Here's what the gauges read now, when A/C is running:
Timing belt kit installed today(Aisin from Amazon). It was a long day... First time attempting this... It took me about 13 hours. Next time, I'd guesstimate it would take probably 6 hrs. CRANKSHAFT PULLY REMOVAL IS A PAIN IN THE *&%$^&** I bought a breaker bar from harbor freight, it was bending pretty well and I thought it would never come loose. When if finally gave I thought I broke that cheap tool, come to find out it makes a kind of snapping sound when it breaks loose. The other thing I had a hard time with were the 2 small bolts on the rear upper cover, the ones in the back I spent probably 3 frustrating hours on them :-( I lost both of them and couldn't find them.
The water pump was a breeze to change out as well as the other parts in the kit, but the block drain bolt I spent probably 2 hours trying to find it, and them another couple of hours to get the thing drained(I didn't open it up enough apparently. I had to make a trip to the Honda dealer for a couple of those cover bolts that I lost, along with some coolant to change out the thermostat. The thermostat bolt in the rear is not easy to get to either. Ohh and I lost some rubber plug thing. I ended up plugging it up with some rubber "fix it wrap" material i had in my plumbing supply box. Whatever the rubber part is, it's right next to the positive cable that runs from the battery and makes a connection near the engine. I'm not sure what it is but I need a new one because its lost. I will post a picture of it later, will need some help figuring out what it is.
Ohh and rookie mistake, I watched a youtube video that explained marking the grooves/teeth on the belt and gears. Not dealing with top dead center etc. I thought that made some sense, so I didn't put top dead center and just marked each gear and the belt, then transferred the markings to the new belt. I thought I could just put it back on without anything moving and all would be well. Well part of the manual says to CLEAN THE ENTIRE AREA. So i did and stupid me cleaned the markings off of the gears. I didn't figure this out until i was putting the belt on... ya so I had to spend a little more time reading and figuring out top dead center etc and was able to line it all up. Needless to say I was a little afraid to start the car. But it started just fine, took it for a test drive and all is well...
Thanks! Honda/Acura dealer has not been open and I did find a rubber piece that fits from autozone,
Unfortunately I am having an issue with the A/C again. The newly replaced compressor is running, but its not very cold on the driver's side(85degrees). The Passenger side is about 57 degrees. I added about an ounce of refrigerant putting me at about the max, but the low side seems way too low and isn't increasing if I add refrigerant. I don't want to add any more as I'm right at the max as far as ounces added. I'm reading it should be over 30psi low side and the high side about 200-220. Here is where it is now and 85 degrees outside temp, both fans connected to radiator are running fine as well.
I'm feeling a little defeated, any suggestions on what might be wrong?
If it's coming out at 57 degrees on one side, that means it's capable of that...if it's not coming out of the driver side that cold I feel like there's a sensor that's not functioning properly.
Either way, STOP pumping the refrigerant in!
If it's coming out at 57 degrees on one side, that means it's capable of that...if it's not coming out of the driver side that cold I feel like there's a sensor that's not functioning properly.
Either way, STOP pumping the refrigerant in!
I am definitely done adding refrigerant :-) I'm guessing it would blow something up if i put in anymore. The picture from just after I replaced it to the current picture the low side didn't change one bit, just the high side increased by adding 1 more oz. From what I've been seeing, a fully functioning a/c system should be blowing about 40 some degrees, and I'm still only getting 55-60 degrees on the passenger side. It almost seems like there is a blockage or something preventing the low side pressure from building, which probably means the oil isn't being distributed like it should be which I guess could end up destroying the compressor again(maybe I should have changed the condenser)
For the differences in the drivers passenger side, I'm just totally lost on this one. Dual climate control temperature sensor, not able to find that. But if there is a separate sensor for both the driver and passenger that might be it. I see in the manual that talks about a driver/passenger mode control motor and the driver/passenger air mix control motor. Sounds like there are 2 control motors, and 2 air mix control motors. Maybe the driver side motor opens some type of mixing flap or something and its getting stuck? It was blowing the same on both sides earlier today, but stopped after about 1/2 hour of driving.
It seems like I have a couple of separate issues, the low pressure not high enough, and the difference in the temp between passenger and driver. I'm not sure what to do next...
After searching acurazine for the part number, it came up with this post https://acurazine.com/forums/4g-tl-p.../#post15842166 Same issue one a 2012 TL. I've asked to see if it actually fixed his issue, if no response I might try to take the actuator off and move it manually to see if it blows cold as suggested in youtube video. Hopefully this is the fix!
So, It's not the mix motor. I took it off, manually moved the lever and no change, move it the other way and HOT air blows. Instead of taking this thing off and operating it manually, you could just turn the heat all the way up on the drivers side, if you have heat, this is not the issue and you don't have to take anything apart. If the air temp coming out of the drivers side stays the same when you turn the temp all the way up or all the way down, this mixing motor may be the issue. Too bad it's not my issue :-(
There is another actuator right above the one i took off, but not sure what it is, but it looks similar.
Still trying to figure it out... Searching for a sensor or something but can't find anything...
Well, this weekend the drivers side was blowing warm and passenger side cold. Today while driving to work and back home it was ice cold on both sides... WTF... The A/C is really annoying the .. out of me.
I did receive the China grill, it arrived damaged, chipped on one corner. And you can really tell it is from china, not symmetrical, not ready for paint. Currently waiting on a partial refund from the china seller on Ebay. If I get the partial refund I'll try to make it work, If not I'll probably just go stock painted. Although the stock grill unpainted is growing on me...
Here are a few pics of the china grill:
Partial refund just hit the paypal account so it looks like I'm stuck with this $100 grill. Will have to make it look good somehow. I will have it painted to match car.
Ideas:
Leave it as is and just paint:
Add a 2012 TL shield(will need to modify it quite a bit)
Add a shield that fits in the middle without modification from TSX MDX ILX TLX etc or some other Acura(Would need some help finding the length from side to side of different shields).
2017 MDX big emblem in the middle(might be a little benz-ish) but thinking it should fill the blank space a little better than a smaller emblem.
Timing belt kit installed today(Aisin from Amazon). It was a long day... First time attempting this... It took me about 13 hours. Next time, I'd guesstimate it would take probably 6 hrs. CRANKSHAFT PULLY REMOVAL IS A PAIN IN THE *&%$^&** I bought a breaker bar from harbor freight, it was bending pretty well and I thought it would never come loose. When if finally gave I thought I broke that cheap tool, come to find out it makes a kind of snapping sound when it breaks loose. The other thing I had a hard time with were the 2 small bolts on the rear upper cover, the ones in the back I spent probably 3 frustrating hours on them :-( I lost both of them and couldn't find them.
The water pump was a breeze to change out as well as the other parts in the kit, but the block drain bolt I spent probably 2 hours trying to find it, and them another couple of hours to get the thing drained(I didn't open it up enough apparently. I had to make a trip to the Honda dealer for a couple of those cover bolts that I lost, along with some coolant to change out the thermostat. The thermostat bolt in the rear is not easy to get to either. Ohh and I lost some rubber plug thing. I ended up plugging it up with some rubber "fix it wrap" material i had in my plumbing supply box. Whatever the rubber part is, it's right next to the positive cable that runs from the battery and makes a connection near the engine. I'm not sure what it is but I need a new one because its lost. I will post a picture of it later, will need some help figuring out what it is.
Ohh and rookie mistake, I watched a youtube video that explained marking the grooves/teeth on the belt and gears. Not dealing with top dead center etc. I thought that made some sense, so I didn't put top dead center and just marked each gear and the belt, then transferred the markings to the new belt. I thought I could just put it back on without anything moving and all would be well. Well part of the manual says to CLEAN THE ENTIRE AREA. So i did and stupid me cleaned the markings off of the gears. I didn't figure this out until i was putting the belt on... ya so I had to spend a little more time reading and figuring out top dead center etc and was able to line it all up. Needless to say I was a little afraid to start the car. But it started just fine, took it for a test drive and all is well...
Need some sleep now....
Haha that was quite the adventure! Nice work you got patience!
What thermostat did you buy? I got the Motorad fail safe, but I read somewhere not to change those unless they've gone bad, and to use honda thermostats only - whatever that means.... actually, I'm gonna ask you that in our thread in the RL section.
Haha that was quite the adventure! Nice work you got patience!
What thermostat did you buy? I got the Motorad fail safe, but I read somewhere not to change those unless they've gone bad, and to use honda thermostats only - whatever that means.... actually, I'm gonna ask you that in our thread in the RL section.
Thanks! It was definitely trying my patience @ times... I looked @ aftermarket thermostats on amazon, price wasn't that different from OEM. I've read the same about using honda only. I think I saw a video from ericthecarguy says he only uses OEM honda thermostats so that's what I went for as a few of his video's have been quite helpful to me at least. The old thermostat looked fine, but I replaced it anyway since I was in there and had the coolant drained from water pump change. The coolant that came out was green, I bought the newer Honda stuff which is blue in color.
That's a cool looking grill...
how much is the ronjon one? Or is it discontinued?
I did my tstat when I did the timing belt and the replacement didn't look as beefy as the original, even though it was the same brand oem!
Thanks, this grill is from china and quality is something to be desired, but I'll work with it. The ronjon I've seen a few posts but too much $$, not sure if its discontinued. However I did see a ronjon on ebay for like $350
Thanks! It was definitely trying my patience @ times... I looked @ aftermarket thermostats on amazon, price wasn't that different from OEM. I've read the same about using honda only. I think I saw a video from ericthecarguy says he only uses OEM honda thermostats so that's what I went for as a few of his video's have been quite helpful to me at least. The old thermostat looked fine, but I replaced it anyway since I was in there and had the coolant drained from water pump change. The coolant that came out was green, I bought the newer Honda stuff which is blue in color.
Motorad cost 25 bucks shipped. I'll check how much it is at the dealer.
I'm buying the blue from dealer as well, along with their oil and oil filter, and pcv valve, changing that just in case. I think I've covered whatever could possibly be changed in a timing belt job.
Well, I was planning on doing the ATF fluid 3x3 and ATF Filter change this weekend, but it looks like I'll have to remove the ATF Filter from my TODO list unfortunately :-( It looks like I have to take the tranny off to change the friggen ATF filter? WHY for the love of GOD!!! argh This is really disappointing, I mean isn't this a paper filter and its been on my car for 230,000 miles??? Paper... Filter...Not servicable???????? Dealer wants 9 hrs to replace this $15 filter.... Why can't it be inline, I mean really?
The steps in the service manual don't start with removing anything, but the picture looks like the transmission is completely removed...
Well, It's amazing how the little stuff starts to add up after a month. I'm up to almost $10k at this point(Which was my budget for a used car). Here is the breakdown so far
The air still isn't working quite right, depends on the day. Passenger side is always cold. I still need to get the grill and bumper painted so that'll add a couple hundred $$ more.
I haven't done any work on the car for the last week or so. The wife thinks the master bath remodel is more important so I've been tearing out walls/tile, plumbing, taping and mudding. Hopefully I'll have the paint, kerdi and tile up by the end of this weekend so I can get back to the car!
I do something similar, which always makes me wonder if it would have been smarter of me to just buy one for more money that didn't need the work.
But then, no...because it's a hobby.
I do something similar, which always makes me wonder if it would have been smarter of me to just buy one for more money that didn't need the work.
But then, no...because it's a hobby.
I was starting to wonder the same after breaking it all down, not that far off from something a little newer/less miles. But ya like you said a hobby, I've enjoyed working on it so far and even though it can be frustrating @ times(A/C) overall it's kind of a stress relief getting out in the garage and getting dirty(or it might be just getting away from 4 screaming kids for a little break). :-)
I'm taking it to the Acura dealer for the first time Friday to get the Airbag Inflator done, also going to get the software update for torque converter issue. ATF 3x3 fluid change is next.. After the bathroom update is done.
Yeah man...
some things you have to admit defeat on, I agree...
I've been lucky to be able to sort previous cars but I don't know if I'll do that again, probably if it's a killer deal it's cause someone didn't feel like doing the legwork!
What we need is people that dump the car for nothing over the 105K service
I'm starting to feel like I paid too much for this thing. Still love the car and its running great don't get me wrong. Hindsight I probably should have kept the civic a little while longer and looked for a better deal. Would have been nice getting one where someone is dumping just b/c of 105k $$ service and AWD. But then again AWD is just something else to go wrong on a high mile car, prob. not cheap to fix. I might need to just log off this site and feel good about my purchase.. HA :-D
08-27-2016, 09:58 PM
