chao_zu55

Hi everyone,
I'm fresh to this site, not sure how everything work yet, but I have read some posts already and they seem to really helpful.

I have a problem I would like to ask you guys before I take it to the acura dealer... (so expensive )

my tl has almost 300k on it now, a few months ago the problem started.. (around jan, but its happening more often now) anyway

the car start without a breeze and engine sounds pretty healthy (from what I hear,but i'm not very technical with cars) but the RPM is really low... around 500 or some, sometimes even lower than that, if i'm quick I give it a little gas and it would be ok when i shift to gear, but if i'm a little slow on the gas, the car just dies, at times this would happen 2 or 3 times before I can get the car moving.

yesterday i went to a local mechanic and he say it MIGHT be carbon build up in the throttle body and other places, and he said this problem happens with the honda brand cars and everytime he tries the throttle body cleaning stuff the rpm goes crazy... anyway i took it to part source and the guy there recommended the seafoam cleaner... I did it last night, 1/3 in the intake, 1/3 in the gas tank, and the other 1/3 i will wait closer to my next oil change.

but as far as i can tell the problem is still there... I havnt made any changes to the car except rotors and pads on all 4

anyone out there might have any idea or experience the same thing?

answers are appreciated

twill220

im having the same prob. only mine starting happening right after i changed the ignition switch. i also have a 99tl, my 3rd acura. antway, last week the car died twice while on the hiway doin 70. after research it was the ignition switch. it had already been done by the recall by prev owner. dealership wanted 190 for labor and 82 for part. did it myself thx 2 acurazine, part was 65 at autozone. immediately after that switch change it started stalling after starting fine. have not found remedy yet but thats what im doing today. lets share info and figure this out

chao_zu55

I change the ignition about ... 2 yrs ago even tho it was recal and the dealer should fix it for free, they didnt tell me about it and i ended up paying for the repair... they got quite a bit of money from me... pissed me off... they couldnt figure out the problem, so they changed the starter, and the whole electrical cables... then they changed the ignition switch... such a waste, now that i found this site i think i will be doing more things on my own...
i'm just researching on the net for fuel pump/filter locations and might give that a try.
if i cant figure it out soon i'll just take it in and have acura look at it.

chao_zu55

for anyone reading this, I went to the acura dealer today and they fixed the problem... (went the expensive way ) basically they cleaned the throttle body and adjusted the screw for idle... really simple but paid a lot of money, hope it helps ppl out there with similar problem

PlatinumTL

Odd, my 99 TL just started doing it this morning. I drove for about 45 minutes, parked, then after meeting came back to the car. First 2 times, the car started but stalled out after like a half second. Third time, I gave it some gas and it held on. I stopped for a gas fillup and the car started fine this time. Drove another 35 minutes on expressway then stopped for lunch.

After lunch, this time it took me 5 tries before the engine held on and didn't stall out. It's sitting in my driveway right now and I'm planning on cleaning the terminals a bit but doubtful it will help since the radio and everything work fine even after it stalls.

I did get my ignition switch or whatever it was replaced/cleaned free of charge a couple of years back, could it have gone bad again? I'm trying to log into Owner Link to find out the exact part that was replaced

NSXNEXT

iTrader: (2)

The symptoms PlatinumTL is providing are not a result of a bad ignition switch. It sounds like you need to clean the throttle body as well.

I would not touch the idle adjustment screw. This should be a last resort.

Run a can of seafoam through the intake tract and in the gas and see what happens.

weirdxpsycho

time for new cars =[ i get this promblem sometimes too.

Ray11

I've been having the same problem for a month or two as well with my 99 (150, 000 miles). When I got my last oil changes at a "minute lube" I got up sold (I never allow this to happen) for the fuel system cleaner which involved a can of cleaner in the gas tank and a can of something run through the air intake (?). It seemed to help for about a week or so but now the problem has returned. Hey chao, what did it cost to get the throttle body cleaned?

chao_zu55

hey guys, sad news, the 2nd day i left the dealer it happened again... (this time the weather wasnt even warm) I did try that seam foam stuff before i took it acura and it didnt do anything. oh ya i paid 100 bux to have the guy clean the throttle body... what a waste...
anyway i rescheduled to get it look at again, and will keep you guys updated... i know how frustrating this could be

PlatinumTL

Just got an update from my garage on my TL. He said the code they pulled was something like P1676 (I dont have any CELs or other lights coming on though) but it wasnt very useful

He said they did some testing and said it may be a bad ignition switch as well as gunk in the throttle body. He said if they replaced it, it may even fix the intermittent alarm issue I reported, but I don't believe it for some reason. The ignition switch seems to do its job of starting the car but it stalls out after that, pointing to some other issue. What do i know though, I'm not really a car guy.

They're quoting $515 for everything inc taxes for ignition switch replacement, throttle body cleaning, and labor.

He'll send me a cost breakdown through email soon. Any experts wanna weigh in on this assessment? I was going to ask if I should just ask to get throttle body cleaned, but doesnt look like it helped Chao's issue.

PlatinumTL

BTW, what should idle be for a 99 TL? Mine sits at 500 right now but I couldve sworn it used to be like 750 when it was newer.

PlatinumTL

alrite, just called the guy back and told them to do all the work for $515. I asked what if this doesn't fix the alarm issue, but he said if it doesn't they wont charge any extra for it, so I guess I'm killing 2 birds with one stone if this is the case. He'll have it fixed today and I should be able to pick it up tomm.

I'll report back, but keeping my fingers crossed that I didn't just drop $500 for nothing

AcuraTL00

headdds up guys i had this guy i know that is the master mechanic for honda clean my throttle body about 3 or 4 months ago with the same problem but it did not fix the problem because i had it happen once since i did that. thisss is gayyy!

cseyer

I just had the same experience as PlatinumTL with my 99 TL. Has been running fine with no CEL, I havent yet connected to see if there are codes that havent set the CEL.

Upon startup the car immediately stalls, went through 3 startups last night before starting and hitting gas to get RPMs up, then it was fine.

I have had the ignition replaced under recall several years ago, I have also had the throttle body, EGR, cleaning/drilling done ~4-5 years ago.

Will be watching thread closely for fixes, I may try pulling the throttle body off this weekend and cleaning it up.

cseyer

Ill check the repair manual but I believe its closer to 750.

Blamson87

It sounds Like it just Gunk Build up in the thorrtle Bodys...but Chao said it dont work..Confusing Thats why I bought a 03 TL

chao_zu55

hey guys, I didnt think so many would have this problem. I took the car to the dealer yesterday and they had it for a whole day and didnt figure out whats wrong... they said it COULD be the idol air valve sensor or something but but it was just cleaned like a week ago... they also said it could be the fuel pump regulator...because it regulates how much fuel goes into the engine with the air? either way it would cost me at least 350+ tax to get it fixed... I dont know what to do this sux!

myTLgoesBWAAH

i have the same problem sometimes! not always tho im trying t figure it out but have no clue! hopefully one f you guys figure it out so i can solve it! it drives me insane!!!!!!

chao_zu55

Hey guys, Just figure i give an update... problem still happens but i find it happen more often in hot weather/temp than cold. I will bring it back to the dealer on a hotter day so they can properly diagnose the problem as it occurs in their garage... *sigh* this is a crappy problem, now i'm afraid to go out of the house

PlatinumTL

It's been about a week since I got my 99 TL fixed for this issue, and so far so good. The car has started just fine since the fix, and as a bonus, my alarm has not gone off randomly either.

There were a couple of times when I accidentally used my remote starter (aftermarket) and the car started a bit weaker than normal, but other than that, it's been a strong start and no stalls.

Blaze.45

How hard would it be to clean the throttle body yourself?

chao_zu55

Hey guys I've been reading and search a lot lately regarding this problem... Although the dealer said they cleaned the throttle body (as well as the ICAV, cauze there is like a by pass or something) I want to take a look at it myself and see if there are any more gunk in there... also I've read some stuff about the EGR... is that easy to clean?
if anyone has any idea of how to clean one or both, please share (best with pics with the locations of the ICAV and EGR). or even better if anyone know if there is a DIY somewhere with pics, it would be greatly appreciated.
thanks in advance.

MR101

iTrader: (2)

Same problem here i have a 99 tl with 130k took it into the dealer because it will stall when i would turn it on , but as soon as i give it some gas it will go. Got the IAC (Idle Air Control) Replaced for 500.00(i got raped). And the problem is still happening will take it back to the dealer on Monday.I seafomed the car and everything, no idea whats going on...HELP!!!

Scott_F1

This is funny...twice in the past month or so this has happened to me. '99 TL with 182K on it. Anyone experience it when the car is parked at a slight incline? Nose of car higher than rear? Both times this happened, the car was parked in such a fashion. Coincidence, or a clue to the problem?

chao_zu55

not with my car... the very first time it happened when my nose was lower than the back... but it still happens on flats for me... it has been a lil cooler these days so there hasnt been any problems. hope its bot going to warm up too soon lol

GamPAT

Is it not odd that we are all experiencing this problem around the same time? Could it be the warming spring weather outside? I am located in Atlanta and had these problems yesterday for the second time (mid to high 70's temperature yesterday, first time i believe was a warm day anomaly back in early march).

Well my 99TL with only 80k experienced multiple stalls yesterday. First time earlier last month was more of a weak start and stall before I even got it in gear. Yesterday I stalled at a traffic light after 5 minutes of driving, doing 45+ mph on the congested interstate after 20 minutes of driving, and near my driveway at the end of the day. Should I take it to the dealership and get some of this work done? I just don't want things to escalate.

GamPAT

I also purchased this car about 4 or 5 years ago with only 50k miles on it. I am not sure if the previous owners took care of any ignition problems or recalls. Should I check into this and how do I go about doing so?

jws247

My 98 cl 3.0 has just starting showing the same symptoms, I've only owned the car for 2 weeks, but a couple of days ago i noticed a slight sputter and the rpm gauge dropping right after I started it up. I had a similar problem with a 96 s-10 and best i can remember i just used some fuel injector cleaner the next couple of times i put gas in it and that was it. Trying that with the cl and hoping this will fix it, also oddly this sputter/stall started the day after i took out the air filter to see if it needed replacing??

fabulousfab

my 99 3.2 tl is doinf the same thing so i took it to the dealer and they say its an ignition switch gthey wanna charge 275.00 canadian it was a warm day and its been doing it for the two warm days i beleive its a fuel problem and before i allow them to work on it i want some guarentee that im not just throwing my money away!!! will let you know how it went on monday.

jws247

I see alot of people being told it's the ignition switch, doesn't make sense to me. Especially if the stall happens after you start the car, once the engine has started the ignition has served it purpose, right?

chao_zu55

This problem is soooo annoying!. I dont know what to do anymore! i just spent over 2k replacing all the rotors, breakpads, waterpump, belt and tensioner. i cant just throw this car away now, and i cant keep throwing money in there. i really hope more people read this post and really have a cheap solution for this problem

really appreciate all the responses i've been getting from this post.

jws247

I put some lucas fuel treatment in my tank last time i filled up, it's been a week and i haven't had the problem since... nock on wood

FuriousSam

It happened to me two weeks ago on a certain incline. However, on other inclines it was ok (I will be going back to the same spot to see if I can duplicate the problem).

DJEurobeat

Same here ! the funny thing is when the engine is cold it starts with no problems and works just fine , but after driving some time with worm engine it will do the same . I dont understand what can it be and how to fix it . Will go to mechanic tomorrow to see what they say . And my egnition was replaced 2 weeks ago so that is not it!

sadate

could this be because the Idle Air Control Valve? My car is experiencing the same problems and I need to take it in to get my ERG valve cleaned also

YoungGun

Wow, so many people with the same issue. I am having the same issues and it just started today. I have had a problem with random misfires and have not been able to to figure out what the hell is wrong with that. Now today my car dies at ever stoplight I encounter. I'm ready to drive my TL off a cliff...

99 TL w/ 275k.

AznHonda

iTrader: (2)

have anyone try to change the fuel pump to see is that the problem or change the fuel rail?

fsttyms1

test the fuel pressure before replacing every thing

fabulousfab

well i ran some stp injector cleaner through the last tank of fuel and not one time did it stall! this week it stalled on start up when i was parked on a inclined drive way. not sure what to do now?????

FuriousSam

My car stalled again and of all places... BJ's tire center (right on the lift, slight incline) as I was trying to drive it away from the garage (stalled once, second time it started fine). Interesting thing was that the mechanic also owns a 99TL (178k with original transmission) and he said he's been having the same problem lately. He said he cleaned out the ports, checked the ignition, etc... He's said he was going to change out the coil packs and plugs, but he didn't mention about the fuel line though. Maybe he'll look into that after he does the tune up.

After that I went to the mall and it stalled again (flat ground) and it took me three tries (I gas on the third try) and it was fine. Now I am parked on that same incline when my car first stalled so I'll report back later.