yonkiman

Woke up this morning and my 2007 TL Type's battery was dead (measured 10V unloaded, wouldn't even pretend to turn the engine). It was fine yesterday afternoon and the headlights were on auto (where they always are) - there was nothing on or new that could account for the battery discharging. I only have about 13k miles on the car.

Had it jump started, and the tow-truck guy said "that's the only problem I ever see with these Acuras - sometimes the computer drains the battery."

Has anyone else had or heard of Sudden Acura Random Overnight Battery Discharge Syndrome (SAROBDS) before?

erick3

yeah, that's happened to me on my 05 a couple of times - best thing to do is replace it with an optima battery: i haven't had a problem since. however, since you're still under warranty, best bet is to go back to the stealership and let them know of the bad battery; covered under warranty. neverthelessssss, those batteries suck balls...i had mine replaced under warranty, but i ended up replacing it with my yellow top maybe 3 months after - died.

SkC13

weird. my battery was drained this weekend too. i didn't drive my car for 2 days because i was out of town and when i get back and try to start the car, it wouldn't even try to start the engine.

my tls is only 4 months old. i'll probably go in and get the battery replaced.

Elegant TYPE S

iTrader: (2)

Happened to me a copule of times too, do you have an aftermarket alarm installed? Or sometimes the trunk lid might have been open without realizing and the stupid trunk light in the car can drain it. These were the source of my problems, but I do agree in that these batteries suck ballz..

Romeo8Juliet

Uh-oh.. I hope this doesn't happen to me.. that'd suck big time. :-\

Thank god my work pays for AAA.. I'd be SO mad to come out of work and be stuck there longer until I could find someone to come help.

Babnik

I must be lucky, my battery is 4 years old and still fine. Once I didn't drive it for an entire week, and it still fired right up.

08WDP

i would just call the # on the Acura care card and just tow my car from my house to the dealer and demand a new battery replacement.

csmeance

with new cars, they sit on the lot and also sit while being transported and the battery discharges. Once these batteries discharge, they cannot be restored to their previous condition while in the car. Go to your dealer, batteries are covered 3 years, 2 with free replacement, the last with pro-rating, from the day the battery is installed.

LoveMyTL-S

Don't forget you can also use your Acura TLC card for free help and tow.

SouthernBoy

Did any of you who saw their battery do dead, notice if your outside temperature display was showing flatlines? If so, this will drain your battery. You can correct the flatline problem by either pulling a fuse #7 as I recall, or removing the negative battery cable for about 4 seconds. Of course, if your battery did die, you won't need to remove the cable or pull the fuse.

clavodulce16

wierd :/
I have an 04 TL with original battery. I do also have 2amps for my music.
900watts and 1200watts. with a 1.5 farad capacitor.
Battery is good as new ( knock on wood )

Spiritman

There is info on this in the latest pub. from Acura. Take a look.....

http://www.in.honda.com/Rjanisis/pubs/SN/B080700.PDF

suprchrgdvtectl

Elegant TYPE S

iTrader: (2)

If its the original battery from an 05 ... its 99% toast. Im shocked you got 6 years out of that junk.

ackrite_tl05

You must of definitely had a diamond in the rough to last that long if original as Elegant TYPE S said

MyRide2005

My 2005 TL's original battery is still going strong. I remember a recall after owning it a few years for something to do with the nav draining the battery. They had to remove and replace it and I never had a battery problem before or since.

ppsqc

I have an 05 TL, had almost no problem until this past June when I replaced the original battery. Was away for barely 10 days and the brand new battery from Autozone was dead; jump started, drove for about 3 weeks, dead again, AAA jump started and recommended a battery replacement even though the diagnosis showed there was nothing wrong. Drove another 2-3 weeks, dead again; jumped started on Monday but went dead on Friday. Took it back to Autozone, had a 3rd replacement in barely 3 months ... based on the posts here and my past experience with other cars, I am almost certain it is an Acura issue. Has anyone received any recall from Acura regarding the battery problem? Thank you.

COLINGER

Freaky week for several of us. I replaced a dead battery not two months ago. I come out and the battery is completely dead. It had a volt reading in the 9's and I"m thinking that is un-rechargeable! I purchased a new one today and I really hope this one lasts - I am framing the receipt because something is draining the battery. Some research suggests the hands free link is the culprit of draining batteries. Anyway, with a voltage meter and some fuse pulling we should be able to figure out the parasitic drain.

TJD2007TLS

iTrader: (3)

When you replaced the battery with a non OEM brand are you sure the cable clamps did not "bottom" out? I installed a WalMart brand two years ago and noticed the clamp bolts did not squeeze on the battery post. Is it possible that the aftermarket battery has a slightly smaller diameter post than OEM?

I haven't had a problem yet but always wondered why I could not get a good grip between the post and OE clamp.

donaldso718

I think my battery has gone dead. I was getting gas and tried to start it after and my dash lights kept flickering everytime it tried to crank.

After that it turned on and my check engine light, brake light, vsa light were all on. I then turned it off again and started it and all the lights went away.

Now it won't start completely but my head lights and all other electronics in my car still work. Is this my battery??

thassett

I'm having the same issue. I have a 2006 TL Navi, 100k miles. About a year ago I replaced the original battery with a Wal Mart EverStart battery. Everything has been working great, until about 3 weeks ago when I left my TL for 5 days, came home, and the car was totally dead. No interior lights at all (not even dim), nothing when I turned the key, nothing. It was like there was not even a battery connected.

So I charged the battery, and everything has been working okay, BUT if I leave the car for a day or two, I notice that it is a little weak when the engine turns over.

I feel like there is some sort of system that slowly is draining the battery.

Thoughts anyone??

Will Y.

1) Check the battery clamps-- they are often oversized and stretched compared to the battery posts. Buy a post shim from the auto parts store and install if either clamp is still loose on the post when the nut is fully tightened.

2) Check for corrosion on the clamps. If there is corrosion, clean it off completely and check the rest of the cables -- several posters had enough corrosion in the cables to warrant replacement of the cables and clamps.

3) Less likely, but warranting a TSB for '04-'05 TLs: a bad HFL unit which continues drawing power more than 1/2 hour after shut-off. The HFL is designed to stay on for 1/2 hour after the ignition shut off to allow you to finish phone calls before shutting down; some where remaining on and continued to draw amperage 24/7. There are a few threads about this for the early 3G TLs.

G/L.

NBP04TL4ME

Had my OEM battery replaced earlier this month. Sat in the garage for the weekend and went to start it Monday morning. Dead, dead, dead - wouldn't even unlock the door. Pushed it out of the garage and called the Mrs. back from dropping off the kids. Jumped it very quickly and drove 30 miles. It seemed to keep the charge as it started up a couple of hours later, but brought it to the dealer as I didn't want to mess with a battery that had been fully discharged.
The surprise for me was there was no warning of it starting to fail. It was starting like a champ and then suddenly dead. Could be the HFL mentioned above, but not sure. We'll see how long this one lasts - especially now that we are in the winter months.

Mug

After two or three dead surprises, I installed a fully automatic battery maintainer (trickle charger). I just replaced my OEM battery a few months ago. I still keep the car plugged in if it has been parked longer than 4 days.

I mounted the charger in the car and have the plug wire from it just long enough to tuck into the underside of the front bumper. I just reach up and pull it out and plug it into an extension cord.

NBP04TL4ME

Shouldn't be necessary with cars like ours, but certainly sounds like you have yourself covered.

wiryhair

I have 2008 TL-S with 46500 miles on it. I coundn't start my car last monday, March 12, 2012. I mean I couldn't even open the door or trunk. It was literally dead. I drove my car on saturday, and didn't drive the car on sunday. So it was only one day, and the battery w
as dead. What makes this worse is, actually samething happened about 3 months ago, Dec 5, 2011 on monday. I brought my car to POHANKA ACURA IN VA, they said they couldn't find any problems in the car or battery, and this time, they were saying exactly same thing. Since they couldn't find any problem, there was nothing they coulnd do, even they won't replace my battery. My 1st battery replacement was on April 5, 2010 when the car's mileage was 23000 in AZ. When it happened for the 1st time, I thought it was normal(since I was living in AZ, you know the weather there..) But now I am living in VA and I really don't know what is going on. Only thing I can think of is replacing battery, but POHANKA DEALER would not do it. What a service, POHANKA~~!!

wiryhair

I am gonna bring this issue to the ACURA and differnet dealer in VA, and see what they are gonna do...

NBP04TL4ME

When I brought mine to the dealer, they said the battery tested low / weak and replaced it under warranty.

wiryhair

I went to the different Acura dealer, and they said the problem was THE NOTORIOUS HFL SYSTEM!!!!! They replaced it under warranty today. I really hope that I don't have to deal with this problem ever.

I will fax this letter to ACURA CUSTOMER SERVICE tomorrow.

To Whom It May Concern:

The reason that I am sending this facsimile is because I had a very unpleasant experience at one of your Acura dealerships here in Virginia at Pohanka Acura in Chantilly, VA.

I currently own a 2008 TL type-s. I have been driving this car for almost 4 years, and I have been very satisfied with it. Before my TL, I owned a 2004 Accord V6, so you can see how much I like Acura/Honda cars.

Before talking about my problem, I am going to mention the history of My TL.

My TL had its1st battery problem on April 5, 2010 when I was living in Arizona. After I jumped my car, I drove to the Acura of Tempe, and they said the battery test had failed, so they replaced the battery under the warranty. Since then I have had no problems with the battery until December 5, 2011.

I moved to VA about a year ago, and since then I have been going to Pohanka Acura for any type of service that I need done to my car. And I was satisfied with their service until a few days ago.

December 5, 2011, Monday morning, I couldn’t start my car. I couldn’t even open the door with my remote control key. It was strange because I did not leave any lights on in my car. Later I jumped my car with my neighbors help, and after work, I drove to Pohanka Acura, in Chantilly, VA. aaa, the service provider, helped me at that time, and he said the mechanic couldn’t find any problem(s) with my car. They charged the battery and informed me that it should solve the problem. I couldn’t understand it because a car’s battery can not be drained over a day’s period, but there was nothing I could do, so I left the dealer.

March 12, 2012, Monday morning, I couldn’t open my car’s door again. The car’s battery was dead again. I did not leave any lights on. After 20 minutes of running around to find people who would be able to jump my car, I finally found a neighbor to jump my car. It took almost 10 minutes to start my car. My neighbor said he could feel his battery being drained because my Acura did not sound like it wanted to start. I made it to work and after work I went to Pohanka again, in Chantilly, VA. This time, bbb was my service provider. I explained what happened to him, and 3 hours later, he came back to me and said they couldn’t find the problem again. He said that I could leave my car at the dealer and they would check the car again. Even though it took them 3 hours of me sitting in the waiting room to say this, I appreciated his offer, left my car at the dealership and drove home in a loaner vehicle.

The next day night, March 13, 2012, around 10pm, bbb called me on my cell phone, and he said they still couldn’t find the problem. So I said if they couldn’t find the cause of the problem, the least could do was replace the battery because I was sure it was a problem with the battery. Why would it just drain for no particular reason? bbb informed me that they couldn’t replace the battery because the battery was fine. So I said ok, and after hung up the phone, I did some research on the internet. I went to www.Acurazine.com and www.Honda-tech.com to find any information on any other people having my same issue. I was surprised to find many complaints about the draining issues of Acura’s batteries. People on the forum listed the possible causes of draining batteries – those being: 1. HFL system, 2. AC relay motor, 3. cables to the battery, 4. microchips, 5. low quality Acura OEM battery.

March 14, 2012. I went to Pohanka Acura in Chantilly, VA again to speak with bbb (mind you, my car is and has been at this dealership), but he was not there on this day, so they had me speak to aaa. I explained what happened to him and asked him what he could do for me. He said there was nothing they could be, but if I wanted, I could leave my car again, so they could check my car one more time. My car had been at the dealership for 2 days, so I didn’t think that that would solve the problem. So I requested my battery be replaced since they weren’t finding the problem and at least this would give me piece of mind. aaa was very firm and stated that if they could not find a problem, they could do nothing. While I was talking to him, another service provider who overheard our conversation said, with nasty tone, “are you sure you didn’t leave your light on?” I was getting extremely frustrated because I felt as if they were making a mockery out of me. If that had been the case, I would not have brought my car to the dealership! After that, everything went downhill and I left the dealer frustrated, angry, and confused as to WHY after having my car for TWO days, they could not find ANYTHING wrong with my car. Why would a car battery just die for NO REASON, two different times? I felt as though they were trying to accuse me of trying to get a free battery! In my years of owning many cars, I have NEVER left a dealership feeling so angry before. And to top if off, they did not even say “goodnight” or “good-bye.” aaa basically made me feel awful, gave me no answer(s) about what was wrong with my car, and after he said what he needed to, walked away and I was totally ignored.

March 15. 2012, I made another appointment with Radley Acura, Falls Church, VA, to get a 2nd opinion. Before visiting Radley Acura, I called bbb again to see exactly what kinds of tests had been done to my car. On my receipt, it said they just tested the battery and the charging system. I asked bbb if they had check the HFL system and he said they checked the HFL system, cables, and everything they could. So, I visited Radley Acura with no hope and just explained what had happened and asked them to check the car. After 1.5 hours, the advisor said they found the problem!!!
He said HFL system was draining the battery. He said they talked to the HQ and after checking the HFL system, it was obvious that was the problem. So they replaced the unit, not questions asked, and in 2.5 total hours, I was out the door.

As of now, I feel slightly better because at least a problem was found and was fixed, however, I am still very uncomfortable because of this whole situation. I went in to Pohanka looking for answers to a problem and they could not give me one. I’m not talking about within an hour, but they could not give me an answer after having my car for TWO DAYS. Then, to top it off, they were very rude to me. How was I supposed to react when they were treating me as if I was trying to get a free battery and as if I was lying to them! All they ever wanted me to do was leave my car with them. For how long? 1 week? Would they still have been able to find a problem? I wasted valuable time for almost a week and had to drive further to another dealership to get a 2nd opinion. It’s not as if I was going to an independent mechanic, I was going to an ACURA dealership – and to get any type of answer, I went to TWO DIFFERENT ACURA dealerships!

I would like someone to contact me via email at the address listed above ( ) as no one should ever feel this frustration and anger that I am feeling right now. It’s really making me lose my confidence and trust in your company.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

NBP04TL4ME

Let us know if you hear anything back.

wiryhair

I received a letter from Acura yesterday. They wanted to talk to me over the phone. We will see what they say..

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

sorry for such a bad experience. honestly if the car isn't doing what you say it's doing, the dealer really can't do anything (not trying to defend the dealer, but it is true). i've had nothing but great service from pohanka, but i try and work with only a few of the SA's that know me and my tendencies (OCD anal ones). so while i understand it's frustrating that they probably didn't go above and beyond (which could be the result of working with a newer SA who is not as familiar with the common issues associated with the 3G TLs and lack of people skills), i like working with the veterans who not only know me, but will know the trends of the issues with the prev. gen cars. i'm glad the other dealer was able to find the problem.

bottomline, it comes down to who you end up working with and how diligent they are going to be to find the problem, but like i said if its not acting up, its hard to diagnose. also, attitude is everything when working with the service dept. act like a jerk....well...you probably won't be treated too well. if you are willing to work with them on the problem, then they are more willing to make you happy. this goes with any industry.

i'll be interested to hear what Acura corp has to say.

sourial84

iTrader: (1)

Yea this happens to me when I don't drive my car for a whole day. Before I got a new battery aaa gave me a jump and said I had a bad cell in my oem battery I figured the previous owner didn't change it so fine whatever I bought one from walmart bc I was desperate and had to go to work,but this still happens in-fact my gets so dead I can't even pop start it. I never check my voltage on my alternator and after reading your letter I will get my hfl checked to

wiryhair

I talked to the Acura. He confirmed what happened to me, and he asked me what I wanted. I said that I did not want anything from you, I just wanted the dealer that I could trust. He said he would talk to the manager.

One thing for sure is life is hard, but it's harder when you are stupid...
BTW, my car starts and runs great now!

Lazer187

iTrader: (1)

I also have a problem with starting my car, i have a 07' with 56k miles on it. About 1.5 years ago my car was getting weak to start, so i replaced had the battery checked (i think it was original) and he said it was a little weak, so i just replaced. Well one year later it seems like its starting to happen again. My battery is week and i already had to jump start it. My car probably sits 3-4 days out of the week (not consecutive), because i take my motorcycle to work. Has anyone came up with a solution to this draining issue? I dont want to have to keep replacing my battery yearly. I have a trickle charger but i will not install it in my car because of a BS problem like this.

So is it a HFL link problem???? How can i fix it or tell if that is truly the problem?

thassett

Lazer, I have an 06 TL now with about 112K on it. Several years ago, I was experiencing the exact same issue as you are, and disconnected the HandsFree Link system per the instructions earlier in this thread. This solved my problem 100%.

(I never really used the HFL anyhow)

Lazer187

iTrader: (1)

Where in this thread does it tell how to do that? Also what if i want to use the HFL? Will Acura replace it under warranty?

Jaster

Here is some reading for the HFL battery drain problem.

My battery was just drained from this problem this weekend. I disconnected the HFL until the part gets here so I will not have the battery draining problem.


https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-94/2005-tl-hfl-malfunction-parasitic-draw-856535/

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-94/bluetooth-fails-792642/

TrustinHFDJ

I have seen on Acura TL carfax actually, when I was out searching for a TL, I found two of them that had this issue. CarFax reports the battery change as a service. One happened twice within the first year of ownership, at 2k, and at 18k; they assured me nothing was wrong but any time the battery is dead so fast something is going on.

roof2006

Batteries don't last forever. After some time, they'll quit holding charge - so you have to buy a new one.