nesuser2

So I bought my first Acura last night after searching for one that wasn't loved too much. I got my first shocker just before they handed me the key...the key, not keys That is to say, they only gave me one key and it's in terrible shape. I saw a few videos where folks swapped out a cheap replacement from ebay but does anybody have experience getting a new key from acura or elsewhere or getting a Valet? One key scares me a little!

Also, I love the MDX but it seems short on storage from the drivers point of view. the center console is roomy but just a big pit, has anybody made a divider out of wood or bought something that splits that region up? seems like great space just won't be useful as a big catchall...nowhere for change and such.

Maps are 4.63, I am having a hard time finding out what that really means in terms of age but are the new maps worth the update?

Any other tips/tricks for an 08 mdx with all the features? Any maintenance intervals I should be mindful of? I'm new here and to acura so I'm sure I will dig up lots of info as I search but if anybody can share a few words to save me hours of digging and not knowing what to ask, it is appreciated! My MDX has 110k and shows the 100k service completed by acura, a few dings here and there but the service history made it seem like a good choice for now. Here's to hoping I get another 50k out of it before I can afford a 2014 or newer!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

navigation- you have to understand the hardware was created years and years and years before the 08 MDX made it's presence known. in essense, you'll ALWAYS have shitty graphics, maps, lagging aspects, etc...no amount of upgrading the disc will make anything better. Best not even to use it.

Sure! you're a smart guy! Come up with a divider solution for your storage bin woes!

maintenance intervals - is like any other USED car.
for me; i'd change ALL fluids...coolant, oil, tranny, brake fluid...Everything that holds fluid, change it.
then, I would look at brakes and suspension. it's a used car. if something is worn out you'll be able to notice, because it's not new. (ie; worn brake pads, worn rotors, bad bushings, bad mounts, etc. you'll be able to notice something worn or broken)
Next, would make sure the ALL WHEEL DRIVE system is working correctly; change the fluid in the differential. if it is equipped with SHAWD...
it's a used car, you're going to want to go over used car things...
like; tires. battery, air filter.
Go over the car with a fine tooth comb and report back with your findings.

Skirmich

Hi and welcome!

1.- Getting a spare key is a PITA as it has to be programmed to the ECU, If you want to keep it all OE it will run you down quite a bit of money.
2.- Yeah I also have that issue with storage specially if I am keeping some Toll money ready and I have to keep it somewhere I am usually leaving it on top of the shifter base which its not ideal.
There is no pocket hole in the door like in my TL-S which is a shame. The Pilot in this regard is well better equipped but the MDX craps it all over in style and interior so I guess it was a compromise for that.
3.- Dont use stock NAV, Anything is better and I mean ANYTHING! I use a Dashboard mounted Tom Tom GO 7" NAV that is paired to my phone for NAV Duties.. The MDX Screen is used for XM Sat radio information only otherwise it remains off all the time.. I Bought the Tech because it had to have it + RES for the Power Tailgate which I love so much.

4.- Used car with no records means you should do EVERYTHING right away to keep your own personal records... When I bought mine I did absolutely everything: Engine Oil, ATF, Transfer, SH-AWD, Brake Fluid, PS Fluid.. It wasnt cheap but at least then I knew I had everything covered up.

nesuser2

Skirmich

The trip meter on the 2G is basically an after thought the only useful thing is the MPG meter and then again its not a real time system as it can only do Average MPGs which gets very useless after some miles. So I often manually reset the trip meters so I can get real time MPGs which is not ideal.

Carpayment4life

What did Acura do, to your 2008 MDX, at 100,000 miles?

At 105,000 miles or 7 years, the timing belt is due to be changed. Is that documented, as having been completed?
So much stuff is aluminum on Acuras that you need to get a torque wrench.

If you don't have a trailer hitch and you want one, go ahead and pay extra for the Acura OEM version, because a full size spare tire will fit and can be stored. Otherwise your original spare donut's rubber is way past 5 - 7 years old and may fail.
Find a 2015 donut and scrap the 10 year old one. For a few years in a row, Acura changed the lug nut pattern on the MDX, but eventually went back to the 5 x 120 size. Your 08 and the 2015 have the same 5 x 120 pattern.

As you discover noises, pops, and grinds you'll find this site very helpful.

nesuser2

Carpayment4life

Etrailer dot com sells a trailer harness that is an exact plug and play item.

After market hitches do not allow a full size tire to be stored.
Only the OEM hitch allows a full size tire. 08L92-STX-200
There are several online (30% discount) Acura OEM parts shops, but you have to watch out for shipping charges.
Many salvage yards and trailer hitch shops offer a CURT hitch, which is shaped almost like a "V" and a full size tire does not fit.
The OEM hitch is shaped almost like a "U".

nesuser2

I'm really just stunned that my CRV from the same year had an outstanding realtime mpg gauge and could show me all the data in my trip computer on one screen. I think it had the temp too...hmm. i also noticed that my ODB app on my phone was showing 22-25mpg tonight when I was getting 16...or so it said..

Skirmich

Well yeah the CR-V had to make up some of its shortcomings, did it have SH-AWD? 300HP? 3 row seating? 3 zone climate control? etc etc etc...
I can live without a decent trip meter hahaha

I would get the MPGs manually at least once so you know if the MPG meter in the car is accurate or not.. In any case I like a conservative reading rather than a Way off the bat reading (ex: showing 16 but getting 10).

nesuser2

RDX10

nesuser2

RDX10

nesuser2

I think the remote on the old ones is the long with the rounded end and two smaller circles? The new one I have is 3 squares. I'm told that the remotes are backwards compatible with openers so you can buy a new remote and it works with old ones but the new openers won't accept old remotes, or the homelink setup in the MDX so you need a bridge. I read online that you can get a bridge for processing/shipping at $7 but I think it's faster to buy one on amazon for $27 prime shipped. I don't think I will have time in the next few days and I'm ready for this to be done. I unplugged my bluetooth module so I don't have a dead vehicle every morning and it's zero minus windchill here!

HomeLink

nesuser2

i hate to keep recycling my thread of endless questions but I'm not sure opening new threads is good for anybody either. I think my mileage is a little low but I've ready some comments where it might be normal. I'm up in the frozen tundra right now and I have been running 93 since I received it but I'm getting 13-15mpg. I checked the air filter, and it seems to be in OK shape(better than the bolts that hold it in) but I ordered new plugs(ngk) and an air filter(fram) since it seemed like cheap maintenance..$43 when a tank of gas costs more than that. I have kept my foot out of it for the most part..who can resist sometimes, and it seems like the harder I push it, the better mpg I seem to get. maybe they were running 87/89 at the dealership? It's a pretty big dealership and it went in the door with 100k, shows light maintenance/tires at 104k and sold to me at 110k so I'm guessing somebody drove it over the course of the last year since it's a pretty nice car after all.

Anyways, share your thoughts on anything that could use a quick swap or if you think I should be digging deeper. I also noticed that my app on my phone shows 2 o2 sensors...at least that's how I read it and the first one never changes, just zero. maybe it doesn't have one...i'm handy sometimes but not a mechanic. I'm open to suggestion, keep your suggestions PG13

Skirmich

That is the joys and wonders of having a 4500lb Crossover with a high compression, high displacement engine pushing 300HP and just 5 forward gears...
MPGs will suffer.... Specially those of City. Highway though? the X is great delivering upwards of 27mpgs consistently. Since driving conservative in the city makes very little difference I just drive like I like to now and don´t bother hipermiling in the city anymore... In the highway though? You can gain up to 30mpgs when Hipermiling.

The MDX has 4 o2 sensors.. 2 upstream and 2 downstream. The 2 upstream uses the same sensor but the 2 downstream are different parts for front and rear banks.
If an 02 sensor was bad the ECU will tell you HARD as it will disable SH-AWD.

nesuser2

I'm guessing it isn't an o2 then. Any other suggestions for MPG or just do the normal routine of running a few tanks through...maybe some fuel additive to clean things up(seafoam?). at 15mpg it burns through a tank pretty quick!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

a dirty air filter has NO affect on fuel mileage.
it does have an affect on performance, which leads to pressing the Go pedal down harder, leading to fuel loss...

02 sensors can get lazy over time. they can fall out of voltage range .

fuel - we are in winter...gas stations have switched to winter blends, less effiecient.
drag - heat seaters, blasting the heater, headlights all become a drag on the engine.

this is all what skirmish said.

if you are driving stop and go; yes fuel mileage will suffer. it's a fucking heavy car.
get on the freeway and you can see up to 30mpg (going off what skirmish said.)

the best way to figure out if your MPG is normal is by comparing both Average MPH and Average MPG...
they correlate with each other...so, if your average MPH is low, like under 18mph, you will get shitty gas mileage....(basically, a low average speed indicates you are sitting in traffic and idling...wasting precious fuel)
So, what is your average MPH?

nesuser2

That's why I was inquiring, I took a short trip last night(75-100miles) and got just over 15. I will plan a longer trip and see what happens.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the problem is; you keep asking but are not including important info!
what is your average speed?
what is your average MPG?
you can find this info in the MID, I believe.

and what is 15?
15MPG?
15MPH?
what is 15?

Average SPEED correlates with average MPG.
if your average speed is less than 18mph, then yes your average fuel economy will suffer!

get on the freeway and do 55-60mph and WATCH your fuel economy rise.

nesuser2

sorry, the last comment was MPG and I will check the MPH after a bit.

Skirmich

If you are getting 15mpg on the highway you are either:

1.- Having a problem with your engine or
2.- Driving pretty darn fast.

The only way I am getting sub 20mpgs on the highway is if I am traveling anywhere +80mph or traveling in a very un-leveled terrain (Touge sessions).
Since we have a pretty aggressive 5th gear ratio traveling at higher speeds than 80mph will destroy your MPGs... 75mph seems to be the sweet spot at least for my X...
Traveling too slow can also hurt your MPGs for example I gain MPGs if I travel at 70mph vs 60mph. But If I push +75mph I start to lose MPGs.. +80mph and the decrease becomes exponential.

The best info you can have is that the MDX is not a powerhouse of high speed traveling, The suspension and ride sure gives you confidence that it can do it..
But as far as economy goes? NOPE the MDX was not designed to get its highway MPG number at 80+mph. Its too heavy and the gearing was clearly not set up for it.

Skirmich

My single best recommendation is to use the SH-AWD activity display on the MID as a level of power usage..
What I do when I hipermile the X on the highway is to make sure SH-AWD activity never passes 1 block on each wheel. The full usage of SH-AWD is 5 blocks.
What you would want to see under daily usage is 3 blocks maximum and get to lower blocks ASAP this will ensure maximum MPGs.

In the highway to get +30mpgs you absolutely MUST have just 1 block activity on the front axle and ZERO on the rear. SH-AWD cannot fully become FWD but the throttle input must be so low that the SH-AWD display must show that is driving in full FWD mode to get the best MPGs.

If you drive in the city and constantly see more than 3 blocks on either axle? Well that is the problem... Seeing 4 or heck 5 blocks on either axle will guarantee you the worst possible MPG in the city. Which to me is close to 9mpg. Driving at 3 blocks maximum gets me 13mpgs and driving at 2 blocks maximum (SUPER GRANNY MODE) gives me 15mpgs. But here in México the average speed between stop signs is pretty darn low, nothing like the US so getting 15mpgs in this city is amazing but it requires you to leave a stop sign at a walking pace.

So when leaving a stop sign (Average for my City numbers):
5 block usage = Bryan O´Conner mode = Say goodbye to your MPGs, Single digits...
4 block usage = My usual DD mode = Yeah MPGs will still be crap, Sub 12.
3 block usage = Leaving pretty darn slow = Getting a few MPGs, Sub 14.
2 block usage = Super Granny Mode slow = Maximum MPGs, Sub 16.
1 block usage? = Please kill me mode = INFINITE MPGs?, Sub ∞.

nesuser2

MPH average is only when you start the car so nothing I can see backwards. I would say my highway speed is either 60 or 75 depending on the posted speed limit, 4-5 over usually. It seems to run pretty good so what might make it run so rich? Might be worth noting again, my realtime MPG from the OBD plug is saying 22-27. Maybe the filter is causing more of an issue than I think and I need a real highway test not a highway/city combo. But really...I don't have a city to say city so I need less highway/farm test haha. I will be able to get the new filter in it tomorrow or thursday.

nesuser2

Also, I think the HFL issue has been draining my battery, would that put a little more stress on the engine running the alternator so hard? i can hookup the tender tonight if I can find it

Skirmich

Did you see my last post edited?

nesuser2

I did not see that, 1-3 is all i've ever seen on the AWD screen so I don't suspect anything is malfunctioning there.

nesuser2

i tried to keep it one bar on the way home, your analysis is correct. maybe once you're on the highway but man, 0-20 feels like i'm going to expire before I reach second gear

Skirmich

What I do is leave a stop sign fast enough to land 3rd gear and skip 2nd. This allows me to release the gas faster.

nesuser2

seems reasonable to me! I filled up tonight and my trip(resets itself??) was at 62 miles and I put 6 gallons of 93 in....My buddy has an MDX, I'm hoping i can hookup with him and run around the block with the OBD scanner hooked up to read his o2 sensor as a sanity check.

also...wild idea, i'm chasing a parasitic draw on my battery and since it's 0 degrees for a high around here, I haven't done any tests...i unhooked the HFL module and it seems to be better but I see people complain about an AC relay but I haven't read nearly as much about that, are there any other symptoms of that other than the dead battery? Wasn't sure if that would be a constant load on the engine..I will keep searching.

Thanks for all the input so far, it's been helpful!

Skirmich

There is an option on the MID (Keyless Setup) and allows you to reset the Trip Meter every time you open the gas lid. You can disable it if you want.
That Keyless menu is also the one used to set the sensitivity of the Automatic Interior Light and Exterior Lights, You can leave it pretty sensitive (Will turn on with low light) or less sensitive (Will turn on in Pitch Black darkness). I leave mine pretty sensitive so they turn on pretty fast. The normal setting should be in the middle ground.

If you are not planning on using the HFL just leave it disconnected... Mine was working alright when I bought my X but since I do not use it I just disconnected it for piece of mind.
As for the AC Relay that is easy to diagnose, If the Relay was bad you should notice it as it will engage the compressor even with the A/C Off... So just go to the engine bay and look at the compressor pulley, It should be disengaged with the A/C off.

RDX10

Everything skirmish has said is 100% the truth. FWIW I sold my MDX partially because the fuel economy was so subpar that I got sick of it (keeping in mind I do 99% city driving) but I knew it was poor before I bought it. I was seeing around 13-15 MPG. But again that was pure city. You seeing 15 on the highway is a cause for concern to me and suggests that something else may be going on.

I doubt your O2 sensor is messed up and think more along the lines of bad plugs/coils or even dirty/plugged injectors. The J37 does not take kindly to regular fuel so my suggestion before anything else is to run a few tanks of premium in it and run some seafoam through it and see where that gets you. Lastly what Justin said is spot on, winter blend fuel has a huge negative effect on fuel economy and dramatically reduces power output for me as well.

AlanW

I also do 95% city driving in our MDX. 14.5 to 15.5 MPG in the city seems to be the norm. Putting in new NGK Iridium plugs and running a full tank full of gas with Seafoam @ 2 ozs. per gallon got me an increase of around 1 MPG.