vanz

Just bought a 97 2.5 TL yesterday....am I'm fukin stoked!!

This is my first car and I'm a new driver. So I dont' really know jack about cars. I hope that this forum will help me out along the way.

1st newb question...
what is a good price to settle on for a 112,000 97 2.5 TL with all options. Just wondering if I got a good deal or not. I bought it at a BBB reputable dealership.

2nd newb questions....
I accidently pumped regular fuel in when it specifically stated "Premium unleaded only". Umm, is it required to use premium? And what is the worse that could happen?

pardon the lack of knowledge.

vishnus11

welcome to the forum....

i have no idea about prices for 2.5tls. Im guessing around $7500-$8500, just GUESSING. Check KBB.com or NADA.com

As for putting in regular gas...no long term damage or anything. Regular pump gas (usually 87 octane) maybe detonate earlier than expected with the cylinder, a phenomenon known as "detonation". Prolonged detonation within the cylinder can everntually cause some damage...like if you continually use regular gas. Just make sure you put preium from now on...it gets you better gas mileage and prevents detonation. Well worth the extra pennies.

Good luck, and hope u enjoy your TL for years to come.

P.S. Any first impressions - + or - ?

Ken1997TL

Where are you at in Oregon?

Corvallis here.

vanz

KBB says 10.5K, and I paid 3K under...so I think I got a good deal.
Well, I haven't taken the car out much...not insured yet. I gotta go pick up some papers. But I like the interior....much much better than the accords at the lot. They priced them similar, so why not go with a higher line right?

And next time i'll know about the gas...

Beaverton Area

982.5TL

I think that you got your TL at a good price. Enjoy the ride, check the gallery for ideas on what to do with your car. Welcome to the board as well, Im sure youll find it quite helpful.

UnsanePyro

Sounds like you got a fair deal on the car, I got mine with 126,000 miles for $6k.

Everyone has already got you covered on the fuel thing, I usually put in 89, though I want to get into a habbit so the tank usually has 91 in it (we only have 87 89 93 here). I did the same thing on my first tank out of habbit from my other car, and instantly knew I messed up cause of how the engine sounded and acted, I had a blown O2 sensor at the time too.

First car, learn to do the easy things, oil changes, general fluid levels, keepin it clean and runnin, and learnin to drive

You can get into the little repairs too, burnt out bulbs and the like, do you have your radio code? Both things I did write ups on.

Some pictures of my car

The clear bumper lenses are cheap and really clean up the front of the car, and I like how the debadge came out too. Though to each his own. Even if your car is stock get some pictures up, its always cool to have a new first gen member.

Do you have the service records? How old is the tranny fluid? Coolant look good? Oil filter? Spark plugs/wires? Air filter?

Actually, go to a local dealership and have them run your VIN for any open recalls or the like. When I got my car I brought it to an Acura dealership and I got:

Ball joints
Exaust Manifold
Spark plugs/wires
Oil/filter

All for free, it was a nice suprise to say the least, saved me

spooky3ce

Well since everyone else covered basicly everything... let me just say one thing...


WELCOME!!!

Oh and a little tip just in case you think its a very stupid and n00b question... "Search... its your friend..." Even I have posted stupid questions so don't feel bad posting them... But please post any question or comments and even thoughts you may have pertaining the car... like this we can also learn as well as you can, from any experiances you may... well, experiance... Information is the key here... thats why we come back 24 hours a day 7 days a week...

WBroylesH

Higher grade fuel def. improves mileage and prevents pinging.

I usually use high grade going up the mtn. and low grade going down.

WolfpackBill

Welcome and congrats on your first car. I wish I had a car like that as my first car. Well, I guess a '98 Grand Cherokee 5.9Limited was nice enough (I got my license in July, 98).

In regards to the gas. No need to sweat over it. Once or twice won't do too much damage, only if you're refilling regular all the time, then it'll be a big problem.

vanz

thanks for the warm welcome guys.


I'm completely clueless about cars...so I don't know about the coolant, tranny fluid, spark plugs, or things that you have said...I'll have to look into it.

I got a carfax on the car...does that count? I've heard of the recalls from researching on motortrend, and consumerguide.com. So you are saying that if i bring my car into a local dealership, they can tell me if the the things that were recalled were fixed on my car?

And yes, the clear corners really make a big difference...can you install that yourself? I wouldn't mind doing that.

Expect tons of questions from me. haha.

Pictures will be added shortly...very stock though.

vanz

Front


Angle


Side


Rear



Is my car silver or gold??? or champagne?

UnsanePyro

Looks pretty nice, I'm not sure of the official name of the color though.

Carfax are always a good thing, just don't rely on them to have 100% of your car's story.

The dealership should have a record of what has and hasn't been performed on your car for recalls, they have it stored via your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), found most easily on a small plaque under the front window on the drivers side.

The fluids you should check the dipsticks in the engine to make sure all the levels are right, if you aren't sure about it I'm sure a dealership would check them for you for free (hopefully, only takes a minute).

The clear corners are easily doable yourself. Each piece (there are 4, 2 on each side) is held in by a screw. You can run into the problem of the screws being horribly rusty and tough to remove though, I had to drill one of mine out. Then again, I don't think it was a stock screw. If you want pictures of where they are I can highlight them for you. I got mine for something like $45 shipped.

Stock look is very nice on these cars I think, flows pretty well, though there are a few little things you can do to make sure everything looks nice. The clear corners help, I like the debadge on the rear (can be a little tough to do it yourself though). Not having an external antenna really helps.

Browse the wash and wax section a little bit and get some ideas on the proper way to clean and dry it. They always look better clean (with no water spots, remember to dry it), and don't forget the windows. And dust the dash. And the leather. And the mirrors. And the floors...

vanz

I would have to say that the steering on this vehicle is the smoothest one I've ever driven with. This vehicle is sooo smooth. Smoother than my girlfriends corolla, or my brothers accord that's for sure. I love this car

Should I go to a full service station to get everything checked out? There's a sticker that says the next change should be in december or 114K miles though.

Do you guys have keyless entry for your car? When i bought my car, the salesman said that's all they got, and it was one key. I have to make duplicates...should I go to an acura dealership to do it? Or anywhere that does keys? If my car was suppose to have keyless entry, where can I get a duplicate of the remote?

vanz

Thanks for being very helpful. The next thing I need to do is give this baby a wash and clean the interior. I might have to buy Zaino, since most of you guys rave about it. Some paint is chipping around the rear window...why is that???it's around the edges of the window. not noticeable since the car color matches the metal.

I'm on a tight budget, and need to desperately find a job. Clear corners and other mods will have to wait for awhile. maybe when I get the cash...tien suspensions How's that sound?

vishnus11

i believe 97 2.5tls did NOT come with a factory security system...check the top of ur driver's side door and see if they is a small (approx 1cm * 1cm) black panel that says security with a small round light next to it. I doubt u'll have it. BUT certain 2.5's did come with a dealer-installed security system from..kenwood i think...remotes for those should be purchased at dealer. Ur probably better off installing a keyless entry/alarm system independently - worthwhile investment which could protect your baby from being stolen by some dumbass. Might be able to get a remote-start feature wired in too so that your tl will be nice and cozy in the mornings!

vanz

My car has that thing you described. It blinks when I lock my car. What I don't understand is that there is a red light on top of the steering wheel base that doesn't do anything. Maybe it's burnt out? I've seen this same light on CLs that i've been checking out.

Yeah, I want to install a viper alarm/keyless entry...but no tengo dinero.

WolfpackBill

Actually...all TL's have the security system. But it's just that the 2.5 models don't have the keyless remotes. It is definitely a dealer-installed option. If you don't believe me, go open your driver's window, close and lock all doors, hood, and trunk. Then wait 15 seconds, that's when the LED flashes every 2.4 seconds. When that happens, reach in and unlock the driver's door. The headlights should flash, and the horn will honk for 2 minutes.

vishnus11

Actually...all TL's have the security system. But it's just that the 2.5 models don't have the keyless remotes. It is definitely a dealer-installed option. If you don't believe me, go open your driver's window, close and lock all doors, hood, and trunk. Then wait 15 seconds, that's when the LED flashes every 2.4 seconds. When that happens, reach in and unlock the driver's door. The headlights should flash, and the horn will honk for 2 minutes.[/QUOTE]

sorry bout that...couldve sworn that it was only the 3.2s that had that. So are u saying that the 2.5's have a security system but not a keyless remote??? (i dont really care, i have a 3.2 but im just curious and i sure vanz is too)

WolfpackBill

Yep! According to my Honda shop manual, the 2.5's have security systems in them too. I mean, if you think about it, what's the point of them wasting $0.20 putting in a little LED and wires in the door when there aren't any use for it?

vanz

maybe deterence?

WolfpackBill

Well, have you tried it? I know for sure they don't want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on just deterrence. If you have a part of a system, then you have the whole system, not just 1/4 of it. Like I said, go out there and try it out. Even my service manual stated you have a security system, only lacked the keyless remotes because that was a standard feature for 3.2 models. Keyless entry became standard on '98 2.5 models.

vanz

thanks Bill, I want to try it. But how do you stop the alarm? I live in an apartment complex...and don't want to irritate the fuk out of my neighbors. 2 mins of honking is a long time.

WolfpackBill

Start the engine. The alarm will turn right off.

vanz

cool I will try it....now about that light that doesn't blink above the steering wheel base...any idea what it's there for?

nick96acuratl

putting the premium gas is sure better for the car BUT regular won't hurt it at all. no damage or other bullshit will happen... all you get is much less power out of ur engine. MUCH LESS.. i put regular for a year now.. car still runs VERY STRONG even though i got 160,000 miles on it, and trust me i drive hard. my rpm usualy red line. eninge still good, nothing changed since i got it. i do recommend the better gas. also better gas mileage i find it better with 87. i did use premium for a while.


maybe detonate earlier than expected with the cylinder??? never heard of that even though i work in a garage.

Oh yeah i paid only 2,000 for mine with 1450,000 clicks only needed a paint job which i didnt go cheap on that so all together 4,000(i paid 2,000 even though he was a good buddy of mine)

man im think im one of the youngest Acura owners who paid with their own money(no parents paying like some lucky bastards) and know more about cars in here than most people.

DoUbLe0

welcome to the forum!!!!