Since i got my car it seemed a lil slow.
My boy has a 328 is and he kept beating me.
So then this topic popped up with the actulater( it helps produce the 35 HP ).
So I went to Park Ave Acura to get it checked out! And BAM i was right my actulater was not working, So i was driving a CLP this whole time. Jens and wayne were great came outside checked it said yep its not working and ordered a new one, no questions asked and only spend 5 min at the dealer, they are quick..
So the moral of this story is dont race no is's 328's or MAXIMA's before checking your actullater. It might give them a FAT heat..
Peace..

 

Stoned:
Glad to hear it and, BTW, it a-c-t-u-a-t-o-r.



------------------
Ken
'01 Satin Silver CL-P
Performance: Headers, K&N Drop-In, Comptech Springs/Sways, 17" Borbet T's & Eagle RS-A's.
Other: Flaps, X-Pel Clear Bra, Cannon Mats, & Burlwood Shift Knob.

Worst Stock GTech: 7.15
Current G-Tech (2/11): 6.33

 

Is there an easy to follow procedure to find out if the actuator is working?

- Alex

------------------
_ _________ _
2001 CL-S White/Parchment w/Navi & Spoiler
1999 TL Silver/Black w/Navi

 

Yep..
U need 2 people.
One person sit in the car and gets the car to 3800 RPMS and the other watches the aculater directly in the middle of the engine in behind it should open.
It should be oviouse cuz i noticed mine didnt open and i aint the sharpest tool in the shed..!

 

in behind it?

do you have to take that plastic thing off to see it?

or can you just pop the hood, get someone to rev to 3800 and see it?

so its behind?, meaning i have to look from the side of the car not the front...?

i just looked and didnt see anything open..

i am stupid stupid stupid when it comes to car parts, so i have no clue what i am doing...

------------------
2001 CL-S
Black/Black
Moonroof Visor
35% Tint All Around
Black Wood Dash Kit
Sportswing spoiler
My Bitch
aka Deadly-CLs

 

You don't have to remove anything, just look all the way in the back, so yes, you have to look in the engine bay from the side of the car and not the front.

 

ok car is in park,

little bro was taught to take the car to 4000rpm, i tried looking from both sides behind the engine, NOTHING MOVES...except when my bro lets go, i hear a puff sound like the car is letting out air...

again, i saw NOTHING MOVING, i didnt know where to look, but in general, i didnt see anything moving..

then we tried again, i told him to take it to 4200rpm, again, nothing moved or anything, AT ALL...have i been driving a CL-P this whole time??????

please help...

anyone got pics of what exactly i should be looking at..??

------------------
2001 CL-S
Black/Black
Moonroof Visor
35% Tint All Around
Black Wood Dash Kit
Sportswing spoiler
My Bitch
aka Deadly-CLs

[This message has been edited by amirsafdari (edited 05-15-2001).]

 

OK bro chill out and breath.
If u in front of the car its behind the engine directly in the middle.
Its about the size of a fist, and behind theactulater thes is a metal piece like a quarter that opens ..
Take it to the dlr bro!

 

Here is a bad picture of what you are supposed to be looking for:

http://rrw.d2g.com/techshop/plenum1.html

You need to look at it from the passenger side back behind the engine for the easiest view. Basicly what you will see is the actuator go from straight up and down to a 45 degree angle. It basicly turns pulling a wire that in return opens the plenum. You will see a wire running up to the actuator and it will be attached at the bottom.

 

just tried it again, no luck..

if i take off that plastic, can i expect to see it better?
like a lot better?

i dont hear ANY metal chipping at all either..i am gonna go take off the plastic, i am on hold for acura right noww....

i hope its broken..

------------------
2001 CL-S
Black/Black
Moonroof Visor
35% Tint All Around
Black Wood Dash Kit
Sportswing spoiler
My Bitch
aka Deadly-CLs

 

okay they told me to go tonight at 7pm, but i cant go, so i made an appointment for tomorrow at 7pm....



------------------
2001 CL-S
Black/Black
Moonroof Visor
35% Tint All Around
Black Wood Dash Kit
Sportswing spoiler
My Bitch
aka Deadly-CLs

 

ok i took the plastic off, still no moving peice..acura tomorrow, I AM COMING FOR YOU!

anyone know if there is a way of finding out if it ever did work?

StonedCL, when you get the car fixed, let us know how much you feel a difference.

------------------
2001 CL-S
Black/Black
Moonroof Visor
35% Tint All Around
Black Wood Dash Kit
Sportswing spoiler
My Bitch
aka Deadly-CLs

 

you dont' need 2 people...just a putter. you open your door and stand there with the putter positioned on the accelerator, then lean your head over and look while pushing on the putter.

oh, and don't forget to open your hood.

 

Yeah, you gotta look from the side. My dad didn't see anything moving the first couple times until I made sure he was looking from the side down to the little gold metal thingy with the wire wrapped around it. The next time he saw it move.

-J

------------------
2001 CL-S Aegean Blue/black interior spoiler, wheel locks, no-navi
Stock for now.

 

How bout us that dont have putters, can we use our 13 inch *packages* LOL..

 

How bout us that dont have putters, can we use our 13 inch *packages* LOL..

 

thanks for the help..

------------------
2001 CL-S
Black/Black
Moonroof Visor
35% Tint All Around
Black Wood Dash Kit
Sportswing spoiler
My Bitch
aka Deadly-CLs

 

I can even hear mine Click, so you can't see anything you should be able to at least hear it.

------------------
Now it's time for me to make my impression felt
So sit back, relax, and strap on your seatbelt
You never been on a ride like this befo'

 

man ... it was easy to see. If you didnt see anything moving ... prolly yours is dead too.

It's on top of the engine block. it faces toward the rear of the car. so if you wanna see it moves, stick your head to the side (I looked at it from the driver side) rev up and you'll see it move. btw, I check it by myself so I dont know at what rpm it starts moving.



------------------
'01 Silver CL-S
Painted Mud Guard
Silver Aluminum Pedals
Kenwood Amp with 10in. Pioneer sub.
(modified) CAI.

My Car

 

You guys will feel like you're driving an entirely different car once you get it fixed. It's amazing how much of a difference you feel and how much faster you get to VTEC when it is functioning properly.

------------------
Black/black CLS
Comptech headers, springs, swaybars
Koni yellows
Polarg M6 road lamps
Solaris Hi beams
Potenza RE730 225/45/17
Red AEM CAI
Denso Iridium plugs
35% metallic tint

 

No need for two people, just open the throttle manually with your hand at the TB.

 

hmmmm...this is very interesting...i will have to check mine tonite...i hope mine isnt broke either...how long did it take the dealer to fix ur actuator?

 

This link should be put in the FAQ.

 

Ah, come on. I didn't have time to get a good dig. cam. so I carried my laptop out and used a USB camera.

http://www.flwsoutheast.com/images/s...e_Image000.jpg

http://www.flwsoutheast.com/images/s...e_Image001.jpg

http://www.flwsoutheast.com/images/s...e_Image002.jpg

http://www.flwsoutheast.com/images/s...e_Image003.jpg

 

I checked mine when I got home today after reading this post with concern.
Thankfully mine is working OK as it was the last time I checked a few months ago.

It’s really easy to check by yourself.
Just follow the accelerator & cruise control cables to where they end under the plastic engine cover.
Pull upward about 1/2” on the throttle plate which the cable ends are attached to.

For the record, even with my CAI I don’t hear any discernible extra noise at the 3,800 to 4,200 RPM range.

At 5,000 RPM ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE and the CAI ROARS !!!!!!!!!!!!

Shawn S


------------------
Make me an offer….It’s FOR SALE when the 6-Speed MANUAL comes out !!!

2001 CL Type S - NAV - San Marino RED / Parchment - Spoiler - 35% Tint - Roof Visor - PIAA Lamps
GOLD Emblems & Grill - V1 w/remote - KICKER AMP w/(2) 10" Alumapro Subs - Xephyr CAI - Shine by ZAINO
For Photos see: PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 V1 & SUBS

 

Since I needed my girl there to "extend my putter", I had her hit the accelerator and it all works fine. It is almost exactly in the middle of the housing cover in the back. If you do not see it move, it os probably not working...

------------------
CL-S #22,299 Black/Parchment/Nav, spoiler, door & fender guards, wood trim, PIAA 9005, Polarg M6, V1 w/remote, trunk & winter mats, no headers, no sway bars, no springs, no CAI, no money! (but I got a nice new kitchen!)

 

God, who made these things?

It seems like every 3rd CL-S has a bad MIRC actuator.

3-month backlog !!!!!!!!


Note to Acura:

Please install special light inside instrument panel that lights up if actuator actually pulls on cable and forces micro-switch inside plenum to engage!

Call it the CL-S/CL-P driving mode indicator light.

When in CL-P mode, show picture of engine or car upside down. Reverse picture in CL-S mode.



------------------
Silver 2001 CL-S with NAVI

• Mud guards
• Wheel locks
• Toyo T1S 235/45ZR17-97W* Proxies on 17x8" SSR Competition wheels (48lbs less than stock)
• Kevlar/SS Brake lines w/Brembos?
• Comptech headers & sways
• Silver AEM CAI
• 10 coats of Zaino magic

 

Haha... How about little flame lights that shoot out of the side of the door ajar indicator when the actuator kicks in?

 

Not that I'm _that_ paranoid, but even if the actuator actually moves, this doesn't guarantee that the "flaps" (or whatever they're called) _in_ the engine actually move correctly. Now that would be a little trickier to check


------------------
2001 Acura 3.2 CL TypeS -- White/Ebony, No Emblems
1998 Honda Prelude -- Black/Black, MN5

 

I think if you hear a metallic clink when you see the actuator move that's an indication that the system is working fine.

 

Are you supposed to gradually increase the rpms to 3800?? I was under the impression that you got to get it there quickly and just gun it.

------------------
2001 CL Type S
San Marino Red/Parchment
Spoiler, wind deflector,Wheel locks, Non Nav
No mods yet

 

Kevin,

When I tested my actuator, I had my wife gradually rev the engine to 4000 rpm before I saw the actuator rotated. So I don't think you have to "gun" it to 4000 rpm to see it move.

Rod,

As for the clinking sound that suggests the opening of the plenum, I can't hear it, but I improvised by first manually turning the actuator with the engine off. I could hear the clinking sound of the plenum opening. I then started the engine and reved it to 4000 rpm while watching for the movement of the actuator. When I saw this, it suggested that the actuator is working

------------------
Frank
01-S White/Parchment
Comptech Sways & Springs

 

...and, yes it is your picture scalbert. It too was in the days when I was sans a good DCAM. (Days of H-A net???)

------------------
The Red Rocket

bone-stock, and back to the way she oughta be!!

 

That’s a great idea to be definitely sure that everything is working correctly.

Shawn S


------------------
Make me an offer….It’s FOR SALE when the 6-Speed MANUAL comes out !!!

2001 CL Type S - NAV - San Marino RED / Parchment - Spoiler - 35% Tint - Roof Visor - PIAA Lamps
GOLD Emblems & Grill - V1 w/remote - KICKER AMP w/(2) 10" Alumapro Subs - Xephyr CAI - Shine by ZAINO
For Photos see: PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 V1 & SUBS

 

Shawn S,

Yeah, I figured that it should work. BTW, how do you go about in posting quotes from other members when you're responding?

Illiterate in this area

------------------
Frank
01-S White/Parchment
Comptech Sways & Springs

 

Yep, Last August from what I recall

 

------------------
"01" CL Type-S
White\Black
Comptech Springs
Comptech Sways
17x7.5 BBS RX Rims
Navigation System
Burlwood Shifter
Guards+Fenderwell Trim
PIAA16969
Smokers Package
My Car

 

Cool, Thanks



------------------
2001 CL Type S
San Marino Red/Parchment
Spoiler, wind deflector,Wheel locks, Non Nav
No mods yet

 

Thanks Al!



------------------
Frank
01-S White/Parchment
Comptech Sways & Springs

 

Checked mine both by myself and with a second person and it works. It is easy to see AND hear by yourself and it is super obvious when with a second person. My wife said it was 3750 rpm when I raised my finger to signal the actuator moved.

It happens pretty quickly and the clicking sound is way too loud to miss. I was looking from the driver's side fender. Just make sure the Strut Tower Brace is not in the way (of your view).

------------------
Gabriel
CL Type S

[This message has been edited by gavriil (edited 05-19-2001).]