cnatra

WTF!!

If you do a search of this site there are problems with the IMRC actuator that date back to April/May '01.
Scalbert & Ogolden1 did much of the intial trial & error getting this problem identified & resolved YET the MORONS at Acura still haven't taken care of this issue internally!!

I feel your pain SeattleCL-S! (I'll be e-mailing you)

In addition to the Service Advisor telling me they won't do anything about my slippping transmission Until the problem can be duplicated for them.( I guess I have to wait for it to crap out on the side of the road somewhere!) It was an act of congress to get the guys to believe me about the IMRC Actuator!

I show up to the dealer (9am) with a copy of D73's receipt from when his actuator was replaced, printed copies of the info. on the Actuator off the FAQ page & my CL Service Manual. The guy was skeptical & wanted to know where I got all this information.
More than once I suggested we look at a CL-S or TL-S for comparison. He said that wasn't necessary. Insisted on a test drive leave wondering why these guys don't like(or are intimated by?) educated customers.
At 5:10pm I call to check on my car. The service advisor tells me that he went round & round with the tech on the Actuator.
First he says that the copy of the receipt indicated a problem with the VTEC. (D73's intial description of the car being down on power I guess? Maybe he can chime it?)
So the Tech kept focusing on the VTEC or figured the Actuator didn't open until VTEC. DUH! Two seprate systems that work together to enhance the output of the motor BUT are independent of each other. Of course the Tech got no "codes" indicating anything was wrong with the IMRC so he couldn't think outside the box. The service advisor said he finally went & got a used CL-S & revved the motor above 4k and guess WTF they saw?!?

The Actuator opened!!! Unbelievable! Holy Cow!

So now the part is on order & the car should be ready today.

Jens mentioned once somehwere that he had seen an Actuator that had failed & the gear teeth inside where stripped so the motor wouldn't turn the cable. IF that's what's happening then of course there would be NO diagnostic codes right ??
The PCM thinks the signal has been sent to the actuator & maybe the motor shaft turns yet the stripped gears can't turn the cable.

Anyway I plan on trying a new dealer too BUT I'm not holding my breath.

IMRC = Intake manifold Runner Control

Actuator = Bypass Valve Actuator

And I guess the Bypass Valve is the valve on the side of the intake manifold that opens & closes the 2 stage manifold ??
It's operated by the cable from the faulty electric motor.

How come these Acura people don't know their friggin product??

I see tons of TL-S on the road these days. Aren't their Actuators crapping out too??
How many have & they just don't know it ???

Debating trying to sell this car:angry:& those headers

Nashua_Night_Hawk

Why didn't you install the headers yet?!

peiqinglong

How much for the headers???

cnatra

If I sell them it will be $1000 shipped.

That's what I paid for them from Acura of Bellevue

A CL member already has right of first refusal though.

cnatra

I've been debating getting the primaries ceramic coated
I decided yes, with www.swaintech.com
That's another $200-250

I'd like to do the install myself, i've done 4cylinder headers
before BUT I'm not sure how much of a PITA that rear bank
will be.
I'm also a little concerned about getting jerked around
on warranty issues if I do it myself BUT it's a Comptech
product. The local Acura dealer that sells Comptech stuff
wants $400 for install. Seems like a waste of $$ I'd rather
spend on sways. One of the first things out of the Gillman
dealers mouth was "if it's been modded NO warranty":sqntfawk:

So if I keep the car, I'll coat the primaries & I think install myself.
I want to talk more with a service guy a John Eagle.
Oh, did I mention, my tranny is slipping a 7600mi
Is another 30hp just going to kill the next tranny that much sooner???

cnatra

I found the Bypass Valve Actuator on
[ULR]www.acuraautomotiveparts.net[/URL]

product #10264 $77.19+$5 for shipping.

Hell I may just buy one & keep it in the garage for next time.

That way I can just swap it out myself in 15minutes.

I noticed 2 transmission types listed: KA5AT & KL5AT ??

D73

If you can get it free at the dealer, why would you pay $80+ for it? And furthermore, you'd have to adjust the actuator cable tension correctly. Not worth it in my opinion.

Personally, if it happened again, I'd bring my car in, get a loaner, tell them to run diagnostics on my car while I'm at work. Then pick up my car later that evening, tell them I'll bring it in when the parts arrive. In that way, I'd minimize downtime for my car, and still get the parts + installation free.

BTW, KL is tuned for CA emissions. KA isn't.

acura_service

tsb's are published to help in diagnostics or to broadcast a special policy, actuators either work or don't work, if wondering why there is no tsb on them, you might as well ask why there is no tsb on every part of the vehicle

cnatra

If there have been known problem with Bypass Valve Actuator failure for over a year why not publish a TSB to help the Acura dealer Techs Diagnose the problem?? More than one member has had difficulty in Educating the service department that the Actuator was broken.
TSB 01-017 for the brake rotors uses a format for Diagnosis,

Symptom
Probable Cause
Corrective Action
Parts Information
Warranty Claim Information
Repair procedure

If there was a TSB for the Bypass Valve Acuator then the information would be out there at the service departments &
the Techs would have the knowledge to resolve the problem.

Wouldn't this expedite the entire procedure for everyone ???

acura_service

well, you would think they would know how to diagnose an actuator without help, esp since you told them about it, i guess there are problems all over

Seattle Cl-S

Now that you mention this, when I manually press down on the throttle cables to rev the engine, I DO see the actuator "Blip" a little. It's almost as if it wants to flip but can't. Maybe the cable is stripped. I'm printing all this crap and can't wait to prove them ignorant.

Seattle Cl-S

Any news yet cnatra? Did they fix your actuator?