So my '05 RL was at my local mechanic today. He told me after a road test and getting it on the lift that I should replace the rear sway bar links. I also mentioned the struts and he seemed to think that it wasn't worth doing. The car has 115k on it now and they were never done but I get that clanking sound up front a lot and the rear sounds worse with the bad sway links. I think I saw on here that someone went 200k without changing their struts. I feel like it is worth getting done to improve the ride but what are your thoughts.?

I also had a coolant flush by the dealer a few months ago. I noticed the reservoir tank is bone dry after filling it. Any idea how to remedy this? The engine is not overheating but the RL seems thirsty.

My gf drove the car recently and it's not quite summer here just yet so we still use the heat in the mornings. She isn't very familiar with the car and the confusing controls which Acura updated in 2006. Anyway....when you turn on the heat the AC on button is always activated which I always found strange, so I toggle it off. Of course she didn't know how to do this so the AC was on while the heat was going. I feel like Acura should have done some sort of manual cutoff if the temp was set over 75 degrees. Any work arounds with this? Again...I think it only affected the 2005 model year.

 

If you have the defrost function turned on the a/c runs to dehumidify the air, it defrosts the windshield much faster that way. This control logic is common on all cars.

The bad end links are are a source of noise, when they are replaced you might be surprised at the difference.

Struts (or shocks) can be useable for a long time but performance begins deteriorating day one, how fast they deteriorate is based on how hard they are used. Driving washboard roads eats them up fast, smooth pavement and they last a long time. Replace them when you feel the need, you might notice a big difference with new struts, you might not..

 

All you need to do is leave the system on AUTO - that's it. Set your temperature, and it will blow cold air if the car is hot and hot air if the car is cold. It'll leave AC on to condition the air (ie. remove humidity) at all times - AC means Air Conditioning not Air Cooling...

The only thing she needs to adjust is the temperature if she is too cold or too hot :-)

 

My wife does that in her MDX. pressed the air volume up button and the A/C comes on even if shes turning up the heat. Then I get in the suv and have to turn it off cause its cold out and its wasting fuel.

The windshield reservior Oring where the small pump fits into the bottom of the reservoir is leaking slowly. You will need to remove the front bumper to easily access it and replace it. My wifes 2012 MDX is doing the same thing.

You must live in a state where premium fuel is free. The Auto option keeps the A/C running at all times. So you end up constanly low on power and using 20-30% more premium grade fuel. Better to teach her how to use the car instead.

The auto option is also best way to quickly get a cracked dash. This is because on a hot day the car reads that its WAY too hot in here, and instantly turns on the A/C full blast, which cool the dash too fast and it turns into Atlanta, Georgia(Crack city).

 

Except that a modern automotive AC compressor uses less then 5hp. It's not even taking 2% of your power and fuel consumption - nothing that you'll ever notice, and a small price to pay to travel in comort

 

Yeah, replace those links. If you replace the struts too (which you might as well), I had a good experience with KYB's. Good quality, ride similar to OEM, much less money.