specagent992

March 2021 marks the one year anniversary of ownership of my RL and below is how much I have spent on maintenance and repairs. Please add your list, including modifications and upgrades. I'm curious what others have spent on their 2nd gen RL.

$800 radiator, AC condenser fan, oil change
$1200 timing belt, water pump, idler bearing, tensioner, serpentine belt, cam seal and crank seal, coolant and thermostat, power steering fluid, brake fluid
$80 alignment
$60 spark plugs
$100 power steering high pressure hose
$130 ATF, differential and transfer case fluid
$60 underbody splash shields
$20 air intake hose
$40 air and cabin air filters
$430 KYB struts and strut mounts
$70 floor mats
$100 DIY oil changes

Total $3090

DanL07RL

Don't know for my '07 but it's WAAAAAY more than that!!

specagent992

How long have you had the RL?

Everything on my list was DIY except the first two. Had I done it myself it would have cut the overall cost in half.

Next on my to do list is new tires and maybe a respray of the front bumper.

rlx015

I think I will probably miss something but here is my list (btw: I will not list services done because that is maintenance IMHO which I have performed as advised, mostly by the dealer or our local mechanic I trust to work on my cars. Therefore, I will list only parts replaced). I owned my 2006 RL w/ 67k miles since June 2011 - present (212k miles now). It is my daily and the only car I drive. Traded my then 05 Altima SE V6, negotiating and ending with the balance of $18,400 after all said and done... Paid off in early 2016 I think...

1) Front Brake Calipers (OEM) were replaced under warranty (3rd Party warranty) by Acura Dealer - Pauly Acura of Highland Park - (value at $2800, paid $0)
2) Battery was replaced in 2012 (Bosch battery) - $130
3) Manufacturer airbag TAKATA defect repaired at the same dealer… due to several weeks sitting car battery was replaced free of charge by the dealer = $0
4) At 100k miles, Timing belt service + spark plugs, all in as needed: $1130

5) Then at 135k miles I was alerted my suspension is likely going out... so here is what I did:
Suspension + Steering rack & pinion:
MOOG K90556 {#51306S2A003}
KYB 349195 (Original Ride Quality) GR-2 / Excel-G (rear)
MOOG K750271 {#51320SJA013, 51320SJAA01} (Premium) Problem Solve
KYB 340056 {#51605SJAA52, 51605SJAA61} (Original Ride Quality) GR-2 / Excel-G; Features an internal, anti-rollover spring (may cause extended length to appear shorter)
KYB SM5614 {#51686SJA003, 51920SJA013} (Daily Driver) Includes Insulator (strut mount)
KYB SM5613 {#52920SJA033, 52920SJA043} (Daily Driver) (rear) (strut/shock mount)
MEVOTECH MK90143 {#K90143} (Daily Driver) Supreme - Camber Kit (was not needed)
BECK/ARNLEY 1027677 {#51350SJA023, 51350SJAA01} (Daily Driver) Complete Arm w/ Ball Joint - Front right lower
BECK/ARNLEY 1027676 {#51360SJA023, 51360SJAA01} (Daily Driver) Complete Arm w/ Ball Joint - Front left lower
BECK/ARNLEY 1027605 {#51460SJA013} (Daily Driver) Complete Arm w/ Ball Joint - Front Right Upper
BECK/ARNLEY 1027606 {#51450SJA013} (Daily Driver) Complete Arm w/ Ball Joint - Front Left Upper
A-1 CARDONE 200038F {#20FLT2} Inline Filter; For 3/8"
A-1 CARDONE 262727E (Remanufactured) Remanufactured; Hydraulic Power Steering Rack & Pinon [Complete Unit] Includes Inner Tie Rods; With EVO Component
MOOG ES800868 (Premium) Problem Solver; Greaseable Info (Right Outer)
MOOG ES800869 (Premium) Problem Solver; Greaseable Info (Left Outer)
GATES PS high pressure hose 365931 {#53713SJAA02, 53713SJAA04, 53713SJAA71}
BECK/ARNLEY 1033070 (Daily Driver) - steering rack rubber part (no clue what it was lol)

This was $1640 + $85 shipping (lol) at Rockauto.com for parts alone...


Add to this at the same time of repairs I replaced all engine mounts as well:
MOUNTING ASSY., RR. ENGINE 50810-SJA-E01
RUBBER ASSY., ENGINE SIDE MOUNTING 50820-SJA-305
RUBBER ASSY., FR. ENGINE MOUNTING (AT) 50830-SJA-305
Total ~$500 for parts ...

and at the same time added following as well:
Rear Axle - $60 used from RL with 50k miles
Power Steering lower pressure line - $120 (ordered only one in stock in the US from LasVegas Acura)
Air Intake Rubber hose OEM - 35$ (it cracked due to failing engine mount)
Radiator (non-OEM) (part lifetime warranty) - $200 (no labor charged) since the original was found to be leaking (did not know)

So ALL in at 135k miles was about $2700 and add $1000 for labor (which included coolant flush) = $3700 total...

6) Around a similar time I fixed my central console armrest, both front seat door armrests as well and re-upholstered it along with the two front seats (bottom and back) since the leather was giving out as well = all for $1000.
So after ~5 years of ownership and very little in parts replacements, this $4700 was pretty much making my car driving almost like new

Moving on...

7) Replaced "black" battery connector and cable; Replaced "red" battery cable (OEM) complete wiring as well as the battery in early 2018 (Autozone $140, 750cc amps) - this was about $140 for battery and about $100 for labor in a local shop ... so about $240...
8) The most recent service completed at 200k was timing belt and all that comes with it = done at the dealer in Highland Park for $1300ish I think...

Total:

1) = $0 ($2800 value under warranty)
2) = $130
3) = $0 (dealer complimentary)
4) = $1,130
5) = $3,700
6) = $1,000
7) = $240
8) = $1,300
_____________________
TOTAL = $7,500

NOTE: This is for parts only: I do not include here maintenance like fluids, brakes (rotors+pads), transmission service, Filters, etc. I did not do any of the DIY.

specagent992

^^^ $7500 over the span of 10 years isn't bad at all. What I didn't see listed were tires and I'm curious since it looks like you are from the midwest, do you have a set of winter tires? I'm in southern california where winter tires aren't necessary.

HDNBenjamin

I'll see if I can cost this up later but this is my maintenance/repair log.
RL
90k: 90k service
92k: Timing, serpentine belt and water pump change
112k: Rear diff + ATF change
115k: Front brakes and rotors, shocks, front wheel bearings n spark plugs 2/25/18
117k: oil change and filter + transfer case fluid change
117.8k: ATF change with 3 quarts DW1 + PS Flush
119k: alternator replaced
121.9k: oil + filter change
122.5k: Brake fluid flushed. tires rotated.
127.6k: oil and filter change
131.8k D4 ATF + ignition coils + 3rd 4th pressure switches + pcv valve 7/17
133k cabin air filter, oil change, transfer case. rear diff fluid change. 8/4
133k new spark plugs due to misfire. 8/11/18
139k oil change. bg treatment 11/5/18
144,751 oil change 2/2/19
150,459 oil change no filter. cabin and engine air filter changed. 5/25/19
152k bg44k 6/22/19
152.2k rear diff + transfer case + atf 2x + 2nd gear pressure switch. 6/29/19
153k rear brake pads n rotors 7/4/19
153k rear engine mount and transmission mount replaced 7/6/19
156k oil and filter changed, radiator, thermostat, coolant temp sensors, seafoam 9/7/19
159.5k pcv valve, egr valve, denso spark plugs. tips burned off cylinder 2, 3, 4, 5.
161.6k oil and oil filter changed 2/8/20
163k upstream o2 sensors replaced 3/21/20
164.8k valve cover, pcv, gaskets, valve adj. 7/2/20
164.9k new battery replaced 7/14/20
165.5k ac expansion valve replaced and recharged 7/27/20
167k BG EPR engine flush, oil and filter change, front brake fluid flush, ATF, transfer case and rear diff fluid change, vtec solenoid gaskets replaced 9/6/20
167k head lights restoration, laminx covers, osram HIDs, Beamtech LEDs fogs. 9/20/20
169k Denso reman alternator 11/7/20
170k engine air filter change, knock sensor and wire harness replaced 11/21/20
171k new idler tensioner pulley and serpentine belt 1/23/21

specagent992

^^^ I see you replaced the PCV two or three times in the span of 35K miles. Why so frequent? My mechanic told me PCV is not part of Acura's scheduled service, thus not necessary to replace unless there is a problem.

HDNBenjamin

I replaced the PCV valve and soon after I replaced the valve cover because the old one burnt off where the spark plug holes are. The new valve cover came with the PCV valve!

rlx015

Yeah, I did not include tires considering those fall into the usual maintenance (air/cabin filters, tires, brakes (rotors + pads), etc.).
I am on All-Season at all times and they last me usually about 3-4 years on avg. I had Conti DWS extreme contact DS6 or something like that, the best tires IMHO... I had Pirelli Cinturato C7 plus... and now I have Kumho Ecsta (given the car is now 15 years old, I decided not to spend too much on tires... pricing wise, set of tires with balancing and mounting usually came out to be between 450-900 depending which tires you go for.

specagent992

Now that you mention it, one of my spark plug holes has a chunk missing at the top and I thought it was just part of the design. I've never seen anything like it. Do you know why yours had burnt off?

How do you like the Kumhos? I just got a new set of Kumho Ecstas installed for under $500 over the holiday weekend. They replaced the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06's that had 6/32" tread left. They were good tires but one of them were cupped and I didn't want to put up with the vibrations any longer.

rlx015

Honestly, I really like them - during the summer months you may hear certain noise on certain roads depending on what surface it is, I usually hear a bit whine at about 90-100mph on a hwy, but I never ever almost drive that fast so I don't care... rain and snow I am more careful because nothing is really comparable to contis in those conditions - given my RL is bit older I keep that in mind as well

specagent992

^^^ Would you say that they are louder than the Conti's? These are my first set of Kumhos and they seem really quiet and smooth but of course they are also brand new with manufacture date 3020. The smoothest tires I've ever used were Michelin MXV4 and the longest lasting were Goodyear Eagles.

rlx015

I would not say they are louder, honestly, every newer tire will not be as loud, I think after another 6 months I will be able to tell if they are truly louder - for the money, I think they are great...

DanL07RL

Well OK, attached is the whole history. Enjoy.....

specagent992

Which Ecstas? I got the 4X II. They're only good for 40K miles but I don't mind because they didn't cost much.

but no prices

rlx015

ECSTA LX Platinum - 245/50/ZR17 which came w/ 2yr road hazard coverage (@tirerack.com)

DagMDX2011

Bought @ 99K now 138K.
A/C Condenser fan - $160 -Denso - 2 hours self-install
Headlight level sensor - $27 Amazon - self install (easy) and still working 39K miles later. Best $27 spent in a while.
Last week - new Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum $107 each on clearance at TireRack 245/50-17 - $536 w/installation at local TireRack recommended shop.
Also last week - all new TPMS sensors as preventative when new tires installed - $130 parts only.

2006 Acura RL w/Technology

specagent992

That was one of my choices but I didn't want to wait for shipping, although it would've been only a day or two.

The shop that installed my new tires rebuilt the TPMS sensors; not sure what that means but I assume it was reset.

DagMDX2011

"Also last week - all new TPMS sensors as preventative when new tires installed - $130 parts only." - one of the batteries went bad and began to corrode the sensor so not rebuildable. They are all original at 15 years old so I said replace them all so I do have to worry about it with my new tires. They did not charge me for installation and resetting them, through it in as part of the tire install price.

TonyCD

Wow, I don't have the heart to look at the dollar figure. But you can extrapolate market price for this stuff (my ownership spans from 35k miles to 150k miles):

Headlight bulbs & bumper-off installation
Battery every 3 years
2 motor mounts
A/C compressor
Alternator
Transmission 3rd gear pressure switch ($780)
Timing belt/water pump/tensioner, twice
Rear wheel bearing
Hole in passenger's seat leather ($150)
Light bulbs behind console
Center armrest upholstery (DIY), $50
Driver's door weatherstripping

This doesn't count regular maintenance (except the batteries because it has an irrational appetite for those). Nor does it count accessories and upgrades, because they're not the car's fault. :.)

And remarkably, in 11 years and 105,000 miles, it only stranded me once (alternator). Pretty good considering that someone else skimmed the cream of the car's first 35,000 miles.

plznoname

Bought my 05 RL at almost 90k miles last year. So far I've done:

TPMS sensors replaced
Belts and all belt accessories
Replaced oil pump
Swapped engine air filter for K&N
Replaced cabin air filter
Replaced passenger fog light assembly
Flushed AT fluid, coolant, transfer case oil, brake fluid, p/s fluid, plus oil change
Replaced a few bolts and clips in the engine bay
Swapped high beams for Sylvania zXe bulbs
Installed USA-Spec BT45-ACU
Swapped fog lights for Sylvania FogVision yellow bulbs
Swapped most of the interior lighting plus trunk and license plate lights for Sylvania Zevo LEDs
Added a vehicle trash sack from Autozone
Added a clip-on wide-angle mirror (Fit System RM011)

Probably adds up to $6000 so far

Future plans:
Restore exterior chrome trim
Fresh set of tires; I'm thinking Michelin Premier A/S
Finish swapping interior lighting to LEDs; remainder will be JTech LEDs
Swap low beams for Sylvania zXe HID bulbs
Run a flush-mount aux input for BT45-ACU
See if I can bore out the front puddle lights to make them slightly brighter
Little bit of upholstery fixing; potentially rewrap the steering wheel
Window tint
A-spec spoiler
Replace the gas cap because the string snapped
Maybe install a third-brake flasher module
RV6 J-pipe and high-flow precats w/ Aero Turbine muffler and resonator (keeping the factory tips)

Please share any thoughts, advice, etc

TonyCD

Sounds like you're in a contest to see how much you can spend. You might want to consider going German.

plznoname

Sometimes it feels like that. I'm mostly caught up on maintenance, so it's a bit better now

TonyCD

I have a different set of Conti's, PureContact I think. They're not as performance-oriented a tire, just a performance all-season, but I'm really not thrilled with them. When cold, they pound over every bump so loudly that I thought I'd broken my rear suspension, and in return they're not terribly good in deep snow either. If I had it to do again, I might try a set of Vredesteins. My friend really digs the set on his Mazda6 V6, and they're well priced too.

specagent992

When you have time and don't mind sharing your accessories and upgrades because it might be give me some ideas.

Does traffic alert work on the BT45 ACU? I will get it if it works because traffic alert doesn't seem to work on the factory bluetooth.

I spray painted the exterior chrome trim with Rustoleoum Black Chrome and it looks decent on my opulent blue RL.

Aged tires will harden and ride rougher and louder. Maybe that's what happened to your Conti's.

The Vredestein website doesn't seem to have tires available in 245/50-17.

plznoname

BT45-ACU only overrides XM1. You still have XM2 to passively receive NavTraffic/Traffic Alerts with an active subscription.

I think I'll use the Spaz Stix mirror chrome 3-step on my Nighthawk Black RL

specagent992

I didn't know a subscription is required to receive traffic alerts. In that case I probably won't get it because I'm not a fan of bluetooth audio.

Please post pics if you do get the Spaz Stix. I initially tried Rustoleum Silver Chrome but it turned out pretty bad. Their black chrome turned out way better.

plznoname

I'll try to remember when I get around to the bumper, door, and grille trim restomod, maybe even document it.

TonyCD

[QUOTE=specagent992;16724441]When you have time and don't mind sharing your accessories and upgrades because it might be give me some ideas.

Well, now that you ask...

•I didn't want to go full-concrete with a coilover suspension, but I did swap out the springs and shocks for Acura A-Spec. Turns out I did go full concrete—it was incredibly, obnoxiously stuff. I now retain the A-Spec springs, but retreated to KYB shocks. This is still a bit stiff but more civilized while still controlling body roll much better than the mushy OEM's. Problem is you probably can't get the A-Spec stuff anymore, but I suspect that using stock '09-11 springs would be a more comfortable, better overall compromise anyway—this is meant to be a luxury sport sedan, after all.

•Laced a Wheelskins black leather cover onto the tan steering wheel because my hands were getting tired after gripping the small-diameter wheel on long highway trips. I can recommend this one.

•Trashed two wheels against my curb (my bad). I never really liked their looks, and they were $300 a wheel, so I exercised the choice of replacing the whole set for less money than it would take to buy two replacement originals. My only pro tip on this one: Consider doing what I didn't do and buy five, not four. If I ever trash one of these, I can't get a replacement.

•Floormats: I don't like the tray-style floor liners, so I did order winter rubber mats from WeatherTech to avoid trashing my original carpeted mats (which I still use in the summertime). I've found black carpeted mats look nice in non-black interiors, BTW. The WeatherTech and their customer support were both trash, wearing out under my heel in about 4-5 years of regular use and then forcing me to fight them to get a replacement despite a clearly advertised "lifetime warranty." Notably, since that happened, they no longer claim that warranty for the mats. Next time, if there is one, I might try the Lloyd brand that makes Acura-branded mats.

•Replaced the RL trunklid badge with a Legend badge (this car's name in most of the rest of the world), ordered from Japan for something like $50. Easy stick-on installation, no drilling. I'd do this one again 10 times out of 10.

•Did business with an eBay merchant from Brownsville, Texas who reupholsters our bubble-prone vinyl center armrest covers. Disassembled the lid from the console (an easy DIY job), sent it to him and he did a fine job reupholstering it with matching-color genuine leather. This is another definite winner if your armrest shows any sign of wrinkling or bubbling.

Hope that helps.

TonyCD

I don't think the Conti's are old—I got them new from TireRack, which moves a lot of volume. But you appear to be right about the Vredesteins; Tire Rack doesn't list them in our size, either. Non-standard size is generally a problem for our cars in both tires and batteries.

accord_3000

Approximately $13,500 since the end of 2017 when I got the car... Do a lot of the work myself except the transmission rebuild obviously... These cars are money pits, but are so pretty and so fun to drive.

Some big ones of note:
Ac system $500
New alternator $250
Powerstop drilled rotors: $400
Replaced all mounts with OEM: $1,200
New battery: $250
New Radiator: $200
Front wheel bearings: $250
Rebuild the transmission: $3,000
Replaced ignition (key got stuck): $400
TMPS Sensors: $200
Timing got fucked and bent valves, then car overheated and fried a ton of shit: All in on this 4 month endeavor: $3,000+

TonyCD

Ouch! I'm sorry about that.

Gimpies-Daddy

I left a review of the Kumho tires on TireRack. "My 2005 Acura RL has an odd tire size, so the tire selection options are more limited compared with a more normal sedan. I purchased these Kumho Ecsta tires as a replacement for the Pirelli Cinturato P7 tires that were on my car. I was not "wowed" with the Pirelli with its higher TireRack rating. I replaced those Pirelli tires with these Kumho Ecsta tires because the ratings and reviews were decently good, and the price was great. However, some reviewers had noted how prone the tires are to flat spotting after being parked for more than 24 hours. I had never had a tire with such a prominent issue with flat spotting. I can feel a definite annoying thump in the tires, even since new, for the first five miles or so, until the tires warm up. This flat spotting has continued for the whole life span of the tires. I am also not satisfied with the life expectancy of the tire. I regularly rotate, balance, and have the alignment as the car owner's manual recommends. I ​purchased a lifetime rotation, balance, and alignment deal from my local tire chain. I have calculated that this lifetime alignments deal has paid for itself on each of my cars, after about 45000 miles. I routinely keep my cars (except for one that was totalled) for at least 200000 miles. (My RL before got to 326000 miles before I sold it to get my current RL). I usually get more than the warranty mileage from my tires, except for these Kumho Ecsta tires. I started feeling a bad vibration in my steering wheel at about 60 miles per hour. I thought that this was the more probable case of the tires needing to be balanced, but, unfortunately, my tire chain people said that I need new tires because the tread is separating. The tires are great in snow and ice, but that is the exceptional circumstance, not the regular, usual day to day drive experience that I find more important. I plan to buy yet a different tire as a replacement."
https://www.tirerack.com/account/Sur...urveyID=873559

abusive

I’ve had my RL going on 14 years. Currently at ~100-110k miles.

Over the years I haven’t spent much but this year was a big overhaul:

new valve covers
timing belt
new a/c compressor
replaced shocks
lower control arms
upper control arms
all motor mounts (OEM)
New p/s pump and high pressure hose
and some music stuff.

all told probably spent close to $4-5k on parts and labor.

but considering the car has been paid off for over a decade it’s money well spent.

TonyCD

I like your perspective on the money aspect. Monthly payments shred your finances. Beyond that, I've looked lately at a variety of new sedans as potential replacements for my RL. Of course, all new cars have some things the RL does not: better connectivity for phones, more electronic safety nannies. But in driving character, interior luxury, materials quality, V6 smoothness, all the things I value, I personally feel I'd have to go up to an A6 V6, BMW 5, E450 or fully loaded G80 to match what I love about this car. All of those, adequately equipped, are $65-$75,000. Viewed against that comparison, a $5k investment every several years to keep your almost-forever car in tip-top shape sounds to me like a pretty good investment.

Mike734

I did just that. I drove a 2019 G90 for three years. It was a great car but at just over $1000/mo I couldn’t justify it over the RL. Since returning the G90 I’ve spent some dollars to get the RL completely sorted. I even installed a backup camera. The only thing I miss on the G90 is radar cruise control. I just can’t see spending >$12k/yr on something else while the RL sits in the garage.

Rogeroge

Great post. I can do quite a bit of preventive maintenance or even improvements to my RL for what would spend on just a couple of car notes.

TonyCD

Completely agree about the radar cruise. Too bad Acura chose to hold that feature captive with Michelin's crappy run-flats that Michelin then abandoned support for. People have looked into retrofitting it, and it's not practical to do so. Only other thing I missed, music connectivity for a phone, was easily fixed with the addition of the USA Spec unit. It's quite amazing how far ahead of its time this car was.

abusive

Yeah. The RL was a hell of a deal for its time (2006). Like you I’ve come to conclusion that if I want to maintain the same level of driving enjoyment (SH-AWD is incredible) and comfort, I’ll be spending $100k+ on something. Since I rarely have any passengers I’ve been thinking about treating myself to a new NSX but in Hawaii there isn’t a lot of places that you can really enjoy it as it was meant to be…

RG08RL

Specagent992,
Where did you find the Power Steering high pressure hose for $100? my local dealer wants $644 for the part alone.