PortlandRL

...the RL is pissed off at me. My friends and I went out tonight with the RL and the Santa Fe in an attempt to document the elusive headlight flicker on video. Speed bumps, rough streets, manhole covers and only once were we able to get it. But when the camera stopped rolling, it flickered its butt off. It amounted to at least an hour of rough driving to get that magical half second-flicker on video. After that, the RL made its distaste about the situation known.

After stopping for donuts, the automatic lights refused to turn on when the driver door was opened, even in a dark parking lot. They would only turn on when the light switch was turned to the =() position.

I feel like she's a woman who's mad at me and indicates so through subliminal hints.

Rhlieu

The bigger concern here is what are young studs like yourself recording "flickering" lights over speed bumps, potholes & rough terrane on a Friday night?

TampaRLX-SH

It's called 'priorities'.

PortlandRL

My dealership is notorious for giving us the 'we can't duplicate it, we can't fix it' excuse...especially for warranty work. Any reason to get out of warranty work, they will take. I was getting the flicker on video to prove to them that it's actually doing it.

It went against my nature to aim for potholes and dips rather than away from them. Sad, but that's how it must be done.

TampaRLX-SH

I don't think any dealer is trying to get out of warranty work. I would think they would welcome it. It is a win win for the dealer and the owner as warranty work is paid by the manufacturer. The dealer gets to bill and get paid while making his customer happy who gets the repair done without expense.

The issue for a dealer doing warranty work done is getting the approval by the manufacturer. That means they need case evidence and must validate the issue. This is where duplicating the problem comes into play. The dealer needs this evidence and documentation to make the warranty claim. If not, the dealer will get stuck with the costs if they already promised the customer a warranty repair.

Even if you cannot reproduce the problem to the dealer, be sure it is documented on your service record, each and every visit. If it does not rear its ugly head until the day after the warranty expires, you then have a case history to press the warranty claim.

Rhlieu

Unfortunately that response is not a isolated to only your Portland area Acura dealership, it is a epidemic plague that has swap across all Acura dealership statewide!

Mr. Tampa might be lone exception (as very few could resist his charm), but from my personal experience (and seemingly countless members on here), the Acura dealership will do whatever it takes to NOT fix a warranty problem. And when they do agree to fulfill a warranty, it truly feels like winning the lottery!

Keep us updated on your progress! Worst case, I can photoshop a NHP version of 1 HID light photo.

PortlandRL

To show you guys what I'm up against, I called the dealership today to make an appointment to get it in. When I told the guy who answered the phone that I was noticing a flicker in the headlights, he asked me if I noticed it more during the day or at night.

I almost said, "Do you hear yourself when you speak or does stupidity just come naturally?" Watch...they'll forget to reserve a loaner car for me.

Wish me luck with these morons.

afjock21

More during the day or at night?? Wow.. the vein in my eye would prob start twitching upon hearing this...

I have noticed a couple times that my headlights seem to go out for what must be too fast for my human eye to notice much, but I see it briefly. If I hit a good bump and the nose of the car dips a little I notice it. It doesn't concern me much cuz it's not like it goes out long like I said, prob not even like .2 of a second... But your situation obviously interests me, so keep us posted!

GO SOX!!

stevesrl

My thought is that the service guy was trying to relate it to temperature. If the inverters are going bad they will flicker more at night (when it's cool) vs. in the day (when it's hotter). Of course who turns on their lights in the day and even if you did you would not tell if they were flickering since you can't even tell if they are on.

As previously posted my inverters are going, hence the flickering. They flickered more in the winter. In any case once they are at the ende they will flicker in cool and warm temps.

Ken1997TL

Did you get a name?

PortlandRL

No...John or something like that. The guy sounded high as a kite so maybe that had something to do with it.

PortlandRL

Dropped it off and showed both the tech and the service advisor the video along with the thread about those who had similar problems. The tech agreed with whoever it was on here said it was likely the regulators.

They've gotten better about listening although I can't help but wonder what would have happened if I hadn't gone to the trouble of catching it on video.

Keep your that they can get it figured. I'll keep everybody posted.

stevesrl

Inverters, ballast, regulators, and even heard of them referenced as controllers. It is all the same thing. Device that converts low voltage to high voltage and sends the output to the igniters.

One per headlight. I was told for both headlights to replace $770.00.
I'll be doing it myself. I'll take that bumper off and use the savings to buy a wood wheel (will also install myself-Thank's Neuron bob for the DIY).

PortlandRL

So the dealer ran diagnostic and checked up with Acura's engineers (according to my SA) and they determined that the bulbs were the offending factor. Acura paid for both bulbs to the tune of $800. Gotta love warranty.

Only time and nightfall will tell if it did the trick.

Rhlieu

$800 for the HID bulbs or + labor too? either way, that is crazy! True definition of "price gauging" Keep us posted if the bulbs where the true "fix"!

I wonder if you got the "Presidential" swirl wash with the warranty repair?

PortlandRL

That's a negative, senator. Put this on the dash, the SA noticed it and stamped 'NO WASH' on the R.O. four times!

Rhlieu

I finally got proof of my HID crapping out (Great timing too, as I have a service appointment Monday)! I hope this is enough visible evidence for my dealership to affirm a replacement of HID bulbs, inverters, igniter, ballast or regulators (or all of the above). I also made 2 dvd-r copy of the photos/mini video as viable proof for Acura and my “can not duplicate” SOB dealership!

mcdillon27

What year RL do you have? I can't believe they replaced the bulbs under warranty as I was told they are a ware item.

I have the CPO extended warranty. Is your warranty the original factory?

PS: My dealer refused to replace a brake switch under warranty... so I called up Acura and they insisted it was a warranty item.. which I already knew from reading the contract. The dealer ended up reimbursing me.. but why do I have to do their job????

Aman

$800 for a bulb?

...No seriously...I think mine were about...oh I don't know, $8. Maybe they were $10.

seriously, $800? Do you know what I could do in Vegas with that kind of money?

PortlandRL

No, it's only $400 per bulb. $800 for both.

Blazing GT

why so much for the garbage factory bulbs?

Aman

I got both bulbs for $8-10 too. My entire headlight cluster probably isn't worth as much as a bulb.