Merry Christmas everyone!

This issue has been raised at edmunds boards. Here's the a quote from the original message by "lvdh":

"My RL is still at the Acura dealership's service department and has been their since Sunday evening. Acura has not been able to solve the problem with the SH-AWD and VSA warning light going on in my RL or the lack of acceleration when these warning lights go on. The dealership's service manager told me that the SH-AWD and VSA problems that my vehicle is experiencing has absolutely nothing to do with the fluid levels in the rear differential (as my levels were full) and that it was not safe for the vehicle to be driven with these problems. So I purchased a 2005 RL on the evening of 12/16/04, and since then its been in Acura's service department twice and basically I have not been in possession of or driven the vehicle. How ridiculous is that! The service manager did say. however, that their were six 2005 RL's "in the area" that experienced SH-AWD problems due to low levels in the rear differential. When I discussed this low fluid issue with Acura client services, they denied that they were aware of this issue. Perhaps Acura is not being forthright with its customers..."

For more info you can check out their RL thread:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/Web...@.ee9e773/5322

How bad this problem is? Anyone else have similar problems?

 

The full story is over at the website. He goes under the member name "Lvan".

 

don't believe everything you read, if anything it would be a software glitch.

 

I am on and there are sadly people saying the same thing. It must be a 1st year glitch, I can't see Acura making another TL/CL mistake.

 

Yeah, it's the same guy, LVDH (who also goes by LVAN on other forums)... who is having the problems. LOVE people who exaggerate to try to stir it up.

BTW, 1250 miles and not a single problem, Chicken Little. And if I do have problems I'll drive my FX while the RL is in the shop. Don't be concerned about us RL owners. We'll be fine.

 

I think he has a valid concern and don't blame him one bit for "stiring it up".

I had my entire rear differential replaced after only 62 miles on the car. To date I still experience some sort of "slipping" activities whether its with the differential, tranmission, or AWD who knows. In my opinion there ARE ISSUES that Acura either has not accepted responsibility or is still in the middle of trying to figure out how to fix.

 

I wasn't blaming LVDH for stirring it up. I sympathize with his situation. I was actually referring to the poster before me who jumped in to say "I am on (Edmunds) and there are sadly people saying the same thing." His implication was that it was the talk of Edmunds Town Hall. That is absolutely NOT the case.

 

No, I am on the other acura site. Seems for some reason, it got blanked out here. I never joined though.

 

well, i've had 3 recalls taken care of on my 4 month old RL and XM NavTraffic and my door locks work again. But my latest problem just manifested as the weather here in Virginia goes from cold to spring like warm.

The SH-AWD and VSA disabled warning messages come on fairly often in the warm weather. stopping the car and turning the engine off to reset the messages sometimes works, but mostly they come back on after a short intermission.

an interesting side effect is the way torque is displayed on the MID. right after the messages are displayed, no torque is displayed for any wheel. it is also clear from the handling of the car, that it is operating in front wheel drive only (torque steer is pretty high). after a time, though, toque is displayed for the front wheels only. when the display comes back on, i then have the most luck stopping the car, and resetting the messages. From that point forward, everything works until the car is turned off for an extended period and reaches ambient temperature.

Soooo, i think i have a loose connector somewhere, that is thermally sensitive. beyond that, the dealer has not been able to reproduce the problem yet. anyone else seen any problem like this one?

 

It is very troubling. Do you believe it is a loose connector affecting the actual working of the SH-AWD system, or the warning is working as it should due to a real issue with the SH-AWD?

In my case, the warning came on due to a third reason as explained by Acura; something else triggered the SH-AWD warning to come on.

I hope you get this resolved soon.

 

i dont have enough information yet to solve the "chicken or the egg problem." my suspicision is that its a loose connection that is disrupting communication to the back end of the car, triggering the messages. because the car recovers eventually, i dont think its mechanical. hopefully, i can get it to repeat when the dealer is looking at it!

 

I hope this the case. I received the SH-AWD message today after receiving a misfire/emmissions warning message. I'm bringing the car in tomorrow to get these looked at as well as the 4 known updates.

I really, really hope this isn't a sign of something bad!

 

I'm SOOOOOO, SOOOOO happy I bought the last 2004 RL ! ROCK SOLID, NOT ONE PROBLEM 8 MONTHS LATER AND 6000 MILES ! And NO I don't miss going to dealerships ! !!!!!

NO PUN INTENDED !

 

Good, because I read what you wrote and don't see the pun.

Come on. People here have some serious issues and help is what they are after. It is great that you are not having any problems, congrats, but someone has to buy the first year to get things started. This is a complex automobile and therefore more potential for bugs. As long as Acura works hard to solve and fix problems expeditiously I am for them.

I will be bringing my RL next week for the 4-issue service letter I received and trust that all will be fine. My 1992 Legend was a charm and I expect no less from my 2005 RL!!

 

Legend:
The legend of realiability has slipped with our beloved company Honda Corporation. I've purchased honda's since 1984 to present. I had not one, but two failed products, specifically a 1998 Honda Accord EX V6 Coupe, then an Acura CL Type S. Both transmissions failed at 74,000 to 78,000 miles with FLAWLESS maintenance records with same dealerships during the ownership of these cars....in other words "beyond the book" ! I'm so tuned in with their ability to deliver the more than heard statements " do more with less" bull snitz......I chose NOT to be a "TEST BED" for Honda again.....Never will I buy a new production vehicle as two wore me out !
No pun intended and yes you guys have some bugs to work out with Acura.....


I did my home work with regards to the 1st generation RL and all I could get for the 04 was: Boring, but ROCK SOLID !

 

I am impressed by your post! Good work!

Maybe you should devote your posting to the First Generation RL site, I'm sure they could learn a lot from you!

 

Fabvsix- Just because your '04 is fine now doesn't mean you will have no problems in future. I doubt that you are up to 74,000 miles yet.

I have had barely a problem with my '05 (2 drained batteries but probably self-induced, and a rattle which I will have checked out when I am in for the 4-issue advisory service), so we are basically even at this point. Your's is a sharp car, so is mine. The '05 just has some extra goodies that the '04 doesn't which justified the purchase for me. OTOH, I agree with you that in general it is better to wait a year or two after a car is introduced but I am very happy so far. Who knows what the future may hold ... the Yen may skyrocket versus the dollar and then I wouldn't be able to afford this car.

 

Fabvsix,

You really chose the car after it was listed as "boring, but rock solid" ? Wow, I just couldn't live with a car that is "boring", and so am curious as to why you would choose it...were you simply after a nice, reliable vehicle, was it a great deal that attracted you or is it that you don't see it as boring yourself?

Like legendguy, I am lucky not to have had any issues with my RL (execpt that same small rattle), and so I am very pleased that I bought it. Yes, I guess you can say that we are all taking a calculated risk with it being the introductory year, but I believe that Acura has a few kinks to work out and that's all ... and I also have the extended warranty just in case

Pete

 

Pete,
Most of the car mags considered the 04 RL "Bland" in design, most acura's are bland, but that didn't bother me as I like the sleek/classy look. As I get older, the "sporty" stuff is less attractive to me. I wanted a vehicle that I could enjoy without surprise dealership visits required. When my tranny was replaced in my Acura CL Type S, I looked both my contacts in the eye and asked them about the RL.....they both replied "we have no problems with that model........rock solid"......They knew at that time I was ready to explode having gone through two vehilcles with the same shit.....TRANSMISSION FAILURES, leaking SEALS, Low fluid, burned fluid and warped rotor issues every 20, 000 precious california babied miles ! I've been on these internet forums SINCE DAY ONE and I'm watching the dialog with you guys about this SH-AWD concerns, because that is exactly how it started with the 2001 Acura CL Type S. I hope Acura has leaned their lesson "you get what you pay for" and don't make the same mistake with their flagship vehicle. You know that they announced a $68 million dollar recall on thier "do more with less" previous transmissions right ?????????????????????????????
I would LOVE to have all the gagdets the 2nd gen RL has, but REFUSE to be a TEST MULE for Honda corporation.......Honda better work those bugs out !

 

I couldn't agree more. I'm all for anyone who wants to post on this forum to offer their opinion... especially 1st gen RL owners... but I'm getting a little tired of you (Fabvsix) trying to stir things up by:

1) Using your "creative writing" skills to criticize interior color choices and talk about differences in resale value that you know nothing about.

2) Repeatedly gloating over the great deal you got on your '04 RL and how reliable it has been. GET A CLUE... any one of us could have gone out and bought an '04 RL for a song, just like you did, but we were looking for a car WITH A LITTLE LIFE IN IT. I don't particularly want to visit the dealership for service either, but it is certainly not going to make me COMPROMISE MY PURCHASE DECISION by buying something that no one really wants anyway, with good reason. READ THIS... there is a reason the dealer sold you an '04 RL for $36k.

Thanks, enjoy your immensely reliable '04 RL, and I hope MY creative writing skills didn't offend you!

 

... and it was a lot CHEAPER than an '05 RL.

 

Desag:
No problem !

 

8000 (hard) miles on my 05 and not a single problem in sight.. Maybe i got lucky for once (i am a lemon magnet.. five trannies on my ex-TL for example)

Tracer

 

With a track record like yours, I'm glad you've been trouble free! Sounds like you paid your dues.

 

hehe, everything that could possibly break on my ex 99 TL broke

- five trannies in 35,000 miles
- Homelink dead three times (all fixed under warrenty as they broke during tranny replacement)
- Dents in parking lots.. THREE times
- Windshield wiper problems (new motor + wiper arm assembly.. $600)
- Dimming rear view mirror no longer dimming ($250)
- Rattling, cracking noises, etc
- Power driver seat replaced TWICE due to bending of rails
- Chevy mechanic test driving a Suburban not looking in his rear view mirror and testing the brakes.. HARD.. $800 for front bumper replacement (luckily the Suburban had a towing thing on the back and had no damage)
- and i could go on for a while..

I am VERY happy with the RL (and the deal they gave me when i traded in that POS TL). I test drove DOZENS of cars of the same 'level' and the RL is by FAR the best..

Tracer

 

What else would you expect but problems on the first year of this car?

 

Always nice to hear from someone who thinks the glass is half empty.

 

Good post, very objective instead of the usual fanboy attitude here....

I cannot believe so many of ya'lll take the abuse of having a shoddy quality car and stick to the brand. IMO, I'd buy a Benz is I wanted to encounter this....

 

No problems of any kind with my RL since mid-October 2004. Lovely car. Spectacular ride. Ooohs and aahhhs from passerbys and lots of questions and interest. More satisfied than I ever imagined I'd be. And after going with friends to look at the new Infiniti and Lexus models, even more pleased (friends bought the RL).

Sorry if anyone has problems though.

 

It will be a very good week if "fanboy" is the worst thing I am called! Heck, my wife does better than that!

 

My RL experiences have all been positive. I have had no issues with the car, enjoy driving it and would like to promote it to others based on this. I'm not trying to be biased, just honest from my viewpoint. I respect those owners who have had problems and are complaining. If I had similar problems, I would probably complain too, but I haven't. I guess that makes me a "fanboy"

Maybe I'm just an optimist, but I would like to believe that Acura is focused on addressing all of the problems that owners have genuinely experienced. They have every reason to want to make this car a success, and no reason to want it to fail. Again, it's probably easier for me to have this attitude since I haven't suffered any problems.

I just get pissed at those who post and complain and most likely haven't even sat in the vehicle.

Pete

 

Not even worth thinking up a response.

 

It's been 2 days since I've taken ownership of my RL, had it since thursday night for a weekend test-drive. As for getting stares..I get some, but not as many as when I'm driving down the highway in my wife's 2005 XJ8 Super V8, which for some odd reason she won't let me drive. You'd think she's dating another man when it comes to that cat..lol.

 

What did this have to do with "Serious problem in SH-AWD and VSA"??

 

nothing...with SH-AWD. but in someone's post...they mention something along those lines..and I responded.

 

But I can say that for the Jaguar to be a RWD vehicle, when pushed it does handle very well in bad weather. Jaguar has been my choice of car for highway driving for the last 3 years. I've never driven my Acura out of the Metro area. But having SH-AWD does giving me a sense of security. If I should experience any problems with the RL I'll post.

 

After several frustrating months of receiving SHAWD and VSA failure messages, my dealer tore the inside of my car apart and traced every wire from the front end control module to the back-end SHAWD and finally found a loose connection at the bulkhead connector behind the rear seat. With a few screws being tightened, now everything works as it should!

 

This is somewhat reassuring to know, as I had the message too. Hope this is the extent of the problem. Thanks for sharing this.