Alright, so I'm new here and am about a month out from purchasing an 03 TL type S. I'm aware of the tranny issues in the car but I'm curious how many people here have actually had tranny issues with the car, if they've replaced it, how the tranny has lasted, if they had it replaced/rebuilt at somewhere other than acura, etc. Basically I'd like a run down on all transmission issues you have or haven't had. Just for reference if it makes a difference, the TL I'm about to buy has already had the transmission rebuilt and is hovering around 107k miles.

Also, a car isn't really a car without a killer sound system in it and Bose doesn't quite do it for me. I want to put ~3200 watt system (2x hifonics 4 channel 640w, 1x hifonics mono class D 2000w) in the car and in all likelihood will need a better alternator, so does anyone know where I could pick one of those up?

Finally I'm trying to find the standard wheel size for the acura so I can look into getting some aftermarket rims or find out if I can put the rims from a newer generation TL on the 03.

Thanks in advance!

 

You can read on on the tranny page....It has everything and anything that you will need to know about our transmission issues.
As far as the wheel specs go, the type s came from the factory with 17x8 (I believe) with a 114.3 bolt pattern.

 

tranny issues, many people have, especially the earlier ones (like 00 or 01), but people still have had issues with the 03 ones, just not as much, my 03 has lasted 107K, and still going, has had issues before though but i was able to fix them luckily, with out replacing the tranny itself, and the major problem i had was it puking itself of all it's fluid, which i think was more due to the wrong fluid and not the tranny itself, so only stay with Honda's ATF, no others are acceptable for our trannies

sound system, yes the sub is very lacking from the factory, many people have put aftermarket subs in, here on AZINE,
but for that power level , holy shit, i don't think you would be always using the full power output always, so maybe cut down on your power wants (but it is your car afterall, so why not then), but our cars do have a pretty decent alternater from the factory, so you might be able to get away with just an additional battery, idk, would need the actual power comsumption of everything to be able to tell you

wheels, the 3g tl's wheels also fit our cars
and wheel size is below \/, but also the stock size wheel also has a center bore of 64.1 mm or so, with the offset being about 52mm or so from the factory
also for wheels, check out: http://www.ronjonwheels.com/ , they are nice in the fact, that they are actually custom made for our cars and not just some universial design
also he is a vendor on here also and his screen name is rondog



, actually more like 17x 6.5

 

Really? Geez thats tiny....Thats why I put (I believe) l0l.

 

i know that's why i put the


and the for the fact that they are actually that tiny
but the 3g a-spec wheels do actually get an 8 sized wheel, but they are also 18's, so less sidewall heigth to make up the width difference from the tires



also fyi, alot of steel wheels on cars like an accord are only like 5.5 or something alot of times,

and for some reason i think the tl-p ones are only like 6 or something

 

welcome to azine-
most subjects are already listed on the main thread page, scroll down its many pages for problems and good things

You want to register with acura and see if part of the timing belt pulley recall
If so you just saved 500 towards the 105k timing belt replacement service-

call acura care with cars VIN, 1-800 382 2238 x5

see the Off Topic link for azine Meets- gatherings of acura owners on azine, wash and wax section has tips specific to the TL leather etc
The DIY section has most anything you want to do yourself up to a moter and trans swap to 6speed manual
A new stereo head unit will lose the stock subwoofer but there are many options-

If you see a 15+ page thread, read the first and last few pages for the info

DIY Seafoam and replace your spark plugs, makes car run like new

 

my 01 type P had 16s with 205s and you could get 225 onto the rims
The Enkei's are 17x8 and run 225 or 235x40 (235 has clearance issue on 01s)

 

what you need for a big stereo is a big battery- Marine-RV heavy duty style

the car runs off the battery, the alternator recharges the battery as it has power drawn from it.
Alt doesnt put out much until ~1500 rpm then it will handle most loads

 

not so, you can wire it to work, most people just don't bother wiring it up, cause it sucks so bad

 

Wow, thanks for all the comments fellas, I'll check out some of the other sections of the forums for the trans issues.

If anyone knows of a place to purchase a high output alternator, I still need one for the system I'm putting together. The second battery doesn't fix the problem, it just allows the system to run longer whereas an alternator can keep the battery(s) charged will be better in the long run.

Thanks for the RonJon suggestion, I found a set that they make that look great, I'll definitely be looking closer at those.

 

i don't know how often you plan on playing it that loud to actually need ALL that power, but ok,
the more/bigger battery is more to help dampen out the power spikes from running such a large system, so the draw is better averaged, and the stock alternater might be able to keep up, but if running that large of a system and for that long (seems like you want to run for minutes on end at a high volume), then you will definetly need a larger alternater for the car
only thing i would worry about though with the larger alternater, would be it is not as reliable as say a stock one, so a dual alternater might be worth a try then (but it have to be custom though)
but i will try and keep an eye out for one though

 

Here's a link to a DIY high-output alternator install. Looks like he got it from Ohio Generator. This guy has lots of good DIYs on his web pages.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/184466/9

 

stock suck sub- no sub- same diff fries~ Cut me some slack - Im getting older by the minute

 

; old fart

 

Wow, thanks for the link to the Acura with the high output alt. I'm doing a setup similar to his in components so I'll probably try to get in touch with him.

 

good car for the price, but honestly bro, I would pass on the TL-S. I have the same car and love it for the good reasons, but I do tend to worry about if my tranny is gonna drop or not. Just the fact that it WILL drop eventually is a bitch stress to worry about. I'm saving up for a 6spd swap and "knock on wood" I hope my shit dont die before thats done. I love a spec rims, 6 sets of rims on my car and thats the best one. I'm also rocking just a 12" sub and perfectly enough bass for me.

 

Would http://owners.acura.com/Maintenance/Recalls.aspx show the timing belt pulley recall? I tried calling the number you provided and they put me on hold for 15+ min so I just hung up.

 

Okay, well I checked into an extended warranty for the car and it's about $3k so I'm either going to do that or have some money set aside for when the tranny gives. I like the car and features in it a lot so I will definitely be picking it up.

As far as the audio goes, does anyone know if the stock navi head unit has pre-amp outs or equivalent? I'd prefer to not replace the entire dash in an already nice car so I was just curious if anyone knew.

 

, that's about 80% or so of the cost for a new/rebuilt (from honde none the less) tranny at an independent shop, and even then no garentty (sp?) it will go before the extended warrenty is up, so just hold onto that money and invest it or something till the tranny actually goes


also the stock navi unit, it does not have the radio in it, it is still seperate, also if you are just looking for a better sub, just look for an amp with line level inputs if neccessary

 

Sorry, didn't mean the navi itself, I meant the head unit that goes with the navi set-up. As it turns out it doesn't have any pre-amp outs which is less than ideal but i'll see what I can do.

 

basically the same head unit as the non-navi ones

anyways the reason for the line-level inputs on the amps you want



also try this thread for custom head unit installations:
https://acurazine.com/forums/sponsored-sales-group-buys-10/double-din-dash-kits-tl-cl-358673/

and this one for custom sub enclosures:
https://acurazine.com/forums/sponsored-sales-group-buys-10/custom-fiberglass-subwoofer-enclosures-358676/

 

i have a 01 tl and the tranny went out when i was test driving it lol i got it rebuilt not from acura the dealer sent it somewhere thats when it had 74,000 miles on it now it has 119,876 and thats not babying it and still runs great the tl's are great cars you should be ok i think they fix that prom in the tranny that makes i mess up.

 

Good to hear, where'd you get the transmission re-done at? I'm getting the Acura this thursday/friday and can't wait. I'll post pics when I get it.