I just acquired a 2001 TL, and here are some details about the car.

- 106,000 miles, split about 50/50 highway and city and never pushed hard
- 87 Octane gas used during the lifetime
- Cheap 5w-30 oil and filter changed every 7,500 miles
- Transmission died & replaced at 70,000 miles by Acura dealership via warranty
- 105k maintenance has not been done
- Pretty sure the air filters haven’t been changed


What I am planning on doing:

- Switching to 91 Octane gas (highest readily available in my area)
- Switching to Synthetic 5w-20 with Wix Filter and keeping the change interval at 7,500 miles
-Also assuming that Mobil 1, Penzoil, Castrol, etc… can be used interchangeably?

- Maybe going to seafoam before changing the spark plugs, will have to look into it more
- Going to do some of the 105k maintenance myself and let a shop take care of the bigger stuff like timing belt, water pump, tensioners.

- Going to change the Cabin Air Filter after reading the DIY
- Probably going to use a K&N air filter for the engine air filter

I’m probably missing some stuff, but that’s my quick writeup after browsing the forums. Please make suggestions where you can.

Also, can someone give me some quick facts about the transmission because the thread about transmission failure is too long to read all the way through. Is it possible to take the transmission to 300,000 miles if properly maintained? What are some trouble signs and what should I do if they arise?

I'm excited about my new car and look forward to participating in the forums.

 

+1 for seafoam. Read thread...lots of good info(for the most part)

Also, I'd suggest taking out the intake resonator. It's a very quick and easy, not to mention free, mod you can do to your car. There's a DIY on that too.

 

welcome to the forums but

 

Welcome, looks like you have a nice maintenance list going on, I LIKE! Also I think our cars take 5w-30 not 20, not sure if it makes a huge difference.

 

x2 on 5w-30, the 20 stays too thin and won't be able to protect the engine fully when warmed up, even 10w-30 would not hurt

 

Thanks for the clarification, I'll be using 5w-30 instead of 5w-20 then.

Also, I could post some pictures, but it's bone stock. Nothing special, yet.

 

still even if the car is only stock, so ME want to SEE PICTURES

 

Well manual says 5w20 so that's what I use. My family loves Hondas and after many years with several and now my Acura, it's the only thing I use. My tech also recommends 5w-20 because Honda engines have tighter tolerances and lighter oil means it will lubricate more parts. I only use 5w-30 in peak summer heat when the extra heat will make it thinner. And of course, only use synthetic after you make the switch.

Honestly, it doesn't make a huge difference but I like to stick to what the book says..who knows better than the guys who built it right? Now 10w30 or something heavier and we'd have a problem.

 

our engines are durable, you can use cheapest 5w30 oil and it will still outlast your transmission

What year was transmission replaced?

 

Welcome to Acurazine!

Definitely spend some time reading the Tranny Failure Thread. The size is overwhelming but you can probably pick up most of what you need to know by reading the last few months worth of posts. Transmission reliability issues are a huge problem with the 2nd gen TLs and that's the reason the thread is so huge.

It's possible that you might reach 300,000 miles on the replacement transmission but it's highly unlikely. Some TL owners have experienced multiple failures before reaching 100,000 miles.

Also, if the transmission was installed prior to February of 2005 it won't have the design improvements that Acura made at that time.

 

welcome and yeah glad that the TL got a GOOD owner finally =]
take care of her and she'll take care of you, and plz do post pics stock or not stock i want to see tooo

 

5-20 was for CAFE govt testing - that has now been scrapped as inaccurate- use 5-30 for max protection
read up on oils to understand why~

seafoam the gas tank today to start working on the residue left behind by 87 octane
1 can to 1/2 tank

seafoam the intake vac port too- then change plugs

 

Thanks for the info, I have a quick question. I also have a 2007 Honda Civic EX. Should I use 5w-30 instead of 5w-20 like it says on the cap and manual also?

I'll post some pictures when I get my camera back.

 

Trans blew up on '01 TL at 96k miles...just 4k under Acura drivetrain warranty. The '01 rides soft, get a suspension kit. I had a K&N filter in mine, do that or CAI of course. I had my windows tinted & rear spoiler done. I drove mine for 3k more miles after trans repair & got an '05. Drove that from 25k miles to 65k and got a Type-S a year ago with 4k miles on it, this ones my keeper

 

Good Plan but if i was you i would go with a synthetic blend oil and then move to full. Spark Plugs, coils, timing belt, tensioner, water pump, air filter, flushing the radiator/brakes, cabin filter, seafoam, fuel injector cleaners, etc. just a few things to start off with if it was mine LOL... but in for pics of the actaul car.

 

x2 except for replacing the coils--aren't those are only needed if your CEL is throwing codes?? Would also like to add you should change your tranny fluid, filter, and 3rd/4th gear fluid transmission switches ASAP to POSSIBLY saving your tranny

 

Wow do you change 3rd/4th gear fluid transmission switches?

 

there is NO need to go semi synth then full- the engine doesnt care, all oils are made to be compatible...you can switch back and forth each time if you want to
Using a quality brand is the important thing

for other cars see forums for them about using 30wt

 

here you go. mine shifted much smoother after replacing

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-cl-2001-2003-50/here-some-info-2g-cl-tl-transmission-atf-filter-change-solenoids-ect-739205/

 

Hey SKIPPY

of your new ride, (stock or modded, doesn't matter)

 

 

Pics or ban