I have an 02 TL-P 5sp AT with 207k miles on the Odometer. Original trans and motor. This car has been extremely reliable and free of major repairs. I had the timing belt, fluid flush, and all that other regular stuff done at 125k.

Within this year I have been noticing an increasing delay when I am taking off form a complete stop. If I press the throttle immediately after releasing the brake it seems to jolt into gear. Almost like dropping the clutch too soon when using a manual transmission. It makes a loud thud or clunk almost if I press the throttle hard enough. If I allow the car to coast for just a second before slowly depressing the pedal, it will engage and have no symptoms.

The transmission shifts just fine and I have no slipping issues. However, if I am upwards to 5-6k RPM the shifting does get a little jerky, but I am also at 5-6k RPM. I expect it to do that at those RPMS.

The delay seems to be getting worse throughout the year, but very slowly. I did a 3x3 trans flush and this did not change this issue at all. I have put 5k miles on the car since the flush and I have seen no results that are positive.

I also have noticed a noisy "rattle" like sound coming from the driver's side front wheel area (maybe in the engine bay) when slowly pressing on the throttle from a dead stop. The rattle goes away at about 5MPH, but I am concerned. I notice it most when I am in a drive through and I am next to the building. I release the break and as soon as I give it a little throttle it begins to rattle.

Could this be part of my delayed start issue?

Lastly, I have noticed a loss in power over the course of the last 12 months or so. Nothing dramatic happened, but it seems to be very bogged down by the A/C this year. At one point when it was 114 outside, the car barely was able to take off from a dead stop. The water temp was about 7/8 of the way to the top (due to sitting at a stop light for 5 minutes) and the A/C was on full. I had to shut the A/C off to get the thing to accelerate and when it cooled down it was just fine. Even in that temperature, the car never goes above the mid line of the temp gauge unless I am sitting still for more that 4 minutes.

I don't drive the car very hard as I have my kids in it most of the time, but when I need to accelerate quickly it doesn't seem to do as well as it used to.

Thank you!

 

The first issue can be related to Engine/Trans Mounts. Have your mounts checked or do yourself the Mounts Test. If your engine moves more than 2" each way your mounts are dead. If all your mounts are dead it can cause such problems..








The Overheating problem is another story..
Going 7/8s in the Temp Mark is almost in the Red Zone ("The Danger Zone" Archer would say)..

Is not wise nor prudent to keep driving your car in that Temp Area. I will say this with a lot of puncture: IT IS NOT NORMAL for your temp mark to go above 1/2 of the way.
It is 1 below middle or 1 or 2 lines above in the extremes and that's it. 7/8 means you have an issue with your cooling system that needs care ASAP.


I go to Yuma from time to time and we get +120°F and my Temp has never gotten above the middle mark with A/C Blasting at Full Cold. Even when stuck in traffic at those temps it would rise to half only, 7/8ths? I have never in my life seen that.

 

Within 10 seconds of moving, it dropped back to 2/3 then back to about 60% in the next 15 seconds. That was the only time I have ever had that problem and it has been a single event since then.

If it had stayed at that level I would have pulled over, but it dropped almost instantly. It was as if the water was not moving through the system.

Anywho, I will check the mounts. I will have to look, but I'm sure the "DIY Mounts Test" is in this forum somewhere.

Thanks!

 

Yah if that happens its 1 of 2:
Air in the system.
Bad Temp Sensor.

 

you ckd the radiator cap- and level is to/very near the top? and res bottle for it- good hose and hose inside cap of res is attached firmly?
no loss of coolant?

sounds like a failing fan temp sensor A, when temp goes up and cones back immediately on movement of air thru rad by driving
ck - when ac turns on does passenger side fan ALSO operate? along with the main fan
And main fan/driver side ever run more than 1-2 minutes after shutdown = like 10 minutes?

as skirm noted above: any air in rad system will trick the fan sensor into not running
follow the book direction exactly on radiator burping- must have heater on full hot! here is the link to free owner book download from acura- need cars VIN
to register as owner, www.owners.acura.com

 

a sticky thermostat will act like this too, has it been replaced ever? with Honda part?

 

Yeah, as these guys previously stated ..... check the mounts and have the cooling system serviced. This shouldv'e been checked at the last T-belt replacement. If it's been awhile, have the system pressure checked for leaks. For all the more it costs, buy a new Honda 2-stage T-stat, rad cap and then check the ECT thermosensor to make sure that the cooling fan activates. Be sure to fully purge any air pockets from the cooling sytem as this can mess with the fan's sensor.

 

As I mentioned before, the heat problem was a one time thing. I did however check my radiator fluid and it was up to the top, but the reserve container was empty. I put a 50/50 mixture in the resevoir and filled it to the max line. Maybe I got some air in the lines at that time because that was empty.

I will check the mounts this weekend and go from there. When I had the most recent air bag recall done, the Acura dealership mentioned that the motor mounts were getting old but were only in the "yellow" not needing immediate replacement. Although that was last year.

Thanks again!

 

so you may have a failed front motor mount causing a vac leak and running problem
in addition to the other issues

your temp issue was not a one time event- it never is!!!!!! overheat means a problem
Empty res can mean hose attached inside res cap is off or loose and no fluid transfers
or leak in res bottle- not unheard of
Fill the res to the COLD or lower mark- when engine shuts off, hot fluid moves thru hose into res- by morning and engine start= it sucks it back and refills rad to top!

If the temp ever goes above its normal dead steady regardless of driving/sitting ac blasting -up mountains ac on etc stays at the 1 or 2 lines below half (depends on your viewing angle) that it always runs

regular Honda cars temp goes up and down, but the acura is made to be temp steady with systems keeping it that way

for sure get the owner book download if paper copy not nearby- burping rad system is much more involved than any other car I have worked on in my many years
idle and 2000 rpm cycles waiting for main -driver side fan to run and turn off--repeated a few times
its serious procedure!
note heater must be on full hot - turn cabin fan on full and open doors and windows to allow heat out