Hey, I just found this site yesterday and so far looks like there's a lot of good information on here. I just picked up my 02 TL-S last Monday and can say that I really like it alot so far. I drove an 00 Civic Sedan before the TL so there's a huge difference there. Anyways, back to the TL here are the specs.

PROS
- black on black
- navigation
- interior in pristine condition

CONS
- missing cup holders
- missing navigation DVD
- needs new AC compressor
- cracked fog lights both sides
- rear bumper has been repaired before (possible fender bender)

I'm trying to do as much preventative maintenance as I can to get her back in tip top shape. So far I've changed the oil, topped all fluids, replaced wipers, and replaced the air filter. Thinking of changing out the spark plugs but a little lazy to remove all those freakin' engine covers. The mileage I'm getting so far is horrible. I think I ran only 200 miles on 12 gallons which is somewhere around 16 MPG. I was hoping it would get at least 20-25 minimum since my driving is mainly highway. Maybe changing the plugs might help somewhat but I'm not too sure it will do much.

I think I could just be having gas buyer remorse since I did drive a Civic which gave me 30-35+ MPG. It would be dumb to expect that out of a much more refined car such as the TL but it's a little upsetting that the factory MPG rating of 19/29 MPG is a LIE. Well, at least in my case so far anyways. I probably should run a few tanks before I talk though since my first estimate was directly from when I just bought the car without replacing anything.

So far so good though. There is a little bit of jerking when the gears are shifting. Maybe changing the trans fluid could help?

Sorry to bombard you with so much jargon considering this is my first post. I think I'll have more subtle post as soon as I settle in and meet some of you on here. Take it easy.

P.S. Am I the only one on here that uses their actual name as their screename? The name is Chanrith by the way.

 

Welcome welcome. As for your missing cup holders, I bought my car missing them too. But the only difference is that I didn't notice it until a few months later when a AZ member told me. = ) And for the cracked fog lights, join the crew. One of my fogs are cracked too. Gotta love the black on black

 

Welcome to AZ your mileage does sound a little low but I am sure there are things you can do to improve that. How many miles are on the car?

 

my cup holders were also missing when i bought my black on black but i had the dealer take one out of another car for me...as for ur mileage it sucks pretty bad...u may want to change those plugs and look up the seafoaming procedure on here welcome!

 

@Post #2: Yeah black on black is my favorite combination. I read somewhere that there's a lense I believe is made by lexan that can easily replace the lense on the fogs. I gotta look into that.

@Post #3: My TL has 109k on it.

@Post #4: Seafoaming? Never heard of that I might have to give it a try.

 

yea with a car with that kind of mileage on it seafoaming is the way to go...my friends cl type s just hit 104k and we seafoamed and changed the plugs and its runs like new...all he needs now is teh water pump and timing belt changed...i htnk the seafoam was $4 a can at autozone...we bought like 5 so we could do both cars...u stick it in the fuel tank, crankcase (oil), and suck through the pcv line into the intake manifold...its a pretty good cleaner for the internal parts

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome.

You can find a handy DIY on replacing fog light lenses somewhere around here. Very simple, and costs less than 50 bucks, considering the price of one fog light. Not too hard a job.

 

Congrats, I got mine last week.

Try the seaform stuff. I used Auto-rx in the engine, and Redline FI cleaner in the gas. I am estimating 450km (270 miles) per tank.

 

It seems that a lot of people who purchase a used TL have at least one busted fog light - mine included. I was able to find an OEM one on eBay. After I replaced it, I purchased and applied the RockBlocker fog light protection kit. So far so good. Welcome go AZ.

 

congrats on the buy. a TL runnin good will get anywhere from 280-350 miles per tank city/highway. as for the foglights, just buy some lexan lenses on ebay and replace the cracked ones, then buy rockblocker for additional support.

 

welcome!
what kind of gas are you putting in? you should only use 91 or higher octane otherwise your killing milage and performance. as for spark plugs i would sugust NGK iridium IX , they are great! defintly use seafoam, ive hit 400 miles a tank a few times and i drive 50/50 city highway

 

welcome!
what kind of gas are you putting in? you should only use 91 or higher octane otherwise your killing milage and performance. as for spark plugs i would sugust NGK iridium IX , they are great! defintly use seafoam, ive hit 400 miles a tank a few times and i drive 50/50 city highway

 

Cool, thanks for the help guys. I'll do some more research on here but so far it appears AZ has got us covered. I read up on the seafoaming and probably will do that this weekend as I did plan to change out the plugs. Also, looking into the Lexan lense covers to replace my cracked lenses. Here in Washington state we have octane 92 and that's all I use on my TL.

 

Is running 89 octane on the TL going to do damage to the engine? Here in Colorado that's the mid-grade and that's what the dealer said to use...

 

It must have been a that told you to use 89. These cars are designed to run on 91 or better. When using lower octane, it affects the performance of the car. If you're not a "spirited driver" you probably won't notice much, if at all, when using 89. But if you like to push the car a little bit, you might get some knocking from the engine, which is bad for it. I'd say spend the extra $1.50 and use 91 for optimal performance.

 

Welcome! As for your fog lenses, you should try to replace them with lexan lenses and then seal them back up with silicone RTV sealant. Lexan material is stronger than the glass Acura uses and many sellers on ebay will refund you if they do break. I just ordered one for only $25.99, better than replaceing the whole light through acura fro $150+.

 

You will find complete seafoam instructions in the thread titled Seafoamed the Ol TL, you can scroll down the gen2 main page and find it- takes 1 hour of your time and that includes the sitting around time and the drive afterwards- the ultimate tune up in a can!!
Do it at least a few days before the spark plug change- use NGK IX Iridiums- 7 bucks each
Its a simple job as well- look in the DIY section here or use search and there are plenty of pics and tips
The maitenance book says new water pump-timing belt and tensioner at 105,000 miles
Many members go far past that- its up to you- if it breaks its death for the engine
Register your car by VIN number at www.acura.com owner link
Make a free account- and it knows your cars warranty history and if any extended warranties such as the transmission or some 2002s get a free water pump-
its worth knowing!
Also CALL acura at 1-800-382-2238 x5 and register car as new owner and ask if any recalls or warranties you should know about

Also read the description of transmission failure signs- you have a special 7 year 109 thousand mile warranty on it!!!!
Not much beats getting a TL and then a fresh trans at no cost to you.
They are $4000 and sometimes the last owner didnt know about warranty, and sold the car thinking the trans was heading out-

Average "economy" after you get used to not driving it full throttle or in vtec (above 4700 rpm) combined city/hwy about 22, freeway only 27-30-32 often reported on trips,
in town 19 on a good day
It takes a lot more power to get the car moving than it does to use cruise control on the hiway
The Nav DVD needs to be updated/replaced every few years anyway- buy on the acura.com website or ebay sometimes has used 1 from crashed car. The version number and color of disc are different betweenthe models- so read the acura site to know what to look for- the disc come direct from Alpine ~approx $200~- sorry no discounts at walmart!
So fix up those things and enjoy
Welcome to the acuranuts forum!!

 

A note on the trans warranty, if you have just over 109,000 miles showing
Acura lost a court decision
It says our odometers read 5 percent higher than actual- so you can use that to get the dealer to cover the warranty

Changing fluid wont make the trans shift better- read up and get it checked right away

Many of us have been through the experience and can make it painless for you

Flushing the brake fluid anually is good idea- may never have been done on your car!

 

Good posts!

 

Dang, 01tl4tl you've got all the information I need. I've driven the TL for several days now and have racked up some miles and believe I'm 1000 miles shy of the 109k warranty. As far as transmission goes it seems to work fine but sometimes get's stuck in gear probably between 2nd and 3rd going 30-40 miles per hour. This happens only on occasion but it does get annoying and definitely isn't safe with my kids in the car. A shop recommended a trans flush since the fluid was a little dark in color. I guess all I have left is to pray that the transmission doesn't go out. I'm not ready to shell out $4000 for the transmission. Do they really go for that much? I mean I paid a little over double that amount for my car and it just wouldn't make sense to shell out that kind of money. But we'll see, everything works but I am a little concerned about the tranny.

I heard Honda's can go up to 300,000 miles without replacing the timing belt/water pump but I want to take extra precaution since I'm not sure how the previous owner handled the car. It appears to be taken care of farely well on the interior but the air filter was never replaced so that tells me something.

 

Since your transmission may be developing problems you should have it checked out by an Acura dealer now before your warranty expires. Even if they can't find anything wrong with it now it will give you a better chance of getting coverage after the warranty expires. Amke sure that they document your description of the behavior.

And do not flush the transmission. That is not recommended for the 2nd gen TLs. Drain and fill only.

Bob

 

Thanks for the tip Bob. I should've been more clear as to where I stand on the warranty deal on the tranny. My car currently has 110,000 miles on it. I'm glad you told me about the drain and fill on the trans fluid. I would've just went with whatever they recommended. Thanks again.

Chanrith

 

OK, I understand now.

Be aware that Acura has provided many TL owners with "good will" out-of-warranty repairs. You might still want to take it to a local dealer for an assessment and the possibility of a free or heavily discounted repair.

You might have a good chance since your car is just beyond the 109,000 mile limit. There was also an Acura odometer reading issue on the TLs that might help out. Apparently some odometers were found to be reading high by a few percent. (In other words, your TL might actually have less than 109,000 miles on it.)

Bob

 

You are going to need to change the water pump timing belt soon. I believe it is at 109K or 120K or something like that.

 

A court decision ruled Acura odometers read 5% higher than actual mileage
Get that car to the dealer right away and document and possibly find the trans prob right now
Then you sweet talk a little and know your rights and a replacement unit appears in your car!

We can help!!!