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99' TL 3.2 non Navi
97k miles



With the summer heat and temperatures constantly in the upper 90's. I have noticied that my car seems to run a little sluggish.

If the car has been sitting for a while and I try to start it, it will hesitate to start and then fire right up. This is rare but it does happen from time to time.

And sometimes in the heat of the day, if the car has been sitting for a while it will slightly stall during the initial press on the gas. This is only noticiable to someone like myself that has driven the car daily.

I have also noticied that my gas mileage has dropped a lot.

I have to guesses as to what the problem is. There is no check engine light on.

Clogged fuel filter, which has never been changed to my knowledge..Unless acura changed it during my 60k service..
Or, my Oxygen sensor is going out..Which I would think it would give me an engine code.

Any thoughts?










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I did some searching online for fuel filters for my car and it seems that my car doesnt use a fuel filter. There seems to be a fuel screen. Does anyone have any info on this?

 

Sounds more like an O2 sensor problem.

I dont know about a filter or a screen on these cars.

 

99-03 TL's do not have a user replaceable fuel filter. The "screen" is located in the tank with the fuel pump.

 

Sounds like your O2 sensor might be dying. I had the same symptoms when my primary was on its way out. If it doesn't throw a code sometime in the near future, then you could probably rule that out, though, because it would definitely light up the MIL.

 

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I have been noticing this problem for sometime now. But the engine light would never come on, Until today. I took it to autozone to have the code checked. The diagnostic tool kept saying "link error". So I never got a code number. At this point I dont know whether I should just go ahead and replace the sensor or have it checked out at a dealer or service center. If its a bad O2 I have to buy a new one. But If I go to a dealer, I have to buy a new one and pay them a fee. On my 99' where does this O2 sensor sit? If you have the time, can someone take a picture of the location and post it. Thanks..
Where is the best place to get a sensor from, for a good price. Preferably OEM.

 

Also,
How do I know which sensor is out. Are there two different ones on my car? And How do I find out which type I have? The one before or after the catylac converter.

 

Yes, there are two. The primary one monitors the air-fuel ratio and sits in front of the catalytic converter. You will see a green wire sticking out of the exhaust system. That's your primary.

The secondary sits where the heat shield is, and you will see a yellow wire. The secondary only monitors the efficiency of the catalytic converter.

Therefore, I'm willing to bet that it's your primary that is going out, based on the symptoms you have described. Replacing the primary sensor is very easy.

Jack up the from the driver's side (it will give you more clearance and room to maneuver in, due to the angle the sensor sits at). Locate the O2 sensor with the green wire, and follow the wire. It will go straight up toward the engine bay, and you will notice that it's clipped onto a black plate, with a white clip. You will need to get a 10mm crescent wrench in there, as there is no room for a wretchting wrench. It's easy, just one 10mm bolt. Now, from the engine bay, locate where the green wire connects to a plug. It sits by the firewall. Look around a bit and you will find it. It's not hidden or anything. Unclip the female/male clips, and now the O2 sensor wire is free.

Get back underneath the car, and start unscrewing the O2 sensor. It may be stuck on there, but you're not going to break anything. Just get a firm grip and twist.

Once the O2 sensor is out, check for any visual evidence of damages/malfunction. Usually if your was running too rich and it burned out, it'll be covered in soot.


To replace, reverse the instructions. Make sure that you do not plug the wire in first, because as you screw in the sensor, the wires will get twisted, and you could break the welds.



Contact Tim at hondacura world@aol.com, and ask him for a quote on the O2 sensor. It should be around 75-80 dollars shipped.



Now, I've got a question for you. Is your car throwing a code? If not, then you can't be sure that it's the O2 sensor, and you could possibly waste money by hastily replacing an O2 sensor that is still good; the problem could be caused by something else.

 

I forgot to mention that if you decided to run an aftermarket O2 sensor, you could potentially have your ECU warranty voided if the dealership found out.

AutoZone charges around 130 bucks for an aftermarket replacement unit, and a Bosch one online goes for about 90 plus shipping. OEM from Tim was cheaper. Ask him.

 

Before you do anything, wait. Temperature and humidity GREATLY affects the way engine runs. Considering what you told us (high temp/humidity) it is very possible that when temperature drops, your "problem" will go away. I know this works for me - every summer, my gas mileage drops by 10-15%, but it never failed to improve when temperatures fall.

 

The ECU should definitely compensate, at least to a certain extent. Heat and humidity shouldn't affect his car to a point that it almost stalls out.

 

How do I know if my sensors are before or after the cat. converter? As I understand it, in my year model there are some cars where the O2 sensors are under the hood. And some where the sensors are where Pure Adrenaline stated.

 

you should be running premium 91 octane fuel. i notice that happens to me when i use crappy 87 octane for a few fill ups. ive switched back to 91 and its completely solved. also get your throttlebody and fuel injectors cleaned to remove the current build up.