Bob_F

There's an 1999 Acura TL for sale in my area with over 150,000 miles. The car appears to have been well maintained and the price is close to the Kelly Blue Book value.

Aside from the four speed automatic transmission, what other items might be a potential maintenance problems for a TL with so many miles on it?

Before buying I would have the car checked out by a local mechanic. It would be helpful if I could tell him to look for specific items that might be TL-specific weak spots.

I would also be great to hear from others with high mileage TLs.

I'm a long time Honda driver but I'm just not too familiar with the Acura TL line of cars.

Bob

wmah523

acura and honda are both great cars, they last forever and hardly give you any problems. i don't know if you already know, honda's V6 kinda bring in the transmission problem, which fails very often as of my knowledge. acura covers it up to 10yrs/100,000 miles, but then since it's 150K already, it's done and will be on your own expense. otherwise, i love my TL!

oh, forgot to mention! warp rotors are also famous among TLs.....

and interior rattling is getting popular now!

Bob_F

Thanks for the helpful advice.

Yes, I've been reading all about the transmission problems. I am getting the impression that the 4 speed transmissions used in the 1999 model might be a bit more reliable than the 5 speed variant installed in the 2000 and up models. But it seems like they still fail more often than one might expect from a Honda/Acura product. The latest Consumer Reports gives the 1999 TL transmission a "half-black" circle which is one step up from the "full-black" circle for the 2000-2002 models.

Bob

xanctus

Oh I think the headlight issue...HID bulb may need to be replaced, and that might cost expensive for some people who are not familiar with HID. As you know, many american drivers drive their cars with headlight on, and with HID that would cause usage matters.

I know this matter may not be considered problems, but maybe good thing to know...?
good luck on the purchase and if u do, congratulations!

Bob_F

Thanks. I had read some mentions about costly HID headlight replacements in this forum but I didn't pick up on the cost. (I do tend to have my headlights on when it's not too bright out so that other drivers can see me. )

What do these cost to replace?

Bob

ou sig

its a great car - I have 106k on mine now (original transmission). it runs and looks great also. Nearly everyone asks what year it is, I have them guess and they all think 02-03 (they dont know the slight differences between the years). A pair of new HID bulbs will run you $200+. I think closer to $300 actually.

Be sure to check the tranny fluid, and make sure it shifts smooth. other than that, you dont need to worry about anything else mechanically other than the timing belt. make SURE that has been replaced already. if not, you are looking at $600-$1000 to get it replaced.

Topher707

What ever you do, I would be sure to get an aftermarket Warranty!...

I just got one from my moms credit union. covers almost everything under the hood... including tranny! about $470 i think. 2 years/20,000 miles. (whatever comes first)

Bob_F

Thanks for the helpful advice. I noticed that you have an Alpine CDA-7995 in your Sig. Was it difficult to replace the stock Bose head unit? From the pictures I've seen, the radio looked pretty integrated into the dash. My impression was that changing radios wouldn't be easy.

Bob

Bob_F

Thanks. I never even considered an aftermarket warranty.

Bob

ou sig

Metra is the brand that makes the kit - to install a single DIN unit. I took out all of the stock stuff, so it was easy for me; but I have done that kind of stuff many times before. If you replace the stock deck you will loose the stock sub BTW, so be prepared to replace it with something else. You may hear that the stock speakers wont work with an aftermarket deck, well that is 100% wrong. they are 4 ohm speakers just like any other car speaker, so you can replace the deck and keep the stock speakers (minus the sub) with no problem.

Bob_F

Thanks for the information on installing a new radio.

I've also read that the stock Bose head unit can sometimes have trouble playing burned CD-Rs. Could that be related to the quality of the blank CD-Rs used or how they were burned?

Also, the car I'm looking at has a navigator unit that doesn't always respond to the touchpad contriols. Could there be a simple fix for that? If not, how much would a replacement cost? From what I've read on this forum, it sounds like the entire unit would need to be replaced.

Bob

Bob_F

Ack! I just called a local Acura dealer for a price on a replacement navigation unit for a 1999 Acura TL. He quoted me $3,042! Does that sound right?

And has anyone had any experience repairing or replacing non-responsive screen on a navigation unit once it's out of warranty? I've searched the forum but I couldn't find any actual repair costs. Can the screen be replaced by itself?

Bob

georgy_d28

The coverage for the transmission is 7yr 100k and warped rotors are common in every honda i have ever seen

Bob_F

Thanks for your input.

I'll have to read up on the warped rotors topic.

Bob

RickRoush03

you can get a navi unit for about $600, it'll be portable but i like the one i have, garmin c330. no navi is worth $3k unless it drives itself to your location.

Bob_F

That made me laugh!

And thanks for the mention of the Garmin unit.

For now, I've decided that a TL is not quite the right car for me for but I wanted to thank everyone for all the excellent advice. This is a great forum.

Bob

SodaLuvr

150K is probably nearing or at the end of the service life for most modern automatic transmissions. This is mainly due to problems w/electronic components, or solenoids. The transmission itself may not necessarily be worn out, but the solenoids may fail requiring transmission disassembly to repair.

A 4-spd TL transmission can be rebuilt by any local, reputable shop w/updated parts, even with lots of hard part damage, for $2500 or less.

Bob_F

Thanks for the advice.

I agree with your 150K assessment. And, of course, many TL owners have reported much earlier failures.

Bob

SodaLuvr

I would also like to add that the usage of a synthetic automatic transmission fluid may be quite beneficial in this transmission, given the high operating temperatures. I've found Amsoil ATF to work well in this area, and for a nominal (about $1.50/qt more) cost over the Honda ATF-Z1. I generally pay $75 (shipped) for 10 quarts of Amsoil ATF, in comparison to about $6.00/qt for Honda ATF-Z1 at the local dealership.

When switching, the easiest way to do it would be to do a partial drain/fill (3 quarts) at every oil change, three times in a row, to remove 80% of the fluid after the third drain/fill. Then, drain/fill at least every 30,000 miles thereafter.

The Honda ATF-Z1 has a tendency to turn brown with use, and produce a unique odor that may be interpreted as "burnt" by some. This is entirely normal, and as illustrated in a Honda repair guide, is a normal behavior of this fluid. I've personally seen the Honda ATF-Z1 run to 70,000 miles in a RSX, w/a fluid sample at 60K, and the fluid was still suitable for continued use.

If the fluid is brown, and you are unsure of its condition, I would certainly change it. If you decide to use Honda ATF-Z1, I would follow the same directions I gave earlier. Change it at every oil change for three times in a row, but for Honda ATF-Z1, I'd drain/fill at least every 20,000 miles.

Bob_F

Thanks for the advice Michael.

Bob

Bob_F

Are there any forum members with a second generation TL with over 150,000 miles?

I'd be curious to read real world reports on how the TLs hold together after so many miles.

Bob

SodaLuvr

I had a classmate whos father had a 03 TL with > 150,000 miles before he traded it recently. He said all was well...and I don't recall him mentioning any transmission failures, but I do think he had some "reverse" issues about the same time he traded it.

I know of another person with >105,000 miles on his 00 and original unit.

DUB_TL

I have a 1999 TL with a little over 150k, and I have had the car for
2 years now. I had bought the car w/ 120k mi and so far I will list
all the things I have had to do to it maintence wise: Cleaned out EGR
valve/port and throttle body, Timing belt was done at 100,000 mi,
the interior does have significant creaks and rattles at times and have
tried to fix them, and the rotors warp pretty easily, and most recently I
have had some hard shifts when the car isn't warmed up in the morning.

Besides those things the car is great and i have modded things hear and
there, since I have the habit of being a spirited driver the car does take
a thrashing. I turn heads all the time when driving and it feels great for the
amount I paid.

ChucksCL-S

Sold to a family member recently but still going strong; '00 TL with 206,000 miles. One tranny at 164K miles, one door handle, one idle air control valve, one motor mount, that's about it! Still looks great and runs perfectly.

Bob_F

Thanks for all the real world reports!

Bob

fla-tls

Regarding the non-responsive navi screen... Make sure the screen in clean - and that the black ring right around the screen is clean as well. As I recall, the touchscreen works by shooting a grid on beams across the screen. When you break a beam it senses the touch. That's also why the screen may not be responsive when it's in full direct sunlight. I guess the sunlight overwhelms sensors for the beams going across the screen.

If mine gets a little off (i.e. doesn't sense me touching it or senses me touching a different area) a gentle cleaning with a soft cotton cloth is all it takes to get it back to working like new.

Bob_F

Thanks for the Nav screen tips!

And it would be great to get additional high mileage TL owner reports.

Bob

mdavisii

The car you see in the avatar is a 1999 and has 155,000 miles on it. In the shop now for a possible tranny issue (not certain as of yet), but otherwise it is a pretty solid car. Many people have mistaken the car's age for something newer, only to be shocked when I tell them that it was manufactured in August 1998.

mdavisii

The car you see in the avatar to the left is a 1999 and has 155,000 miles on it. In the shop now for a possible tranny issue (not certain as of yet), but otherwise it is a pretty solid car. Many people have mistaken the car's age for something newer, only to be shocked when I tell them that it was manufactured in August 1998.

Bob_F

Thanks for the feedback on your 1999 TL. Did you buy that new?

Bob

fast-tl

My 2000 TL with Navi seems to be going strong at 127,500 miles. I'm waiting for the next G35 to be released. My car got new plug, tires and new tranny at 98K, but no timing belt replacement yet. I'm hoping to not spend that money before I get rid of the car. I've had a power window regulator fail, I believe I've replaced 3 motor mounts, rotors are a pain in that they can warp within 20k miles of install. I also replaced the steering wheel at 120k with a TL-S wheel off ebay, which spruced up the interior a bit. The CD-R issue is present in my car, which is one reason I have an iPod.
My recommendation would be to go for at least a 2000, BECAUSE of the 5-speed, side airbags, and improvements in the engine. The question is must you spring for sucha high-mileage example? I'd be surprised if you could get a warranty at 150k miles. Remember to add the cost of the timing belt replacement, possibly brakes, and finding a used Navi screen to the asking price of the car, then ask yourself if it's worth it. Hmmmmm....I'd keep looking.