I just bought a used 03 tl-s with 85,000. After I took it home, I checked all the fluids in it and it's all be topped off. Being a long time lurker here, I was wondering if I should drain the transmission fluid since I don't know if the dealer put actual Honda tranny fluid or some cheapo fluid. Should I also do an oil change? I did check the oil and it looks pretty fresh. I also checked all the air filters and everything else. I'm thinking about seafoaming the car, but I want to know if I should change the tranny fluid first before doing anything else. Also, there are some holes and deep scratches, what should I do to fix those up? I was planning to buy bondo you can get from autozone or home depot with some sandpaper and buy some touchup paint. Let me know guys. Thanks

 

Should I also clean the egr valve? I'm also planning to take off the throttle body to clean it out before I seafoam it. What about the IACV or however you spell it

 

wait till 01tl4tl and ftyssm1 have their say.
01tl4tl is a retired tech. troubleshooting master/god/chuck norris.
ftyssm1 is a master at keeping the cars going and knowing stuff.
everyone here is great.

I think the egr - yes
make sure sensors/hoses come off right and connected correctly

maybe seafoam first then clean as just get it dirty right away?

 

what did you pay for it?

 

see ya in the tranny failure thread
(kidding..sorta)
just my usual fun, unrelated, & welcoming way to say hello to new owners around your current mileage & year car

 

Where did you buy the car a honda/acura dealer? What leads you to believe where ever you bought it from changed the fluid? Trans fluid doesnt need to be "topped off" It doesnt burn it. If it leaks it where it needs a topping off you have larger issues. What color is the trans fluid? How does it smell. And yes, clean the EGE ports

 

Clean EGR ports, change spark plugs, trans fluid, etc...I'd seafoam it as well, it cant hurt.

 

seafoam gas, intake manifold and thru the TB to clean it on the car

spark plugs NGK Iridium

acura dealer uses honda atf- the right fluid for trans
engine oil is often changed before sale to make customer think the car is well maintained

there is a Mait Req light set for 7500 miles- reset at oil change and it comes on to remind you when due again,,starts flashing at 6500,,gets insistant,, then on full time at 7500

egr port clean for sure- due every 75kmiles,,clean tb's IACV at that time

trans fluid depend on condition--level is not ckd cold!!--see owner book or threads on azine

register as new owner with acura care 1 800 382 2238x5 and ck for any OPEN RECALLS
ask if trans was ever replaced or other warranty history
Need cars VIN to register
also reg here and can get free owner book online
http://owners.acura.com/registration...erstepone.aspx

and our diy list--you will want to save this to favorites
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-1999-2003-98/new-official-2nd-gen-tl-diy-thread-706083/

 

ck the Wash and Wax section for bondo repairs and touch up paint tips

 

good idea to flush the brake fluid and ps fluid

 

in addition to all that was previously mentioned, do not overlook critical suspension components. i just got hit with a $400 bill for lower ball joint replacement im at 104k miles and the stealership deemed my car unsafe for anyone to drive because of excessive play.

 

I think you're on the right track with performing all the maintenance items now. I'm not a fan of additives so I can't comment on Seafoam. EGR is a must as well although, it will only throw a P1491 code with no other impact on the car.

One thing I would investigate is the transmission as many of these cars are sold due to transmission issues. Since you've already bought the car, you might want to see what you've got by calling Acura with the VIN to see if they have replaced the trans. I would also visually inspect the trans and look for blue paint (I'm not sure where) which denotes a replacement trans. In any event, changing the fluid is a mixed bag....you might disturb the crud that's keeping it going.

Another key item is the timing belt. I don't know how you can tell if it has been done, but I would try and find out if you happen to know the previous owner and can contact him. I would certainly try, as this is an expensive item that may have already been replaced.

This site a godsend for keeping our cars running as they enter their twilight years. Using the search function will typically turn up several folks who have had similar problems and the documented solutions will make your life much easier.

Best of luck !

 

Thanks for all the replies guys. I will do seafoam, clean egr valves, and the iatc on the tb. I'm planning to call the 1800# today and hopefully all goes well. I got it for 8k from a private dealer. I'll check the tranny fluid though, but is there any other suggestion on what i should do besides calling the 1800# to check if it's already been serviced?

 

for $8000, it's not that bad. but it sounds like it's not in great shape since it has "holes and deep scratches". you can use some body filler to fill them back, sand it, primer, then repaint. you can get the paint online or just have a shop do it if you have never done body work before.

 

800 can only tell you if it had the 2004 recall done to install the oil jet kit
Some cars got a replaecment trans then- due to internal damage at time of inspection with boroscope

some 03s are covered on the 7.9/109 trans extended warranty- they can tell you if covered or not
Some 03 get a free timing belt job under recall- 800 can tell you if part of that and if already done

almost no used TL with 85kmiles is going to have a new timing belt by owner

visual ck on trans for replacement with warranty unit is blue paint on bolt heads- bolts that are directly on the trans, many will be painted, cant miss it

you dont clean the egr valve--its the passages and ports the gasses pass thru in the intake manifold--they plug up nearly solid in their ports

for smarty--try bg or other product if you mistrust seafoam
ck utube for borscope camera vids of intake cleaning in action-- I knew it worked but seeing was amazing!!

 

you can send a 3 ounce oil sample from the trans to a place for analysis
www.blackstone-labs.com is an example

they mass spectrograph it! and can tell how many particles of clutch material are present, indicating normal or serious wear problem, and overall condition of oil and its additives
well worth the 25 bucks for the knowledge and peace of mind

they can test any fluid from any type vehicle or engine too, if you have other needs

 

Thanks for all the tips guys. I guess I'm going to start off with seafoaming it and before I do an oil change I'm going to add seafoaming to the gas tank in the next 3000 miles. Then I'm going to clean the egr and iatc valve as well. Should I also take off the tb and spray that down with tb cleaner as well? I'm going to call the 1800 later today and also fill in one hole in the front bumper and a few scratches as well. My rotors also about to go out. The car is starting to jerk when braking but the brakes are fine. You guys have been a great help. That's why I'll be staying in azine other than the other forums on the Internet. Thanks guys

 

1 can seafoam in just under 1/2 tank of gas for max dose cleaning strength

in oil just before change, 8 oz (half can) and drive 30 minutes, change oil and filter

TB gets cleaned on its inside by spraying thru it with carb or TB cleaner- engine off- clean both sides of the round air plate and its edges-wipe up excess, car will run bad at start as cleaner moves thru
you can spray seafoam/deep creep thru the TB mouth too- that lubes the hinge pivot

Lube throttle cable return spring assembly

thats it for TB,, except when its off the car during egr port service- then flip it over and clean iacv on the bottem of tb

 

thanks man. since i'm going to clean the the egr port, might as well spray it down when it's taken off and clean the iacv as well too. great tips. thanks alot again.

 

So, after check the transmission bolts, they are indeed blue. I also called the 1800 number to update owner information and double if the transmission was done and when. The lady on the phone said it was done back in 2004. yikes! 6 years is a pretty long time on just the tranny. Hopefully, it works out. Since it's been done back in 04, should I do the drain and refill(x1) method right now and do another when it's time to do my oil change? So that way I don't drain all the tranny fluid just part and when it's time for an oil change, another drain and refill?

 

I just bought upper and lower moog ball joints and that was under $200. Gotta love stealerships..

 

I would do a 1x drain and refill with honda atf
should take just over 3.3-3.5 to refill

drive 15 minutes on freeway to warm fluid, so it drains crud out with it better.
then drain and refill, ck level carfully

 

Thanks 01tl4tl. I just seamfoamed the car today and there was a ton of smoke. I tried to take off the manifold today as well, but it was really confusing to take the spring part for the butterfly valves and i also was scared to break the tb gasket so i stopped halfway into and decided not too, but damn...when i took the butterfly cover plate off, there was a bunch of oil and old burnt oil on the manifold gasket and everywhere. I wish i could have taken the whole thing apart so i can clean it and the egr valve. I guess when i figure out how to get the spring butterfly valves off and actually know how to not break the tb gasket i'll go for it. The DIY on the removal of the manifold is still somewhat confusing to understand

 

buy a new TB to manifold gasket- dont bother trying to reuse, it will leak and be a pita to have to replace after its all back together

will have to order a few days ahead at any parts store
maybe dealer has one? maybe

what are you calling the spring butterfly valves? the throttle cables attachment?

seafoam smoke is relative to heat in the cat- so you did a good job
I was ck'ing the latest info on seafoams site, they are suggesting 2000 rpm and add seafoam thru vac port--that makes some serious smoke!!
and appearently does a better job than our sip sip sip method

I use a combo of both, slow sips to let it get some top layers of carbon liquified and atomized- then blaster rpm with high rate of foam,
then 5-10 minute blaster afterdrive to rid all the atomized crud-all the way out the exhaust

finish the job with 1 can in half a tank to get the injectors and associated fuel parts clean
repeat both in 1500 miles then good for a year

 

It's the throttle cable on the left side and on the throttle body, i'm having a hard time figuring out on how to remove them. I bought 16oz seafoam and used 8oz for the vac port and the other 8 in a 1/4 tank of gas just like you suggested. Thanks for the help. I'll buy the gasket from the dealer along with honda atf tranny fluid so I can do it all at the same time. I've been searching for a write up on flushing the brake fluid and coolant but couldn't find any on the site unless I can't use the search function correctly. Haha. Anyway, thanks 01tl4tl for the help. I'm still reading around on how to take apart those pita throttle cables.

 

ok thats easy--you rotate the throttle assembly to wide open, -by hand turn the mechanism
The cable has a `barrel` at the end- there is a matching hole on the end plate- may have to raise cable with fingers to allow alignment and cable slips out thru slot and abrrel thru matching hole
they are both held on the same way,,most mechanical throttles have same setup

brake fluid flush is in diy for fluid bleeding or in the brake diy
its simple, just remember special order for TL= start at driver front then clockwise around the car
LF RF RR LR
get 2 qts dot4 fluid and a 10 mm brake wrench

 

1/4 tank isnt much gas to run seafoam thru, you would have to run it down scary close to empty to get a decent amount of cleaner run thru
otherwise you dilute it and its pretty worthless below 3/4 oz per gal

try 1 can in 8 gallons gas, 2 oz per gal will do a really good job

 

ya, it's kind of a odd seeming assembly with those throttle cables. i was sorta perplexed the first time i tried to take mine off too. after messing with it a few minutes, i realized the how they are attached & become detached(like described in post above). once you figure that 'barrel' looking like part out, you'll smack your head & be like "damn, that's all"

 

does anyone know if we can use redline d4 atf for our cars? i've tried searching and all that I can find is from the 3g forum.

 

there are a few gen2 on it
switching would depend on current trans mileage and condition

 

you have to be old school to know about those throttle barrel cable ends-
it is standard on most carberators

its simple= rotate the assembly with 1 hand, lift cable slightly and slide barrel thru its opening with the other
Same on install- rotate assembly-slide barrel in and cable drops down onto spool
Lube cables, springs and a dab of caliper grease under the cables on their spool/base

It it moves = clean and lube it for better throttle feel and operation

 

u dah man 01tl4tl...I'l have to look up that brake fuild change, I'm overdue on mine..did not realize it was a DIY

 

brake fluid change/flush/bleed order for the TL is
left front = driver front, then clockwise around the car
LF RF RR LR
get 2 qts DOT4,,takes a little over 1 to 1.5 for a good job

 

ty, so you just keep bleeding each one until clear new fluid comes out, correct ?