I am the original owner of a 1999 TL that just turned 150K miles. Other than having the transmission replaced three times and the axle boots ripping (replaced both driver and passenger axles) the car has been solid.

I just replaced the struts (KYB GR2) and was wondering what other things I should do at this junction.

I am hearing a humming from the front that starts at ~40mph but does not get overly noisy. I am thinking wheel bearings. Would it be time to do those?

When the A/C comes on it does seem to put a strain on the motor as I hear and feel it when it comes on.

I did having the timing belt done at 60K and 120K.

I have been using Castrol GTX 5W20. Should I move to a high mileage oil?

I have run seafoam through the intake, crank case and gas tank.

I really love this car and want to last another 150K or more. Appreciate any advice that will help me achieve this.

Thanks,

 

ya with that many miles i would figure you would be aiite with 5w-20 but i would use 10w30. make sure ya aint got anything leaking from the head or motor im about there too and im wanting to change my fluids and sparkplugs and see how it runs. my car makes a noise like the steering pump. like a "waah' noise sometimes it does it twice now fluid was low i put some more fluid in.

 

when your shocks needed to be replace did it make any noises even while steering???

 

sounds like you take excellent care of the car- early tbelts-do you operate or live in severe conditions?

have an alignment shop ck the front end and wheel bearings for you
or a rear wheel bearing is bad and sound travels in car bodies
thats a common wearout, RR wheel bearing

stick with a 5-20 if you like it, 5w-30 is what most use unless extreme cold temps
it provides more protection for the slamming together of many parts,, at thousands of times per minute

200kmiles on our engine is nothing for internal wear-
Vtec operates on oil pressure and pressure changes- keep normal oil in it to prevent problems, seafoam before change never hurt- keep vtec sliders and ports clean and working

Cars operated few miles per trip or in a grandma way incur oil sludge more than others

dont go to a 10w!!, you want fast oil pressure when its cold

 

if your ps fluid gets low its leaking somewhere!!-
maybe past the rack internal seals
Peel back the boots at rack ends- if fluid present--bad news
It never hurts to flush the ps fluid- the TL prefers Honda ps fluid
Noise from ps pump occurs after t belt service and belt adjusted too tight

other possibles are oring at ps hose ends, leaking ps hose, loose clamps at res

 

i see so 5w20 is straight for a high mileage motor? i think my ps fluid is low cause i havent down anything to the car since i bought it except oil changes. i dont think i have had the car for even long then 4k miles. imma record the noise that it does its not hard to replicate the issue im haveing with my car

 

Thanks for the responses.

I changed the shocks because the ride was starting to float quite a bit over bumps but no noise I would attribute to the shoocks.

I will have a shop check the bearings.

My mistake, I have been using 5W30. My RX8 used 5W20. Yeah tbelts where changed probably early but the car was my wifes daily driver in Texas with lots of short hops and could not afford for it to go down unexpectedly.

Any thoughts on the engine noise/vibration when the A/C comes on?

Thanks again for all the feedback!

 

does the idle kick up slightly ~100rpm, with ac ON- to compensate for the added load?
or does it drag down 100-200 rpm and make noise/vibrate?

as usual ck the motor mounts- a broken front or rear will cause a mystery vac leak (most years have boosted mounts)
that would add to prob at idle

there is a selenoid (might be wrong name for part- A/C Gurus help me out here?)
that is supposed to adjust the idle up for you

Surprising to some of my faithful readers: I dont know about this system on the TL, never had a prob with mine and only self referance is old carb'd car with their ac compensator

 

you are wise to go severe schedule in texas- it meets the criteria
and a broken down stuck in nowheresville wife= one angry wife,,dont ask how I know

the book allows 5-20 or 5-30 or 0-20 (synthetic) in severe cold temps with well below freezing temps overnight
that stuff will flow as soon as the oil pump is turning!

a major amount if internal engine wear is the seconds waiting for good oil pressure to get thru all the small passages and get the needed film between parts
until the oil light goes out its not at minimum pressure

This is not a suggestion to add anything like lucas to the oil to help with startup oiling- that stuff is actually bad for us,,but keeps the old chevy a runnin~
clackity clackity clackity went the valves for a minute

 

X3.2
doesnt matter what you have done to the car- all it really needs is engine and trans fluid changes

ps fluid should NOT go down unless its leaking from the common areas I listed before
ck those- dont assume all is well when it comes the `power` steering- its loss is an interesting driving issue as you get stopped and deal with an expensive replacement
Use a turkey baster to suck out excess ps fluid- should be near the upper line but not at or above it--watch with engine running to know why

I would use 5-30 in your car, its more protection for whatever parts you consider to be high mileage now
5-20 was part of the govt fuel scam CAFE standards, that have since been revoked as not accurate

the 20 being slightly thinner= less friction= eeks out a tiny bit of an mpg on the test used back then- but not the best thing for the car

there are even warm weather ziners who run straight 30!! never cold enough at night to worry
that first number in oil is its viscosity-flowabilty at 32degrees F
the 2nd number is at normal oil operating temp 220-240 F

 

If you plan to keep your car for another 150k, I personally suggest you get a lifetime wheel alignment. The cost is equivalent to about 2 wheel alignments. Most stores no longer offer this service, but I know Firestone still does. It'll pay for itself in tire tread and general maintenance.

 

Our 165K TL has needed little in the way of repairs....wheel bearing, Evap system valve, the leather seats are cracking a bit..otherwise shows and runs really well.


At this mileage the active motor mounts are suspect. Might be the source of your idle vibration.

If you never had it done, a valve adjustment, IAC valve cleaning, and EGR passage cleaning might be in order. These services lend themselves to being done together.

It's time to replace the PS fluid. I've just used a turkey baster to replace the reservoir fluid repeatedly, until I use 2, 12OZ bottles of fluid. (Our TL leaks PS fluid too...it's going into the LF steering rack boot. Been like that since new...dealer never found the leak.)

We are getting some leakage around the oil pan, that will be on the agenda for next summer.

 

carbuff- ck the diy on ps fluid changeout- its simple and really does pump all the old fluid from the rack

fluid in the boot = leak past internal seal of rack
Anyone tried a ps seal sweller/fixer fluid with good results on the TL ???
(on your old chevys dont count,Lucas keeps them alive~)

 

Thanks...but I couldn't find it in the Second Gen DIY Area:
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-1999-2003-98/new-official-2nd-gen-tl-diy-thread-706083/

Am I looking in the right place?

I assume it's the old "disconnect the return line and let the engine pump the old fluid into a bottle" procedure.

PS: the Turkey Baster method is easy, doesn't cause any leaks, and won't get you messy.

It DOES make the turkey taste funny for a while afterward...

 

lol imma use a baby nose sucker i dont use to take out whatever is over flowing... hahah well when its light out side... and 01TL thanks imma check those point by the rack or boots or whatever.. can you explain more into detail where to look for the leaks?

 

anywhere a line connects to another part-might just be oring or hose leak
look with engine off for fluid traces of spraying
ck with engine running and helper turns steering wheel for pressure leaks

inside the end boots of the steering rack= internal rack seal failure

Yes, the acura method is cardboard under wheels to reduce friction-
engine running- ps return line to catch can,
steer lock to lock until rack empty
refill- do again if fluid looked bad- done
Can be very messy I agree- caution must be exercised~

 

Motor munts were done when the trans was replaced earlier this year. Valves have not been adjusted in a while and IAC and EGR have never been clean.

Anybody recomend a good shop in DFW for valve adjustment. I think i let the pros handle that one.

 

if a shop has to do it for you- get everything done-
clean egr ports and IAC fully
They are off the car for valve adjust so take advantage of the partial labor overlap

 

^^^ X2

that's what I said in my post of 1/16

 

I figure repeating certain important things a few hundred times,,,
and those in need may finally accept it as something real and needing to be done!

you are contributing Carbuff and your efforts are appreciated!