Tom5

I'm pretty new to these forums but I want to get some thoughts on something. I have an 02-Type S with 132k miles on it, just purchased a month ago to save some money on fuel. I has since be plagued with issues. The car has a slight oil leak which seems to be coming from the oil pump o ring as well as a transmission issue when cold (slips into what I would call a neutral mode while still in gear). I have a quote for a TB and WP for $609, not including the o ring which I would want to do t the same time. At a different dealership they wanted to do the rear main as well as previously mentioned work for $3700. After my own inspection the rear main seal does not look like it is leaking.

A couple days ago I was driving to work, when it was especially cold and the car started overheating out of no where and blew the upper radiator hose. I changed out the hose, refilled and burped it and have it running again, however, today I noticed a sweet smell from the engine bay which I can only assume is a head gasket.

I want to keep this car because the aspec body is great shape and I want it to be my DD. So I am going to fix/replace parts it's just a matter of which way. I am considering a JDM engine/tran/ecu and possibly swapping in the type s heads (IM and TB if compatible later on) or j32a2 (if I can find one with a transmission for a good price, if not I'll justs hunt down an av6). Or my last option is fixing everything on the existing motor and getting a BAYA or MAYA av6 tranny. I listed these options in order from most appealing to least appealing to me (mostly because of price and down time).

I want to say ahead of time I'm not a jdm junkie but the price and availability is very appealing.

I want to get some opinions or let me know of some miracle that would help. Also if I were to do the jdm swap I have heard it is pretty much plug and play with the exception of an additional coolant outlet that needs to be plugged, searching for jdm and J32a swaps has yielded some stupid results so that's why I decided to create a thread. Let me know what you guys think, thanks ahead of time.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

The Honda Inspire uses the same J32 found in your car.


Also, have you thought about doing a six speed manual conversion?

Tom5

I haven't considered it just because it seems like more work and more down time but I have seen all the diy threads about the swap just haven't done any research on that option. Is it easier that it sounds?

Tom5

I keep reading that the J32A has lower hp/tq numbers than that A2. Am I reading the wrong things?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^yes, the base version is less powerful than the type-s

Tom5

Well then the jdm type s just sounds even more appealing.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^but its the same.

JDM Honda inspire type-s engine = j32a2
U.S. Acura TL type s engine =j32a2

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

wait, i dont even think t here was a honda inspire type s


so, you got the best engine already!

Tom5

Lol sooo they are lower hp/tq? Because the j32a motors are all base models?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

j32a
j32a2.

base models have lower hp/tq
you have the better engine


LOL

am I high?

Tom5

lol if you find something different let me know

Skirmich

Base model comes with the J32A (99) J32A1 (00-03)
Type-S comes with the J32A2


There cannot be a confusion here, Is either A, A1 or A2.

Tom5

In that case I'm leaning towards repairing everything myself and opting for an av6 tranny when mine dies

Tom5

Talked to a Honda tech today about the transmission issue and he seems to think its a solenoid issue, I just don't know which one. Thinking about replacing/repairing/cleaning screens...

Also drove the car today and didn't smell any thing sweet and checked the coolant level which was low in the coolant reservoir but I think that's because it's working the air bubbles out still. I'll keep an eye on the level.

01tl4tl

it doesn't work out the air on its own !!!!
YOU need to do it- and it takes about 20 minutes

here is the free owner operator book download- with complete burping instructions
Acura Owners Site | Exclusive Knowledge, Service, & Benefits

for build ideas look near top of main thread title area for anything by FSTTYMS1 (Fast Times WON)
our mega moderator, and last I heard over 650,000 MILES on his 00 TL, now sporting a 3.5 engine and 6 speed manual trans, operated as DD and sees full throttle top speeds down the back straight of Road America on many an afternoon session of `track days`

ck your PCV valve over rear valve cover = common prob to clog and pressure in the crankcase escapes by blowing oil past rear main seal

3700 to replace it? no - 4 hours at a trans shop in town, thats to remove and replace the trans plus 30 minutes to remove flywheel and install 10 dollar seal
Sometimes replacement of pcv will cure a leaking rear main!

01tl4tl

see our problem section for threads on cleaning trans solenoids, very important
We also have an external trans filter

A 3 ounce sample of the atf to blackstone labs with 20 dollars will tell if trans is ok or serious thought about replacement is in order

If all is well -do a full fluid change to the new Honda atf called DW-1

Tom5

It still has pressure (cooling system) but I'll def do that procedure.

My rear main isn't leaking, from what I checked behind the inspection plate. My leak seams to be originating at the oil pump or one of the valve/sensor/solenoid back there. So I'm going to take care of the TB/WP/Oil pump o ring first and if that doesn't fix it, I'll teplace those sensors/solenoids/valves.

I saw the threads an the grand solenoid but most were directed towards the 99tl and older. Not nearly as much on the 00-03. I'm considering just replacing the visible solenoids on the trans.

01tl4tl

if you can see them you can clean the screen inside!
scrolling thru our threads and cking the diy section yields most answers

The ps pump orings have been a popular failure recently!!
problems on here come in sets like waves,,wp failures one week, ps probs the next...then it will be back to my low beam quit stories!

On burping- yes MOST air will move thru and out- taking back fluid from resevour as needed BUT it needs the full method to get every bit and stop the changing level of res. It should only move fluid as intended- not cover a problem

TIP: Open the car doors and windows when burping rad- heater needs to be on full HOT and run the cabin fan of full blast too- that's right from the owner book directions
Open an escape path for the heated air.

for noobs:the heater core is a mini radiator- part of the total cooling loop system and loves to trap and hide air during coolant change

Tom5

Yea, I just bought the car 1000 miles ago and I think the previous owner didn't do any maintenance at all. I replaced the ps lines and pump when I first got the car as well as two motor mounts.

My ballasts are f'd. I have a solid oil leak which I can only assume from inspecting that it's the oil pump, the transmission issue, the gauge backlights were 90% burnt out, fog lights are done (impact from road debris), the windshield washer pump is out which I can only assume is because the splash guards are gone, the rear defroster doesn't work, the heated seats don't work, and the car is shaking under 30% or more acceleration, the tint is needs to be replaced but that's not my worries. The body is in great shape with an aspec lip kit. Just taking it one piece at a time. Glad I have two other cars to use right now though.

I'm pretty convinced at this point it's a hairline crack or pinhole leak because I'm not getting white smoke or excessive condensation from the exhaust and the motor doesn't have any hiccups. While stopped at a stop like with the windows down I can smell the maple syrup smell from the outside. I'll probably end up replacing the radiator and cap.

01tl4tl

ballast for low beams= common failure, replace entire hid parts setup with aftermarket for 70 bucks with bulbs!!! HID Kits | Conversion Kits | Xenon Headlights | HIDeXtra

oil leaks are often seals , not actual oil pump failure
Gauge light replacement in our DIY section
Washer pump simple replacement, is there a junkyard near you? surprising amount of Honda parts go direct to the TL

Both seat heats inop? or just driver butt warmer inop? see thread for 3$ fix!
a wire breaks that you can cut and splice in a replacement section.
Think electric blanket style wiring pad below seat cover
Note pass seat gets butt only -no back heat, something about airbags and sensors

engine shaking is likely 1 or 2 bad coils with possible old old spark plugs now loaded up from weak firing, replace coils as needed $50 each, and a set of ngk's 8 dollars each

parts store loan pressure tester for rad system, will find leak if in hose or rad seam, and ck cap too before randomly replacing parts- find source of problem
Can even be the water pump weep hole- on bottom of wp, look up from under car for whitish trail from hole

NOTE ck all hose clamps- it can be that simple!

your res bottle for rad- the cap has its hose firmly attached inside? and the cap fits snugly to top of res bottle?
fluid level set correctly? - marks on side for cold or hot

Tom5

My plan exactly!

Yea, when I said oil pump just meant the o ring. I found some to hold me over but I want to go thru them all its just time consuming. As for the washer pump I found some cheap ones online but I need the splash guards before I make that move.
I actually think both or inop but I need to verify the passenger side. I read that link to some dude's blog and the $2 repair by just connecting the wire under the leather. I plan to do that but other needs will come first.

Idle isn't rough, it's just under acceleration that it starts to wobble (best way to describe it - maybe I can video it to show you guys.

Rog, I am slightly inclined to a bad water pump but I'm hoping to kill two birds with that TB job from Honda.

I'll double check these and let you know. Thanks for the info!

01tl4tl

coils will show their weakness under throttle, you may not notice at idle
the test at idle is to remove the power lead one coil at a time , looking for cyl that doesn't drop a little rpm = the bad coil!

Did you get codes that said multi cyl misfire?

replace the washer pump motor and shoot some of that canned `spray liquid rubber` (flex-seal) over exposed parts- that stuff works! can also brush or spray on `liquid plastic` covering the connectors

I don't run the lower panels,,,, and my wiper sprayer on hood broke! go figure

01tl4tl

does the power light come on when seat heat switch is turned to high or low?

Tom5

Gotcha, I'll check the coils out too. Got a big list going. Lol that's a good idea about the liquid rubber spray. I def need to invest in that.

The power turns on in the switch, yes.

I went to go start the car today and the car didn't want to turn over after several tries and less than 500 miles on the battery. I'm thinking my starter is on its way out now too.

01tl4tl

new batteries are not fully charged when you get them
Need a good 30 minute drive once a week to fully recharge battery- especially if many short trips and frequent use of starter, driving with heat and lights on etc,
all use some of the alternator juice- the battery wants its share too!

flex seal or similar at any hardware store for under 10 bucks
I used it on leather, winter motorcycle gloves!
COOOOLLLLLD air was getting thru the seam sewing! 2 coats flex seal and now toasty and waterproof

On the race car we used plastic-dip for electrical on main connector board that was very hard to access
Not a single screw can loosen when its covered in solid plastic

01tl4tl

any parts store can test the entire charging system (FREE!) including the starter and how much load it draws during operation

That's the usual tell of something wrong with it! draw exceeds spec

01tl4tl

99s had a major problem with the electrical back part of ignition switch
could a 2000 have the same problem- likely!

YOU have power light at seat heat switch- excellent- means its usually just a broken wire in seat pad- can be diy fixed!
Dealer wants $700 for that heating pad!! for 3$ you can repair it instead

Tom5

Yea, all the threads I've read about it point to the starter so I have a donor car I'm trying to get into contact with a guy about, to see if I can pull several parts off of. If that falls through I'm going to the next one and so on. lol


The more you talk about the liquid plastic spray the more uses I think I would have for it. Can I get it at any car parts store or do I have to go somewhere else?

01tl4tl

liquid plastic in a small can (with brush) is called Plasti-dip, any hardware store and many parts store will carry
You can dip the handle of hand tools in it for better grip too!

Flex Seal is the major name maker of Liquid Spray RUBBER and has many automotive uses for sound and vibration dampening
I do not know about using it on electrical as a protective cover- ck with maker

01tl4tl

again,, a quick trip to parts store for a free starter test beats crawling around swapping parts at random

musiclevelz5

Tom did you check your alternator to make sure its charging properly? A simple check to see if alternator is charging is to start the car and pull the negative black cable off the battery.

If the car dies then the alternator is bad. If it stays running then the alt is good.

Tom5

Yea the car isn't starting at this point. Another reason I'm convinced it's the starter is because the starter started making a grinding noise during start up. And when it did decide to start there was no hesitation. Also when the car wouldn't start, all my electronics and even heater blower were working great. I got the starter so once I have it in I'll take it to get the system checked. Probably should have taken it to get the syatem tester first but I was more concerned ab getting the car to my house.

01tl4tl

grinding noise!!!- kinda buried the lead there tom, that info helps a lot--swap the starter!

the old school method of remove neg battery cable of running car to test alt- is not only bad for a modern alternator and a car with a load of electronics, it doesn't provide all the information you really want
You are on the side of the road in the mountains with a batt light or similar on dash- yeah do whatever you can to determine if its worth driving home on just the battery- which will kill it
Or the reverse case of batt failure- the wear on alternator working double overtime to operate the car = severe loss of life expectancy of alternator- plus that new batt you will need~

The above info was written for general education, and not pointed at any person or spouse- real or fictional

if you can make it to a parts store- let them test the entire system(s) with a machine!

Tom5

Done with the starter swap. Finally had a chance to get a better look at things and it looks like my radiator has a hairline crack in it. Which is any easy switch as well. Haven't had much time especially with the weather.

I am still pricing around for the TB/WP/OP o ring but the best I have so far is $900, another dealer is offering $1300 for the same thing as well as a loaner vehicle. I'll probably go with the first one but I like the idea of a loaner...

Tom5

HIDextra kit is on its way as well. Gotta get this car ready to be my DD.

01tl4tl

enterprise gives a deal on price when car is in the shop
Spend an extra $400 or 35,,,,hmmmm, how much is that free loaner car again?

note!! no shop can give an exact estimate- things like spark plugs or valve cover seals or who knows what will also be found in need of immediate replacement =
my annual reminder: its the slow time of year at shops and every car must produce every dollar!
Back in the day: customers asked if I ran their credit card for remaining balance before calling them with revised estimate,,,
to them it felt like I knew every dollar they had available..and took it!

Tom5

Yea the decision is pretty easy especially since I have alternate vehicles to drive.

On another note the washer fluid issue has been resolved as the plumbing was disconnected from the the nozzles. I may have to invest in the brackets that keep the hoses snug to the hood since the previous owner felt the need to ditch them.

Tom5

Got one side of the hids in, car is still in pieces though because I had to order a new headlight housing due to some parts on the back of the housing being totally messed up.

01tl4tl

the torx screw holding the round rear cover on housing is not required.
These days if someone wants the bulbs- they steal the entire housing~

Tom5

Yea those are gone but so is the rubber seal for the high beams and the clip to hold the low beam down is bent to hell because the lip that holds the wire under the screw was snapped off. So the light bulbs were burning through the plastic pieces when they made contact with that wire. It was ghetto rigged to hell so I figured I would just get a whole new piece. I'm not one for having temporary fixes.

Also got the radiator for $66 shipped and it was a perfect fit, including the lower sensor (I was a little worried ab that)...