Hi everybody, I just purchased a '16 RLX-SH online and got it yesterday. I have six days to decide if I want to keep it. I'm taking it to an Acura dealer soon to get any diagnostics that are available and to get it up on the hoists and check for accidents. Anything else in particular I should have them check? It has 19K miles and came from a warm-weather state, CARFAX looks OK.

Generally, I like it so far, but I have noticed a couple weird things.

1) I floored it in the rain from a standing start. (Not in sport mode) At about 35 MPH, it kind of shook suddenly for about a second, like some ABS systems do when losing traction. I floored it once in Sport Mode from zero in the rain and this didn't happen.
2) Weird smell from the engine....like very warm wires/plastic. It's not overpowering, but it's there.
3) The "All Wheel Drive System Problem" and "Power System" warnings lights came for one trip and went away when I restarted. (Same as a poster in another thread).

Thanks in advance for any wisdom! These things are hard to find, so I had to get one from the other side of the country!

 

1.) The way the suspension is set up, if you floor it without the traction control on, the front suspension will hop badly and isn't faster off the line. Keep the traction control on at all times and it will be smooth running every time. When in sport mode, don't forget to click the right shift paddle back to engage 1st gear, engage the brake hold button on the center console, then simply mash the gas and 60 mph is gone every time in 4.8 seconds. Lots of fun!
2.) The smell comes after you have been running hard for a while. Nothing to be worried about.
3.) The warning lights can come on from time to time if there is a computer glitch that may happen a couple of times in a row or not happen again for a year from then. If turning off the car does not reset it, call the dealer. Usually these things are not critical issues. The system has proven to be quite reliable. I just completed 6 years with my RLX Sport Hybrid and at 99,000 miles it has been a lot of fun with not a whole lot to complain about. I will miss it as it leaves our family very shortly. Its replacement is on a ship now coming to the US.

 

The batteries in these cars are known to be a weak link - could be the reason for your warning lights. The loosing traction anomaly that shook the car was due to the slick conditions and poor tires (OEM tires are average at best). The weird smell from engine bay could very well be a plastic bag that got sucked up into the bay and stuck to the downpipe. You will find the SHawd is a fine car that can surprise with its performance in sport mode. A good look-over by the dealer will give you some piece of mind. Although out of warranty (I assume past the 4-year time frame) you may consider getting an extended warranty of some type because the electronics and design of this car can be expensive to repair. Enjoy and let us know how the check up goes.

 

I'll comment on the second observation - the "smell" from the engine. Obviously there is some normal "warm" smell you get from any vehicle after it gets to operating temperature, but I can say that I've not observed anything abnormal smell-wise with the wife's '18 RLX-SH as compared to any other vehicle. It's hard to say whether what you're observing is normal or not. If it seems abnormal to you - have the dealer check it out.

andy

 

Correction to this post. I meant pull back the left paddle to engage 1st gear.

 

Thanks for all the informative replies!

The car is pretty fun to drive. It's accelerates so quickly that you can get going pretty damn fast without realizing it. (You guys all know this already!)

It's a 2016, but didn't get sold til Dec 2016, so there is still almost a year left on the bumper-to-bumper warranty, and a ton of miles left. I have faith in the Honda/Acura engineering, but the complexity of the tech has me a little worried about potential maintenance costs that you mention. As someone else said, a computer on wheels. Have people had bad experience with costly repairs to electronics? Also, I heard it's 3K to replace a windshield!! Is that true??

 

$15,000 to replace a transmission if you need one. $3,000 + for the windshield. $150 for a battery that you will need every 3 years or so. Forget the transmission number I said as nobody will actually need that...........

 

I can attest to the expensive windshield. A rock hit mine and cost around $4K CDN. The HUD glass isn’t cheap and takes time to come in from Japan. They typically only stock P-AWS glass and they tried installing it on my SH until they realized my HUD was all blurry.

My rotors warped shortly after warranty expired but I was way under the mileage so the dealer picked up half the cost as goodwill.

Been a pretty solid reliable vehicle for me.

 

You can still get an Acura extended warranty since you are well within your initial warranty period. All my extended warranties I have ever bought have more than paid for themselves throughout the life of the term.

 

Miner

Im glad to hear your comment on extended warranties. I have a 2020 SH-SHAWD. I purchased the 8 year 120k mile extended warranty due to the expensive unique items on this vehicle.

The one worry I have is on performing my own regular maintenance. I plan on photographing, logging, and saving all documentation. Hope it's enough when and if I need the extended warranty.

 

When I purchased my 11 MDX Adv used, I called Acura warranty with the VIN and they gave me the exact date when the 4/50k basic warranty would expire by time based on original purchase date. I purchased the MDX in Feb of 2014 and the 4/50k was going to expire by time on Jan 2015 based on original purchase date. I was able to purchase 5/120k Acura Care in Nov 2014 and used it a few times for both front seat heaters, rear parking sensor, and rear magnetic shocks that wouldn't been covered by the basic or Acura extended warranties.

I will wait until around 6 month before the 4/50k basic expires on my 19 MDX and CPO 18 RLX before deciding on doing Acura Care for them.

 

never miss the 30,000 mile service intervals for the transmission and rear differential fluid changes.

 

Did you keep it did you keep it?

 

I'm keeping it! Took it to a mechanic, there were no bad surprises. I've put about 400 miles on it. It certainly takes some getting used to, but it's fun to drive. My friends have all liked it and unanimously told me to keep it. Some even insisted that I keep it!

A couple things I noticed. Driving down a winding road (I live in Seattle, which is hilly), the dashboard warning light that says BRAKE!!!! comes on when a car is coming in the opposite direction and is in exactly the right position. This gives me a heart-attack every time. Do you guys leave this feature on???

Also, it's like a 5-step process to get the car out of Neutral while in a car wash! I definitely need to practice for next time. That was really damn complicated!!! Did you guys get it right the first time? I was worried about getting everything right on the way in (mirrors retracted, Brake + Neutral, then Power Off, windshield wipers to Off), I didn't realize that getting out would be more complicated!

 

Good decision! Especially because I just bought a 2016 SH-AWD as well, with about the same mileage as yours. I love it. Yes, the first time the BRAKE warning came on I was startled, especially (for whatever reason!) by the accompanying yellow "explosion" in the HUD. It happened to me when I had to maneuver slightly to avoid a parked car that was jutting a little too far into the road but did so a little later than the system would have liked, because of an oncoming car that I had to let pass first. I like how the accelerator gives you a little nudge when this happens as well. Although sometimes it does all add up to a mini heart attack, lol. I'm going to leave it on.

I think I'll only be using touchless carwashes from now on, because someone warned me that the drive-through ones can damage rims like ours...

 

When I do go to a car wash I always ride through with mine. That way, no issues ensue upon exiting. I just hit 'D' and leave. Lease the CMBS on by all means.

 

We don't have a lot of touch-less car washes in ABQ. An attendant got hit by a Jeep because of unexpected acceleration and not being familiar with the vehicle controls. No way I would trust someone that never driven with the Acura gear shift. The weather is usually sunny and temps in the upper 40s/low 50s for me to hand wash in the driveway in winter.

 

So, that's with the power on, right? Just put it in N, go through the wash, and then Brake + D and the end?? And the car doesn't decide to shut off or go into any weird mode in the middle of the carwash? I felt like a kid with a learner's permit as I was trying to exit the carwash last time, geez....

 

Yes, that is pretty much how to do it. While waiting for car to move initially after putting in N you may need to re-engage N again prior to car moving

 

Thanks, I'll try it that way next time.

 

A couple more newbie questions:

Is there any way to display what gear you are in when NOT in sport mode? Telling me I'm in D while I'm driving around is not that useful, lol. Oh, and if I'm in Sport Mode, it will still automatically shift for me if I redline it, right?

Has anybody bought a OBD2 bluetooth thing and paired it with an app to get some detailed performance data? If so, which thing and which app?

 

I've noticed it sometimes doesn't matter what gear you are in depending on how you use the gas pedal, acceleration needed, and speed. The tq of the electric motors can sometimes provide the same or more acceleration sooner/longer with minimal downshifting compared to 3.5L NA engine with 6/10AT. I let the 7DCT do its thang and I've been extremely impressed by it. I don't even think about the 7DCT when driving and let it decide what gear to use. The only time I use the paddles for gear selection are for:
- downshifting before entering a tight corner to slow down and engage sh-awd in/out the curve
- sport mode to start the engine if I need to make a faster get away at a stop (can be a little jerky going from EV to I.C.E. if you accelerate too hard)