Hi,

I am about to take delivery of a new '04 TL WITHIN DAYS and am concerned about the problem with the Bridgestone tires. I know it's been beaten to death on this forum, but I haven't read the threads on this issue.
Can someone fill me in and will my car (delivered new) have these poor tires?
My '02 TL-S had the Michelins and they were GREAT TIRES (saved me from
my own exuberence more than once).

Thanks!

Parabolica

 

The only way to know for sure is to test drive the car before signing on the dotted line. Make sure you take it on the highway (50+ mph) so that you can check for vibration. I think the some of the biggest complaints with the EL-42's were flatspotting, vibrations, and generally poor handling performance. My EL-42's didn't have any defects but I didn't like the way it handled so I upgraded.

 

I bought my TL about 2 weeks ago. I noticed some vibration between 50 and 60 mph. I figured I would drive it for several days to make sure I wasn't imagining things. I called my salesman. He said he had one other customer with that complaint and that he checked with the service manager, who said it would work itself out in 3,000 - 4,000 miles. I'm waiting for the service manager to call me back to get a more detailed explanation. Is this true, that the vibration will disappear on its own? Should I demand replacement tires?

 

you gotta use the search tool. there are about a million threads now. not trying to be rude but if we keep posting the same questions the newer ones that people have not gotten to will be pushed off the top. to sum it up the el42's suck, the new ones don't vibrate but they still suck.

 

.......I highly doubt it. My last Infiniti had the same problem and it turned out to be poorly-balanced tires. I think the dealer's working on the "keep ignoring it and you'll forget it" mentality. Either the tires are not balanced properly or they're defective.

 

Geez I get tired of saying this, but it is not your fault because there are so many threads in this forum that it is impossible to go back and read them all.

The 50-60mph vibration is NOT tires, it is supposedly exhaust resonance. It is caused by the engine turning 1500rpm for all speeds from 45-60mph. It is never going to go away until Acura admits it has a problem and changes the computer to increase the rpm's, which isn't going to happen because then the EPA mileage will suffer.

As for the tires, you will have to get the car early in the morning, before it has been driven (feel the engine if you are not sure) and then go for a drive. The flatspotting is worst at about 55-65mph. Then decide what you want to do, which includes trying to get other tires, which probably won't happen. Not all cars have the problem; in fact, it seems as if the majority don't or it is not bad enough to worry about. You will know better when you drive the car and then you can make a decision, or put it in this forum (tell your dealer you have to think about it) and get some answers then.

Until then, don't worry about it because you might not have anything to worry about.

 

I've had mine for about 2 weeks and haven't noticed any vibrations thus far at any speeds.

 

Parabolica,

The '02 TL-S had Grand Touring Tires, arguably the quietest tire around, the EL-42 will not be that quiet, if you want a comparable tire to your '02's Michelins then the LS-Z is what you want.

You will discover quickly that the '02's Michelins are light years better than the EL-42's

 

I didn't have any problems with flatspotting nor did I notice any vibration. I was going to keep my tires even though they rode poorly and didn't seem that sticky. Then I took the car out on a day with medium rain and started changing lanes by sliding from one lane to the other. That is when I decided to get the Michelin Pilot Sport AS. It is like driiving a different car. The ride is significantly better (it doesn't feel like the back end is going to break loose every time I hit an expansion joint) and the car handles better. This is particularly noticeable in the rain.

Acura is going to get the Bridgstones back at the end of the lease.

 

I got the same problem, "hydroplaning", which is always my main concern. I think EL42s are the so-so tires for me, not the best or worst, but quiet.