i have mud guards on my TL WDP. but i'm starting not to like the grayness of it. makes the car look a little cheap. when i see a WDP TL without mud guards i actually start to think it looks better. the bottom lines of the car seems to flow better without it.

so my options were to either paint my gray mudguards into WDP. or just simply remove them. ---> now, does a TL without mud guards usually have big noticiable splash marks on the side of the car when it rains/snows/mud? i guess what i'm really asking is

does the TL really need mud guards?

 

I took mine off when I had my Aspec kit put on and I havent seen much of a difference, to be honest.

They came on the car or I never would have had them t begin with.

 

I have the mudflaps. In this picture you can see that part of the side was still comparatively clean, while much of it was filthy, after several days of driving in the snow last week. I have a better picture that I will try to post tonight if you want (it's on my home PC and I'm not at home).

 

I think mudflaps make a difference functionally...especially if you have to do a lot of driving in mud and snow... For me, I just drive in rain...

I have noticed that my car gets dirtier from the tire spray than when I had the mudflaps installed... But they don't look so great, and you can't have them if you want the OEM body kit... Just for the record, I have a 2G TL-S... Not a 3G...

 

Or when you wash the car treat them to some spray cleaner, the same product that is used on tires to give them that black look.

 

I had mud guards, dont think they worked that great... I would drive over a small puddle and the whole side gets splashed.. ... took it off when I had aspec kit put on...

 

I bought an 06 WDP in December. I told the dealer to leave them off, I didn't like the way they looked on the car. The dealer let me trade the mud flaps for a wood trim piece over the rear A/C vent.

 

Too bad they don't offer them painted (at least on the side not adjacent to the tires).

 

You can order color-matched paint in spray cans from paintscratch.com if you wanted to try and remove and paint them. Not sure if you would need primer in addition to clear coat. Not sure if the flaps flex enough to require plasticisers in the paint. You could ask them. If it doesn't come out good you could always run without them or just get new ones.

And,
I park next to a RRP/Camel MT that doesn't have the flaps. There isn't much of a difference this time of year. In winter it is all crusty either way.

But, in the summer he always has "trails" under his front doors and on the lower corners of the rear bumper that I don't get with the flaps. Minimal difference I guess.

On my ABP they don't stand out that much as they would on some other colors

 

I have an 02 TL-S with mudguards and I still see a lil dirt on the back side bumper from the tire shooting dirt up. I too thought that the mudguards looked cheap but try to put some armor all and wipe the guards with it. It'll become pretty shiny. It looks a lot better when u do that..that's my opinion.

 

i have a WDP and I bought mud guards. I love them, I know a lot of people dont like the look, but it protects really well. doesn't just reflect water, reflects rocks too.

i actually like the way they look

 

i left mine on. i take them off once in a while to clean behind them. i havent run with them off long enough to see if they make a difference, i have a black car, i dont think they stand out much either.

 

My 04 is the 2nd TL i've owned (2k). The first one didn't have the flaps but the 2nd one does. While I like the look a little better without them they definitely help to keep the car cleaner in comparison. Because I don't have time to wash her as often as I'd like, I'll trade looks for cleanliness anyday.

 

An easy expirement would be to remove the mudguards from one side of the car and then drive around for a bit.

 

I've got a WDP and mine didn't come with them. After a few days drving in rain there were huge dirt trails along the sides of the car and behind the rear wheels. So I put the splash guards on - no more dirt trails! They really work. Didn't like the look at first, but then I got used to them.

Has anyone tried Adobeman's suggestion of spray painting them? I got a quote from a body shop for for $130 - too much for me!

 

I haven't even tried my suggestion but that's because the black flaps blend in against my ABP. The problem with WDP is that I think it is a 3 part paint job. Base, pearl coat and clear coat. Notoriously difficult to match from what I hear. Many say their WDP bumpers don't match the car.

 

The mud guards do help out alot. Especially when it comes to small debris bouncing off your tires and hitting your car. And it also helps to reduce the water/liquid trails that end up on your car due to various reasons. Hey just try them and if you don't like them...sell them on Ebay!!!

As far as painting them. Make sure you do a good job on your primer work because once you paint them you will have to touch them up all the time. Man, the best thing you can do is add some Meguiar's tire treatment on them(the can)...its not thick and repels water and dust.

 

Are these easy to take off and put on? Just got a set with all hardware off of eBay for 30bux shipped. I haven't looked at the car w/the flaps nearby yet (an 06 w/flaps on eBay being from another 06). Any info appreciated! Will try to install this Saturday!

Rey

P.S. Still loving the car after almost a month!

 

I personally like the mudgurads on any TL that doesnt have the oem body kit. I think it looks much better with the mudguards.

 

Painted mud guards look pretty good IMO, take a look at this TSX (found in the for sale) he's selling the mud guards

 

On my blue TL, these are just awesome. They blend in to the point where it looks just perfect. Put 'em on today, you can't beat 30bux shipped from eBay, AND all it took was the existing screws in the wheel wells to install these things. That and the couple of extras the kit come with, but point is there is nothing to the install. Glad I got 'em!

 

As others have said, mine came with the car so I've left them on. As well, my TL is ASM and as such the flaps don't really stick out too badly IMHO. As for functionality my spin on it is while they might not help that much then don't really hurt. Based on those points I'm leavin' them on for now. Lots of other factors to consider - do you drive on salted roads and / or gravel roads a great deal etc? Best of makin' the "mud flap call" .

 

I think they look great on my Anthracite - the Grey/black combination works well.

 

I wish I had them. I bought my car used, and from the dirt and everything the paint is almost completely worn off the bottom of the dorr and the rear of the car where it flares back out. It looks down right awful especially with it being black. I wonder if Acura would do anything about the paint coming off?

 

I have the 04 TL in Redondo Red Pearl. I just installed the Aspec body kit on the car and they had to remove the mud guards from the vehicle. My main concern was the rocks kicking up on the lower quarter panel. I just installled the clear bra on the entire nose of the car at Lorenzo Tint NY. Lorenzo suggested to free hand cut clear bra strips for the quarter panel, to prevent lower rocks from damaging the lower quarter panel. Since you are in the Bx, Lorenzo is located on East 242st Bx,NY on the border line of Mount Vernon & the Bronx. Web site (www.lorenzotint.com) Phone(718)994-9100.

 

Hey guys, I have a question about the warranty on the mudguards.

I have a 2002 WDP TL-S and I've noticed for quite sometimes now that under the mudguards, where the edges touch the paint, I guess the paint has now been "chipped" off? Like there's a big line of silver color on the paint where the mudguards use to touch the paint. WOuld acura cover this defect under warranty? I've touched it before and it seems as though the paint was worn down and is now showing hte metal part.

 

^-I think that would depend on the service department. I doubt it, but its worth a shot. I take my mud guards off every so often to clean them up and make sure nothing is happening to the paint underneath. So far so good with 40k on the car

 

damn that's what i shouild've done.....now i'm stuck with freakin paint chipped off my car.

 

Good point about the rocks. Not to mention tar! I left mine on... always liked them since the 5.0 Mustang days.... they kept the melted tire rubber off my rear quarters!!!

 

I had them on my 03 CL type s 6spd and it made a huge difference. Now my 05 TL has the body kit and at the sign of main my lower panel and dirty.