WilliamTell13

So my girlfriend just got a great deal on a 2004 TL. It has 250,000 miles, a lot being highway. My dad is a mechanic, so maintenence will be cheap and honest. We bought the car knowing it needs new front brakes and rotors, a new front sway bar, a passenger side mirror, an oil change, 2 new tires, the rear sway bushings are worn, and there is a small power steering fluid leak, requiring about a quart a month.

What else should we look for with this car with this many miles. It was a killer deal, even after all the work that needs done, but obviously my girlfriend and I would like the car to last as long as possible.

ExcelerateRep

Make sure coolant is up to date, and shocks/springs are still good. We offer great pricing on brake products for this car. You could get a package deal of Stoptech pads and rotors for front and rear for just $281.99 not including shipping.

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Will Y.

Do you mean to say the car needs new front "sway bar bushings" as opposed to a new sway bar?

Check the end links too.

The vendors here on AZ (including Acura dealership parts depts. on-line like acuraoemparts.com and oemacuraparts.com) have really good prices for new OEM parts like bushings, mirror actuators, etc.

Loss of a quart of PS fluid over a month is not a small leak-- I'd worry about a fire if the fluid hits the exhaust.
All 2005 TLs were subject to a power steering hose recall due to leakage-- make sure the recall work was done by calling an Acura dealership. Your GF might try registering and checking recall status of the car on the Acura website: Acura Owners Site | Exclusive Knowledge, Service, & Benefits .
If the recall was not done, get the car to the dealer and have it done (along with the wiper motor recall)-- recall work is free.
If the recall work was performed, check the source of the PS fluid leak. There are a couple of $1 O-rings which often fail, although they usually cause steering whine and not large fluid leaks. There are multiple threads on AZ dealing with PS issues.

If the timing belt, water pump, tensioner, accessory belt, etc. were not changed at around 210K miles or if the MID is now showing "A4," it's time for them to be changed.

The maintenance schedule is in the on-line owner's manual-- check the links in: https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...t-pdfs-851625/ .

Welcome to AZ, and G/L.

truonghthe

at this point I am assuming that your GF has AT? If the car is AT the transmission is the biggest concern, immediately do drain and fill 3 quarts using Honda DW1 ATF and repeat the proccess for 3 times (DO NOT flush the trany this can cause a failure in Honda AT). Power steering leaks have your dad check out the source of leak BTW there is a recall for power steering hose leaking so check that with your dealer, if its leak by the pump then you can rebuilt it. Other than that most of the wear and tear stuff can be pretty easy taken care of.

WilliamTell13

Definitely front sway bar and rear bushings. Maybe not sway bushings, I forget, but some type of bushings in the rear.

WilliamTell13

Yes, it's an automatic. I was actually thinking of doing some drain and fills because I figured it would need it. The transmission takes a little longer than usual to go into Drive.

thoiboi

What makes you think the front sway bar is BAD? I think that's what Will Y was alluding to.. they don't go bad that often.. It's a torsion bar

WilliamTell13

It may not be the whole thing, maybe just the center connecting piece. I'm not totally sure, my dad would know when he lifts it up on the car lift. But the people we bought it from have us a paper from their family friend mechanic with everything it would need to pass inspection and the front sway bar was one of the things listed.

WilliamTell13

I'll know exactly what it is later when I haveaccess to the paper.

YungMoola15

Hi sorry not trying to put you down but that's one of the major sign of the transmission being bad. Drain and refill won't do anything and in a couple days the check engine light should come on. My CL did the same thing when the tranny went bad

thoiboi

do the transmission pressure switches while you're at it.

WilliamTell13

It was also in a minor front right side accident recently, so that may have messed up the sway bar somehow.

WilliamTell13

Well...shit. It shifts fine at least. It was only 625 bucks, not including the parts it needs and everything. After everything, it'll be around 1300 I'm guessing. my girlfriend will just be happy to get a year out of it

WilliamTell13

Is there any way to get the service records for the car? I figured the Acura Owners web site would have them, but I don't see them. Only a way to manually enter them. With my Toyota, I can just go on the web site or use the app to view all service records for my car, no matter what dealership they were done at. It was very handy when I bought the car.

YungMoola15

Why dont you just drive it as is? Try to get someone to give you a inspection sticker somehow.

truonghthe

No honda does not have the feature like my lexus that you can see all the services at the dealer.