Hey everyone! My name is Kelson (as the username suggests). I'm a student at University of California, Santa Barbara, but my hometown is a little city in far Northern California called Redding. Just last Saturday, I finally purchased my first car, a Nighthawk Black 07 TL Type-S. I am 21, and since I have been old enough to drive I have been driving my mom's RAV4 and my sister's Chevy Cobalt. Needless to say, being in college and having to take my family's cars for extended periods of time was not only a hassle, but it was also a little embarrassing. Neither of those vehicles command a lot of power, and neither really suited me.

I wanted to get my own set of wheels, and I immediately fell in love with the TL two years ago. The vehicle was a little out of my budget range, but after a few years of working and saving, I came up with a sizeable down payment and started seriously searching for the car for me. I found this baby at a dealership in Sacramento and managed to do a little negotiating. A few days after finding it, we made a deal and they drove it up to me. I had test driven it once, but at the time, I did not try to push its limits as I did not want to make the dealer nervous. When I first sat in the car after signing the papers, I was blown away.

Here I am a full week after getting it, and I am still head-over-heels about this car. I started poking around trying to find a community to join to learn more. I stumbled upon this forum after a few Google searches and decided it was the one for me! I have been lurking around, popping my head into a few threads, but now I thought it would be good to formally introduce myself!

I know almost nothing about cars in a technical sense, so I am very much looking forward to learning about my car and doing some modifications. After looking at what other people have started with, I have decided my first orders of business are:

1. Tinting the windows. Here in California the law is pretty strict, and honestly, I don't think I care if they are SUPER dark, so I am considering 40% back and 80% in the front.

2. Installing an ASPEC kit. I have never done any modifications to a vehicle, so I figure this is a good starting point. I won't do it myself, but I plan to find somebody to install it and show me how.

And the glorious list stops at two! I'm going to ease into the scene, but I feel like those are good starting points. Here are some pictures (since I can't embed them, just links for now):

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16420350/IMAG0113.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16420350/IMAG0116.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16420350/IMAG0115.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16420350/IMAG0118.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16420350/IMAG0117.jpg

So there she is! The vehicle is in great shape (minus the fact that a few hours before this shoot it rained and left little mud dots all over the car...) I did get it used, so I don't know what (if any) aftermarket stuff was done to it, and it isn't perfect. In fact I am pretty sure the bozo who owned it before me let his or her DOG ride in the back seat, as there are a few claw marks in the leather, and I found a dog grooming card in the seat-back pocket. It has only had one owner, and the previous owner got it new in December of 06. So it seems a little silly to me to have paid so much for a car and then load the dog in the back. But other than that, it is a great ride, nearly flawless as far as I can tell.

Anyway, I will wrap this up before it turns into a novel. I look forward to being an active participant in the community, and thanks for having me!

 

congrats on the car Kelson, you wont be disappointed. let the moddings begin!

 

welcome and congrats


great looking TL


your wallet will hate you once you start modding

 

congrats on ur tls man

 

welcome, im a new tl owner as well....enjoy the car!

 

Welcome Kelson, I hope you enjoy the car and the wealth of information on this site.

 

Welcome Kelson!!! This is my formal hello...as in my progress thread that you have already read through, here is some good advice...After you buy your aspec kit from AckTL05, install it youself. It's pretty easy, even for someone with little or no car knowledge...just follow the instructions. Trust me, you'll save severel hundred dollars, and have the satisfaction of knowing you modded your car yourself! Then reinvest the saved hundreds you would have paid some stranger on more mods...and let the fun continue!!

 

Welcome aboard! Great looking car. And it's refreshing to see someone your age so articulate in their introductory post. Good for you.

The only downside is you didn't get a manual transmission, but what the hey. The important thing is the fact that you got what YOU want and you're happy with your purchase.

Congratulations and we're pleased to have you with us.

 

welcome & nice whip. enjoy.

 

welcome nice tl type s i jus got one my self and i love it

 

Congrats on the ride.

 

Congrats on the ride, Kelson! You'll enjoy it here and there's soooo much information it's crazy! This is actually one of the more active forums I've found.

 

Welcome Kelson, NBP FTW!

 

def a nice car. but what's up with the HTC Android logo on the trunk? kinda random.

you get deals on phones???

 

congrats on the new car (: welcome to AZ!

 

Congrats and welcome

 

Congrats and welcome to AZ! You may want to register her at www.myacura.com. Save your Navi and radio codes there for safe keeping. Check out the 3G garage for tons of information and ideas. Also the wash and wax section to keep her looking sweet.

 

Welcome and congrats Kelson! Great looking TL-S

 

Welcome aboard =)

May I suggest polishing your exhust tips?

 

Welcome Kelson-enjoy your Type S. You can join our Type S Social Group (see signature below).

You've got your first 2 mods right, that's for sure.

Did you put the 2 stickers on or were they on the car when you bought them?

 

Welcome and congrats on the car. U recognize the Zelda logo hehe and nice android there too .good luck with your mods.

 

Welcome to Daddy's Dojo

 

welcome

 

Nice, I'm about your age too (22), graduated from UC Davis, and go to the Sac dealership when I need dealership stuff done.

With regard to tint laws here, I've had 20% for about 6 months and gotten one ticket for it. If you want dark tint you'll eventually have to pay for it but whatever, I just think of it as a vehicle expense.

The kicker of my ticket was I had my windows down as I drove past a CHP car... then he pulled me over and asked me to roll them up. Since I was late for an appointment I didn't tell him no and make him detain me like I would in the future and just complied. He says "THOUGHT SO" and writes the ticket.



Going lighter than that you probably won't have much trouble with the cops. Hopefully....

ASPEC kit is another great mod and is on my list for the future. Look forward to seeing your mods!

 

Thanks for the warm welcomes everyone! So glad to be part of a community that is so open and polite. I think I'll like it here.


Well as per your advice...I think once the kit comes I will do it myself. At least, I will consider it. I have a few friends scattered around Cali who do car mods, so I am sure they would be willing to help. I'm just so nervous I'll do something wrong and have my bumper fly off on the 5!


Well I kind of took what I got as far as transmission goes. I CAN drive a stick, but with all of the city driving I do, I went the easy way and got an automatic. I am very pleased with it. And sometimes I pop it into sport mode and pretend I'm a professional driver.




Haha, well I guess I should explain the stickers. I had been waiting months to finally get this car so I was preemptively deciding all of the things I wanted to do when I first got it. I am a huge nerd, I am just going to throw that out there right now. I am an Android enthusiast, and I am very involved in the phone modding community. With being an Android enthusiast comes being one who dislikes the iOS platform, and most things Apple related. That is why the Android mascot is eating an Apple

As for the sticker on the back windshield, it is from the first game franchise I ever got into, the franchise that made me start playing video games, Zelda. I thought it would be cool to pay homage to my roots. Though it will probably have to come off when I take the ride in to get tinted It was ony a dollar though (including shipping) so I can replace it if I see fit.


She is definitely in need of a thorough detailing. However, since I have had the car I have only been home with it for like two days. This time of year I drive a lot, all over California to visit friends and family. The pictures in the OP were taken at the beginning of my trip down to LA. Once I get back up North, I'm going to do some serious work on it to get it shining again. The previous owner doesn't appear to have taken very good care of it. As I mentioned in the OP...why pay so much for such a beautiful ride, only to not take care of it and let your dog ride in it?


A fellow Californian! Very nice. I actually bought my car from Elk Grove Acura. Which dealership do you go to? Niello? Also, I had a friend who went to Davis. Been there plenty of times! I am always surprised how similar it is to my hometown, Redding, in terms of climate. Hot!

As for the tint, I am still trying to decide. I don't want to go too dark, as I drive a little crazier in this ride than I do in a "normal" car. Don't really need to give an officer any other reason to pull me over. That said, I am almost certainly going to go over the legal limit. I'm looking at the 3M Crystalline line which doesn't go terribly dark to begin with. But whatever I decide, you all will be the first to know

I am currently in LA, which really opens up my options in terms of tinting. I have found a place here that has rave reviews, and they use only 3M products, so I think I might hit them up before I leave at the end of the week.

I have been in contact with AckTL05, and we are working on getting me the ASPEC lip kit. Let's hope all goes well in that department

As for more immediate customization, I did order custom license plates! My dad passed away in 09, and his nickname was "Captain Fun" to all my family, his friends, my friends, pretty much everyone. He had an old '95 Chevy Silverado, and his license plate said "CPTN FUN". He was an awesome guy, and I have been trying to find a way to pay some respects to him. As I am his son, I decided "Lieutenant Fun" would be fitting for me (for those who don't know, it is the rank below Captain), so my custom plates will read "LTNT FUN". I am pretty happy with it...hopefully it brings me some peace. Will post pics when the plates show up!

Anywho, thanks for the wealth of replies everyone! Looking forward to getting to update you all on my mod progress.

 

Yea I saw the Lasher plates after I posted. I go to Niello every now and then.

And yea, Davis gets HOT. I'm from the central valley so I've been used to it my whole life.

You said you'd go over the legal limit on tint for sure and I just wanted to remind you that ANY tint on the front windows beyond factory is illegal, so pretty much everyone who likes tint in California is breaking the law (one that doesn't even make sense to me but yea).


Also, your idea for your license plate sounds awesome. I'm sure everyone who knew your dad will agree.

 

congrats and welcome... you go to school about an hour north from me and im up in SB from time to time thats a great city to be at!

car looks nice i am sure you will find lots of great modding information on here and you will find new ways to spend your hard earned $$

 

Have an appointment at nine in the morning to get my windows tinted. Will post pics!

Also, I just finished upgrading my Navigation software. Sure is nice not to be living in 2007 anymore!

Sweet! Well if you come up to SB and have some time to show off your car, drop me a message or something. From your avatar it looks like it is a sick ride, I'd love to check it out for inspiration

 

^ thanks dude yea most deffinately i will let you know when i am up there next time! i usually go up every month or so to hang!

heres a larger pic of my car make it easier for you to see



a TL-S is fun to mod if you ever have any questions feel free to hit me up!

 

So my public dropbox folder has been suspended. I'll have to rehost my car pictures when I get back to where I'm staying. Currently waiting for my car to get tinted!

 

Just got back from getting my windows tinted. Looks great, will have pictures tomorrow after I clean it.

But...since I got it back, I can't listen to any music. When I git the audio button on the navi it gives me a handsfreelink screen. And the little dash screen above the navi says HF Link. I can't cancel it or anything to get it to play music...did they screw something up?

 

you're not suppose to touch the tint for a few days or open windows. leave it be. the adhesive needs to set on the film. what type of tint did you get? hopefully not metallic.

the tint installer shouldn't have touched any of the electronics in your car except your windows. so unless they killed your battery...but even that would not explain what you are experiencing. ???

 

Welcome to the forum, im actually from Sac. Havnt been able to check out the car but will stay tuned to check out the new pics.

 

welcome man, i am also currently 21 and i go to UCR, so its nice to see a fellow UC undergrad on the forum, maybe we might even have some friends in common since i know some ppl over at UCSB(as im sure you know some ppl over at UCR). i drive an 07 black tl type s also.

btw there is no such thing as 80% tint and 40%. 80% would be clear as daylight, i dont think any shop will do tint that light. 50% tint would barely be noticeable, so most people do at least 35%.

 

The dude told me it should be dry by tomorrow afternoon, not to roll down any windows or anything until then. So I didn't plan on washing it before then. But if I am supposed to wait longer I guess I will!

I got 3M Color Stable, 20% on the back, 35% on both the rear and front windows. 3M Crystalline 70% on my windshield.

I didn't think they would have done anything to my electronics. The only weird thing other than the HFL issue is that as I was driving away I felt a drip of water on my foot. So my only thought was they got water somewhere it shouldn't be...? Idk. I just went out to the car and tooled around with it some to see if I could figure anything out.

When I hold the HFL back button, the message on both the navi screen and the dash screen disappear. I could then manipulate the stereo. But only for a few seconds, because after holding the back button it does a diagnostic check of the HFL, apparently, which told me that the HFL module was "Okay".

When turn the key into the "On" position to mess with the radio, the battery light, check engine light, and oil light come on. The check engine light turns off after a minute or so, but the battery light and the oil light stay on until I start the engine...that isn't normal, right? I don't recall ever seeing those lights stay on. And it didn't happen this morning when I got in the car to take it to the tint place. It COULD be a coincidence. But I don't want to rule anything out.

 

Nice! A fellow UC student! I don't think I know anybody from UCR...maybe some kids from high school that went there that I am not in touch with anymore. But it is not impossible!

And 3M's crystalline line of tint goes up to 90%. It isn't dark, but it reduces heat and UV. I got 70% on my windshield, it is barely noticeable but still reduces heat. The 90 was just see through. lol.

 

I guess editing posts isn't something I can do until I am a bonafide member. So here is a link to the new location of my car pictures. No new ones yet. Just the old ones on a new host.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/6703908...7627565906454/

 

water? hmmm...fuse gone haywire? not sure about the lights...i've never really paid attention or turn the key to the "on" only position.

since you had the windshield done the water based solution they use could have dripped onto the dash area or accidentally sprayed around the HFL module near the sunroof switch. eh? just a thought...

and you usually can't roll windows down for at least 48 hours. i'm paranoid so i waited about 3 days until i first rolled mine down. you run the risk of the film peeling off. if you park in the cali sun then the film will dry faster....if its hot that's a bonus. seems to be an industry wide standard. did you get moleskin? otherwise you risk scratching the tint when you roll the windows down. there are DIYs for this as well.

BTW...i'm a bruin alum...so us "UC" folks are all over the place...my BFF is a gaucho alum.

 

Well I will bear in mind the note about windows. Though it is quite hot down here, so I'm sure it will dry quickly. I didn't get moleskin...I wasn't asked about it or made aware of its existence. But 3M has a lifetime warranty...so hopefully that covers it?

As for water damage...I really have no idea at this point. I'll check the fuse boxes tomorrow morning. I tried to today but under the hood was too damned hot from the weather. But I am hoping the car kind of just bangs this one out itself. But strangely enough, as I forgot to mention, after taking it back from them it also makes a high pitched noise with acceleration. Seemingly in rhythm with the transmission...as it reaches higher RPM the whine gets louder, when it shifts the whine gets lower. So...idk. I am starting to get pretty worried.

I couldn't imagine that the work they did would cause these problems. But at the same time...it seems like a mighty big coincidence that so many things would pop up at the same time.

 

Nothing satisfies more than obtaining something you work and save for. Good for you!

I also just found this forum about 1 hour ago and am enjoying browsing the various threads.