My wife and I share our 04 TL as we work different schedules, collectively we put 700 miles a week on it and the car now has 133000 miles on it. I check the used market to keep an eye on what things are worth and have come across a couple of pretty good deals on 05-06 TL's with low mileage. KBB has our car still worth $7000 and ebay is selling them for slightly more than that. At this point should I upgrade while are car is still worth decent money or should I just continue taking care or what we have and deal with the risk of having to possibly sink some major $ into ours if something does bad?

 

Have you done the 105k service which includes replacing your timing belt and water pump?

 

If it's a 6MT and you're happy with it, I'd say you've got pocket aces. Get the 105K service done and keep it. It will easily last you another 133K.

If it's auto, not sure what to recommend. The ATs seem to be hit or miss as far as failure. But there's no guarantee an 05-06 AT will give you any more life...

 

All maintenance has been done. It's an automatic, which is what scares me the most. I'm doing another 1x3 flush and changing the 3rd and 4th gear pressure switches this weekend.

 

have you had any issues with the car? if you've been taking good care of it, I would drive it until it dies. If its already paid off, the longer you drive it the more utility you gain from it. Here's a good article, says that keeping cars for 10 yrs will save a person a quarter mil over a lifetime.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...000-miles.aspx

 

I in a similar situation. My '05 5AT is at ~140K.

All maint. has been done and I have the pressure switches and Racing ATF sitting in the garage ready to go.

Never had a pmt, but the new car itch is getting to me.

 

If you're getting bored with the car, maybe get a new mod for it. Tints, wheels, suspension, audio, or just get it detailed. Anything to make you fall in love with the car again, it's a lot cheaper than buying a new car.

OP, I'd just keep the car till it dies. It hasn't given you any problems yet, and it looks like you've taken great care of it. I see no reason to sell it.

 

I agree, I have about 136k on my 05 and decided to just keep it and get new suspension/ wheels. I know how well I maintained it so no use trying to get into a different car at this time. So yes, just hold it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn481KcjvMo

 

My standard response: if it looks and runs well, and you're happy with it, keep it. If you upgrade to an 05-06, you're still getting a used car and you don't know its history of maintenance. At least with your current car, you do.

Change the transmission switches, fluid, and enjoy it for a while. Cars as usual are terrible investments, however, your car might be a great investment since it runs well and has high mileage but is reliable.

What I usually recommend from a financial standpoint is to take what you would spend on a replacement car and save it in a liquid asset account. Add to it monthly, and you will have the bulk of what you need to buy a replacement car when the time comes.

'The Gambler' is a great song by the way.

 

My car is 04 Base TL at 105K (getting the 105K service done this weekend).
What is the point at which i should say "it is dead"? Drive till it dies is what we are planning to do but am sure a transmission change is inevitable (how much will that be?).
Sinking what amount of $$ daily or monthly or yearly is the point at which it is not worthwhile to keep it?
Thanks!

 

Keep it. No car payment ftw.

 

or you are the one that did the maintenance for the previous owner

i still found a couple of nuisances that had to be fixed though, that i did not know about (like $50 MAYBE worth of parts to get fixed)



and yes if basically done that way with a "special" account, it sure as hell would be able to pay for alot of repairs though
let's just say a $400 monthly payment (on the low side especially for a "luxary" car)(not even including the more expensive insurance is going to cost); and you put that into an account, and after 12 months, you would already have $4800, which is well more then enough to pay for a transmission if needed (i would say roughly $1000 extra btw))


and that extra money could go towards more mods too

i would say somewhere in the $3500 to $4000 range WITH a rebuilt transmission from Acura/Honda


at what point is it not worthwile?
completely depends on the condition of the car too, with it's previous maintenance, and how well it has been taking care of

basically saying, if the car still literally looks like it came off the showroom floor at 250, 000 miles, it will be more worth it to sink a little more money into it, then one that has every exterior panel crushed in, and the interior is in shambles (even though they may be exactly the same car)

 

A car dies when the value of the car is less than the repair of course.

Nonetheless, you should keep the car.

1) No car payment.
2) Worry-free when thinking about previous maintenance.

Just think about this. What if you get the newer TL and it ends up breaking down within 20,000 miles?

If all your maintenance has been made, and you check from time to time on Acurazine regarding any fixes/preventative maintenance issues than you will be fine to drive it till the Engine goes down (history says over 350,000 miles with proper maintenance).

For the A/T, just like IHC or Innacurate or any forum veteran would say is to make sure to change those 3rd/4th gear sensors every 60k miles, and to use Redline Racing ATF which contains no FM. These two things will prolong your transmission for a long time.

Proper cleaning will prolong the paint.
Full detail once a year (polish, sealant, wax). Then you only want to detail spots where it is needed. Get a paint-scanner to determine the density of the paint/where to polish. Use a TWO-BUCKET method with a SHEEP SKIN MITT to prevent any marring/scratching of the car.

For more information/questions go to the Wash & Wax Section.

Now with the Turbo being here, the Performance Section is genuinely active. You have several Performance items which will make you "never bored" of the car. Pre-Cat Deletes which will most likely ruin your emissions test, but will give you the biggest gain for your car (20WHP with full exhaust). J-pipe is the best bang for the buck (RV6 makes the best at the moment, followed closely by XLR8 and ATLP. 3rd-cat delete will not mess with your emissions test in MOST states. Most populist exhaust system is ATLP. Loudest is Greddy. Quietest is Tanabe/Comptech. Most affordable is Tsudo.

Performance vendors are:
RV6
XLR8 (Excelerate Performance)
ATLP (Acura TL Parts)
and many more...

Vendors that do custom lights, tail lights, and other things are:
JnC
AckTL05

You can find several DIY on several things regarding fixes/maintenance/add-ons for our car in the 3G TL GARAGE.

If you need any help, first use the search button located on the information bar on top of Acurazine/your browser. Type in keywords. If you still can't find it go to google and type "google: Acurazine: "What you need"". If all else fails, make a thread, say you searched, and ask your question. We will be happy to help.

If you're on a low-budget or looking for a used item/discounted item than check out the Black Market.

We have a section where users post there own items used or new. Each member will need a certain amount of post/days on Acurazine to post a FS (For sale), WTT (Want to Trade), and/or WTB (Want to buy) thread. Fear Ron A, don't make him mad. He runs the BM.
Also there is a section for selling cars and electronics (misc. items).
Finally, there is a section for our sponsors selling Acura parts at a discounted/wholesale price ranging from HID bulbs, suspension components, exhaust options, maintenance items, and OEM parts.

Astro, I believe, is king of Acurazine, so fear him the most, but not over Ron. ???

Have a problem? Message an Admin, mainly CSMEANCE, cause he used to hate me (warned me about 1000x )

Bullshit threads that have nothing to do about the 3G TL, post in the Ramblings or in the several Off-topic sections of Acurazine.

Anyways, keep your car.

Had this info, saved. :/

 

yes Astro is king


and