Great thread! Thanks for sharing.

 

Great job! You're car sure looks great for having 150k on it. I just recently bought some Gunmetal A-Specs too and i love them!

 

Great hearing the update man...looks like we'll all have to keep this thread handy for when we near those miles. You are meticulous!

 

Great write up, I read from the first post to current. I use Walmart for car stuff too and order parts from online dealers.

 

I need to stop by and see the upgrades; looks good.

 

Man that puppy is clean! I wonder if Acura would reward you somehow when you hit 500K.

 

Well, my car has still been a work horse and getting too and from each job trouble free.

2010 has started out to be a bad year on my luck with the car as far as body repair/glass work. Just last month, my car rolled back into a parked semi (when I wasn't around or near the car) and caused some damage. Damage yes, but nothing too crazy. The day I got it home from the body shop, I had a large rock slam the windshield and that was all she wrote.

Since my last update at a 150k. I've done nothing more than the usual. I did feel like my motor mounts were getting weak or cracked but wasn't positive. So, since all of the guys on here with the MT had them break on them around 60-70k, I decided to change them at 165k. They turned out to all be in one piece! My car is a keeper!!!

Motor mounts....

New ones...



Old still looked ok!



Got a rear mount with less than 4000 miles on it from a member on here for 40 bucks....




The damage from the truck when the car rolled back into it. It was less than 5 mph thank god!



I had the windshield replaced at my house and the guy was really great and didn't mind me taking pictures of the process.

I did my research and found PPG glass to be the same as our glass. The installer confirmed this. I also got the acoustic shield one.

The old!


This is a great time to really detail the dash or replace those tweeters!!!





Also a good time to replace the hands free link!



The installer cleaning the glass...



In she goes...


This guy is good!





The pain in the ass trim panels on the other two Hondas...





Well, the car hit 175k this week! This car continues to impress me every single day. NO ISSUES!!!! ORIGINAL CLUTCH!!!!! WHAT A CAR!!!!



Decided to stop under the Peach in Gaffney, SC and take a picture of the TL. I only see this everyday but never take the time to snap a photo.


On my way to another trip this week and drove by a honda truck. You guys ever see these on the road?



On with the receipts and work....

175k.....



All the fluids for the 175k service. Coolant, power steering, oil, transmission and seafoam. Not much else to do! The windshied wipers are still the original ones and yes they work fine!



All the receipts from the 110k work I showed a while back...


All the oil change receipts......


November is a busy month for me....It shows. 5,000 miles in less than three weeks!!!! Look at the dates below.


175k tune up....

Alignment, inspection, all fluids changed....

Oil....


Man my car is clean....



Transmission (clean coming out)....




Coolant flush....



Powersteering fluid flush REDNECK style!!!


My Man Alex turning the wheel to get all of it out!



After doing the 3/8 inch hose hookup and turning the steering wheel to get it all out!



Replacing all fluids...





My Bible.....



PCV vavle checked out ok.


These Nitto 555's are at 39,000 miles and still have plenty left. I might be able to break the 50,000 mile mark on these. I am going to stick with this tire.



My AEM air filter before I cleaned it!


The Alignment sheet that I got back from the shop today. Toe was way out but were back in the green today ( I have a camber kit on all four corners).



My two other Hondas that have been well maintained since day one.



OK, so the total parts (Not including my labor) is 1,782.42 before mods and rims.

I had two bent rims so I decided to get new ones to replace the Ronjons.

TL Gunmetal A-specs 1,100.00 plus 80.00 mounted and balance the tires

Grill mod again done by me cost 125.00 in parts.

I also decided to put in a system from top to bottom at the cost of just north of 1,000. Labor is again done by me!










The total with all the mods since the 110k services is 4,087.42


This car continues to be what Acura is known for....ROCK SOLID!!! Do your part to keep your car in order and she will make sure to get you around trouble free for years and years regardless of miles.


Next Update 200,000 miles!


So that should be July/August!


Thanks guys for reading this story and I will have 300k on this car before you know it!

 

Jon thats so awesome man! Job WELL done bro- best thread ever (service detail) hands down!!

 

job well done. when i get my TL i plan to be on the same regiment as you maintenance wise so it will last 200k+

 

Wow I may need to make the switch over to those Nittos, my Falken 912s lasted 22,000 before they had to be replaced I do pretty much the same type of driving as you too.

Glad to see it's still going strong! Gives me hope that mine will too

 

QFT!
Excellent thread. Just goes to show the value of regular and preventative maintenance...high mileage is inconsequential if the car is maintained properly. I've always said that I'd rather buy a used car with high mileage that's maintained properly than a low mileage abused car.

Well done!

 

Nice little roadmap for all the stuff I'll soon need to do ~90k now

 

Wonderful, again thanks for keeping us informed and inspired.

 

This thread is a testament that if you keep up with maintenance and are diligent and proactive about preventative maintenace ANY vehicle nowadays can give you a long and trouble free(most) ownership experience

 

Damn dude that's awesome, you sir are a beast at maintenance! lol People can only dream to buy their used cars from someone that takes such amazing care! Keep it up and I love your car it's so nice I hope to get exactly the same one after I'm out of college.

 

Great choice in the oil filter. Have seen many online cut open and the newer ones now have 2 media's to filter better and a wire backed mesh to keep the filters integrity.

From the pictures it seems like you use seafoam every oil change. Do you just dump it in right before the oil change or you also use it after?

I like Mobil 1 but I think I am going to try the all new Pennzoil Ultra in my 2009 TL.

Great job and you inspire me to keep my TL well maintained just like yours. But mine only has 3000 miles so far.

 

Impressive

 

Was there any extra work in getting that Type-S exhaust and rear lip installed or do they bolt right up to an 04-05 TL?

Great looking car and good work on keeping it maintained. You give me hope that my 04 TL with 94k will last me a few more years. I'm really only worried about the clutch though.

 

Thanks man! When are you coming back down to Matthews, NC?

I love this picture....Thank you sir!

Lee, Trevor also had the Nitto invos and they also had some crazy miles on them. I never thought I would get this many miles on a tire this size. Check out the Nitto 555 and give Speed Styles a call. They got them for me for a good price.

Thanks a lot I hope to have a ton more on the car with everything still original. I'll keep you posted.

Doing this stuff yourself will save you a ton of money and the piece of mind knowing its done right..Priceless!

Your welcome. Talk to you in a few months when I hit the 200k mark.

Exactly why I started this thread. To show everyone tot take care of your car and it will take care of you. Thanks!

Thanks man! This car is a great car to have right out of college.




From the pictures it seems like you use seafoam every oil change. Do you just dump it in right before the oil change or you also use it after?




I used the Seafoam in the car every 25,000 miles in the fuel system. I never use it in the oil as my oil is never more than a month old. Look at page 2 in this thread 150k service shows you I was putting the seafoam in the fuel system. That really cleans it up well.

The clutch will last as long as your nice to it.

I did a DIY on the rear bumper and a DIY for many other things on the car. Here is the link on what needs to be done to add it to a base TL.


https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/e-121-diy-installing-type-s-aspec-rear-lip-base-tl-bumper-709992/


Thanks guys for the positive feedback.

 

Jon you are THE MAN! Thanks for posting the saga of your TL. I'm looking forward to many more miles in my 04! Considering I have 100k less than you, I'm sure it will keep chugging for a while

By the way, my bumper hasn't gotten fixed yet, but I got the rear and side A-Spec kit on today. I love it

 

Nice, yeah Trevor definitely wasn't uh...easy on his car either :P I'll definitely have to give them a go after these are beat

 

Awesome work, man! I hope to get my TSX well beyond that kind of mileage! My father's '05 TL is at 110K and he hasn't had one single problem with it. Great cars, I'm sure you'll make it to 300K with no problems. Good luck.

 

I am a big fan of Seafoam. I have a 2009 TL that I bought used with 2500 original miles on it. I had the dealer change all fluids in the car to Royal Purple but I was still getting this annoying cold knock in the engine. I tried everything from Chevron Techron to Gumout Regane in the fuel to Marvel Mystery oil in the oil and gas tank to Auto-Rx(was desperate) in the oil and nothing worked. I changed the oil to Red Line 5w30 recently and the knock was still there, I was hesitant to use Seafoam in such a new engine but desperation gave in and I put 5oz in the gas and 5oz in the oil, I took the car for a nice long ride and the next day the knock was still there but progressively it got less and less. Today I went out and honestly its been the first day where I have not heard the engine knock at all. I was sold before but I am a total convert now. Good stuff I tell you!

 

I really appreciate what you are doing, it really shows how to take care of a car that will eventually last for the longest with proper maintanance. I can't wait to see your next updates! keep up the good work!

 

Just to add to the already glowing comments: Great post, beautiful car. Thanks for taking the time.

 

Great post man, i really wish you had an auto though, i would have loved to see this review with that in the equation haha

 

Nice update, Jon! And at the other end of the spectrum, my 04 daily driver just passed 40k a couple of weeks ago . No surprise that your car is lasting, though, with the way you take care of it.

Quick question...the mileage you're getting from those Nitto's has me intrigued; how do you like them compared to the Generals you were running previously? I'll be getting new tires soon, and it sounds like I might need to give these a serious look.

 

^^+1....i am also looking for this comparison as i just got some general uhp's and the seem to be a good tire however the sidewalls are defintely soft and mushy. tire still performs well in dry and wet weather conditions but the soft sidewalls alter the handling just a bit imo. i had michelin ps2 before the generals and the sidewalls on those beasts are rock solid. i didnt like the pricing of them tho so i decided to venture out. let us know tho jon

btw: i plan/hope to be in the 200k + club with my car as well. ur write up inspires many of us to keep our cars!

 

Sweet Tyler! I will have to check it out at the meet in Raleigh. The car has really changed in a short amount of time.

Thank you.

Seafoam has done wonders for most of us. Look up Seafoam on You Tube and you will laugh your ass off with some of the videos. I feel sorry for there neighbors...


Thanks guys.


Those Nittos are strong as hell. I use to be all over the General UHP tires but after seeing the life of my new tires go up by 20K.... I would be stupid to go back. Jack, they are worth a try.

The sidewall was a comfort sidewall. I loved the ride in those tires and they handled ok for my driving. The Nittos are a harder sidewall than the Generals and the tread is a lot harder. They have lasted the test of time with me and I still have another 15k to go before they are spent.

 

I love this thread.. makes me happy I decided to keep this car forever..

 

I've heard about the sidewall from several UHP owners, and it's why I was never 100% on them. These Nitto's sound really good, and the tread life is an added bonus. Thanks for your input; I'll definitely check these out when the time comes.

 

Switch your oil to Penzoil Plat and I bet your knock will go away. Redline and RP per BITOG forums has caused knocks on cars.

 

All I can say is

 

Wow....thanks for the inspiration to keep my(our)cars forever and a day. You confirm that if you take care of your car, your car will take care of you..thank you.

 

amazing thread!!

 

great job bro, car is immaculate

 

OK UPDATE!!!

201,124 miles on the clock as of today and all is still well. The car has proven itself month after month to be a keeper.

Not much to report other than at 191,000 miles I was driving down the highway at 75 mph with the cruise set and all of a sudden the VSA light and the check engine light came on at the same time. The car went into "limp mode" and started to loose power. I pulled off at the exit and checked the car out. All seemed ok so I shut it off, disconnected the battery and reset the ECU. The car fired right up and the lights were gone. So I headed on down the road.

I came onto this awesome site and did some reseach and what do ya know, most TL's with over 100k on the clock get a bad APP sensor. I looked it up on AcuraOEMparts.com (Delray Acura) and ordered one for 135.58 bucks. I drove the car for another 1000 miles and never had this happen again but I am not the type of guy to let anything go.......Good insurance knowing I have a new one under the hood.

To all high milage TL owners, this is a must have and should be changed if your car is "sluggish or weak"

The APP sensor-



The old- (looks pretty clean for 193k on it)



The new-



The manual helps!



Taking the old one off and installing it to the new metal panel-




Out of al the miles I put on the car, this is the very first electronic thing to fail on the tl (knocking on wood as I type). I had the passenger side outer cv boot rip and I replaced the entire axle but aside from those two things, THAT IS IT!! I thought the motor mounts were weak or one might have been broken but it was more of an insurnce thing for me to change it then worry about them later.

Here is the rest of the oil changes-



The receipt box is filling up-



At 200,000 miles I pulled the dipstick to see what the oil looked at before I changed it and its cleaner than most cars with the oil fresh out of the container



Filling the car up with 4.5 quarts of the good stuff Mobil 1 and Walmart are a winning combo....





OK, so the Nitto NT555 tires are just insane!!! I said at 40,000 miles "I think I have another 5000 to go." I said it again at 50,000 miles and I said it again at 60,000 miles!!!! I finally decided to change them at 64,500 miles!!! That doubles the life of my general UHP tires. I had a set of tires from when I bought the gunmetal aspecs so off to Speed Styles to have them mounted and balanced

The car up on all four jack stands again-





OK, off to the shop to swap them out-



I always seem to have another TL lurking in the distance-



GolfJWRs whip (he hooked me up with the extra set of jacks)-



So now the car has a little over 201,000 miles on the car. She and I had the week off of work....She slept in the garage and I went on a cruise...it was a win win for both of us..lol!

See you guys at the 225,000 mle interval where I will be getting my third timing belt put in, water pump, tensioner, etc...etc! November/December with my current math. I know what I will be getting for Christmas this year.

 

That picture of the dipstick being so clean at the end of an interval is reassuring. Ring seal plays a direct role in how long the oil stays clean. Looks like yours is as good as new.

 

Awesome update!!! Good looking garage too! I hope to epoxy my floor soon. I might do a blue epoxy with black and white flake as well.

Yeah that damn APP sensor finally got me.. in the middle of a highway intersection.. I was lucky enough to get across and pull to the side so I could restart her. I bought a new one as well.. 10 minutes later I was lighting the old one on fire. At least it puts our cars in limp modes unlike Toyota..

I'm 200 miles from hitting the 105k mark myself. Just changed the timing belt & all the goodies inside + the thermostat & plugs. I'm hoping to hit 210k sooner than later so I can do it again.

 

I just looked at my dipstick for my oil change, with Amsoil 5w30 in it. And was surprised after 6k miles, it was BLACK. I mean really black. And I show 40% left on my oil life. I am changing it next weekend for my trip to Nashville since I will put on 3k miles over 1.5 weeks. But makes me wonder if the Oil life indicator is too long. I will be putting Penzoil Platinum in it this time around.