I bought my grey 2004 Acura TL on June 16 of last year after owning a 2004 BMW 325i. The BMW was the biggest nightmare ever... spent well over $3,000 in just three months for repairs. And the sad part is, it only had 54k miles!! So after driving the BMW I switched to my Acura and have been very happy with it. Sure, I had a few little kinks to work out at first (new battery, alternator, and trunk latch), but besides those, the car has been perfect. It just crossed 115k and is more healthy than ever. Last month I decided to switch it over to full synthetic and its done great ever since.

Mods I've already done: new cold air intake, new rims, koni orange struts, took out third muffler, and a re-tune. Currently around 280hp to the wheels (the tuner thought it was very high for a mostly stock TL so I'm pleased!) and gets 36mpg on the highway!

Mods I have planned for the summer: TLS brake light assemblies, install fog lights on the bumper, charcoal grey tinted windows, carbon fiber lip spoiler, fix the heated seats (only problem I have), and install a small 10' JL stealth box.

There's so much negativity on the internet about problems with that people have with their cars, so thought I'd share something positive. Maybe I'm one of the lucky few to enjoy the car this much, but it is amazing that a 13 year old car still runs and looks as good as mine.

 

congrats!!! on problem free year!! although, you're likely not pushing 280 to the wheels

 

Considered buying a 325i before i decided on my TL, reading this i'm glad I didn't! Just wish I didn't settle for a 5AT. Is your TL a 6 speed?

 

04 and a re-tune, 280 whp, charcoal grey tinte. I see you trollin on 24's...

 

How did you tune your 2004 TL? Are you still running the stock ecu?

And can you tell us what issues and repairs you had to make for the 325i?

Congrats on having a fairly maintenance free year! I have had my TL a little over two years and it is pretty high mileage (~160K) and I have been really lucky so far. I don't think i've spent $1000 yet lol and I already paid the car off! Never would have gotten there already if it needed repairs all the time. Although I will need tires this year.

 

280 to the wheels in a base 04 TL with a intake, re-tune, and a mid muffler delete? your engine only produces 258hp at the crank and that was 13-14 years ago
if you own a automatic you're probably around 210-215hp to the wheels, 6 speed is probably around 225-230 if i remember correctly although i could be off a little

do you have a print out of the dyno sheet?

 

^you're correct....and Glad I'm not the one who bursts his bubble!! lol

there's ABSOLUTELY no way an automatic TL can reach 280 to the wheels,stock naturally aspirated.
another way to tell...race a camry! lol those camry's are stout and push more power than the auto TL

 

Glad you're liking the car. Here's to many more years and miles with it.

 

The 04 has 270 stock. Mine is a 6spd so it was around 240 to the wheels. Acura did not use the motor to its full capability in order to meet emission requirements. 280 is doable with a good tuner. I would upload pictures of my car and the dino results but my phone won't let me upload anything.

The problems I had with my BMW were a differential wine which would need future repair. Automatic transmission was going out. Replaced 2 window regulators, PS pump failed, ac compressor failed, struts were shot, belt tensioner replaced, radiator replaced, water pump broke, and coolant reservoir replaced. Also the radio quit working, so that was $600 alone at the dealership.

 

in 2006, the EPA changed testing, which changed the HP rating on ALL cars.
so, no...the 04 does not have 270hp! it has 258 to the crank and a six speed will have about 220 to the wheels.

what you do have going for you tho...is that the 04 6MT had an ECU with advanced timing.
in later years, Acura had retarded timing to prevent wheel spin

 

But still its TUNED!? What software are you running?

 

They emissions didn't take place until 2006. When the tl first came out, 2004 and 2005 models were rated at 270hp. In 2006 when the emissions took over they were tuned at 258hp.

https://www.edmunds.com/acura/tl/2004/features-specs/

what does it say under hp rating? 270hp? So cool what simple Google Search can find for you

 

I'm working right now. I'll explain the story and everything once I get off work. But basically they flashed the original ecu with the new tune. Don't ask how they did it, but the guy who did it for me tunes semis and Honda's all the time. I'll explain all of it once I'm off work

 

LOL! it affected ALL cars below 2006!!

i promise you a camry will fucking destroy you

 

engine output did not change, ONLY rating system did.
your 3.2l base 6MT produces the same power as my 2006 3.2l base 6MT

 

I've actually beat v6 Camary's, thank you very much. But the law that took place in 2006 was from mdel year 2006 and newer. It does not affect models that were already built from previous years. Find a RELIABLE source to prove me wrong or stfu.

 

ALSO, our ECU doesnt like to be reflashed. meaning your tuner COULDNT have flashed the original ECU. we need piggybacks/stand alone ecu's in order to tune...this means you need to buy Hondata or Ktuner in order to be able to tune the car

 

boom!

 

your car is the same as my car. there is no difference in horsepower. we both have 258 to the crank and about 220-230 to the wheels

 

That does not say the 2004 acura tl was affected. All it says is gm was the first to adopt the emissions and the 2006 viper would adopt them too. It doesn't say anything about previous honda/acuras being affected before 2006. You didn't prove anything.

I know our ecu doesn't like to be tuned, but that's how it was done. I've had plenty of small electrical gremlins since the new tune was set. Anything can be done, but most people don't care to spend for money to have it professionally flashed.

 

New J1349 changes the SAE method. Old SAE standard of measuring horsepower measured the Brutto power of the engine, MINUS the calculated by engineers frictional losses on pulleys, alternator, power steering pump and thermodynamic loses of slow down of the gases by the exhaust system. Any oil level, octane number of gasoline and atmosphere conditions could be used. J1349 uses more strict methods, as the engine oil level has to be filled top level (less oil created less internal friction), octane number of fuel used has to be the same as in the manual (there is the whole story of measuring octane numbers, as well: in the USA highest octane number is 95, Europe 98, Japan 105).
The third party person, who signs off the result, makes sure that atmospheric pressure, air temperature and the octane number of fuel are at the right number.
From January 1, 2005 standard J1349 becomes mandatory. Though if the engine family does not change, manufacturer doesn’t have to change the rating based on a new system. Some manufacturers like Acura adopted the system willingly.
J1349 is just a new way of measuring the power. Honda Legend with J35A is still 300 PS, Honda Integra Type R with K20A is still 220PS, unlike RL, RSX type S and Civic SI with identical engines (290hp and 198/201 hp).

 

you are mistaken. the ECU will revert back to stock. there is NO way to flash the OEM ECU, per HONDA! HONDA locked the ECU

 

I'm here to see this so call dyno sheet of your TL laying down 240 HP to the wheels with a CAI. I'll be waiting.
But something tells me someone likes to tell fairy tale stories.

 

What you apparently do not understand is only the rating scale changed not the engines or the emissions gear. The J32A3 motor in all 2004-2006 as well as in the non-Type-S 2007 and 2008 models ALL produce the same amount of power. Like it or don't believe it or not.

 

I'll show you my Dyno if you show me yours

 

If OP is at 280whp with just retune, mid delete, and CAI..........I must be at 350whp with all my parts

 

 

 

You are an idiot. Knowledgeable people are trying to explain something to you on a topic that you clearly don't understand - you should listen up instead of behaving like a child and insulting them.

I will eat my snow tires if your near-stock automatic TL puts down 280 at the wheels. Then again, it sounds like you don't understand the difference between HP as advertised in Car And Driver and horsepower at the wheels.

 

280 HP?!

 

Oh so I don't know the difference between horse power from the crank and to the wheels? Well let me explain. Generally there is a 10-15% power train loss from the crank to the wheels. The dyno measures the power to the wheels, not the crank. A 2004 tl pushs 270hp to the crank which is roughly 235-245 wheel horse power. Since the 2004-05 models didn't meet the new 2006+ emissions, acura used the internal software to lower the amount of horse power to the crank. That's why the 2006+ models pushed 258hp to the crank. If acura kept them at 270 then the tl would have been discontinued.

My car pushes 280 to the WHEELS. Whether you believe it or not doesn't bother me at all. I mean, you're just another no body on the internet. Thought I'd give this forum a try but you guys seem like a waste of my time. Good bye.

 

 

1. Still waiting for your dyno results.
2. Please provide the shop who did this so called re-tune on your TL.
3. Clearly, you're still oblivious about facts vs your delusional thought process.
4. As always, when someone is trying to flex to impress..

 

p.s. sorry if i came across like an asshole. text sucks at conveying tone.

trying to learn you things!
i pulled 240hp SAE uncorrected. SAE corrected comes out to 230hp. WOMP WOMP WOMP!
one dude spent over $20,000 ALL motor to only hit like 310-320hp. yes, he spent 20 grand to only hit marginal gains
so, an all stock motor like yours...because lets face it, you have a stock motor...should pull stock numbers

SAE corrected which is like 210-220 to the wheels

 

This thread was amusing.

My bone stock '06 TL is pushing about 300 to the wheels (+5 HP for each sticker) and another 20 or so for the visual mods.

I've been beating a lot of M3's lately. Granted, they don't know they're racing me to the next red light that's 20ft away, but a win is a win.

 

Your car sounds so powerful I bet if you put a trailer hitch on it and hooked up a 5x8 U-Haul trailer loaded to the gills, you'd still be beating those M3s.

 

My TL is also my tow rig. First mod I did was adding the tow hitch to it.

 

 

There's not enough real estate on the car for that many stickers....

 

Pics or GTFO!