ls_rsx87

I have a question about the two TSB I have listed in the title.

I have a 07 TL w/Navi with 56k miles. I took it into the dealership for service last month and told them I was hearing some noise from the engine area. First being a chirping noise upon start up and a rattling noise during normal operation.

So initially they looked at it and said it by be the tensioner pulley but said they would need the car overnight to get a better look at the symptoms.

Tuesday I scheduled an appointment and left the car over night and today got a call from service department saying that they need to put in a taper shim kit ($710.00 with parts and labor), fix loose bolts on A/C compressor and drive belt ($138.00 parts and labor). I looked at the parts needed and the parts cost is roughly $191.76 + tax and shipping.

I do have AcuraCare 7yr/100k coverage. Dealership said the only thing covered by AcuraCare would be tensioner pulley.

I purchased the car certified pre-owned from same dealership at 25k back in 2011.

I am a nob when it comes to cars and do not have the knowledge and maybe the know how to complete work required.

Additional information. My cousin and uncle both claim they have been hearing the
rattling noise for about a year now. So basically I have been driving around with some or all of the issues for about a year. One of my friends claims he has heard it longer (since 08/2012).

So my questions are:
1. Are the costs provided fair? If not, should I shop around or offer them a price?
2. Are these items covered by AcuraCare. If not, is there a list available of the parts covered?
3. Should I get these items fixed if I am considering trade the car in a couple of months.
4. In case I don't trade in the car, are there potential hazards that exist for waiting longer?

I will really appreciate any feedback or information someone can share.

Thanks in advance!

Turbocoop

iTrader: (3)

If youre planning on trading it in then dont worry about it. They won't damage anything its just an annoyance. Acuracare sounds like one of those bullshit aftermarket warranties, in which case it wont cover those items. Im surprised they said it would cover the tensioner. $700 is ridiculous for fixing a known problem, they should at least cover part of the labor since you bought the car there

ls_rsx87

Thanks for the quick feedback.

I went home and looked at my service contract and it is administered by American Honda Finance Corporation. I also reviewed the contract and it states nowhere in the contract that those items are not covered (items not covered are the timing belt, drive belt, and hardware).







Besides the annoyance aspect, will this cause any prolonged damage which would otherwise cause higher repair costs in the future?

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

If you can't do the job yourself, I'd have them replace the tensioner, new serpentine belt, and tighten A/C bolts then go from there. If noise still exists after the aforementioned items are installed, then you can fight with Acura and get clarification, although I think it should be covered.

BuisyBizz

Not sure what kind of Acura Care you got, but when I got my CPO everything was covered for 4 years. Maybe try a different dealership.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Better read the contract as many items aren't covered as scanned above.
What is NOT covered:
Wiper blades, battery, cables, steering wheel, belts, radiator hoses, heater hoses and vacuum hoses, spark plugs, timing belt replacement when performed as routine maintenance, exhaust system, head pipes, tailpipes, catalytic converter, mufflers, hangers, heat shields, gaskets (except for the manifold block gasket), and related fastening hardware, fuel system, fuel tank straps, fuel hoses, brake system wear items such as drums/rotors, shoes/pads, clutch disc, clutch pressure plate, throw out bearing, external shift linkages, pilot bearing/bushing, glass, mirror glass, body parts, body structure (except for hood hinges, trunk hinges, door hinges and sliding door rollers), hood fenders, doors, rear hatch, trunk lid, grille, panels, bright metal, sheet metal, paint (except for covered hinges painted to match the original VEHICLR color only), bumpers moldings, lenses, bezels, bulbs (except for instrument panel illumination bulbs), H.I.D. headlamps, sealed beams, fuses, body seals weather strips, (except for window sash and window run channels), outside ornamentation, emblems, tires, valve stems, wheel covers/ornaments, wheel locks, fastening/security hardware for non-covered components, stripped or cross threaded fasteners, body seals, squeaks, rattles, buttons, carpet, dash pad, console, window handles, knobs, boots, pedals, pads, rearview mirror (except for electronic failure of the auto-dimming mirror), interior trim, upholstery, floor mats, electronic/audio accessories and cellular telephones other than American Honda authorized electronic/audio accessories/navigational, DVD entertainment and security systems. Safety restraint system fastening hardware, seat belts and air bag(s) deployed due to collision.

ls_rsx87

So does this mean both issues I have are not covered under warranty?

ls_rsx87

The warranty booklet I received is directly from Acura. Yes, there are several items not covered. Dealers tend to mislead when they say bumper to bumper coverage.

Turbocoop

iTrader: (3)

All of those aftermarket warranties are complete bullshit. THe only time I got my money out of one was when I worked at the dealership as a tech and I got to work on my own truck. I got a transmission, new hubs, seat motor, ac compressor... all kinds of shit.

Jackass

The CPO warranty "usually" extends the power-train warranty, not the bumper-to-bumper warranty. Although each dealer can handle things on a case by case basis as they see fit for good-will. I know my dealer fixed several things on my CPO TL that were not covered by the warranty within the first 2 years I had it.

Here is what I would do if in your situation.

#1 - Ask for a better understanding/clarification from the dealer as to why none of it is covered by the extended warranty.

#2 - If they will not good-will anything or get it covered under any warranty, I would ignore it and not worry about it since you do not have plans to keep the car and the issues described are not major.

#3 - If you are planning on keeping the car, don't worry about this until you have to do the Timing Belt maintenance somewhere around 105K since most of it will be replaced and/or touched at that time.

Not all are crap. Some are...some aren't. Tough to know ahead of time which one is going to be useful since they operate under so many various names.

bbergero1181

I would fight with the dealer to have that covered. (if they dont cover it try a different dealer) I had the tensioner replaced yesterday under the acura care. The labor for serpentine belt install and the belt were the only things i paid for. maybe do the tensioner and serp belt first and see if that fixes the issue and hold off on the shim thing they said needs to be done.

bbergero1181

also i believe the time stated to replace the serpentine belt is .4 hours. so do .4 times their hourly labor rate.

ls_rsx87

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I went ahead and had the tensioner (under warranty) done and will wait on the other stuff. Probably going to drive the car for another 6-7k and then trade it in.

According to dealership parts and labor for the taper shim kit (except for timing belt itself) would have been covered if they also had to replace the water pump.