I'm sitting here at the Acura dealership in Pleasonton. It is now 8:22 AM and i've been sitting here since 7:30 AM. I'm in for a service oil change. well just this morning i started up my car and my ignition seems to be kinda weak. I mean it stutters and won't start until i turn the key for the 2nd time. this is happening to me 3 to 4 times a week. does anyine know what the reason for this is ? i've just addressed this problem to the service department and they said they would look into it. and if anyone is wondering , yes, i did keep the key in the ignition for at least 3 seconds so the immobilizer can read the key before starting up.

 

Douglas Colt posts:

I would suspect this isn't a problem. The 2004 TL is designated as a SLEV low-emissions vehicle and the computer goes to great lengths to minimize exhaust at startup; this is actually discussed in your owner's manual. I've noticed that if I allow the car to idle for an extended period of time and build up hydrocarbons in the system, it will take quite a while (4 to 5 seconds) to start the next time I start the vehicle. Perhaps it is the result of the gas you are using or environmental conditions. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

I use only 76 91 octane gas. thats all the have out here in northern california.

 

If it is the "delayed" starting, it is more than likely the ULEV and the computer at work...so I agree with Dwcolt.

Mine would act like this intermittently for my first 3,000 miles or so and now it hasn't done it in the last 1,500. Don't know why....but it sounds normal to me from everything I've read and heard.

 

Mine's still under 1,000 miles and I've also noticed some sputtering/studdering occasionally upon startup. Definitely feels like a "weak startup" but I suspect it's just part of the emissions computer doing its job to keep the air here in the Bay Area so clean and fresh. :P

 

I wonder how much will they charge you for the oil change

 

they are charging me 40 bucks for the oil and oil filter change. This is due to the coupon i'd acquired earlier in the week. sweet deal actually. I usually don't like cutting out and using coupons, but in this case i have too because i'm low on cash. yes i am lazy i know. lol

 

$40? I pay $22 w/o a coupon...

 

But you don't live in CA. From what I have read here in the forum about people getting oil changes, or A or B services, in California, New Jersey, New York, and other major metropolitan areas (not that Georgia isn't one), they pay more than most other people. I do my own, but my dealer charges around $25 here in northern Florida. I don't save much, but I know what oil goes in it and that it is done right.

 

First, the ignition is not weak - not with individual coils sitting right atop the spark plugs.

Build up HC in the system? Doubt that happens, let alone affects starting. The CC really does not work by storing anything, and then de-toxifying it later - it is an active process, using palladium as the catalyst.

I heard the hard starting was after a warm shut down - depends who you ask different days. My cars sits for days, and I have not had any trouble at all.

If it is a cold-start issue, it seems to me that the strategy would be to ensure that enough fuel is in the fuel rail so that when the injectors are opened, and the coils fire, ignition is immediate, and less unburnt fuel is dumped in the cats. The whole thing for ULEV's is to speed up the "light-off" of the catalytic converter - if it means that the engine must spin to get the crankshaft in the right position to optimize the start cycle, that could explain things too - I still do not know why people are agonizing over this, as it is far less an issue in my view than the 8k oil changes with Honda's Mobil Drive Clean oil.

Acura explains it all - are people looking for things to fret over - worry about the braindead person in the Excursion coming up on your tail a bit fast for comfort.

 

i have the exact same thing with the ignition. Sometime it jus starts funny, i guess its just the computer at work. feel better abt it altogether

 

RR,

Is Mobil Drive Clean oil bad or something? From the way you worded your reply, it sounds like it's bad stuff. I used it in my 97 Camry V6 and never had any problems...but then again, that's with 4K oil change intervals.

dsc888

 

No, it is not bad, but I did not say it was (by the way, see my recent post where I have a comparo of standardized tests against some of thre major oils, including Drive Hard).
http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/index....owtopic=169852

You hit the point - 4K change intervals. That is a safe change interval for that oil, and it might go to 7500 in some conditions. But the point is, the MiD is at best a compromised service choice, and instead, in this post, some are laboring over how long the starter cranks. A starter compared to an engine is a carrot discussing relativity with Einstein. A waste of time and energy.

Would you feel safe using a mid-quality mineral oil for 8000 miles in your car? Without having a UOA done? I would not - so the starter cranking is low on the list of things worth worrying about. And, my car has never done it anyway, so it either picks up later, or depends on the climate.

 

Thanks a bunch, RR! I read your most excellent post at s2ki.com and was blown away at the wealth of information. I gave you points for all the excellent replies here for us TLers.

dsc888