w1n78

Last night I went to a new owners clinic and here's a couple of things that I found out:

1) What Acura told my dealer is the flatspotting is more common in the east coast because of the cold weather. So anyone in Florida or Califonia will have a hard time trying to duplicate the flatspotting if they do really occur.

2) A couple of owners experience that the car won't start if they do the following:
a) get in the car and close the door
b) lock the doors using the button on the door
c) start the car
The reply to this issue was the car thinks you just armed the alarm and it won't let you start the car. This was common on the RSX. Didn't get a chance to try on the TL though.

3) You can make a duplicate of the key w/o the little chip inside to unlock/lock the car. This will still arm/disarm the alarm. The duplicate though will not start the car.

4) They still can't answer my brake clicking question. They want me to bring it in again and look at it.

5) The people hosting the event look like they were upper management and it's hilarious that they don't know jack sh!t. About half the questions their answer was "We can get a representative from our sales department and get an answer from them".

6) About 20% of the owners there use lower than 91 octane for fuel. They asked if that was OK and the usual response is "Well Acura recommends you use... blah blah" and I'll guarantee you that those people after hearing it will still continue to use lower grade fuel. I just don't understand why people would jeopardize such a car to save a couple of cents per trip to the gas station not to mention better gas mileage if you use 91. Didn't they factor maintenance/gas costs before buying the car?

7) If the invitation says beverages and hors d'oeuvres this means soda and take out chinese food

Some of these you might already know but I just wanted to share what I learned last night.

billmatt

I suspect that you're referring to Thomas Acura of Covina CA. I know - I was there!

ndabunka

w1n78 - using lower grade fuels in your 04 TL WILL NOT HURT IT ONE IOTA. However, those people doing that are really trying to save $'s and they simply do not realize that their efforts are counter-productive. There were a number of reports that show that using lower grade fuels than recommended simply provides "lower than normal" fuel economy as well. In fact, the fuel economy is often SO poor that they are actually paying MORE per mile by using the lower rated fuel. PS - The reason using lower grade fuel does not hurt the car is that the electronics in these cars can sense the lower grade fuel and adjust the systems electronically with no problem. The end result is that using lower grade fuel is not damaging, it's just plain STUPID!

Norse396

I disagree, while the computer will pull back timing the chances of detonation still exists, this engine has 11:1 compression. Anything lower than 91 CAN HURT, it just takes time. Just because you won't hear the detonation doesn't mean it isn't there. I agree with the rest of your statement though.

w1n78

yup that's the one. are you the one i talked to after the clinic?

i guess i just get angry hearing how some people can treat their car in a way that i won't to mine i get that "how can you do that to your car" look. well it's their car i guess, but in the back of my mind, these might be the same people that will be complaining in the future with statements like "I will never get another Acura again! This, this, and this happened"

rets

w1n78 & billmatt, u are lucky guys, I'm looking forward to attending this kind of workshop... don't know how to find it... I have tons of Qs to ask those high-level guys... their faces would definitely be red and green...

How did you get the invitation?


They seemed to agree EL42s has potential flatspot issue as we all agree. The seocond issue is quite interesting... should try it tomorrow...

As for the low octane fuel, I wonder how many % of o4TLers actually using it now... IMO, the low octane seems ok to this new-tech engine, which would adjust timing and retard by itself... however, for the long run, will it hurt? We need experiments.

Norse396, can we say the engine will be hurt if you have some spirit driving while using the regular gas? If you under normal driving day by day, the car could be ok with regular gas as ndabunka indicated above... IMO.
:o

w1n78

just got mine in the mail

the TL shouldn't be affected. i tried it yesterday and what i noticed is if you lock your doors using the buttons on the door it will not arm the alarm. the only way to arm the alarm is through the key fob or inserting the key from the outside and turning it. that's kinda crazy that it happens on the rsx though lol.

it was ok i guess, just wished there were more experts on hand instead of getting a "i'm not sure but i can check for you" type answer. some of the questions were being answered by the guests themselves lol. i answered a couple and 2-3 other people answered a couple. learned them from this wonderful website.

i'd call your dealer and see if they have anything like that all

rets

I agree TL would still allow you to start the engine, not like RSX.

I believe there are three way to arm the alarm of 04TL. Besides those two you said above, pressing down the lock-stick on the door then closing the door would do so.

BTW, anyway to make your alarm sound/flash?
:o

SmokeTL

unless I am missunderstanding the question, hit the panic button on the key fob. it will make your alarm sound off.

Vicman17

Despite the computerized advancing/ retarding of timing based on fuel octane levels, things have to be considered like the compression ratio of the engine. Having a very high compression ratio on a normally aspirated engine requires a certain level of fuel, in order for an efficient detonation.

IMO consideration should be made as to the factory specs of the car and its requirements eg. 91 octane fuel, 5W20 oil, etc.. before getting the car. I know countless people who found out that they require "Premium only", or a different grade of oil after buying the car. I can relate to when I had my previous Acura 1.6 EL. The recommendation was to use "minimum 87 octane", but I found the performance level I wanted by using 89 octane (mid-grade) and used it all along. A co-worker bought the same exact car a few weeks later and did not believe in a higher octane requirement, so he used the recommended regular fuel all along. About a year or so later, I had occasion to lend him my car and he commented about how smoother, quieter and more responsive my car was compared to his. He even noticed mine had better fuel mileage. He attributed this to the regular fuel he was using and how evident "pinging" was on his car eventhough he used factory recomended minimum octane level. I'm not a mechanic, but I do think that it mattered in the long run, whether it damages the engine or not.

I agree with you on one aspect- that down grading the octane level is counter-productive as the mere thought of saving a few bucks here and there leads to worse fuel mileage and inferior performance. I know some people who "compensate" by filling up with Premium once in a while or adding an octane booster, but that is more for peace of mind than anything else.

Most of us do not race or did not buy the car to be raced, but I believe a lot of us know the performance requirements of the car and that it requires 91 octane minimum. It's like getting a .357 magnum and using .38 special wadcutter rounds on it.