Hey ACURAZINE,

My name is Justin, from Sacramento CA. I am letting my 06 RSX Type-S go this week and planning to purchase a 3G TL Auto. There are a couple I am looking at at local dealers, with mileage ~80-100k for about $13,000. Test drove a couple and really like the roominess compared to my 2dr.

Anything I should look for when purchasing a car? Sorry for starting a new thread, thought it would be a great way to say hello and get some expert advice.

 

Forgot to ask about the mileage. 80k still considered low for 04-08, but should I be worried about purchasing a car at this high of mileage?

 

80k isnt considered high mileage by any means for this car. you wont even be able to post in the high mileage thread until at least 100k miles. even so, personally I wouldnt consider this car high mileage until at least 130k or so

 

It all depeneds. 80K on a poorly maintained car would be really bad and vice versa....80K on a very well maintained one owner vehicle means that thing is just getting broken in.
So it really all depends on when you see the car and go over things such as how many owners, any service history, overall condition of the interior/exterior, accident history, body or repaint work.... etc etc These are all just normal things that you would want to look into for any used car.

I have not owned an 04-06 auto TL, but from being on these forums for many years the autos have had their share of tranny problems. I know for sure the updated 07-08 models had better transmissions with no issues, and the 06 is possibly improved as well, but if you have an 04-05 its something you definately have to take into consideration.

 

wasn't there a thread the other day with som1 who bought like a 200k mile 04'. with the tranny still going strong.

 

treat it as a used car.
go into the dealer knowing that it may have its problems.
and you're coming from an RSX....Honda's are known to be high mileage kings....
but they are also known for less than stout automatic transmissions

 

'05 TL here with 202k miles and still going...

 

I bought my 07 TL-S with 78k and it feels brand new. Like many have said as long as it was taken care of I wouldn't be scared of any TL with 80-100k

 

Thanks for the input, really looking forward to test driving a couple this weekend. Looking at an 06 with 82xxx for 13k and an 05 with 90xxx for 13k.


Also, I posted in the RSX forum asking a question, but hopefully you guys may have a solution. I've had an issue with my radio. It turns itself off and on, usually every time i hit a bump. Even sometimes when I am parked and i unlock/lock my doors. However when it shuts off, it doesn't reset, it just resumes playing the song. Its running on a Pioneer, I had all the wirings redone at a local auto shop across from my job, not specialized in audio. He said it could be my battery, which is only 6 month old, because Duralast (gold) batteries usually dont put out enough power?

I took it to AutoZone, had the battery tested, and it was performing at 100%. Any ideas? A friend of mine thinks it may be the terminals, as they do look a little worn.

Thanks in advance!

 

^lol, sounds like an installation error.

 

LOL geeez. I love some of the crap people will say when they really are clueless. That's why I cringe every time I hear about someone taking their car to some random shop. A battery problem because dura last golds don't put out enough power???? Really? Haha. Dude don't take your car to these kind of people. Take that pioneer out and put the stock radio back in. Aftermarket crap installed by morons is just asking for issues. Like justn said its probably an installation error or something wrong with the radio. Your getting rid of the car and people would probably prefer the stock radio anyway. Should be an easy fix either way.

 

Like these guys have said its not a battery issue the guy is completely clueless. It's most likely an instillation error. If it were the battery more then just the radio would be acting up. My guess is a bad ground or loose power connection. Id take it out and put the factory radio in especially if you are trading it in. Maybe it's just me but I wouldnt buy a used Acura with an aftermarket radio.

 

It was installed by a friend and had it on for about 4 years. It recently started acting up and even when i put the factory radio in, it would shut itself off and on.

I'll have an audio shop take a look at it, but I might just sell it for a little cheaper and have the new owner try and fix it.

Thanks yall!

 

I didn't read everyone's responses, but if you're getting one close to the 100K mark, make sure the timing belt service has been done. If it's not, there's a 1000 dollar bargaining chip for you. And check out the control arm bushings on the front, they're supposed to be awful to change if they're cracked. Stay away from the 04's, the leather is terrible quality and it's not a question of if, but when the seats will shred apart. My leather is so bad, even when I conditioned it regularly it just dried out and fell apart. Check the dash for cracks! They start near the passenger air bag usually. There's probably more I can't think of, but I sure wish I knew this stuff when I bought mine.

 

If you are getting an auto go for an 07-08. My parents have one and it's a huge improvement over the 04-06 model plus the new transmission. If you are going for a 6MT go for an 05-06 with Navi (trust me on this) you want Navi the Non-Navi's just lack something interior wise. I have an 04 (orginally from TX) and my dash cracked , the 04 leather could be better but the tint on the car really helped keep the interior nice. Also be sure the 105k service has been done like others have mentioned.

For reference I bought my 04 6MT w/Navi in 2011 with 89k for 13k, paid a little to much now that I think of it at 125k now!

Best of luck

 

I just purchased an 06 TL AT in NBP with 91k on it for 12,200 with the 105k maintenance thrown in, so like 11,200 really. I got the car fax, 1 owner, and it was serviced at Acura of Peabody. Not only did I bring it to my mechanic to look over, but I also called Peabody, gave them the VIN and asked about the vehicle, any notes on it, etc...06 is a good year for 3G as far as I can tell, but still take care of your tranny. There are many threads on here about types of fluid to use and changing pressure switches. If the car was well maintained, it should be one of your favorite vehicles. I know I love mine. If the tranny fails, there's not much I can do, but for now I'm lovin it. Do your research and enjoy!