vp911

XjoEnX

iTrader: (2)

that is hotness. what size tire did you use? im assuming the rims are 18in?

vp911

235/40/18 - yes 18". I have the a-spec wheels on my car now though. I took those pics before I put the a-spec wheels on. Before people start asking why - I bent a wheel in a pot hole and I decided I wanted a new look on the car. My dealer always gives me problems with aftermarket stuff, so I decided to go back to the acura wheels. They blamed a rattle on the wheels (I fixed the rattle later, but they just like to be a pain in the ass)
I LOVE the RJ wheels though - so I HIGHLY reccomend getting them. Pictures don't do the wheel justice.

mio

why didn't get a 19"?

vp911

didn't want 19.

AnitNO1iLLeR

nice, i'm still debating if i should get these wheels or not

is that car dropped with the Aspec suspension? i play to order that soon when it gets warmer

vp911

Yeah, its with the a-spec suspension.

RSA_Secure

those wheels look real good

EMF213

I saw pic of your car with the RJ wheels BEFORE the ASpec suspension. The gap looked HUGE!!! I have the suspension sitting in my garage but I'm debating whether to install it because I don't really want to lower the car. However, I do plan on getting the 18" wheels....will my car look like yours did with the 18s and no Aspec suspension?? It looked like a bigger gap than with the stock 17s....strange....

vp911

If you put the 18s and dont lower the car it will look like my car was prior to me doing the drop.

EMF213

Thanks...I wonder why?? Guess I'll have to do the suspension then. Did you measure before and after to see how much it actually dropped the car? Do you feel like you're a low rider?? lol I don't want to feel or look like a low rider...lol

samkws

that's too bling bling

i think anthracite is better with a gun metal wheel, which i have done to my ride~

Lore

How many inches did your A-Spec drop your car? I'm about to install mine...

vp911

I did not measure the drop - but it coudl not have been much. The original pics you looked at were at night with flash - that MAKES the gap appear much larger than it actually
is.

vp911

You are right, the gun metal wheels look much better on the AM.

vp911

Not sure exactly, coul dnot have been more than an inch. Based on others experiences probably .5 inch.

Fast Lavey

Did you order your wheels directly from RJ and how much were they? They quoted me $360.. for Chrome. Your car looks great!

vp911

Fast Lavey - I did order direct from RJ - I don't remember the exact price though. $360 for chrome sounds about right though. He makes some awesome stuff.

EMF213

Do you notice being lower when driving or getting in/out of the car?

vp911

No. Felt the same to me - I mean, it is only half an inch. On the other hand - I only had the car for a couple weeks before I did the drop - so somebody who has been driving the TL for a while and then gets the drop may notice it more than I did.

PoochaKannInc

The reason the gap seems bigger with bigger wheels is that it is merely an optical illusion. Earlier the tire was thicker, while now the wheel is bigger and the tire profile is smaller to compensate. It just "looks" as if the gap is bigger with the lower profile tire, when in actuality the gap is nearly if not exactly the same.

The A-Spec suspension dropped me .5 of an inch all around (I only measured immediately after so it might have settled more over time). It is not something I noticed, and I had my car stock for around 5-6K before I had it installed. The driving experience is definitely noticeable, and the "looks" are slightly noticeable, but when I sit in the car, I don't feel as if it is lower.

Lore

The only concern I have with the A-Spec suspension is hitting slanted driveways at a bad angle and scraping the bottom of the car.

The included driver's manual pages that state the suspension has a higher risk of bottoming out wasn't too comforting either.

vp911

Thanks

vp911

I have had the car for... 4000 miles and maybe 3000 with the suspension and I have not run into this problem yet...(knock on wood) - I hope I never do - but yes, it is a possibility.

Ruiz04

Looks good vikrampatel. I've been contemplating whether or not to get these. Chrome is too much for me, I like the clean look of the silver. Would I need a drop on a NBP 6MT non-ASPEC if I went with the 19's?

Lore

Did the dealer have to install a camber kit for your car? Trying to figure out if anyone installed one for their TL when they put on the A-Spec suspension.

J RIDE 81

Looking nice!

vp911

Thanks - I am not sure if you would or not. My best guess would say yeah - but you may want to post in the tires/wheels/suspension section of the forum and ask. Somebody more knowledgable on the issue would be able to tell you Good luck.

PoochaKannInc

Lore:

I've scraped when I entered driveways straight-on. But you get used to driving into places at an angle. It is not bad at all, considering I'm not a very slow driver, and the only times I've scraped was when I did something stupid (like enter driveways at the wrong angle fast).

Additionally, you DO NOT need a camber kit with the A-Spec drop. People say that you don't need an alignment either, but in my case I did. My alignment was off after the drop (I was drifting left) and I got an alignment, which corrected it.

vp911

My alignment was off also - pulling to the right. I thought it was the wheels and tires at first - but it was the suspension.

EMF213

Ahhh....Interesting! Thanks for the explanation. Also, thanks for sharing your drop experience. I've been all wishy-washy since I bought the d@m suspension. It's still in the box in my garage...lol

niz181

nice but the gap is big

vp911

Prior to a-spec

vp911

RonJon Inspyre/ A-Spec

vp911

Interior

vp911

V1 Hardwire

Thanks to deanddorsey for the original write up. I used his guide to wire this. If
you use this you are doing so at your own risk, you cannot hold me responsible
for any damages to your vehicle.


Choose your fuse. I chose 24 (PW RR L) so I can turn it on and off with my window
lock button. ***(After I installed the ZR3 I later moved to a new fuse - an empty fuse slot)***



I purchased the add a circuit from a local auto store (autozone) for a little under $9. Pull out the old
fuse, plug it into the add a circuit unit, then add another fuse for the radar detector. Plug the unit in
where the original fuse was. (directions are included with the package). Make sure you ground your
black wire somewhere - anywhere to the frame of the car





The phone cord for the V1 goes through the headliner and to the drivers side.
I pulled the rubber seal down in order to pass the cord down to the fuse box.



From underneath the headliner, I pushed the cord into the seam where the side
airbag is and the headliner. Argg I should have added an arrow to show you.
You can see the cord there going from behind the mirror up to go underneath
the headliner



Voila! It is done. Now you can turn it on and off with the power button on the V1
- or with the window lock button. Of course you can use this for virtually any car -
and well I guess most other car electronic products.

vp911

V1 Remote Display


Well, the remote display circuit board was modified for this install. After that, the leds were moved
into the bezel around the guages. The sticker that was over the remote display (to show what lights
are being lit up) was then placed onto the guages.

The signal strength and radar band display are rather hard to see when driving because of the
angle. I will work on finding another place in the bezel to locate them.

For the install - you do the following:

1. Lower steering wheel as low as possible
2. pull the bezel out from the bottom first.
3. There are (I THINK) four clips, two on the bottom right and left, and two on the top part. It will
take quite a bit of force to pull it out.
4. When you get it loose, there is a green wire harness on BOTH sides of the bezel, connected to
the buttons - to control the brightness of the guages - and then the buttons to control the MID
5. For the wire connected to control the brightness of the guages the "button" to disconnect the wire
is on the RIGHT hand side of the button.
6. For the wire connected to the MID controls the button to disconnect the wire is on the LEFT hand
side.
7. Pull those out of course, then you can pull the entire bezel out of the dash.
8. (for my install I had purchased another bezel) so you simply flip the bezel over, and there are
four total screws holding in BOTH sets of the buttons, unscrew them and move the buttons over to
the new bezel.
9. I put the circuit board for the V1 remote display on the very left side, there is a VERY Small
amount of room to do this in.
10. I ran the phone cord from the remote display circ. board behind the dash, where the wires for
the brightness control go through. (When you pull it apart you can see what I am talking about)
11. When the phone cord is through that hole, you go under the drivers feet and pull off the plastic
piece above the drivers feet and you will have to find the phone cord (wont be very hard) and pull it
down and plug it into the direct wire adapter for the V1
12. Push the bezel back in place - make sure all the clips get pushed in and are tightly secured
again.
13. Done!
***I later modified the guages to look more professional. I also changed the switch to a red switch instead of the silver one***

vp911

ZR3 Laser Shifter

First, you can’t hold me responsible for anything. If this device is illegal in your area don’t use it.
Thanks to rescueswimmer for some help with this! Sorry for my lack of real technical words for the
parts I am pulling apart, hopefully you will still understand. If you don’t understand, feel free to ask.

Also, sorry about the blurry pictures. The dig. cam doesn't focus that well in the dark. Also, the red
lines - no, I can't draw circles - especially using the touchpad on the laptop. So sorry. Deal with it!

I purchased the Passport ZR3 laser jammer off ebay for $330. In the package you get 2 front
sensors, 1 rear sensor, the display unit, the main control box, and the mute button.

The main control box has + and – wires to connect for power – I used the “Add a circuit” to connect
the power for a cleaner install without splicing in any wires. There is an empty slot for a fuse which
senses the ignition (turns on and off power with your car – (fuse # 29) – this is the fuse slot I used
for the jammer (I also moved my valentine one radar detector over to this from the window lock)

You can see from my pictures of the front grill where I installed the two front sensors. These sensors
should be facing dead onto the road (it is very difficult to do this because the bumper is curved –
therefore – creating an optical illusion) Also, you want the sensors to be +/- 5 degrees of being level
– also kind of difficult to do. For this, I simply cut out a small section of the plastic and using the
mounts that came with the ZR3, screwed right into the bumper. Don’t worry, if you screw up the plastic
pieces, you can get replacements from www.acuraparts247.com for less than $10 each. (or PM me, I
ordered two of each side – just incase I screwed up, which I did not – I will sell one of each side at
the price I paid for them – I wanted to keep the others incase I sell the car and want to pull them out
to create a factory look again)





Next, the wires (which by the way, both the front and the rear sensor have a phone jack type
connector at the ends) from the front two sensors, I ran through the engine compartment up by the
plastic covers and then into a hole I drilled which is right by the drivers feet. Somebody else on the
boards told me that there is an empty grommet somewhere there already – I could not find it. The
hole I drilled was next to a hole with a bunch of wires already coming through from the engine
compartment. The wires from the two front sensors, I put into some wire loom and then ran it to this
hole I drilled. I also put some 3M Strip Caulk to seal the hole to protect from water.






Inside the car, where the driver’s feet are, you will see the wires coming through; I simply pulled
them into the car. The flap covering the hole is easily moved around. Just to the top left of the red
circle is the existing car wiring coming from the engine. I drilled the hole next to that (where the red
circle is.



Next, I connected the power wires from the main control unit. The red to the “add a circuit” – this then
into fuse slot # 29. The black wire I simply drilled a hole into the frame of the car and attached the
wire for a secure ground. (After I finished the entire project, I decided that I wanted a switch to turn
on and off both my radar detector and the ZR3, so I put in a flip switch between the “add a circuit”
and the red power wires to the radar detector and ZR3) This switch, as you can see in the pictures, I
put next to the VSA and mirror buttons. If I find a different switch sometime, a small black one, I will
use that instead – so it does not stand out like a sore thumb






Then, I went to the trunk, where the rear sensor will be installed. I wanted to put it at the top of the
license plate; however, it would then block the lights for the license plate, which will probably piss off
some cops. (by the way, if a cop ever asks what that thing is in the back, it’s a reverse sensor so I
don’t run over any kids – which by the way, the reverse sensor will hopefully be my next mod)




Before getting to actually drilling the hole for the rear sensor, we need to remove the carpeting inside
the trunk (on the trunk lid itself). There are several little plastic pieces holding it up, as you can see
from my pictures. There are two round rubber things which you simply turn with your hand (like
unscrewing something) and they will come out. There are then two long rubber pieces on each side of
the trunk, the right one you pull down the very right end, and then pull the rubber piece towards the
right. For the one on the left, you pull down the very left side of the thing, and then pull the entire
thing to the right. If you break it, no big deal, they are only a couple bucks from acuraparts247.com.
Where the handle is for your hand to shut the trunk there is a screw (Phillips) which you need to
unscrew. Then there are a ton of little plastic pieces all over – I used a SMALL flat head screw driver
to pull out the middle plastic piece (you can go to your car to get a better idea of what I am talking
about). Then the larger piece around it you can pop out (I used the screw driver also). The entire
carpeting simply comes down then. Then, the plastic part holding the hinge to the car itself, you can
pull this apart. It is two separate pieces held together by clips. This is where I ran the wire through.











In order to get the wire into the car from the rear sensor, I had to drill a hole somewhere, so I chose
a spot just to the left of the license plate lights. There are no other wires in that spot inside the trunk
– so it was a good, hidden choice, and water cannot get inside. The rear sensor simply attaches to
the screws for the license plate. I hid the wire underneath the license plate frame. When the wire is
inside the trunk lid, I ran the wire along other wires inside the trunk, and used zip ties to attach it to
the existing wires. I then ran it through the hinge down into the trunk itself. I used 3M Strip Caulk on
the inside and outside of the hole just to protect it from any possible water that may enter the vehicle.



Once inside the trunk, I ran the wire behind the carpeting and to where the back seat is. I ran the
wire inside there, and into the rear seat of the car. I had to pull off the bottom of the rear car seat to
get the wire. Then I ran the wire down through the floor panels (the plastic ones which peoples feet
usually make dirty when you first get in the car, by the doors) I ran the wire up to the front and
above the drivers feet panel (that plastic panel comes down of course).












For the main control box, I put it behind the plastic molding to the right of the driver’s feet. Where
the center console is – I guess the best way to describe it would be where the driver’s RIGHT knee
would be. I put the main box behind that plastic panel.



Of course, I ran the wires from the three sensors to that unit, and connected them where they are
labeled to connect them.

For the mute button, I put it to the right of the ignition (where the keys are)



The ZR3 can use the display that comes with it, or if you have the passport 8500 radar detector you
can use that as the display. Since I am using the display that came with the unit, I will start with this
first. I decided to put the display in the center console so it could be easily hidden. In order to do
this, you have to pull apart the ENTIRE center console. If you find a better place to put it, feel free to
save yourself the time. I have scanned and posted a page from the service manual on how to
disassemble the center console. I would suggest following this if you want to do this. If you drop a
screw or lose a clip, forget about it, just order a new one from acuraparts247.com (or any acura
dealer parts dept. that is willing to order the pieces from you – I always use acuraparts for
everything). After taking everything apart, I drilled a small hole in the top left corner to get the wire
through. I then ran the wire to the main control box and connected it. If you have the passport 8500
you can use the included wire - run it from the main control unit and plug it into your 8500. This will
replace the display that is included with the ZR3.




After I put the car back together, I turned it on, everything turned on as it should. I also tested my
switch to power on and off the units – and also tested with the key to make sure the units turned on
and off with the ignition (key).

vp911

Many people have asked what happened with my cars.

In June 2003 I bought a new TSX with Navi. Worked well except for a couple minor issues - then
July 2004 I went in for an oil change, then right when I got my car back I went on a road trip to
Chicago - the dealer left the radiator cap off and essentially fucked up the engine. They bought it
back.

I then purchased a 2004 Infiniti FX35 which from day two of ownership had problems. The dealer
scratched the car THREE times (QUITE visible). The sunroof leaked (biggest problem which
caused me to win lemon law case - read lemon law section - 6 repairs and a district technician still
leaking) - gas tank didn't fill up past 3/4 tank (one repair not fixed) - radio turned off after 60
minutes and would not turn back on without turning off the car. Headlights and rear tail lights
inoperable. Interior display lights didn't work (usually turn on when headlights go on). Argg, I
can't remember the other problems but anyway they bought it back under the lemon law.

I recently purchased a 2005 Acura TL. I have had a rattle in the headliner and the headliner fell
down - that is the extend of my problems right now. (well the alignment is still off, but that is
because of the a-spec installation)

PoochaKannInc

Outstanding pics & instructions! Good job...especially on the unique way of mounting the V1 remote display. It could be cleaner yes, but very nice. I'm impressed.