Took my 06 TL into dealer for Acura Appreciation Days. Told them my airbag light stayed on sometimes. 6 hours later I get an estimate for leaking oil pump ($1103), steering rack leaking ($1525) and ABS modulator failure ($1930). I knew the steering leaked. The service ticket says that "customer states that the ABS light is on." I DIDN'T SAY THAT. I SAID THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. Now when I get in the car I notice the (TSA triagle with !) is on and the (TSA) light is on along with the airbag light. I go back in and the guy says that all the warning lights are related. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? And they charged me $131 for the diagnostic that I thought might come with the inspection.

On a related note, my TL has 143k. At 142k the tranny failed and was replaced. $3400

 

Typical dealer idiots who can't read and/or going for the scam. Are you sure that the VSA switch isn't in the off position causing the lights (not the air bag light of course)?

If you don't have oil on the ground, then you don't have an oil pump leak or it's so small it's not worth fixing at the moment. Really doubt your VSA modulator is bad. Ask them how they arrived at that conclusion. As for the steering rack, it'll probably be fine for a long time. Good luck!

 

I'd get a quick second opinion from a qualified mechanic.

 

Almost $5K in repairs?? I'd tell em to go pound sand- I agree with getting a second opinion from an independent shop.

 

Thanks. nfnsquared - When I push the TSA button numerous times, nothing happens. In the past if I had the TSA button pushed in then the light would come on but it would go off after I turned the car off. Now the ! light and TSA and airbag light are on all the time, everyday.

 

Did the dealer list or identify any trouble codes (alpha followed by 4 digits, like "P1234") on your paperwork?
If so, list them here.

If not, get the trouble codes read at Autozone (if not in CA) or by a competent mechanic shop-- the codes are read by plugging a code reader into the port near the hood release. The codes should identify the issues causing your dash warning lights.

Check Auto Club(AAA), Yelp and relatives for reputable local independent Honda mechanics if you don't know one.

 

It sounds like the dealer is scamming you. Since the abs light is a new thing after leaving the dealer, I'm betting they unplugged a fuse or a connector somewhere to cause the dash light and trick you into paying for their "fix".

 

dealer have a boat payment due? or a mortgage payment? get your radio and if you have a navi the codes for them and then remove the positive battery terminal to reset the entire car. after a few minutes put the terminal back on and let the car idle at least 10 minutes. next put in your codes and then connect an obd2 scanner and see what codes come up (if any)

Good luck

 

I also have an oil pump leak and was quoted like $1300. I never find oil on garage floor and level is never down, but I do smell burned oil at stop lights and some oil on surfaces under car when I change oil. That was 2 years and 25 thousand miles ago. Just keep an eye on it and save some cash....and find a new shop.

 

^^ same here with my 04 mt. Mine only leaks for a week after I get an oil change for some reason. Not much, just enough to faintly smell burnt oil at a stop and never on the garage floor.

 

08 TL base just back from Acura, oil change. First tried to charge me for a interior filter that I just changed. Wanted $3k for leaking rear seal and reseal of the oil pump. Never smell oil / never see oil in the driveway / oil level never lowers. Called buddy at Honda. He stated these things do seep oil from time to time. Almost got rid of my beloved TL because of some BS from Acura.

 

If oil never ever moves and you never find any in the driveway I'd be inclined to say it's BS too. Where's that dealership?

 

lol, where do people get the idea that dealerships do this? in my experience, independent shops are much more likely to something like that.

It souds like your dealer just sucks. it's not all dealerships. the oil pump and steering rack quotes are them covering their asses. if they don't quote you and you discover it yourself or another shop does, then they can be blamed for not finding problems. don't forget customer scam dealers all the time, not just the other way around.

get your radio/nav codes and disconnect the battery, see what comes back. probably seat belt buckle or low voltage codes.

 

To say they can be found liable or not mentioning something is a bit far fetched. It has MUCH more to do with profit generation. It can also be considered a courtesy. If you go in for a brake job and the tech happens to see oil leaking, it is in his and the customer's best interest to mention it as an issue that should be repaired.

Also, if there is any 'scam' going on, I'd say it is not dealer or independent shop based, but technician based. I've seen techs 'make sure problems show up' or help them along.

In this case, it sounds like there was a miscommunication between the service writer and the tech, and Airbag light got changed to ABS light. However, if the vehicle was brought in with NO ABS light, and now it is on, then it is fairly apparent that something was done to 'help' it. I'd escalate this with the service manager or even Acura, especially if the symptom it was brought in for was not acknowledged or diagnosed.

 

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That's why they call them stealerships!
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It happens everyday. I've worked as a tech in dealerships and independent shops for about 8 years. You think dealerships are ripping your off? you'd be amazed to know what indy shops will do, or not do, for that matter.