kevmaughan

Hello Acura gurus

I am the original owner of a 2007 TL Type-S AT that has now clocked 141,000 miles. I am debating whether to keep my car or move on to something else. If I decide to keep the TL, then I would probably go ahead and push it north of 200K miles. In order to figure out some cost equations, I would like to figure out what maintenance I need and how much it will cost. I'm hoping someone out here can help me out based on your experiences.

I have replaced the timing belt and plugs at ~105K miles. I just recently replaced the front pads at ~120Kmiles. I have done a transmission service and fuel injector cleaning at ~80K miles. Other than oil changes at about every 9.5K miles and a K&N filter that sits untouched, I haven't done any other maintenance.

If I were to keep the car, what maintenance should I do or expect to do in the next 50K miles or so? Other than a light "clunk" when putting the car in gear, I have no mechanical problems. The car pulls strong and I average about 29mpg on ethanol free gas.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!

SouthernBoy

Probably motor mounts since from your post you sound like you have an automatic. Depending upon the roads in your area and how you drive, the struts and shocks are candidate for replacement. You didn't mention that your water pump was replaced when you had your timing belt down. If not, it should have been SOP. Hoses, the serpentine belt (once again, you didn't mention this one), and the various fluids. Rotors and suspension components are possibles.

A lot of this is going to be dictated by the roads in your area and how you drive (as mentioned), how the vehicle is stored. weather, and a few other factors. So some of the things I mentioned might last longer than expected, especially in light of the fact that your car is still young.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Just drive it as usual and do the required maintenance. Shocks have no time limit for replacement, only when they go south, but I would change the brake fluid, 3 yr intervals. You've made it this far with the recommended maintenance so just continue as the car will tell you when it needs help.

mau108

I thought the 3.5L was a timing chain not belt?

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

It's a belt, but wish it was a chain.

jda123

That "clunk" when you put it into gear is the 3rd gear pressure switch - I would change it out ASAP. Do the 4th gear pressure switch while you are at it. I would also recommend that you do the transmission fluid again.

Other than that, just drive it. It should be mostly OK. Drop a few hundy on the side for just-in-case kind of fixes like compliance bushings or motor mounts.

kevmaughan

Thanks for the info. As you may guess the majority of mileage is highway commute. I'd say the roads are pretty good and I haven't noticed any handling issues so I suspect the suspension is good for many more miles.
@jda123- I have no idea what the pressure switch is. Is this an expensive maintenance procedure?
@Southernboy-my Acura dealer suggested that I not do the water pump replacement even though I hinted at replacing it when the belts were done.
I know that I will probably need to get rear brake pads, brake flush, coolant flush, and a faulty valve of some sort that continuously tells me my gas cap is open.
What about a valve tune-up? I notice some clatter when going up steep hills. Again, not sure about the cost there.
Admittedly, I have taken a low cost maintenance schedule with this car knowing that the highway mileage will be pretty easy on it and it seems to be fine at nearly 150K miles. If I have to do a substantial amount of maintenance over the next 50K miles, I may just wholesale the beast and move on to a smaller car (GTI!)

Thanks again to all for the input. The TL has been a great car... too bad the new ones look like poo

jda123

The chatter is probably the normal variety. Does your car still get decent gas mileage? Even though I checked my valves at the 105K service, I didn't touch many of them - they were all within .001. I will check them again at 210K.

You can do the rest of the stuff as you need it, or at the 210K service with the next timing belt.

The 3rd gear pressure switch is an easy fix that you can do with regular tools without taking the car off of the ground - if you go into the 3G garage linked at the top of the main page, there is a DIY for it. I think that the parts are around $80 and it might take 30-45 minutes if you are not mechanically savvy.

I plan on getting at least 300K out of mine. Remember that maintenance does not go away with a new car, you just delay it at a substantial cost.

kevmaughan

@jda
Mileage is still good. My average tank is 28-30mpg depending on what my speeds are. 70mph=30mpg and 78-80mph=28mpg Not bad considering the weight, power, and mileage of the car. I agree about the maintenance issue with a new car, but I'm going to at least buy something without a timing belt as it appears most other manufacturers have abandoned that craziness.

I'll look into the pressure switch, although I'm not sure exactly what it is or what it does.. Time to research