Anyone replace their hood lifts on their 3rd gen TL? I have an '07 and the local dealership wanted about $60 a piece for the struts. The struts are not identical on both sides and the left one is slightly more expensive. (I have not looked at the struts in great details, but I assume the left one is a different length, connection, or pressure setting to justify a greater expense...)

I went online and found another Acura dealer willing to sell each in the $30 price range, however I could not fund a local parts store who sells these for an '07 TL. Is there a 3rd party maker (Sachs or Monroe) who sells the correct versions for this TL? When I try 3rd party struts, it appears they don't have an OEM replacement and offer a whole bunch of replacements (and no help with the right and left differences.)


Anyone with experience? The struts appear easy to replace also, but I need to try to take one off this weekend before the hood takes my head off.

 

Use a pocket screwdriver and pop off the metal clips on the ends and then you can pull it off. The new ones you don't need to do anything with, just pop them on.

I'm too cheap to replace mine. I have some hood support clamps that I use. Vice grips get the job done as well.

 

Coincidentally, I just had them replaced on my '04. I was at the dealer for a brake job and asked the price. $150 installed! Initially, I declined. Later, the service manager came back and dropped the estimate to $100 installed. I took him up on the offer at that figure. I get the fact that you pay for the "Acura Service Experience", but I thought they had plenty of margin already in the $500 brake job.

You might try bartering.

 

I just replaced the hood shocks on my '04 TL. I bought them from AutoZone for $23.99 each. There was no difference in the left and right shock. They were the same part number and I inspected the originals before I intalled the new ones and they were the same also. Installation was a cinch.

 

Yes, yes and yes.
The OEM ones are produced by Sachs (Stabilus brand), but have a Honda/Acura part number rather than the Sachs part number.

X 2.
There are a couple of brands and are the same price, but the Sachs Stabilus aftermarket struts have a lifetime warranty (unlike the OEM part or Mighty-Lift struts). Check availability on-line-- I had to order the Sach struts on-line as the local AutoZone didn't stock them.

Removal = someone holds hood up(or put in a rod/2X4), push standard screwdriver into slot and twist to push open retaining clip on strut ball joint, and pull off strut.
Replacement = push strut ends onto fender and hood attachment points.
About a minute per side; cleaning your hands will take longer than strut installation if the underhood area isn't detailed.

 

Will, you nailed it. Cheap and easy fix. FYI, I let the hood rest on my head to free up both hands. Install is super easy.

Now, we just need Tein to come up with an aftermarket set. I had Tein hood struts on my civic.

 

Ok, i looked under the hood and confirmed two different OEM part numbers:
74145-SEP-H011
74149-SEP-H011

I measured them and they appear to be the same length, but why the difference in price? The right strut is more expensive. Additionally, the 2004-2005 hood lifts appear to have different part numbers than the 2007. Confusing...

None of the auto parts stores online give the actual replacment part number for a 2007 Acura TL Sachs Strut. Did you measure the strut length and then assume a lift capacity (60 or 100 lbs)? I also tried looking for the actual Sachs web site, but was not successful.

 

FWIW, I have another brand recommendation: "StrongArm" Hood Lift Supports (#6351 is for 04-05 TL), purchased on Amazon for $17.93 each with no tax and free shipping. Just installed them (easy, as others have described), and they appear to live up to their name. I used the "rest on my head" technique maxpsi employed for the first strut (they are indeed identical), and that single strut held the hood up just fine on its own while I replaced the second one! When opening the hood now, I only have to raise it about 1/3 of the way before the struts take over on their own. I don't recall the OEM units being that powerful when new. We'll see how these hold up.

 

I just came across the "Strong Arm" lifts on amazon... but they say they won't work on the 07's... wtf? Any idea why not, or do they have their head up their ass?

 

^they should work

 

Just bought them from rockauto.com a couple of months ago. $33.31 for the pair shipped. Don't buy Acura's BS about different ones for left and right, that's a bunch of crap! The ones I got were THE EXACT SAME as original equipment, brand name and all.

See this thread:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...highlight=hood
.
.