Yeah I'd love to show you all the pictures. But ehh My car is 30 minutes from here.. lol

Really does suck without a car. I've been without my TL for about 2 weeks now. The MAIN reason it is taking so long. Is that the warranty company I have has to come out and physically see the problem and say if it is covered or not.

And get this. I looked at the inside of the engine with the worker to see it myself. Half of the engine is GOLD and nice internally. Than the other half has a brown and very dark looking color. He said that it looked like it had 150K miles on it. And then he ended up showing me that the engine SOMEHOW had sludge in it. Adam at Acura of Wappinger Falls told me they have a cleaning engine service for $160 that will help that all out.. So I will now have to deal with that.. I told him to do it RIGHT after the work is done automatically.

Now Toyota when I was going to buy the car showed me a piece of paper that said what they did to the car before they sold me it. I saw on the list check for engine sludge. And it had to meet the service requirments.. Now don't get me wrong there is NO WAY I have that much sludge in my engine by simply owning it 4-5 months or so now... Toyota seemed to OVERLOOK this factor. So I am getting on their ass about this. I STILL have the paper saying they did it. Either way there is some serious BS going on.

The camshaft had some wear on it that he showed me. So he said he would replace it. He inputed it to the warranty company for approval. So once again I am STILL waiting for the stupid warranty company... Yes Waiting..

So fed up with this car right now..

 

It sounds like the previous owner abused the car. Sludge with a high quality 5w-20 or 0w-20 is just about impossible unless the owner went way past it's oil change interval a few times or you have a leaking headgasket. Especially with half of the engine looking bad and the rest ok. FWIW, I've used a very high quality synthetic for it's whole life and at 73,000 miles it looks brand new under the valvecover.

Visible cam wear is enough to warrant replacement. Only the outer metal is hardened, once that is worn, it will quickly wear out, sometimes taking the entire engine out in the process. Make sure they replace the cam and all lifters on that cam.

 

Yeah he wanted to replace the entire cam shaft. This giant piece. So now I am just waiting on what happens with the warranty. Hopefully when this is all done. I will have a 100% functional engine. It's good though I am getting this stuff done now. It probably would of been worse if I waited.

I should get a call soon.

 

I will say EVEN IF he did abuse or miss oil changes a few times. It still ran beautifully for the first 2-3 months before these issues arose. And it all began with a simple "tick".

 

You know it is real funny since Hondas always used to have a reccomended valve adjustment interval of 15K or 25K miles, now it is listed for every 105K miles or if noisy, but it seems they always get noisy well before 105K....

 

I adjusted my valves at 52k by myself. It was a bit of a pita to do the back head. All of my valves were out of adjustment.

All the positives The car idles really smooth, power feels greats and the engine sounds better.

The only negative is that the ticking noise when fully warmed up is still noticable but not as loud as before adjusting.

I currently run Mobile 1 5W-20. I am either going to switch to Amsoil 5W-20 or some other synthetic in 5W-30. MB 1 oil has been known on making the engine sound noisey. So for 53k and how the valves were that out I think it's time to switch to 5W-30

BTW i use an OE filter and change my oil every 4k or 4 months but it's usually like 3,700-3,850.

 

I've been doing an experiment since the car had 20,000 miles on it. I'm running an oil with high ZDDP levels to see if it prolongs the valve adjustment interval. So far it's about the same as when it was new.

 

it is your timing belt tensioner that has gone bad, when the car is cold you will hear it alot louder then normal what happens is the tbelt tensioner leaked all the oil out and the sound transfers to the top of the engine replace the tbelt tensioner and the noise will go away

 

Well my father and I went to Toyota and bitched them out because turns out they screwed up the warranty papers. Thus the company that warrants the Warranty had no idea what to do. So now the entire thing is covered under warranty, it just too about 3 weeks of damn waiting for WHAT Toyota's stupid move. NEVER going to buy another car there again. My family has bought 4 cars there in the last 4 years. 07 Toyota Matrix XR, 09 Toyota Tacoma V6 Fully loaded, 02 Avalon XLS and now the 05 TL. And look what they gave me... All of this crap. No excuse for all of this.

So now my car is going to be ready either tomorrow or Wednesday morning. My TL will be back FINALLY..

 

They will be doing a sort of like cleaning of the engine. I guess they put some stuff in the oil or idk... I know they hook something also up to the intake.. That's 160$. And I am going to get that done RIGHT after the parts are put in. Idk the exact name for the service. I want my engine nice an healthy. The camshaft is a BIG piece, and mines all new now. :P

I will continue to use Mobil 1 Synthetic Oil 5W-20. With a Synthetic Mobil Filter. I change my oil at 5 or 6K miles. I try to keep her clean. I am a good owner.

 

Even though I know it's a PITA, you got it solved.

M1 5w-20 is good enough. But you may think about something with a little more ZDDP in it since you're already had one valvetrain failure. Redline 5w-20 is about the best 20wt out there and contains a little more ZDDP than normal and it's on the thick end of the 20wt scale while M1 is on the thin end.

This will be overkill for your valvetrain but nothing wrong with a little extra insurance.

 

I am using Pennzoil Platinum Synthetic. lol sorry IDK why I put M1 Oil.

I am using a M1-10 Filter. I would say I have one of the best Oil for my car.

 

My car is STILL at Acura. The service man at Acura of Wappingers falls NY said. The car would be done by this day, than the next day, and then 1 week later. So then he gives me the answer of This car will be finished friday no doubt. SO FRIDAY COMES, he tells me: "I have a bit of bad news, after adjusting your valves and replacing your camshaft there is still a knocking sound coming from the bottom of the engine when it warms up.." So I said, "Well can I at least take it this weekend". He says "No I am sorry I can't allow that, it could be unsafe and the warranty company has still not payed us for the work done. SO PRETTY MUCH: My car's been there since April 1st people... AND it's April 27th... I am hating so much on Acura right now..

I looked into a G35 coupe but Idk if I'll have the cash to buy another expensive car if it's just going to do this shit.. Someone said to me I should of bought a Civic...Funny.. I thought the TL was pretty much Honda's BEST car..

My father is beginning to think this car is a lemon. HMMM

 

def not a lemon.....sometimes we have shit parts....it happens. t gets taken care of the right way especially if its something acura recognizes and the service guy wants to keep a customer. if they keep it for a long time its because of time constraints, part availability and testing.... if the tech working on the car is good he knows whats up and will fix it but it has to go through a shit loaded process through warranty. i dont thjink they wanna keep ur car there for no reason.

 

So are we back to it being a hurt piston/pin?

 

When i first bought my TL, we turned it on in the dealers garage so he can teach me the nav stuff, it had a loud belt, or ticking noise, something not normal.

 

It really is a great car and super reliable. Mine has been trouble free for 74,000 miles other than what the wreck caused. Honestly, I've never owned a car that needed NOTHING for this many miles.

I think the previous owner neglected or abused it, put some thick oil in it to quiet the noise and sell it, and unfortunately you bought it. Had the same thing happen to me before.

 

I love the car, it's just that this has been bothering me LIKE HELL..

I will say tho for it being in the shitty condition it was, RAN WELL. Like still had it's performance. Makes me wonder what it will be like after its all done.

And YES they are possibly now thinking it's the pistons.. I guess.. We'll see. Like before I will update.

 

Here's an update. So I got the car back, but there is still the loud knocking. And believe it or not it's become increasingly louder. The service advisor said to take the car and just "drive" it for a couple weeks. Then bring it back in. According to the warranty company this had to be done. I need to drive it now after the first repair, though the Valves nor the Camshaft were the cause of the knock, I still got some new parts in it.

I have to bring it back in like a couple weeks than they will continue the repairs and he said they may even have to replace the engine altogether, who knows. (I HOPE they do). And there is the update!

 

One word of advise. Carry a fire extinguisher with you. When it lets go, there's a chance of a fire.

What horrible mechanics. I dianosed it as a piston/pin problem from the internet video. It just reinforces my belief that most mechanics are just part swappers and code readers these days.

 

^ +1, some of the crap I have seen brought into me has been absolutly shameful, I know I only walk on water in cold winters, but damn, there just doesn't seem to be much pride out there anymore.....

 

gus.....u know the tech at my dealer says to do the adjustment 2 times once when the car is cold and once when the car is hot.... the time its hot it needs some serious tear down, quickly to adjust it while its hot /warm still and gaskets...again! He said "they taught him at honda to do it twice so the ticking isnt there when its hot"...i dont know if i believe that

 

I actually raced a Toyota Celica GT the other day with the AC on and 4 people in the car. I still pulled his ass. LOL I was laughing to whole way. This car still has spirit.

Now imagine if I didnt have the AC on and 4 people.. Haha.

For the most part the engine "feels" correct. But hey matter of time.

 

You only adjust cold, metal expansion is metal expansion, not to mention the Factory Manual only lists cold adjustment. They guy has a serious case of the bull shiz. If it ticks that bad only when hot then there is a more serious issue.

 

nva whats the more serious issue??? or what could be it? thats y i bring it up the tech said they taught him to do it 2 times and i always questioned that....and im thinkin like dude the f*kin motor is stupid blazing hot how the f*k r u gonna touch anything....AND DONT TELL ME COTTON GLOVES! lmao! i can get the intake manifold off when its super hot but nothing else. i wouldnt even try

 

A rocker with excessive clearence.
Bad cam/cam journal.
Bad Rocker

If anything if adjusted correctly cold the noise will get quiter as the metal expands and the gap closes, so for the noise to get louder with temp, something else is getting loser with the heat.

 

My friend believes it could be a collapsed piston. I have brought the TL back to the Service place in Wappingers. Since it's been about a Month since I got it back. Lets see how long it's there this time. I am going to be so pissed off if it's another month deal.

 

RJNN please check out my thread. The last reply on my behalf is the most current update. It seems we are in the same boat going no where quick.

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/yayy-valve-adjustment-pictures-inside-725750/

Once my car is repaired I will give everyone an update. I have a feeling they are going to end up doing an entire engine watch and see..

 

My current issuse is adjust valves 3x . noise changes 3x and gets quiter when warming up but never goes away.

 

Our valve train is noisy and always will have some noise, if you don't hear the little tapping of the valves then there is a problem, like they were adjusted too tight.

 

Collapsed piston??? Ok, that's a new one, LOL........

I think he means collapsed LIFTER, which if we had them would be a possibility, but we don't we have solid tappets.

 

Hahah woops! Yeah I meant Lifter!

 

Hey actually if you want I un-privated the video above. Go ahead and check the video I posted. Shows the sound in full quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Z9GOooBSg


Hey haha. How did you get your lights to be like the 07 and 08!? I love the look of your car! wow! haha. Is there like a tutorial here for that? I've heard it has something to do with the Accord Fogs or something.

Either way appreciate you commenting.

 

Sounds like a bad wrist pin or rod bearing to me. Can you do another with a little revving up to 2500rpms?

 

Thanks for the video thats how my car sounds like cold but when warm it's pretty quiet.

Here is the last most updated thread on my car. It has more pictures here and there.

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-photograph-gallery-96/zano-paint-cleaner-swirl-removal-1z-einszett-polish-colinite-845-wax-sealer-%3D-sex-719328/

Headlights were done by JNC, I did a write up on the accord fogs which the link to that is:
http://tl.acurazine.
com/forums/showthread.php?t=622925

 

people don't give too much credit to dealerships I think. While it sucks not having a car, I think giving someone time with something you have is important. You don't want then rushing and doing a poor job.

I would not mind being without a car for a few weeks if they would just keep me informed on a daily bases. Then again, I live in the city where public transportation is good... but I hate to take it since I have a car. The irony.

I have a knocking sound like the one thats posted in the 99TL video but it is def nothing like yours. My car is fairly "young", 04 TL with 58,000 miles.

 

Wappengers is my local acura and I really don't like bringing it there. That's all I'm going to say.

 

That guy Adam is "okay" but he seems to not know what he's talking about sometimes..

I dont like bringing it there because of location too.. I live in near Woodstock NY which is roughly like almost 2 hours from the Acura. Nice to see some local Acura people besides myself haha.

This dealership tends to always take a long time. And you need to stay on their ass to get things done.. In my area if you dont have transportation. Thats a BIG DEAL.

 

I prefer Adam. I forget the other guys name but I'm not a fan of him. You've probably seen him - he sits right next to him at the desks, Adam on the left, other guy on the right. I do like the little complimentary area they have for you, though it seems to be pretty standard at any acura dealer. The techs are fairly careless which is why I don't encourage people to go there but if you have to..its local..20 minutes for me. They scratched the hell out of my car with their free carwash bullshit. Never, and I say never, take them up on that.

 

I updated my thread.. There is damage done in cylinder number 6 of my car. A bad wrist pin would have caused it or water in the engine but I highly doubt I sucked in water.