paghetti88

Fixed my TL but forgot to get back with results. 2 codes, 1 for knock sensor or sensor circuit, the other was for too lean mixture. While replacing the sensor i noticed that the harness to the sensor was melted thru, the sensor itself was broke into 2 pieces because of heat fatigue. I replaced the harness (which is pretty easy to do cause it plugs into another harness 1ft away) and the sensor then reset the codes with scanner tool. The car runs as good as the first day i bought it.The Tl has all of its power back, almost forgot how quick this car was because of it running like sh-t for so long. would def recommend trying this if u have similiar problem. Intake gasket $27 at dealer. Knock sensor $34 advance auto. I also used their scanner to reset ecm after replacement of sensor. It took me about 3 hours from start to finish.

Inaccurate

paghetti88,

Did you need to remove the injectors and intake runners too?

If no, how did you get a wrench on the sensor? Is there enough room between the runners, enough room to work within?

paghetti88

i didnt need to remove the 2 ducts from the intake to the heads, but i had to remove the front fuel rail and injectors, its not hard. i just disconnected the quick connect fuel line removed the 2 retaining screws and pulled it out, leaving wire harness still plugged in for injectors. then i used a 24mm socket i believe for the sensor hooked to a 1/2 drive swivel and a reducer for 3/8drive and a 6inch 3/8drive extension to remove the knock sensor. to put the sensor in i used a 12 inch 3/8 extension with ducktape too tape sensor to end of extension so this way i could thread it back in without crossthreading.

paghetti88

i forgot to mention, it is a tight fit to get the socket too squeeze down in there. u have to first put socket on the sensor. i used a magnetic bolt grabber to do this. then u put the swivel the reducer and the extension to the ratchet. same thing when u reinstall, u will have to do the same sequence to get the socket to fit on top the sensor and get it connected to the ratchet.

Inaccurate

Valuable info. Thank you for taking time to post it. I do appreciate it. Thank you

paghetti88

no problem, if u need any more hints and i dont get back to u on here, i check my youtube more often. just search paghetti88, thats my user name. drop me a message over there

AMUA6

iTrader: (7)

LMAO MAD SKILLZ DAWG

bobbyc39

Well I think it's time to throw in the towel folks. I need to just deal with the fact that Acura made (and I bought) a lemon. I've done the timing, knock sensor, transmission, clutch, starter.... This car was babied and serviced exclusively at the dealership. My piece of crap TL has intermittent low end power issues and two dealerships claim it runs normal. My mechanic friend hooked it up on his 12k$ computer diagnostic system (no codes) and find random cylinder misfires on all 6 cylinders. He found misfires on all 3 trips I made to him. The 3 times Acura had the car on their computer, the claim they saw no misfires and everything is normal. I'm convinced there is either computer issues with these cars that they don't want to aknowledge or there is just a common issue they haven't figured out. I'm thinking they know and don't want to admit there is a design flaw. Just like toyota... if 1 out of every 25,000 cars accelerates on its on... oh well, cost of business. Same thing is happening here only it's not a safety issue so they have no reason to admit the issue. This is just my theory but I bought a $35,000 piece of shit. Does anyone wanna buy an 05' TL with 107k miles... all dealer service records and such for 10 grand? Come get it cause I'm trading this piece of junk in. Hopefully I can find myself a nice NON Acura at my local Acura dealership so I can trade their problem back to them. Sorry to vent... just sick of getting the run around!

ChuckyD

Sorry it didn't work out for you Bobby. Good luck with your next venture.

I hate cars

I understand your frustration, I've been there too. If you really want to sell it, I know of some people that would love to take it off your hands at that price.

What I would do is sit on it for a few days and calm down. Mine does the same thing but only when it's 88+ degrees outside. I know what it is--- knock. It's figuring out how to fix it that's the problem. I've been over all of the normal stuff, EGR, octane, fuel system, etc. What I've discovered recently is that the car runs 30+ degrees over it's thermostat setting, winter or summer and it's been that way since I put the scanner on 3 years ago. I thought 198F was normal but come to find out, the thermostat for these cars is 170F. Some fluctuation is normal and it's always going to run a little above the thermostat but I feel this is out of the normal range.

So to make a long story short, I'm throwing a new factory thermostat in as soon as it gets into the 90s here to see if it fixes it. I figure with it running hotter than normal in the winter, the cool intake air helps it to not knock. But in the summer, the hotter intake air combined with the hotter coolant makes it run terrible. It's usually 100+ degrees by this time of year but the one time I want it to warm up quickly so I can test this theory we have an actual Spring.

bobbyc39

I gave up... had it back at the dealership... 10 hours labor, over a hundred miles of test drives and Acura admitted the car is messed up but states they don't know why so there's nothing they can do. I traded my car in yesterday and bought a 2011 Camry SE... 271hp V6... it's a nice car but it's very boring compared to the TL. It would blow the doors off my 05 TL 6sp simply because it had horrible low end power. The Camry is boring but at least I know what I have now... I hope you all have better luck than I did!!

Inaccurate

^ Wow. After all of that, and you didn't want to try the UCM?

BukvaMan

i rather drive a Acura Tl with no low end power then a camry. no offense but not a smart choice. or better be with no low end then no brakes

I do have the same problem as he does and im trying a lots of things and it does seem that under hood temperatures make a big difference. I did the semi UCM but didnt finish it the right way and it still made a big difference...

ChuckyD

Congrats on your purchase, I think it was a wise decision considering the car actually Works!

gotkilled

iTrader: (1)

Any updates on this issue? I'm experiencing the same symptoms and I'm looking to replace the temp sensor and/or knock sensor but not sure which to do first and how to tell if the original ones is bad.

I hate cars

I did the thermostat and it seemed to make a subtle difference.

Just had to disconnect the battery for other reasons and found a loose cable. Reconnected tightly and the surging is gone. I've been through this too many times to call this fixed but I'll report back in a week or so assuming the weather doesn't get too cold to ruin any "results".

gotkilled

iTrader: (1)

IHC, can you kindly direct me to a DIY for the thermostat sensor? I tried searching for "temperature sensor" under problems and fixes but couldn't find a DIY. I found the DIY for the knock sensor which I plan on replacing after I get a Duralast OE quality sensor from autozone

I hate cars

Actually, it's just the thermostat, not coolant temp sensor. It controls water flow to the radiator. It closes when the engine is cold and opens as needed at a preset temp to keep the engine running at the correct temp. Purely mechanical. I believe "Majofo" has a DIY.

Inaccurate

1) Bleeding coolant system/antifreeze & thermostat replacement 3G Garage #A-076 (click here)

2) A-122: DIY - 105k Service: Timing Belt, Water Pump, Spark Plugs, Thermostat *PICS* (click here)

gotkilled

iTrader: (1)

Thanks, both of you guys!

CzarV

my car is just plain sluggish, just changed the air filter, hopefully that will help out since it was really dirty. we'll see what happens, just got the car and it's not as responsive or quick like the BMW i had before it even though the engine is more powerful. plus i get about 15mpg.... :/

BukvaMan

I just took my car to my mechanic and he replaced the thermostat for me and also i had him do a coolant flush. From what he's telling me it seems to him that something was actually wrong with the old thermostat. there was some crud buildup around the bottom and the spring was much stiffer then on the new one...also he said something about the return and feed of the coolant being very hot the other very cold or something like that i actually forgot what he said but he mentioned that it is unusual. I just hope this resolved the issue. Also, when he was pouring the coolant it seemed not to enough so he poured some water to top it off but in the manual it states not to add water. I didnt think it mattered until i saw the statement in the manual.

by the way i also had the mid muffler deleted and was surprised big time how well it sounded. I love it

I hate cars

I hope it fixed it too. Make sure to post back next summer lol. You're fine with the water as long as it's distilled water. The 50/50 premix is good for some insane number like -30F. A little water will bring that number up (hotter) but shouldn't hurt it. I've topped off with distilled water and in fact, mine is probably more like 70/30. Water cools better than anti-freeze and it only gets to freezing here in the winter so no problems with that.

BukvaMan

I hope so too. Tonight i went out for a drive and i pushed her big time just to make her sweat. I admit it is a little colder outside but she never felt stronger *tough it could be the mid muffler delete in combo with a Richie's JPipe that gives a really aggressive tone to the exhaust. But the best thing about it all was when i came back i open the hood and i put my hands on the manifold and i could have kept them there till forever I dont remember ever being able to do that.

Inaccurate

BukvaMan,

Your temp today was around 48* ?

BukvaMan

Yea i know it was cold but i had issues even in cold temperatures. Everytime i open up the hood the hot air would just hit me in the face but it doesnt seem the case anymore. Even The guy who changed the thermostat for me said that he is very positive that the Thermostat didnt work properly.

Inaccurate

BukvaMan,

Just checking. Because if you could keep your hand on the manifold forever and w/o the UCM in the summer heat, then I was afraid that I might be missing out on something.

Thanks for clarifying and glad the tstat worked for you.

BukvaMan

I do have the Semi UCM but its almost full UCM, as i opened as much as i could. Even before the thermostat change the S_UCM seemed to help a lot.

So in any case big thanks to you and of course IHC as well. God bless you both !

xfw55

is there a picture of where are Intake gasket and Knock sensor is located? thx !!!

Inaccurate

In the pic below - The red arrow points to the knock sensor. The actual sensor in this pic is an aftermarket sensor. Your oem sensor will look different, but in the same location.






In pic below - All of this stuff needs to be removed to reach the knock sensor.




In pic below - This is where the heat-isolating intake spacer is installed.

xfw55

thanks a lot!!! so i just put these stuff back the same way i removed them? any precautions i need to know? btw is that your car inaccurate? if so have u ever noticed anything different after replacing the knock sensor?

BukvaMan

guys with this problem just replace the app sensor, i fought with this problem for so long and it was that stupid sensor not operating propperly even though it never showed any codes or signs of failure. $130 and 15 minutes replacement. Now my car drives they way it should. It respodns and feels peppy.

rkan121

this is an interesting thread mostly because i just purchased a TL and also test drove a ton on them in the last couple months. Long story made short, I noticed some TLs that just took right off and the throttle response was amzaing and the cars were FAST. on the other side i test drove some TLs that were significantly different, enough for me to question the dealers seeling those cars. i even accused them of using cheap gas in there inventory. Luckly I bought a TL is great throttle response, mostly because of this discrepancy. test driving a used car is all so important, mostly because there is always a reason someone didnt want that car.

HQTL6SPD

Recently I've been having the same surging symptoms others have mentioned while cruising at a low speed the last few weeks. A week ago I found the culprit to be loose battery tie downs, I figured that the current heat wave and my unrestrained optima red top were to blame. So I went to the autoparts store got some new tie downs, installed them along with nylon straps in the mean time. I felt a noticeable improvement, so I assumed all was good...

Then last night I'm cruising on the parkway, on my way to meet some friends at the movie theater.. I was driving with my a/c, music full blast as usual, headlights/ 2 sets of foglights (3 sets of hids total) on since i had a clean section to myself. All of a sudden with no warning, the CEL switches on, and the engine lost about 50% of its power. I immediately turned every accessory off, but the nightmare went on.. The engine was surging and I could feel something shaking sporadically within the engine bay.

The engine temp remained normal the entire time. So at this point I'm minutes away, so I proceed carefully to my destination.

I arrive pretty pissed off and worried. Popped the hood, took a quick glance at anything I could think to check, decided to let myself and the car cool off for a while, plus i was already running late for the movie..

Met up with my friends, and to my surprise several didn't show up, and it turned out to be a double date, which normally would be the perfect scenario.. Of all nights for this nightmare to happen, there was no way I could focus on her while being in such a dark place thinking my engine or tranny could be toast any second. On top of that Hangover 2 sucked... .

After the movie, they all met me at my car in case I would need a ride. First thing I did was unplug the battery for a few minutes, unplugged my audio system, and checked the oil. Hooked up the battery, and started the car up....... Wtf?? No CEL, no knocking noises, no power loss, even after trying some accessories. It was like nothing had ever happened... ????

I drove home on local roads with all accessories off once again, made it back safe so I called it a night.

This morning I took my time, did some homework, found this thread and several others. So far here's what I've done:

- Checked all fuses and connections (all checked off)
- Visually inspected alternator and intake (both looked normal)
- Removed the capacitor from my audio system (suspected of over-draining power)
- Re-tested my audio system (actually noticed some improvement)
- Hacked up my cowl a bit more for even better cooling in engine bay

Then finally went by my buddie's shop, took him for a quick spin, and I couldn't replicate the problem at all today.. We both agree that the problem isn't mechanical (thank goodness), since the car drives fine after a simple reset. It had to be some sensor or something else electrical. For now I'll only drive locally until I feel its safe again.

Side notes:

- Car is a 2004, 6 speed, 64k miles
- I always use 93 octane fuel from Sunoco or Exxon mobile only
- Red top optima is only 3 months old/works fine
- Spark plugs were done only 30k miles ago (NGK platinum)
- Redline oil in the engine and tranny
- New XLR8 engine mounts 75A durometer, ETD
- Koni shocks and H&R springs in great shape

Possible causes?

- App sensor?
- IAT sensor?
- Knock sensor?
- Map sensor?
- EGR valve?
- Alternator?
- Distributor?
- Ignition coils?

So here I am asked for some guidance as to what my particular case may be caused by. Help me out guys!

I hate cars

Most likely scenario is the APP sensor. That's one of the few things that can cause that kind of power loss along with the CEL.

Alternator, no.

Knock sensor, no.

Map sensor, yes but unlikely and it will usually go to it's backup plan, rpm vs TPS and checked with the 02. It will run bad but not so bad that you would freak out.

No distributor.

One ignition coil going bad would make the car shake and you would lose about 1/4 of your power but not half.

EGR stuck on will make it run bad and die at idle but it has less and less of an effect as you give it more throttle. CEL in that short of a time would be unlikely. Now if the EGR caused a misfire which it can, that could throw a CEL right away but the car would not idle at all if it were stuck on that bad.

Even though you unplugged the battery, the code should still be in the ECU.

HQTL6SPD

^I did go to autozone yesterday to have them test the alternator and scan the ecu, but the idiot there said the CEL had to be on for it to read. I knew they were wrong and were just probably being lazy.

I'll try a different one today for the scan and see what happens... thanks for the tip

BukvaMan

i wonder how many if anybody had luck fixing this problem by replacing the knock sensor.... I am going to install the P2R manifold gasket to help reduce with some of that heat soak and while i do that im pretty close to the knock sensor anyways so I could just replace that one too.... thats the last thing i didn't try which truly is the problem with the engine knocking. So could it be that the knock sensor is not really functioning properly... that i dont know. But i could take it out of the equation, then again most likely it is good but who knows

HQTL6SPD

Wow I am.. ASTONISHED at the difference one little sensor can make. All these months I blamed engine mounts, heatsoak, and dozens of other things...

IHC you hit the nail on the head, just swapped it out the app sensor, fixed 100%!

Thanks

boredmug

same issue with my 04 TL.. Never throws a code. I live in Texas and it gets REALLY hot. A lot of the time it runs great when the car is cold and then like ass once it warms up. I also get some hesitation at times with i give it gas from a stop.

BukvaMan

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/those-lack-power-surging-hot-weather-859713/

please read that trough and see if it applies to you... i had that problem for so long and now its fixed...