When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So over the weekend I went through the hell of replacing the oil pan on my 2005 TL. Let it sit for a couple of days and then took it for a test drive yesterday. Tonight I pulled it into my side drive so I could double-check that there weren't any leaks. Put my hydraulic jack on the front subframe lift point and started to raise it. Emergency brake was engaged and rear wheel chocks were in place.
Just as it reached the top of its range, I heard a thunk followed by the sound of coolant draining all over the place. Panicked, I stuck my head under the car just to see that the jack wasn't on the subframe lift point, but was instead several inches forward circled in red. I still need to go through diagrams to see WTF I damaged, but if you know what that part is, I'd appreciate it.
I've jacked my TL's up hundreds of times, so I started thinking how the hell this could have happened. I put the jack back on the lift point and started to raise it. Every few pumps, I looked under the car to make sure it was still on. I think what happened is this...
My side drive has concrete slabs with seams between them. Normally, when you jack up the car, the jack's wheels slowly slide toward the rear of the car as the jack positions itself at maximum extension. However, this time the front wheels of the jack got stuck in one of the perpendicular concrete seams. So instead of sliding back, as I continued to raise the car, the jack slipped off the lift point and landed on the metal "bracket" right below the petcock/radiator drain. The part where it's dented is now pressed right against the radiator petcock/drain-plug and as best I can tell, that's where all the coolant drained from.
Any thoughts on where to begin or parts I should be thinking about?
TY! I saw that part but wasn't sure it was the the replacement. Do you think I should replace it with a non-damaged one or try to bend it away from the petcock or take it to a body shop to do the same? This TL has 187K and I don't care about the structural integrity, assuming this part has any impact on that.
I'm always concerned when my kids are out and they call me while they should still be driving as I fear it will be the dreaded, "I'm fine but I was just in an accident" call. Obviously, there are much worse outcomes, but I got one this morning 10 mins after my son left for work, and it's not pretty.
I bought this TL as a salvage title for about $8K in August 2022. Has just under 95K miles on it. I typically avoid salvage/restore, but I saw the pics from the insurance auction where there was only minor cosmetic damage to the rear driver-side fender. I think it was totaled because it had triggered driver side airbag deployment. Interior is in awesome shape and no dashboard cracks at all. It drives (drove!) great.
From the original photos he sent from the freeway, I thought it would definitely be totaled, but looking at it closely when it got home, there's no structural damage. The front fenders are unharmed. The hood, bumper, grill, radiator, and left headlight got the worst of it. Dunno about the AC compressor. It turns over no problem and can be driven, but the fender liner in the wheel well is drooping on the tire. Also noticed that while all the doors lock from the fob, the alarm won't arm (or at least there's no "beep" on the second press).
I'll know more when the insurance adjuster inspects it, but anyone think there's a chance they'll repair it or is it too old and not worth enough? I'm also wondering if there might be an opportunity to buy it back and take some time slowly getting the work done?
Looking at those pictures, it appears that the keyless alarm buzzer may just be broken or disconnected due to it's location?
I'd also say that you may be able to bring that car 'back to life' with some salvage yard donor car parts, if up to the challenge?
@zeta TY for the feedback! Since USAA deems my TL a "possible" total loss, they want to haul it off to Copart, which is a massive insurance auction lot in S. Phoenix so their adjuster can evaluate it there. I'm going to try and negotiate with the "Total Loss Adjuster" to come to my home instead.
Depending on the numbers, I think this MRP is totally salvageable. I just went out to further inspect it and pull pieces back into place to make it look more presentable (see below).
Ideally, they will agree to have it fixed. If not, I will try to buy it back and fix it myself. The biggest items are the hood, front bumper cover, left headlight, maybe a brace to which the bumper cover is attached, and paint. No structural damage and most of the internal parts, like an aftermarket radiator or even an AC compressor, are relatively cheap.
If they insist on hauling it off, I'm swapping the wheels & tires since I just put new tires on, and I will grab/swap anything else for my 2005 WDP TL.
Your radiator is clearly bowed, meaning the radiator support is also bent/bowed. THAT'S going to be the hardest part of fixing this car, since it's probably spot-welded onto the frame. Everything else that you mentioned "simply" bolts onto the car and will be relatively easier.
EVERYTHING is salvageable
Just depends on how deep $$$ you wanna go.
i'm surprised USAA was willing to insure an already salvaged title car. Usually it's 'liability only' around here . Even if they do declare it a total loss, just buy it back, it's already salvage, what do you got to lose
i'm surprised USAA was willing to insure an already salvaged title car. Usually it's 'liability only' around here . Even if they do declare it a total loss, just buy it back, it's already salvage, what do you got to lose
I'm not sure anyone I've spoken with at USAA knows that it was a salvage title yet, because they've just been claims people. However, an accident appraiser is coming out on Monday, and from what I understand about his process, I'm sure the title status will surface when he has to make a valuation. He told me their preference is always to fix it (which is obviously my preference, too), but with body shops charging what they do, I'm not hopeful that will happen.
For those who haven't been through this (and hopefully never will), it was explained to me that the appraiser has to determine what the market value would have been before the accident, then guess at its auction value in it's current condition. If I want to keep the car, they will cut me a check for the difference between those two values. It sold at an insurnace auction in Sept 2020 for $3575, and that's when it looked damn good compared to what it looks like now.
As an example, the below shows one 08 TL hood in Phoenix available on car-part.com.
They may still have the whole front end of the car; however, the dates on the pictures are Aug 2023. 2008 Acura TL Hood-Stock# 4974
It appears the complete #13 front bulkhead is available via APW $421.46 below; however, they would get you on shipping for sure.
Amazon has aftermarket at $471.95 though.
@zeta TY, this is super helpful! As best I can tell rn, the lower radiator support (#3 above looks fine). It's that upper tie rod (#2) that looks toasted. Earlier up the thread, @twokexlv6coupe thought that part might be spot-welded? I don't know how to tell, but the fact that they sell the parts of the bulkhead individually give me hope that it might not be as big a deal to replace it as I originally feared.
Once I see how the finances shake out, I'll dig into this further. Haven't priced everything out, but just based on the numbers I've seen and estimated paint, I might be able to fix her for about $2500-3K. Am I nuts?
Also, I have access to an AutofitParts.com local in PHX and if their part number is correct, they list that whole aftermarket bulkhead for only $185:
That is a killer price for the whole aftermarket bulk head.
Especially since #2 04602-SEP-A10ZZ OEM upper tie bar frame set is $255.42 before shipping.
The front bulk head, as previously mentioned, is likely spot welded in place. Usually, on the OEM parts diagram shown above, if components are 'bolted' in, you'd see the corresponding fasteners nearby & numbered as well.
You'd come out ahead since you may need #3 bulkhead crossmember set to replace the jack bent one on the other 05 TL, no?
@zeta Forgive my ignorance, but are you suggesting that it might be better to buy full bulk head replacements for both TL's which could (hopefully) be unbolted/bolted in rather than dick around with the individual bulkhead parts which may need to be welded?
I have an aftermarket radiator being delivered tomorrow for my 05 TL. Once I pull the old one, I'm going to try and pound the crap out of that lower radiator support/tie bar, even if it's a "stop-gap" to get it on the road again. Between my f*ck-up with the jack on the 05 and my son crushing my 08, we're down two of our three vehicles. And we were already down one when my younger son just assumed it was ok to take my 07 TL to college without even asking. Dick!
^
No, I was thinking if the 08 TL only needed the #2 portion of the bulkhead & the 05 only needed the #3 portion, you could purchase one $185 complete aftermarket bulkhead and perhaps 'kill two birds with one stone' by using those individual pieces.
I don't think, but really don't know, if either piece can be just 'bolted' in?
My suspicion is they cannot.
i'm surprised USAA was willing to insure an already salvaged title car. Usually it's 'liability only' around here . Even if they do declare it a total loss, just buy it back, it's already salvage, what do you got to lose
I've had full coverage on several salvage title cars before. I was surprised too.
Originally Posted by spamcop01
I'm not sure anyone I've spoken with at USAA knows that it was a salvage title yet, because they've just been claims people. However, an accident appraiser is coming out on Monday, and from what I understand about his process, I'm sure the title status will surface when he has to make a valuation. He told me their preference is always to fix it (which is obviously my preference, too), but with body shops charging what they do, I'm not hopeful that will happen.
For those who haven't been through this (and hopefully never will), it was explained to me that the appraiser has to determine what the market value would have been before the accident, then guess at its auction value in it's current condition. If I want to keep the car, they will cut me a check for the difference between those two values. It sold at an insurnace auction in Sept 2020 for $3575, and that's when it looked damn good compared to what it looks like now.
I wouldn't even bring up the Salvage Title issue with anyone. I've had an insurance claim on my salvage title car and the insurance only found out from the body shop, but they didn't seem to care.
IMO, you should consider letting go of that car. Paint and body work is not cheap so it might be cheaper to buy another TL with your payout.
I wouldn't even bring up the Salvage Title issue with anyone. I've had an insurance claim on my salvage title car and the insurance only found out from the body shop, but they didn't seem to care.
IMO, you should consider letting go of that car. Paint and body work is not cheap so it might be cheaper to buy another TL with your payout.
Thx for the feedback. I'm most definitely not going to say anything, but they insured it knowing it was a salvage title. The only place it may burn me if/when they figure it out is when they do the market valuation. While he'll inspect it on Monday, I'm sure he won't even hazard a guess until he goes through his process. To be continued...
I pulled the fans and radiator out, but there's no way I can pound that lower tie bar/radiator support back enough to get the new radiator in. I started Googling "frame pullers" and found some interesting hydraulic body repair kits/tools like these:
I've watched a bunch of videos with how people use these and have been racking my brain trying to conceive of a way they could be used leveraging the subframe to pull that support down, but can't figure it out. My large pry bar can be fit on the upper lip of the bent support with the midsection of it on the subframe, but I can't generate enough force pushing up to do anything.
There's a spreader in that first link and shown at about the 1:12 mark of this video that I was thinking could be useful, but still not sure how I'd position it and what else I'd need to get the right angle to create the downward force:
You are trying to fix the lower support in the white TL right? (making sure I didn't mis-read which one you are working on at the moment)
What if you went full happy home owner here, and used two long pieces of angle iron as the "clamp", and use multiple large C clamps to smush everything back into alignment? Thinking about the concept of how you can use a bench vise to flatten things out. I have absolutely no idea if this will work, how much force it will really take, and if it will really bend back that far or not...just throwing ideas out to attempt since you are doing at home without the big boy tools.
Doh, I put my last post in the wrong thread! If a moderator can move my and jackass's last one to the "SOS" thread, that would be great...
I'm not sure I completely follow as I've never worked with angle iron, but assume the concept is that if I have something more rigid than than the lower support, that I lay that "iron" across the top and bottom of the support and then use the clamps to make the support conform to the straightness of the iron. Is that the general idea?
If so, how would I prevent the rest of the support from bending up instead of the raised part from coming down? My guess is that's where I'm not understanding the angle iron part.
Doh, I put my last post in the wrong thread! If a moderator can move my and jackass's last one to the "SOS" thread, that would be great...
It looks like one of the mods merged your two threads.
Originally Posted by spamcop01
I'm not sure I completely follow as I've never worked with angle iron, but assume the concept is that if I have something more rigid than than the lower support, that I lay that "iron" across the top and bottom of the support and then use the clamps to make the support conform to the straightness of the iron. Is that the general idea?
Yes, this is the theory.
Originally Posted by spamcop01
If so, how would I prevent the rest of the support from bending up instead of the raised part from coming down? My guess is that's where I'm not understanding the angle iron part.
Again...in theory...if the angle iron goes across the entire support....it all lines up as it is clamped. To be clear, I have no f'ing clue what I am talking about here. I am just spit balling ideas here. This is for sure not something I have ever dabbled in at this scale. I have done this for other smaller things at the house using big blocks of wood to clamp something down trying to bring it back to a flat shape.
100% agree. My father-in-law wants to make a run at it later today. He's a former mechanic and when I can't figure something out, I bring him in for a consult. If we don't make any progress, I'll have it towed to a body shop to figure it out. With a full lift and proper tools, they should be able to take care of it without much difficulty. If I could just turn the TL upside-down, I'd have this solved in no time!
Insurance adjuster came out this morning to look at the MRP and they're going to total it. While he was doing the numbers, he identified the salvage title which he said often reduces the value by 40%, so I'm gonna get hosed.
Few other things he identified...I originally thought the front fenders were unharmed, but the driver-side front is bowed. The drivers seat belt is "locked" and won't retract. He also said an ABS light was on the dash. Oof...
Latest update: as suggested in my last post, I was ready to get completely screwed because my MRP was a salvage title. I'm happy to report that I think I received a more than fair offer from my insurer. total settlement of just shy of $7,600 less the deductible which I don't care about since my son's footing that (and all future insurance premiums!). If I want to buy it back, it will cost me $985. That's not a typo. The interior is immaculate. There are brand new tires worth $500+ I just bought a month ago. I could get $985 parting hardly any of this thing out.
I paid $8K for this MRP in May 2022. I called off the dogs from Copart to give me a week or two to decide what to do. If I decide to let Copart tow it away, I'm swapping wheels/tires, steering wheel, shift knob, etc., with my 2005 WDP before she goes.
I don't need the $985. I could make this a lengthy project just to prove I could get her beautiful again. Or I could try to separate my emotions, let them haul her away, take the money, and start looking for something else. TBH, there's a part of me saying: you'd be an f'ing idiot not to take $7600 for a car with a salvage title you bought for $8,000 2.5+ years ago, right?
Just occurred to me that maybe I should look at this equation a little differently...I have plenty of room to store my MRP. So, I could pay the $985 to keep her for one of two purposes:
1. Part her out to either the public or keep her for parts if/when I need them
2. Keep her as a project car that I slowly restore
The only way I "lose" is if I can't restore her for less than the $6,600 I'll receive in the settlement should I decide to keep her. In the meantime, I take the $6,600 and put it toward a functioning vehicle.
If it were me? I would take the money and run...but, I have no where to store it, nor free time to muck with it. But....you aren't me...you obviously do have the space, time, and drive to do rebuilds....so.....buy it back. As you stated, you have the space to keep while you either part it out or restore it. The biggest challenge on parting out is how long do you want to have that space used up, and then what do you do with what is left?
Did you say you had USAA? We have been lucky to have USAA and only had to have vehicle claims twice over the past 20 years. They were amazing to work with and more than fair on their processes.
So I found a garage kept, dealer serviced 2008 MRP with only 89K miles on the other side of the country in amazing condition. No navi, but I've never used that anyway. Believe I can get it for $2K more than the settlement offer including shipping. It has the tan interior I prefer and appears to have fewer exterior blemishes than my totaled one and then I'd have one with a clean title. Gotta mull this a bit, but I'm stunned this could work out REALLY well in the end!
Did you say you had USAA? We have been lucky to have USAA and only had to have vehicle claims twice over the past 20 years. They were amazing to work with and more than fair on their processes.
Yes, thanks to my father's service in the USAF doing medical research, I've had USAA insurance for nearly 30 years. For many of those years, NOBODY could beat them for their level of customer service. Before the advent and adoption of all these f'ing automated/IVR systems, I always knew when I called USAA that I would shortly speak with a human based in the US who spoke English. I went through a period about 10 years ago where I lost my sh*t with how difficult it had become to speak with a person to handle my questions or concerns and nearly switched carriers. There were less expensive options available, but I stayed the course.
Today, USAA has the same IVR's that every other company on the planet has and they can be frustrating, but no more so than any others. And their website is an absolute sh*t-show to navigate. But I've needed their assistance several times in the last 2-3 years and they have come through with flying colors. If you have roadside assistance and need a tow, the system is subcontracted to Ajira and nearly 100% automated, but I have to say, it works flawlessly.
I've had very few claims over the years, with the most significant of them being the most recent with my MRP. But within minutes of this claim being initiated, it felt like there was a SWAT team of people from USAA who jumped on every facet of it and I have nothing but good things to say about my experience thus far.
What I've also noticed is that insurance companies use accidents like this to demonstrate how "good" they are with the hope that if you ever consider switching carriers, you'll remember how good they were to you. Case in point: my son was at fault for the multi-car accident with my MRP. The following day I received a call from GEICO who represented one of the people involved in the accident. Why did they call me? To make sure my son was doing okay. When I had a minor incident a year and a half ago, the other party also had GEICO and they went out of their way to make sure I was okay and ask if there was anything they could do to assist. Again, I am not, nor have I ever been a GEICO customer, but they've mastered this sympathy-based "marketing" technique like no other insurance company I've ever seen.
Take the money and run. I parted my first TL out, while worth it in the end, but it took me 2 years to sell most of the stuff. If you have the space to do it, then do it, but if not, it takes up a lot of space.
I remember this.. i think it's more trouble than it's worth..
It was a ton of work but I made more than double what I was trying to sell the car for. My time/effort put into it, I probably broke even. Crappy part was, even tho I netted about $6500 for the parts, it really didn't feel like it since it was spread out over 2 years. I was spending it as it came in basically, which I get I could have managed that part better. But you know I had a KBP as a replacement to spend money on.
If I had the space to part a car, store parts on the side. I would do it again but I wouldn't go the the depth of what I did to mine. It was a shell at the end being drug up a flat bed with no wheels...
i think it's more trouble than it's worth..
