Weird Problem - starter & main relay replaced leads to sluggish, non shifting car???
07-17-2012, 07:00 AM
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Weird Problem - starter & main relay replaced leads to sluggish, non shifting car???
Thanks in advance for your help...
2005 Acura TL 3.2
Friday, the car wouldn't start and I first suspected it was the main relay so I changed that. Didn't work. I then tried my second suspicion and had someone whack the starter while I tried to start the car. It started right up so I decided the starter needed to be replaced. Since I didn't want to get stuck and had a few errands to run, I would leave the car running while I took care of things. Then, once I got home and the car cooled off, we replaced the starter. Nothing unusual other than one bolt from the battery tray getting away from us.
Since then, the car has acted somewhat sluggish. It starts up beautifully but, after you've been driving about 15-20 minutes, starts becoming somewhat sluggish and hesitant to shift. After a bit longer, it will barely respond to the pedal at all and it's almost as if it is stuck. If you do press harder on the pedal. it will rev up more but the speed will remain about 15-20 mph with the RPM's fluctuating slightly. I'm baffled... there were no signs of this before Friday. If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate them.
2005 Acura TL 3.2
Friday, the car wouldn't start and I first suspected it was the main relay so I changed that. Didn't work. I then tried my second suspicion and had someone whack the starter while I tried to start the car. It started right up so I decided the starter needed to be replaced. Since I didn't want to get stuck and had a few errands to run, I would leave the car running while I took care of things. Then, once I got home and the car cooled off, we replaced the starter. Nothing unusual other than one bolt from the battery tray getting away from us.
Since then, the car has acted somewhat sluggish. It starts up beautifully but, after you've been driving about 15-20 minutes, starts becoming somewhat sluggish and hesitant to shift. After a bit longer, it will barely respond to the pedal at all and it's almost as if it is stuck. If you do press harder on the pedal. it will rev up more but the speed will remain about 15-20 mph with the RPM's fluctuating slightly. I'm baffled... there were no signs of this before Friday. If anyone has any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate them.
07-19-2012, 06:47 AM
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Update on the problem... if I shut the car off after driving it for a while, after a few minutes it will start up and drive normally but the problem always recurs. I'm beginning to suspect it's the transmission but can't figure out why it showed up immediately after replacing the starter. I swapped the old main relay back in and reset the ECU just to eliminate those possibilities. I'm nervous about taking it to the dealer or to a transmission shop and getting entirely screwed over when I don't have much money to put into it right now. It definitely has trouble on hills after it has warmed up but, after only 2-3 minutes of sitting, it will take the hill just fine. ???
07-20-2012, 02:16 PM
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Oddly enough, the check engine light came on about a week before and I suspected it was just bad gas since I'd gone somewhere I'm not that fond of. I put better gas in it and the light went out. Took the car to a Honda / Acura service specialist today, waiting to hear the diagnosis... I'm scared but keeping my fingers crossed...
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