Mine should be ready today. I cant stop thinking about it. I am sorta obsessed with my car hehehe. But im hoping for a new beginning. A smoother more responsive throttle, better gas mileage, no rattle
Also you guys mention your EPS system..My steering was SUPER hard to turn and i even developed a rotator cuff pain due to it. But its fixed under warranty. No code or light. Just brought it up to service adviser and they replaced it without question. There's actually a service bulletin for it, and a warranty extension to have your Electronic power steering module replaced.

 

$1300 is way steep. The timing belt is replaced "if needed", I think it varies by dealer if they are replacing all timing belts. Its really not fair for them to charge you for a timing belt especially if you are in Canada. I decided not to do the water pump. I estimate it will take me 5-6 years to reach 105k miles so for me its just too early. Not to mention I just find the dealership unnecessarily expensive. I did inquire about the water pump and the service advisor said they only inspect the water pump at 105k miles and replace if needed. never heard that before and don't exactly believe it. So I just decided to pass on the water pump.

 

This is a prime example of why I cannot stand car dealers. A huge chunk of the labor will already be completed anyways because of this warranty work..
I got a quote from a local Honda specialist shop of $1,000 for the timing belt service.

Another example, on my wife's car (Infiniti QX50) I called a dealer and asked about rear diff fluid change. They quoted me $400. They said that with a straight face. I took it to a local repair shop and they charged me $69. (Been using that repair shop for almost 20 years)

 

I just got mine back as well and I am smelling engine coolant. I just can't find the leak yet. I would take it back. They replaced those gaskets, they should warranty their work.

 

I agree, dealerships are stupid expensive and there is no way I'm doing it for $1300. Mine is currently at 176k KM. I hate how I'm gonna have to wait till August 26th to bring in my car. I might give them a call this week and see if they can bump me up!

 

I would go take the test for sure. I took my 2010 TL in and am about to hit the 1000 miles. It looks to have only burned about a quarter of a quart. I’m thinking about removing a quart or so myself. I’m assuming that I will have the same problem as everyone once my mileage is higher, but they’re only taking care of this until September.

 

GO FOR IT. Just got mine back and WOW. what a difference. All the little knocks, pings, rattles all gone. Im only 200 miles in, but man oh man. I notice most of my difference in how smoothly it shifts now and the low end torque. Just wow. Everything feels solid, smooth punchy....velvety.

So if this happened at about 70k, that means I have about 70k before it happens again. Im certain they wont extend a warranty to us then. For ANYONE WHO HASNT GOTTEN IT DONE, PLEASE DO IT. its worth....at least for my car. Im hoping it lasts.

on a side note, there is a thread about a rattle on acceleration, this fix seems to have killed that problem. Makes me realize how important O-rings and valves and bearings... are on a car. jesus. Its like a brand new car.

 

I cant believe that are only allowing you 1000 miles. My dealer allowed 100-1500 miles. I have heard of some cyphoning. YOu dont need much over a quart to qualify. Do what you gotta bruh.

 

EVERY DEALER, CARRYING THE ACURA BRAND NAME and HONDA name WARRANTY'S THEIR WORK. this i know for certain. TAKE IT BACK. And they shouldnt even charge to inspect.

 

I have this same exact problem with my 2011 TL SH-AWD, burns about 1.5 quarts every 1000 miles. The dealer refuses to even do the test claiming serious "oil leaks" are the problem............but said serious leaks were never present when they did the regular oil changes. There is never even any oil on the ground under the car where I park. They also claim that HONDA will not allow a test to be done "even with my letter" because of my sudden and "serious" oil leaks. And the car is over 100k miles so they wanna do the timing belt of course. They claim they have to replace ALL the engine gaskets to stop the leaks before they can run the test. Now replacing ALL the gaskets will of course include the O ring (no sir it won't), to which I replied (oh bullshit) i'm not stupid. They gave me a printout of required services and so called suggestions with it all totaling over $12,000..............but only a little under $4k being the engine repair.

That is even with the service contract included with the car, which conveniently enough doesn't cover any of the work "required". I'm in the chicago area and can't seem to find any ACURA dealer willing help. They all claim the same bullshit. I have called Honda support 3 times and they keep hanging up on ( ahem, getting disconnected) me mid sentence. This extension is only good till Sept, any of you know a dealer that is willing to help me i'd sure appreciate the info.

 

• Who changes your oil? The dealer? If so, they should bring up any and all leaks at the time they see them.
If they failed to tell you, is that your fault? You are not the car professional. They are.

• I file a formal complaint against the dealership via Acura Client relations Portal if you feel like they arent treating you
in a honest, professional manner.

• File a story with your local news detailing all your issues. Many will actually cover it, bringing light to how they handle customers and usually will cause the company or dealership to
at least make amends.

• Perhaps drive to another town or city? Ive done that before to a different dealership. Often times that can be a very different experience altogether.

• Only the persistent get things done. And remember always speak to managers, not Reps. Find out who the DEALERSHIP OWNER IS or General Manager and make them aware.

• Open a case with Acura Client Relations, because this will reveal your efforts to get the repairs you know you qualify for. Also start to gather ALL your service records because im certain that will come into questions. (did you follow the maintenance minder?) They are going to give resistance,
just dont lose your cool. Most of the time, after looking into it a bit they can and have made exceptions for repairs. You've done your part, you made the purchase, you kept up your maintenance to the best of your ability, there's no reason they should not be willing to help you out.

 

I'm 1300km after the new pistons. So far so good. At 1000km, I did an oil change, and I'm glad i did it. The oil had a lot of material in it, which is totally normal after an engine rebuild. I didn't filter thru it, but you could see 2 colours in the oil while it was draining. It was dark in the middle (particulate), but the edges were a more clear caramel colour. I'll be doing another oil change after 1500-2000km. I've also started to rev up to 4k every so often.

 

Ugh, 2 weeks after the fix, my car is leaking oil, not a lot of I see spots under the car. Can't see anything obvious from the engine bay. Going to bring it back to dealer tomorrow.

 

Here is what was done to my car. I've no real clue in comparison to what the original US Service Bulletin called for. Anyone Care to chime in?
My question is, can we expect this to happen again? Mine started at around 60k with the high oil consumption. Will it happen again in 60k miles?
New materials Used? Ive heard varying stories from Just calling the dealerships.

 

What are the pros and cons fo changing your oil at only 600 milles/1000km as opposed to following the maintenance minder? Also, I wonder if they used a special oil the first time around....

 

As mentioned in my post, the oil was 2 different colours. The reason for this is there's a lot of extra metal shavings from the new parts wearing in. Keeping all that crap in there for 10,000km would mean it would wear everything faster. According to my workorder, they used 0w20 Synthetic, and did not put anything special in with high zinc.

Pros:
- you get rid of the metal shavings from break in
- you also flush out any grease and sealant material that seeps into the engine from a rebuild (normal)

Cons:
- time and cost of new oil and filter?

 

I have done all of these things to no avail.

 

I wish I knew the whole story. Im certain there re details being left out, cause based on what youre telling me....they should at least offer to go half on the leak fixes....
I mean what would cuse them to deem your car so unworthy of the fixes?
Local News Station. Because if You got second and third opinions about the presence of a leak
and all EXCEPT acura says theres no leak. Thats newsworthy. Local news worthy, Lemon Law news Worthy...
OR Finance the Oil leak fixes (so its done soon) then Have the warranty repairs done. Or just sell it.

 

Does your TL have a salvage title?

 

I've stopped on 06/25/9 by Syracuse Crest Acura to get a time frame as to when my car will be getting repairs done. Service adviser informed me that they are out of some parts and did not provide me even with an estimate.

 

I stopped by the Dealer today to talk about my appointment next week. I am also planning to have them change the timing belt, tensioner, and water pump. When I scheduled the service they were quoting me 3 hours on top of the piston repair for the timing belt and such, but now they are only charging for 30 minutes of labor. The parts are still expensive at $830 but good to know they have recognized that most of the labor has taken place when replacing the pistons. They don't replace the spark plugs as part of the service so I am having that done for another $230 - this is also parts only. So, i guess at the end of the day, I am saving about $600 in labor for the timing belt change, this is good. Hopefully this fixes the oil consumption and I don't have to deal with that again. Not fun having a car you have to check oil on all the time. Definitely not what I was expecting when I purchased an Acura.

 

Nope, I bought it used from an acura dealer. And that same dealer refuses to honor the recall.

 

oh dude you have a case. EASY. I would easily go to local news station and let them know That dealership is selling cars that have leaks without disclosing to customers...NOT COOL.
Also, I would start looking up llemon laws in your state. My friend just won a case against Dodge over her Dart. Similar situation...SHe won and got a new car .

 

Another example of why I cannot stand dealers.
$230 just for the spark plugs???!!!!! The plugs should be around $50. Maybe $90 if you buy the stupid expensive plugs (for no reason). Parts/Labor should cost what they are charging you just for parts.

A Honda specialty shop in my area quoted me $1,000 for the entire timing belt service. The dealer is quoting you $830 just for parts????.
A non-Acura example...the Infiniti dealer quoted me $400 to replace the rear diff fluid on a 2016 QX50. A local repair shop I use charged me $69

Out of warranty I never use the dealer.

 

So after driving 500km since getting my car back I heard a weird but loud clunk type of noise while driving yesterday. I look in the street where it made the noise to see if I ran over anything and I see half of a broken rubber bungee cord in the road. Then I look under the car and the other half of the broken bungee is clipped into a metal piece under the car. It was difficult to unhook so it must have been put there by someone.... Defiantly wasn't there before I brought it to the dealership. Is it possible they used thus bungee for something and forgot to remove it? Also I noticed my coolant reservoir is almost empty but there is no coolant leak.

Very weird situation and im having trouble wrapping my head around this one. Car seems to run and drive fine though. Going to add coolant and see what happens.

 

I would definitely return to the dealer and tell them what happened, and let THEM top off your Coolant. It should be FREE if you recently got it back and its already low? Its better to be safe than sorry.

 

after an extensive conversation with My acura Dealers Master Tech and Service manager - From what I understand these are updated parts, and they didnt make many so they are treating them like gold. Its not a simple replacing of the previously made parts. I understand these updated parts have actually been REDESIGNED to resist carbon deposits, with updated tolerances and clearances. Basically they fixed their f*&%# up. So there is a waiting list. As the requests come in, Honda Motor Co. orders more from Manufacturing as needed. Instead of manufacturing millions and having overstock. They are penny pinching, but I get it.

 

Not sure what you mean by the expensive or cheap ones as there is only 1 recommended spark plug for this engine.

I do agree that the price seems high. I went online and searched the parts for the timing belt replacement and all components and came out close to what the dealer is charging me. These are Acura OEM parts not some off brand like you might get at an independent repair shop. Seems like the only difference in cost would be labor and since they are only charging me 1/2 hour labor, I feel good about that. I'm sure the parts are inflated, but that is always the case at a dealer. I didn't buy a Chev, I bought an Acura. Imagine the markup at BMW or Audi or Jaguar or something...

 

What is an OEM spark plug?. It is the plug that is manufactured by someone else that Acura chose to use. Acura just uses NGK or Denso or whatever. Those manufacturers make different types of plugs. Charging you $230 for spark plugs is highway robbery. There are many different types of plugs available for this engine. An "OEM" plug is not better than an aftermarket plug. The most expensive ones are still less than half of what you are being quoted.

The parts you priced out for the timing belt change are not made by Acura. In most cases, OEM is just Acura slapping their part number on a part made by someone else. Also these parts have a huge markup. High volume repair shops get a massive discount. Being a shop that buys almost nothing, you get a 25% discount without even saying a thing. The higher your volume purchase from this dealer the higher your discount. You are being quoted list. The only time I would recommend NOT buying "aftermarket" would be for body parts (like a fender for example) since they typically use thinner metal than the OEM parts and once in a while don't fit quite the same.

As for buying a quality Acura....Are you really saying that in a thread that talks about the excessive amount of oil that their most popular engine burns? Prior to this MDX that we have, I owned a 2008 Mazda CX-9. That uses a Ford Powertrain. That vehicle didn't burn a drop of oil. I sold it at 130K miles and I only ever had 1 issue with it. (Needed to replace the body control module at $600 or so) This MDX has had quite a few issues.

I worked in the auto repair industry while I was in college. Dealers employ literally the lowest level of mechanics. They still do as I just had this conversation with a mechanic. The dealers have 1 mechanic on staff who knows that they are doing (Usually the shop foreman). This is their way of driving down OPEX. They pay these guys nothing, so once they learn enough they are gone. That is why I am nervous about having this engine torn down (whenever I get the call to come in). I am assuming since this is a major job, I'll get the shop foreman to do this work.

Believing that by going to the dealer you are paying a little more for peace of mind (It is never a little, it is always A LOT) is just wrong. You are getting killed on parts and you are typically getting a lower level mechanic than you get at other shops.

The only car repair issues I've ever experienced were always at dealers. (2 most egregious.....1 dealer forgot to bolt the pinion gear back on the drive shaft and that tore up my rear diff.....another dealer forgot to bolt the caliper back on and it came off and wedged between one of the wheel spokes and rotor, causing the wheel to lock up)

 

My gosh, if you have ever changed a spark plug yourself on any engine you know it doesn’t say the brand of vehicle or in this case “Acura” on it. LOL, rationalizing inflated parts mark up simply because it’s an Acura. Yeah, good thing we have a lower-tier car compared to a BMW or Jaguar, how would we ever work on those ourselves, they would surely go “boom” if we didn’t put “OEM” plugs in. That’s just passing on “insecurity of mind” that feeds other peoples insecurity, that’s what keeps dealers in business. They make you think there’s no other way to do it. And that’s a bunch of BS. My 2010 3.7 has Autolite iridium plugs in it, from when I did my own valve check and adjustment in about 4-5 hours time. Least expensive out there and they fire the engine every day, every week of every year they have been in there. It perpetuates that fallacy for others who might have even a kernel of spark of interest to do it themselves. With that said, if there is no mechanical knowledge to do it oneself or desire to acquire said knowledge, then that is the reason why a person takes it to a dealer because it beats a botched job in the driveway.

 

Interesting argument. Sorry we got off topic.

My point is fairly simple. With this warrant extension the dealer is rebuilding hundreds of cars. I would rather have the dealer take my engine out then some independent shop that has maybe never taken a 4G TL apart. If their mechanics didn't know how to take an engine out of a car, they do now. When you guys speak of OEM vs non OEM, you kind of miss the point. Yes, Acura doesn't make the parts, but they use the same brand of part that may or may not be stamped Acura. If you go to an independent shop, they may use that same brand or they may use the cheapest part they can get. You have no idea in most cases. Just because they don't have the markup the dealer has, doesn't mean they are using a better part. Now, I'm not saying I like the dealer. Trust me I don't. I just don't usually keep a car past its warranty period, but if I do, I stop going to the dealer for service. This is the oldest car in my driveway. As for being ripped off, yes I believe the dealer is ripping all of us off. Read the threads on this forum, it shows all dealers are ripping clients off. I was impressed that they decided that the labor on the timing belt change is only 30 minutes, but when you look at the markup in the parts, it seems like labor is included in the part price. The best example is the spark plug. $38 for a $10 plug... If they charge $260 - $300 to change spark plugs with labor, how come the parts are $230. That is a 1.5-2 hour job by someone that knows what they are doing. The back plugs are very difficult to reach and may require dropping the motor. So, since they have to remove the spark plugs as part of the engine repair, then why the steep price for the part? I will be asking on Monday when I bring the car in for the rebuild.

 

I agree with the post above me regarding independent shops using the cheapest parts they can find. I work for a large car part warehouse as a picker. I see lots of independent shops use the crappiest parts that they can buy just to save a dime. Oem is always better in quality in my opinion!

 

Uggh....I am going to go on for a while...
That is a broad statement. Independent shops vary greatly. If you go to Joe blow shade tree mechanic maybe they are using crappy parts. If you go to a Honda specialist who only works on Honda they will use better parts. The Honda shop that quoted me $1000 for the timing belt service does these jobs every day. They also rebuild a lot of Honda engines.

Also, OEM parts are not better. The manufacturers use whoever gives them the best deal. If they can save $2 a plug. That is a savings of millions of dollars. Wix OEMs many of the oil filters. They aren't the best, but decent enough and cheap enough. If OEM parts are better, why don't all engines use ARP head studs? Why don't they have Koyo or Mishimoto radiators? Saying OEM is better is just a myth.

Dealers employ low end mechanics. Kids right out of Lincoln Tech. (BTW, Lincoln tech it is almost all classroom instruction, they don't work on cars). They work at the dealer for a few years to cut their teeth and once they are decent, they leave. The dealers pay them peanuts and they can make more at other shops. I just had this discussion with a repair shop. They are having trouble finding mechanics. The kids right out of school haven't touched a car so they don't want them. Those kids go to the dealerships. So they are left to fight over a shrinking pool of mechanics.

I would take a specialist shop over a dealer every day of the week. One of my cars (I have 5 because I am that crazy) is a heavily modified Subaru. Built engine with all forged internals and lots of other work.
I use 2 local shops. Both, highly regarded and both build and race cars. I had this same discussion with both owners of those shops and both often have to fix dealer screw ups. The dealers keep them busy. There is no dealer anywhere that would have the level of expertise that these guys have. They rebuild engines all day.

If you think that the techs at the dealer are better than local specialists, you are in for a world of surprise. Like I mentioned earlier. The dealers typically keep 1 mechanic on staff who really knows their stuff. The others.....ehhhh...not so much.

When I started my oil consumption test, I had to pay the dealer for the oil change (I believe that Acura has since changed this policy). I always change my own oil. The dealer charged me over $100 (can't remember exactly how much) for an oil change with conventional oil. WTF!!!! In addition, they overfilled my car by 1 qt and they didn't reset the maintenance minder.

I want to dispel the myth that using the dealer is always better. That is a fallacy that has been thrust upon an unsuspecting populace. I only use the dealer for warranty. (And even there I've been burned)
My earlier example....Called Infiniti dealer to ask about changing the rear diff fluid on a 2016 QX50. $400. Local repair shop did it and charged me $69 total. They used the same fluid as the dealer. I know that owner too and been going to him for over 20 years.

 

UPDATE: TL is in the shop now fixing the oil leak(s) Time will tell.....I'm giving the repair a 50/50 chance. Almost no chance I'll buy another AHC product if this fails.
Between the air bags, tranny recall, and now pistons....enough.

 

OK - so is the dealer just trying to get more money out of me? They said the oil pump is leaking. No oil on the ground, but said that is common with a small leak. Normally it would be 11 hours but since the engine is apart and the timing belt is off, the rebuild on the pump is 2 hours labor and about $150 for the parts... Not sure what parts on the rebuild. He said that replacing the oil pump would be much more expensive than the rebuild.

Any thoughts on this?

They are also telling me I need break pads front and rear - $250 each set... My normal shop is about $200. Not surprised since the breaks have 110K on them.

Thanks - anyone else getting the "up-sell" for additional parts?

 

IM no expert but that sounds like decent deal. I would sop at the oil pump. Break are so easy to do, I do my own breaks. Better to have a solid oil pump to match you newly rebuilt short block of your engine...
My vote is go for it. Others may chime in. Yes pump, no breaks unless you really need them and you drive faster than usual. They have a grade system for example, replace now, replace soon, and you have time....
Breaks are a safety feature...I would get a second opinion on the breaks.

 

I had the dealer replace my oil pump. Mine was leaking as well, but nothing on the ground either. They could've easily blamed the consumption on the leak, but didn't. I say go for it. That extra labour and price is about right.

 

That's weird, my dealer also told me my oil pump is leaking but nothing noticeable or extensive. I'm sure they are going to try to get me to replace it when I take mine in for the repair.

 

Picked up the TL after replacement of both valve cover gaskets ($0). Time will tell if more oil leaks develop.

Regarding spark plugs, ordered them on Amazon, Champion Platium ($36), install took about an hour. Old plugs removed had 110k miles and looked perfect. Pretty much the only reason I decided to have the pistons replaced is because these old plugs looked so good. The internals on this engine are strong.

Engine runs fine now, no knocking or valve lash. Hope you all have the pistons replaced without the follow-up oil leaks I had. Good luck.

 

Mine finally goes in this Thursday, they said 3-4 days. Of course they are 150 miles away. I hope they have a cool loaner car for me. RLX sport hybrid? With my luck it will probably be an ILX