Sam1988

Hi guys,

I have never owned a vehicle before my current 2010 used acura tsx that I got from a used dealership at 144000 kms. I got a third party complete inspection done and the report came back mentioning the car in very good condition. I have driven the car 65% on highways, always changed engine oil on time, now 14 months later the car is at 186500 kms and one year went great until I got my first taste of maintenance issues.

2 weeks ago, suddenly the car seemed to lose power and speed and I think the code was b13, then once it came to a stop and by the time the tow truck came, the car completely lost power.

Mechanic put a brand new battery, one new ignition coil and I think 4 or 5 new spark plugs, also put brand new transmission fluid and topped up brake oil.

Since the past 4 days, every time I turn the steering wheel even 1 cm slightly on each side I hear a knocking sound from the steering area and multiple knocking sounds when I turn on intersections or turn and brake. The mechanic said brakes are fine, front brake pads have 6 months life in them and to replace them in March. He thinks the noise is due to lower control arm joints needing replacement asap, his colleague is of the opinion that ball joints should be replaced too, however my mechanic thinks their is still life left in the ball joints. He is a fair guy and knows money is tight for me these days.

I got the Acura automatic steering wheel fluid from the dealership but can't find the spot under the bonnet and not in manual either.
I was concerned about timing belt but this car has a timing chain so I should be fine for now.

What should I do? What other maintenance should I do ? Money is tight too right now. I really like this car and want to keep this car for another three years and sell it at 250,000 kms. However, the recent expenses and maintenance issues popping up regularly , all this is making me a bit skeptical and worried. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

t3hhcaptain

Do you know if you have the 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder? You would have received one spark plug per cylinder.

A b13 is a maintenance code and would not have anything to do with power loss. Were you throwing a check engine light?

You can't find a spot for the "automatic steering wheel fluid" because these have an electric steering system, so there is no fluid.

The knocking you are hearing could be any of the things mentioned. If you want to be more positive then I would probably take it to a dealership because they tend to do more diagnosing before recommending replacing something. Can you take a video of the sound? It really could be any number of things and without having a video or seeing your car in person no one is going to be able to give you precise advice.

Sam1988

Yes, I was getting the check engine light / something about transmission as well. My car is not a v6 so 4 cyclinders

t3hhcaptain

Do you know what the OBDII code was?