Her back is a little sore, but she thinks she's okay. Told her to go get checked today.

So, she was driving in the left lane on the highway with our 2004 Acura TL heading to pick up our daughter from school. All of the sudden, the hood flies open on the car in front of her. My wife said that she was at a good distance behind and started to brake as soon as the guys hood flew open. The thing that's confusing is she said the brakes started to grab, then started pulsing (ABS), then felt like she released the brakes, but she said she kept the pedal pressed down hard the whole time. It stalled after she hit the guy (6 speed), so she started it back up and the brake pedal was "high" and as she pressed it, it went to the floor. She then pumped it up a couple times until it felt good, then proceeded to move the car to the shoulder, hoping that she would be able to stop, which she was.

I'm not sure if something failed with the brakes, and if so what it could be. I do know that about a year and a half ago I replaced the rotors with Centric high carbon content, Cryogenic treated rotors with Hawk HPS performance pads front and rear. Also it's a 6 speed with the large Brembo front calipers. So, it's always stopped on a dime before.

The State Police gave her a careless driving ticket, so hopefully can figure out if something failed with the brakes. The tow truck driver said that the other guys car had previous front damage which is probably why his hood didn't latch properly and flew open.

Our Acura has about 150,000 miles on it, so not sure if the insurance is going to total it or do the repairs. Both fenders are pushed. Drivers side fender and door gap is closed, and passenger fender is sticking up on top near the windshield. Radiator is hit and leaks too. Here's a few pics.





The other guys car didn't look as bad.

 

NYT - firstly glad to hear your wife is ok... if she still feels uncomfortable in a few days, have it checked out... call up doc..

what you described about pumping the brake pedal to build up pressure sounds like air in the brake system... this happened to my 3G TL... when this happened, the brake pedal was very spongy, the car would stop... but you would have to pump the pedal to build enough pressure to get it firm... at first i thought the brake master cylinder was failing... when i took it into Acura, there was a TSB (07-041) on this and it was actually the VSA unit introducing air into the ABS system... they replaced the VSA unit on mine under warranty...

not sure if when your wife did a panic stop, the modulator may have went and introduced air into the system thus losing pressure on the brake lines and it felt like she released the brakes...

https://acurazine.com/forums/problem...brakes-623310/

https://acurazine.com/forums/problem...brakes-593640/

Good luck...

 

Sorry to see this, but fortunately she's ok...

 

Sorry to see this, but fortunately, and most importantly she's ok...

 

Yikes, sorry to see

I'm glad your wife is alright! A bit shaken up I'm sure.

 

Thanks guys! Yeah, I think she'll be fine.

Yes, might be something going on with the brake system. Thanks for the tip! I'll have the system checked.

Another thing, I'm surprised the airbags didn't deploy.Maybe because the hit seemed that our bumper support went just under his rear bumper support?

 

Can't tell but did the Fusion sustain minimal damage? Really shitty that she got the ticket even though she did everything right as far as distance following and all. I mean the Fusion driver was negligent because of handling a damaged vehicle that caused a hazard such as this event.

 

I totally agree with this!

OP - sounds like there might be air in the brake system.

 

Wow, that is scary. It's great that your wife is all right.

 

Thanks! Yeah, my wife is doing good.

Hopefully the adjuster will check it out by tomorrow. I'll check the car for codes with my scanner, maybe something there. I'll have to get a shop to check the system for air.

 

Glad your wife is doing OK and sorry to hear about the accident. Sounds like she was still in gear when braking. I noticed with this TL, the brakes are more responsive when you drop the clutch / neutral the shifter when braking. Either way, it's still a terrible situation. As others mentioned, the VSA unit was a notorious problem in the past. I had my VSA unit replaced years back due to the pedal getting very spongy after an ABS event. I've drive nearly anywhere and everywhere daily in NJ. I've become numb to other drivers. Stick to the slow lane and straight DGAF mentality if i'm "too slow" for most drivers. I've had my fair share of court time (speeding tickets) when I was much younger. I take my TL out maybe once a month and only nearly in perfect cruising conditions (early Sunday morning, clear day).

Best of luck on all of this. Make sure the wife gets checked out. Keep tabs with your insurance company. Most drivers in this state are more than willing to drop a lawsuit. Make sure it's clearly documented the driver failed to keep his vehicle safe by doing repairs and put themselves and others in danger. This is why we need to bring back to state inspections where they inspect the entire vehicle.

 

just a heads up... when my VSA module was faulty, it didn't throw any codes... have a shop confirm there was air in the system, print out the TSB i referenced, and take both to court to have the ticket thrown out... those 2 pts are b/s...

then fight with your insurance that the guys car was unsafe (i hope the police report documented that)... your wife shouldn't be at full fault for this accident...

good luck..

 

WOW! I recently was in the same kind of accident with a cab driver in New York. SAME exact damage done to my car . I'm happy and thankful to know that your wife is ok. My insurance didn't cover my damage because my dumb self didn't have ' Collision ' coverage . So I ended up paying for all the repairs out of pocket which was pretty f*ckin' pricey . Definitely fight with your insurance and don't give up ... See if they are willing to pay partial repairs and you can cover the rest . Or order the parts and see if your insurance is willing to pay for the labor . You can get ALL the parts from Discount Genuine OEM Acura Parts Online - Bernardi Parts

Good luck and hope everything works out for the best .

 

Well, just heard from the insurance. They totaled the TL, sending me a check for $5000. They said because of the mileage, to keep the car and do whatever I want with it.

I'll see if the garage that it's at can check the brakes for air in the system. Then get it back home and see if it's worth trying to fix. If not, might part it out, try to get as much out of it as I can.

 

You could fix it for that cost, if you supply the parts yourself.

1. Hood
2. Hood trim
3. Grill assembly
4. Bumper cover
5. Radiator support
6. Condensor (A/C system evacuate and recharge)
7. Radiator? (Coolant system service)
8. Front impact insulator (That goes behind the front bumper) ?
9. Radiator support cross bars (2x).

(?) May or may not not be needed.

Junk yards will have most. Peace of mind, is getting them new. Save on the cost if you get them used, same color and in decent shape. The body shop will need to do the radiator support. Start with removing the bumper, headlights, fender and inspect it all. Let us know what happens.

 

I talked to a good friend of mine who does auto restorations and some custom work. He said he'll help me out with it, so should be fixed soon.

Here's a link to some of his work. CurtisMotionAutomotiveNOW DIPPINGCARS AND TRUCKSPlasti Dip®.Motion Auto Art 908 534 4699 908 256-5923347 A Mounta - Pictures

 

Just an update: I decided to buy another car and put a deposit down on a 2008 Infiniti M35X real nice 1 owner (owner is 69 years old) car with 80,000 miles on it. Just waiting on the insurance check to put down on the car. I'll post some pictures after I get it.

I ended up replacing the radiator and took the TL out for a ride. I couldn't tell it was in an accident from behind the wheel, drove great. No mechanical issues and ac blows cold. But since I decided to move on, I listed it up on Ebay to give me a little extra to put towards the new car.

 

I've always liked that M35/M45 platform. Congratulations!

 

Thanks! Already looking to see what mods I could do to it.

 

Here's a few pictures of the 2008 Infiniti M35X with Technology package and Nav that I replaced the Acura with.

 

Congrats, great condition for a 2008!

 

Excellent condition 2008. Heck if you replaced the driver seat cover the interior would like like it was never even used.

 

Thanks guys! Yeah, I was confused when I saw it, wondering why the new car had a 2008 sticker on the windshield. lol

I just installed new 245/45 ZR18 Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 tires and had a 4 wheel alignment done. I'm planning on adding a lip spoiler to the back. Also, thinking about adding a Megan Racing exhaust with a set of these.



Megan Exhaust

 

did it sell???

 

Not yet. It got close to the Reserve Price. I sent the high bidder a second chance offer. Waiting to hear back.

 

link?

 

Auction over. It sold.

 

Great choice with the M35X!
I wish you and your wife many years of happy and safe motoring!

 

Thank you!

 

Other than the VQ thirst, which i am sure you already know.

M35 is better than TL is pretty much every way. Nice upgrade.

The interior still looks great by 2016 standard. can't believe it has been 8 years already.

 

How bad is the VQ thirst?

 

well... its better in the newer ones but 08 VQ... not too bad i guess but definitely worse compare to J series.

FYI. my G35/G37 were getting no more than 15mpg city. full high way was acceptable at 26.

I expect the heavier M would be lower.

 

So far I've averaged 19.5 mpg combined. That's with idling in the driveway, playing around with the controls, setting seat memories, stereo, etc.

Bought this brake set to install this weekend.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291438473557?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT