Jimmy Nguyen

I got real lucky on this purchase. Needless to say I paid $14k for a 2012 Acura TL with only 56k miles on it. Clean car fax and 1 owner with all recorded service records from Acura. Should have done it before I bought it but took it to Acura after buying it only for them to do the inspection and tell me the car was in excellent condition!!!

Only modifications done within the 1st couple of weeks is a dark tint, roof spoiler, and LED lighting. Pictures coming soon!

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Congrats. I purchased mine at 58K and it has 203K on it now.

What trim and color?

Jimmy Nguyen

I think you all call it graphite luster metallic. The trim is basic. I had limited options since I was looking for a used TL with low mileage.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

I have the same color.

That's definitely a good price. Best of luck with it. I'd recommend you keep the transmission fluid clean and take it to the dealer to make sure it's had the torque converter software update and airbag recall done.

Jimmy Nguyen

Funny you mention transmission fluid because when my oil level hit 15% I received the A13 error. I had the transmission and transfer fluid changed and got rid of that A13 error.

What is the torque converter software update and what does it do? How am I being impacted without that update?

How often would you change out the transmission fluid?

Sorry for blasting you with all these questions. Total Acura TL noob here

Blackac12

I would change the trans fluid every 15k miles. If torque converter software not updated it could trash the torque converter.

My 12 TL has 210k miles

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

The A13 isn't an error. It's just a maintenance indicator. If you had a mechanic or dealer do the work, they would have just reset it when they were done.

As Blackac12 said, the torque converter software will help prolong the TC's life. It will wear considerably faster if the update isn't done. It's a free service. Or should be. I've heard of a few dealerships trying to charge for it but there's a TSB out for it, which Acura is obligated to do for free.

Call the dealer and explain that you want to bring the car in to make sure TSB 18-047 has been done. If you want, print out the TSB itself and bring it in. You can find it here:

http://www.urvi.net/forumfiles/SB/B18-047.PDF

Dealers can be stupid sometimes. It seems they often don't know as much about their own cars as independent mechanics do, or even the DIYers on this board. But even a stupid dealer should be able to look up your VIN and find out if the update has been done on your car. Also, check your VIN to see if it falls within the VIN's on the TSB. If not, you may not have the problem. However, it seems the vast majority had the issue so chances are you're one of them.

Kingcredible

Congrats on getting your TL over 200K! any issues getting there?

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Not sure if you're asking me or Blackac12. I've had minor issues. Nothing unexpected for the age or mileage though. And nothing very expensive. The most expensive was the alternator at 170K miles. A rebuilt was $212. I've had a few suspension parts start to make noise. Upper control arms, sway bar end links. I also had the brake vacuum booster go bad. The booster only cost me about $40 but it was kind of a pain to replace. Otherwise, that's it. <$1000 altogether when DIYing the repairs. And none of that ever stranded me. Even the alternator going bad was a matter of it dropping to about 12.8V - 13V rather than the 13.8V+ that it should normally be at. That voltage is enough to keep the car going but could eventually result in a dead battery since it doesn't provide a real strong charge. For better or worse, it started to make some noises as well which alerted me to the problem.

I did the timing belt job at 130K, but that's regular maintenance. Valve adjustment, replacement of a few other suspension parts (just to "tighten" things up, not because they necessarily went bad). Replaced front shock assemblies at about 150K which helped handling slightly. The old ones were still ok though. No leaking or anything. I misdiagnosed a bad CV joint and ended up replacing the driveaxle which cost about $200 OEM. That was my bad though. The old one was fine. A few other odds and ends as pre-emptive maintenance. That's it.

Jimmy Nguyen

Thanks for the information. I have scheduled an appointment for the Torque converter software update for Monday!

Kingcredible

@losiglow Wow that is very impressive! one of the reasons why I don't get mad when other people call our TLs "just an accord" is precisely your experience. I take it as a compliment, reliability is pretty high on the scale when choosing a vehicle.
May I ask how hard / easy was this work for you? Did you do it yourself or have it done in the shop? I'm looking into doing the timing belt in myself and possibly the clutch when it comes time. I'm confident in my mechanical ability, the only thing that would limit me in these jobs is if they require specialized tools or a lift

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

Thanks. None of the jobs were too bad. You can find the tech manual here on Azine which guides you through the process step-by-step. It's the same manual the Acura techs at the dealerships use. When it comes to the timing belt job, I followed everything to a tee - checking every step 3 times to make sure I was doing it exactly as spec'd. You definitely don't want to screw that job up

The other repairs or part replacements were either jobs I'd done before or pretty intuitive. Suspension is only difficult when bolts are rusted or if you try to remove a part without removing something else that has to moved out of the way. As far as special tools - some suspension work is much easier with tools that most auto shops rent out. A ball joint remover and tie rod end remover are much easier to use than a screwdriver and hammer. But nothing special is needed for the timing belt job other than maybe a good breaker bar for the crank pulley bolt, which is torqued on pretty tight. But just about anything in the engine bay can be done with basic tools. Sometimes it's handy to have ratchet extensions or stuff like that. It seems that over time you discover little odds and ends that make life easier. A flare nut wrench for brake lines for example - much better than regular open ended which can strip the brake line connector. Little things like that. Oh, and a 36mm impact socket comes in handy if you have to remove axle bolts to either move the hub out of the way or replace axles. Auto shops will usually rent those out as well.

mdb007

Congrats sounds like yours is the same color as mine too. I bought in November with 63k it was a 2 owner but first was a 4 year company lease car. The 2nd owners were idiots they did get oil changed from carfax but floor mats were missing so i found the acura rubber ones new off ebay. I had the judder on tranny and had to take to local acura dealer as I bought used from chrysler dealer 2nd owner traded in on cherokee. I had to pay for tranny flush and reprogramming and mentioned the tsb I found here. $300 for that but when they changed the gurgling tranny filter with 4 quarts in march under another tsb didn't charge me WTF!

However the judder is returning so now I am gonna have to fight to get convertor replaced under the extended warranty. I think I should write to customer service first. But I did buy an extended warranty for powertrain through chrysler but if anything goes I have to take to a chrysler dealer. You'll know if you have the judder, it is jerky feeling and not smooth.

It's a great car to drive the 280 horse engine is strong and handles most bumps fine. steering is fairly tight but if you upgrade tires I suggest going with 45 sidewall and not 50. I did with Continentals and great tires but softer sidewall so quick lane changes you feel the tires roll a bit.