JnC

iTrader: (12)

Just got back from NJ after picking up an 05 RL to be used as a DD, couple of questions to current owners.

1) The right front speaker crackles every time the nav guidance voice comes on and I can also hear that crackling/humming sort of noise when the car accelerates or idles. Does that indicate blown speaker? If so, what are my replacement options?

2) The rear windows can not be opened or closed using the switches in the front driver side door. The windows work fine when you use the switches in each rear door. Also, I know the window switch in each rear door says "auto" but the auto close and open function doesnt seem to be working.

It happened to me once with my TL after my battery went dead, the issue took care of itself though after a couple of days .

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'll post pictures when I get a chance, in the mean time any help resolving these two issues would be greatly appreciated.

First mod? Back up camera .

miner

Do a search on the site for auto window resetting and you will find the fix - no that hard to do. Replacement options are few since it is a BOSE stereo. Salvage yard would be your best bet for replacement speaker(s).

oo7spy

Congrats! Watch out Carbon, we have another headlight aficionado.

If the speaker is blown, it should make the sound for all audio sources. We have yet to see a speaker swap write-up here, as crazy as that sounds. We know the sizes, but what no one has ever confirmed is the myth that the RL uses 2ohm speakers. The most sure fix would be a used speaker from a junk yard.

For the windows, go to each door that has the issue. Hold the button down all the way and continue holding 5 sec after the window is down. Then hold the button up until 5 seconds after the window is up. That should fix the auto issues and the driver control issue. If it doesn't, then I forgot the method off hand.

oo7spy

Also, I'm interested in your thoughts of the RL compred to some of the other cars you've owned considering your OG status on AZine.

MrKev

For the windows you can try going through each window and resetting it individually. I've had one customer RL where the autos weren't working and that's what I had to do to get it working.

Start from drivers then to drivers rear, passenger rear then passenger front. Hold the window switch up until window is fully closed for 5 seconds and should reset and auto option should be working. As for the rear window buttons not working on drivers switch, sound like the master switch may be bad.

Also didn't you have a silver RL before? Saw some threads where you installed the aspec kit, or is this a new one?

oo7spy

Close, but mostly not correct regarding the windows. See post #3.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

^^ Thanks, guys. I was able to reset the auto window roll down function with help from this post, it also fixed the issue of the windows not responding to the switches in the front driver side door.



As far as the speakers are considered, yeah the crackling sounds through FM radio as well. Mostly when I have it switched to talk radio etc.

While I was at the dealer picking up some touch up paint i inquired about the speaker and a replacement one was only $64. So I ordered that, which should be here tomorrow.

My first car was a 90 Nissan Maxima with blown bose speakers, checked with crutchfield back in the day and they couldnt suggest anything due to the 2 or 4 ohm issue. Each speaker had its own amplifier as well. I took the chance and got rid of all the speakers and installed some cheap Kenwoods, luckily they all worked brilliantly with the factory stereo.

Not sure if I want to take that chance again as for now I just want that crackling to go away.

Any help on how to replace/access the speaker?

For the headlights, nothing too fancy. Since the car is white, I am really looking into getting the headlight trim pieces chrome coated as Chrome/silver combo looks real nice on white. I have to invest in finding a source that can paint the trim pieces chrome, I have heard of the new mirror coating based process and it sounds promising, lets see what happens. They do need new bulbs, so SVS will be installed soon along with some clear lenses or even retrofitted s2k projectors.

This RL is the second one in the family, my brother owns one with 240k miles on it. He loves it and so do I, for the money I wanted to spend and the amminities I wanted there was no other good choice in the market but the RL. It replaces a 2G Lexus GS, which sure will be missed.

Carbon Legend

Ohh im not worried about JNC. Go way way back on HIDPlanet..lol as far as chrome plating. have not seen much success on the trim pieces. you could always try that chrome vinyl wrap they use on cars with some heat and patience it could happen. looking forward to see what you come up with.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

^^ Yessir.

BTW I saw your post on HIDp, killer project indeed, car must look like a spaceship at night

Ideally I'd like to swap the OEM projectors with the S2ks, I do have some spare RL projectors with me, lets ses if I can mount the AFS knobs on them some how and make them fit the opening.

I looked at this video that looked like a promising solution.


I think its the same process they use to paint chrome onto those flamboyant cars from the middle east.

Carbon Legend

the RL AFS is very height sensitive. if its in too high becomes useless. i tried to do it with some FX-R's and that pesky solenoid gets in the way. i love the RL. i call it a S2000 in disguise. clear lens and sheetmetal shield it can be razor sharp too. i have around 8 pairs of RL's laying around a couple with burnt bowls from crappy bulbs.

looks like the same process as i seen on WCC when they painted the R8

JnC

iTrader: (12)

^^ Yup, seems like they have kits available as well, for high heat applications etc.


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=674441

I did a clear lens swap etc on my brother's RL with some new Osrams and yes indeed they are awesome when modded right.

I might just go that route. I'll sure miss the LS430s which I had in my GS , nothing beats those puppies when it comes to width.

Carbon Legend

I tried for for about 6 hours to figure out how to fit those in the RL. was debating on deleting AFS since it is so wide. Awesome thanks for that link could come in very useful for future retro's.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

BTW I am getting the brake master cylinder recall done on the car next week, I think there is another recall that the service adviser mentioned.

My car sat on the lot of the BMW dealer for a good 4 months before I picked it up yesterday, the rotors had surface rust on them yesterday but that got taken care of by the 200+ mile drive back home. The car shudders 1/3 times I brake, wrapped rotors may be? The pads seem to have plenty of meat on them, the rotors seem to be new as well but if they are wrapped I cant tell from just looking at them.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

prob the power steering hose.

Carbon Legend

there were 2 brake recalls. 1 for the master cylinder seal, and one was ABS related. i would be on the look out for the A/C and Propeller shaft whine.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

A year ago I was looking to get into a 2010 AWD TL and heartTL mentioned that issue as well and it sort of deterred me from looking into the TL that aggressively.

Watched a video online to get acquainted with the noise and for now I have no such noise coming from the bearing. I am having my mechanic go over the car thoroughly in a couple of days to check if there are any lingering or possible issues.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Also, are there any white underbody spoiler kits available anywhere?

Carbon Legend

Wing- 08F10-SJA-211
Front lip- 08F01-SJA-210
Rear lip- 08F03-SJA-211

these are on OEM Acura parts. Sides appear to be discontinued. most notice the bearing in the winter time or when it is cold.

BDoggPrelude

Agreed. It might rear its ugly head once the temperatures start dropping. I had my driveshaft replaced under warranty a few weeks ago. I'm interested to see if I still get the 30-40mph once it starts getting colder here.

Welcome to the 2G RL forum, JNC!

JnC

iTrader: (12)

^^ Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep an ear out for that noise.

Seems like the car was never driven in the snow as after removing all the engine shrouding etc I noticed no oxidation on any of the engine parts. I threw it up on the lift and the same is the case on the underside of the car, good sign indeed and weird as well since the car spent its entire life in NJ.

One thing I noticed while driving back from NJ was that the ride was a bit harsh, I am familiar with how the RL rides on 18" Aspec tires/wheels so this was a bit out of the ordinary. Checked and found that the Michelin tires that are on the car were manufactured back in mid 2006 , that explains it. So now the stock wheels are coming off and 18" aspec wheels will go on for the remainder of summer/fall. I intend on using the 17's for winter with some studded general altimax winter tires.

Replaced the differential fluid yesterday along with complete engine flush, transmission flush and coolant flush using local BG dealer. The transmission fluid was brown as the UPS truck so the BG guy had to do the flush 3 times before he was happy with everything. I must say the car shifts much much smoother now.

I still need to know how to remove the front door speaker, should I just take the panel off or does the speaker grill pries out?

oo7spy

Panel has to come off. For whatever reason, that part of the service manual was excluded here. The instructions have been posted once, and I grabbed them. However, I'm not on my computer now.

This thread should have everything though.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Which thread??

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Fixed the loose side view mirrors and realized the problem with the design. The setting in the screw hole opening is made for countersunk screws but panhead screws are installed to hole in place.

I tried getting some new countersunk M5 screws but for some reasons they wont go in, I guess its some weird size that the factory is using. My initial plan was to just use some blue thread lock with the factory screws but after taking the screws out I noticed that there was some blue threadlock on them already this means that even with the blue thread lock eventually the screws will come loose.

Solution? Take the screws out, install a star washer on them, put some blue threadlock on the screws and screw them in real good .

Here is what the star washer that I used looks like.

oo7spy

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rl-2005-2012-76/removing-door-trim-panels-trim-clips-857381/

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Thank you so much


Waiting to hear back from Dxplicit to see if I can just replace the door speakers with something better, he has MB quarts components but the model he used is discontinued.

Carbon Legend

was looking at doing these in my car. they can operate at 2 or 4 ohm safely.

http://infinitysystems.com/product-d...appa-629i.html

yue3759

JnC, let us know what you find out about whether aftermarket speakers will work. My front passenger side speaker is sort of acting up so I was toying with the idea of replacing them with something better as well.

oo7spy

Be careful using their guide for speaker sizes. They claim 6.5" speakers in the front and 6x9" speakers in the back, but experience here says we have 6" speakers all the way around.
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-90/speakers-doors-876219/

JnC

iTrader: (12)

1) Treated the interior to leatherique, love the results

2) After extensive research decided to just swap the blown speaker with OEM one, I think it was $48. It came in today, I'll be doing the swap soon, might post detailed pictures.

3) Also got the trunk spoiler, $273 shipped, not bad.

4) Car is with the dealer right now getting the two recalls taken care of, also, I opted to get the waterpump/timing belt service done. The car has only 81k miles, service wasnt due for another 20k but i much rather have the peace of mind that the belt wont snap at me due to being old and crusty.

5) Got the pre-owned purchase inspection done as well, apprantly the power steering pump seal is showing signs of failure, early signs I must add. Is this a common issue? I am being told that to fix the seal the pump needs to be replaced, true?

6) One of the engine mount is leaking hydraulic fluid, again, is this a common issue? I intend on buying the mount and having it installed by my mechanic eventually.

oo7spy

Power steering pump seems to be popping up recently, but if I recall correctly all of them here have been dealer suggestions and not catastrophic failures. Pretty sure 1 member sealed it himself.

Motor mounts are common. Honda mounts suck. XLR8 makes RL replacements, but they aren't vacuumed and allow more engine vibration.

If you can take pics of the door panel removal, it would be handy.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Found a picture of the left door panel, here it is flipped to show the right side panel.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

I have removed door panels before and let me say that the right tools make all the difference. Especially if you dont want to break those pins and/or bust your knuckles.

I already have one of these



but recently acquired one of these kits as well to avoid damaging the leather parts.



The shown kit can be picked up from the following link, its similar to the KTM kit, which is a few more dollars but this one includes more pry tools

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330942230829...84.m1439.l2649

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Replaced the faulty speaker today, took all of around 20 minutes. You dont need the special pry tool kit and you can do without the trim removal pliers as well.

Tools needed.

1) Phillips head screw driver
2) Small flat head screw driver.
3) Some painters tape
4) Phillips head ratchet bit along with small ratchet.


onto pictures

Tools, ratchet not shown as I didnt think i needed it in the beginning.



cover taken out from the inside door handle, there is a small tab visible on the cover, you need to push it up with the small flat head screw driver and then pry the cover off using finger nail, comes out very easily. Just be extra careful not to use force or you'll end up breaking one of the retaining tabs.






Removing the cap shows the screw that holds the panel in place. Unscrew it and keep the screw aside, this one is different than the other two screws to be removed.



Next is the small opening right in the side pocket area. Open the side pocket flap, this cover comes right out using just a finger or small flat head screw driver. Again, careful trying to pry it out as you do not want to damage any of the retaining tabs. Once the flap opens, you'll have to turn and pull it out.



The tab shown on the right is the one that stays in and holds the cover in place once its pulled out, it needs to be twisted and wiggled out.



Cap off, retaining screw shown here which needs to be taken out.



Next is the cover on the door handle, use a small flat head screw driver to pry it out, I tapped the head with painters tape to avoid any damage. You'll pry off the bottom and then work around the edge the pop off the rest of the retaining tabs.



cap off, notice the retaining tabs.





the retaining screw



once the three screws are off you need to pull the panel off.

You can use the pry tool but just using hands work as well.

Just use enough force to pop the pins out one at time. The pins are all around the side and bottom edges.

There are two towards the top, one is towards the top center and one towards the top outside, these are tough to pop out. Once the outside ones are popped off just reach behind towards the center and push the panel out. Right around the door handle area.

Once the pins are out, you need to rest the panel on something while the door handle and lock mechanism is still attached to it. Or have a friend hold it while you reach behind and unplug the side view mirror and the door harness. Shown here with the panel removed.



here is the door panel fully off of the door.



You do need to remove the door handle and the lock mechanism. There are three screws that hold it in place. Undo them using a ratchet/screwdriver bit or one of those stubby screwdrivers.



the culprit



the speaker is held in place by this pin, you need to push it and pull the speaker at the same time. The top will pop out, then just life it out of the door and unplug it








put the new speaker in by first plugging it in and then popping it back in place.


Now, inspect the panel to make sure all the retaining pins are in place. Some of them might have gotten left in the door when prying the panel out. In my case two of them did.



here are pictures of the two "Yellowish" pins that are in the middle and are tougher to get out.





Once everything is in place, mount the door handle back onto the door panel. Plug the two plugs for door control unit and side mirror. Push the panel back in place, lightly pushing around the edges to make sure the pins get back into their place.

Once done, put the three screws back on along with the three covers.

Your done .

BDoggPrelude

So did it fix the problem? Nice write-up BTW.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

^^ Yessir.

My issues were
1) Crackling in the nav guide voice.
2) Crackling while listening to radio/cd.
3) Humming/rattling while the car accelerated.

All three are taken care of with the new speaker.

Noticed the faulty speaker made a funny noise when i pushed on the diaphram almost like how sand paper would make a noise if rubbed on cardboard. I knew at that point that the speaker is faulty for sure, got proven right once the new one was installed and tested good.

oo7spy

Thank you sir!

JnC

iTrader: (12)

No problem, it was sort of tricky trying to take pictures and do the work, makes me appreciate all the other DIYs people have written up on AZ

Next order of business, get snow tires for the stock 17's. Discount tires is running a special where i can get 4 general altimax arctic tires shipped for less than $400 Might jump on that as I love the altimax plus my current tires are all mismatched with one being two years old, one three and two 6 years old

Also, I am installing the spoiler in a day or two. Last time I installed it I didnt bother with the upgraded struts for the trunk lid, I might actually throw them on this time around.

Any DIY to remove all the trunk liner? I got the lid liner off just need to remove the trunk liner to access the struts.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Actually, never mind, found the instructions here

http://estore.honda.com/accesssory-i...L&modelname=RL

oo7spy

Just pull on it. Getting the right order is the only important part.

JnC

iTrader: (12)

Yeah, got it off using the pry tool


Trunk is gutted right now with the nav disc drive out as well.

- Waiting on NavTool to come in along with the back up camera, navtool will be here today and camera another couple of weeks as its coming from China. I am in no rush as the car is not even registered yet even though the temp tags are expiring today

- Installed the spoiler as well.

- I installed an RL spoiler a few years back on brother's RL as well, it has held up good but the sides are lifting a bit, I guess the double sided tape is giving up. To avoid this from happening again, I applied window weld in the corners and right alongside the double sided tape that runs the length of the spoiler. Hopefully this will take care of any lifting issue.