Jchick

Welp, I'm close to 200k on my TL. Two transmission rebuilds, last one was about a year ago. Other than that, seems to run pretty well. Until yesterday.

Had a power loss event while on cruise at about 70mph. Lasted about 1-2 seconds. No CEL lights or anything, just lost a couple thousand RPM, then magically regained and everything was fine for the next 30 miles when I pulled into my garage.

Same exact thing happened today while on cruise, about 15 miles from home. This time I noticed the green "D" indicator on the console dimmed at the same time. But a second later, all was back to normal and it didn't throw any codes.

Looked online here and there and can't seem to find a fix.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Jchick

Had another event yesterday, same circumstances. Thought maybe ignition switch, but the fact that the D indicator went dark but nothing else lost power leads me to believe transmission issues are here again.

Nobody has had these symptoms before?

01tl4tl

so far you have stumped the band
but
there are a few hidden experts you can PM,,not everyone lives their life on azine~
try piggylover1969 he is a real acura master tech/trans rebuild guru
or our megamoderator fsttyms1 may know

I would start simple: have the battery and electrical system tested for free at parts stores.
ck relay for master power, ck anything you can see--relays in tight etc

how does the atf smell and look? last atf change how many miles ago?

Jchick

No issues with the battery and charging circuit according to my multimeter tests. I'll have it tested at an auto parts store just to be sure. Looked over all electrical, no obvious issues.

ATF looks and smells like ATF, not burned or discolored.

Thanks for the advice on 'hidden experts'. I'll PM them.

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

Im an auto. electrical technician by career. I'd first check both pos/neg battery terminals (inside the terminal and outside of battery post) because many power or ground losses stem from there quite frequently. Even if u dont see anything, take them off and clean anyways. Personally ive seen many ignition switch issues on these cars (think theres even a TSB on this) however try and collect more information about the symptoms whenever it occurs again.

Severin

Check where the battery ground connects to the chassis and engine block. The ground wire is unshielded near these points and will oxidize and the individual strands will separate. I replaced mine as it was only half connected after 12 years.

01tl4tl

they are talking about the extra ground straps,,not just the regular battery to ground cable condition
there are several smaller ones- with exposed braided wire- that connect between frame and engine
acura even has a kit with all the ground wires! ~$20

there are expensive kits, or diy for more grounds- from ps alt etc to a main ground point,
every little bit helps!
Crud buildup inside the main battery wires is a common problem = resistance to flow and messes up voltages to sensors - false codes can be triggered and weird running
If there was lots of blue crud on them,,its gotten inside too = replace for sure

there was a recall on 99s for the ignition switch ,,but those replacements fail several more times in the cars life. Can happen to any year gen2,,gets dirty inside and arcs-shorts itself -will cut out engine then come back on,,very scary and dangerous!!
Its possible to take the switch apart and clean inside,,saving 30 bucks
a ziner posted pics of that within the last 12 months or so

Jchick

Haven't driven the TL much since the last event, just a couple of short trips. However, I will do a highway trip again this weekend and see what happens. Thanks for the advice on grounding, I'll get a look at that too and clean up all connections I can find.

I'd like to get another year or two out of the TL. Maybe join the 300K club someday !

Any idea how long a TL can go without a 2nd timing belt job?

01tl4tl

it will be ok until the timing belt, water pump, or any of the tensioner or roller pullies fail~ then its goodbye to that engine!
120-140kmiles on a full set of good parts is reasonable
If the 105 was done on the cheap,,,no pullies....no guess

do an intake mainfold egr port system cleaning, adjust the valves, clean TB
observe internal parts condition

seafoam in the oil before next change is a good thing, clears oil passages,
improves pressures, fixes noises,,,

01tl4tl

`120-140kmiles on a full set of good parts is reasonable`
thats a personal opinion and based on no facts --every 105 is what the book says

how long did you go the first time?

Jchick

I was just over 105K

TLer trash

I think it's your ignition switch. I suspect a lot of people don't notice what every light is doing at any given time, and I think the "D" indicator is fed by the ignition switch.

Jchick

Not so sure about that, according to another post the D5 light is powered directly by the PCM module.

Which is a bummer, because I'm betting that opens up all kinds of yuccky possibilities.

TLer trash

If it's powered by the pcm, it's not powered by anything in the pcm that remains remains awake with the key off. When the key is off or in accessory, the D5 or P, or N, are all off. When our ignition switches fail they typically act like the switch is being shut off, sometimes momentarily. I just wouldn't rule the switch out since it's such a common problem.

Jchick

All -

Revisiting this ignition issue.

Symptoms seems to point to the gnition switch - random shutting down while driving. Engine randomly shuts down for a couple of seconds, dash lights come on, then it the engine comes back to life without me doing anything at all. Lately, I'll be driving and the engine will shut down completely. Pull over, crank, and it might start up, might not. Wait a few minutes and it starts right up.

I replaced the ignition switch but just had the same issue with complete engine shutdown.

Got me thinking about the immobilizer circuit. Why? Because the previous owner from long ago had a remote start installed. When I replaced the ignition switch, I can see a coil of telephone wire wrapped around the ignition switch area leading to an tape-wrapped ignition key, with the wire going through the keyring hold, presumably to disable the immobilizer circuit. I didn't touch any of the remote start stuff, worked around it and replaced the ignition switch.

What is the best way to test it?

Is there a way to connect something that will definitively show that circuit is keeping the engine from running during this intermittent shut down?

Thanks for any help.

Jchick

Removed the main relay and I found an obvious cracked solder joint off Pin 1. Resoldered and will test drive tomorrow.

ErickUa5

Check the main ECU ground on the thermostat housing, its bolted down with a 10mm.
It may be corroded or loose causing the issue.

ErickUa5

From the tests I've done on my own TL, it only looks for the key when your about to start the engine, Its not constantly checking for the key while its running.

If the green key light is flashing while its in position II theres a problem with the key or some other part of the immobilizer.

Jchick

100 miles today with no issues at all. I'm 98% sure the culprit was the main relay - bad solder joints. Thanks for all the help !

3.2TLc

Thanks for checking back in with the results.
This info may help others who may encounter a similar problem.