mengle

Hello all,

I have had this situation happen twice to me since I got my TL. I do some traveling w/ my job and my car sits at the airport for 2-3 days on occasion......after I get into my car upon returning, there is a nasty vibration at all speeds for the first 5-10 mins of driving. Eventually it goes away!!

So....could it be that the 17" tires develop a "Flat" spot while sitting for a couple of days???

Thanks for your input....

acura_driver

Yes, it is very likely temporary flat spots.

-r

mengle

Other people have mentioned that it is because the Bridgestone EL42 tires suck!

Has anyone else had this problem?

acura_driver

The Bridgestone EL42's are actually better than I expected. They handle reasonably well for all season tires, though they do seem noisy compared to what I'd expect. I plan to replace them with some good summer tires in a few months though.

-r

DaveB99

YES!!!

I have this problem and don't know the solution.

I am going to document for my service guy when this happens. I have it happen all mornings.

It is not right.

We should get new tires or something.

What puzzles me is it doesn't sound like everyone has this problem which leads me to believe something being wrong with our cars and or tires.

Do you live in New England (CT) like me mengle?

Maybe it is a cold weather thing.

mengle

Dave,

I do not live in a cold weather state (Tennessee), but this problem has happened every time my car sits idle for more than 2 days. Someone from vtec.net mentioned that they have the same problem every morning as you do!!

Not sure, but it has to be related to the tires, because once they "warm up", all is well.

Chuck

According to people at The Tirerack, a lot of higher performance tires will exhibit this trait until the tire warms up a bit. Apparently it's the nylon belts in the tire that "flatten out" during inactivety.
They say it shouldn't cause a problem, it's just irritating for the first few miles or so.

samkws

is there a way to ask the dealer to upgrade the 6 spd's summer tires for free when u buy the car?

since most of the ppl would get another set of snow tires

Nicki

Yes, the EL42's suck. Some peole dont notice it because they are are not "critical" and probably are not paying attention nor don't care. The EL42 specs and reviews on tiretrack.com are so bad its a laugh- how they come to put this on a 04TL is beyond me. When my 6MT comes in I am putting new tires on right away and trading in the EL42s because they are of pathetic quality.

need4spd

Nicki - I know that they are not the best tire and I am also critical, and push my tires to the limit, but they really are not that bad, probably it is mostly the suspension, but I was amazed at the grip, my last car was a 96 maxima with suspsension teaks, and a plus 2 to 235/45-17 Yokohama AVS Sports (for 4 years), and the new TL is much better than that with EL42's. This is not to say that I would not replace them in the spring, but they are not as bad as you say (besides the flat spots)!

Mengle,

Ok, I also frequent here, so I will repost:

Unfortunately you are correct if you belive the Acura Regional Service rep!

When I first brought my car in, the service advisor said the regional happened to be in that day and reviewed my list, one which was for tire vibration.

He (regional) told them that for the 04TL, becuase of the "low profile" (not sure I belive this) tire (more like Bridgstone), that the tires develop flat spots when COLD, and that once they warm up, the vibration goes away!!!

They did rebalance anyway, found one off 0.20 oz, not much, but this did not fix the problem, I still have it like you, but it can happen overnight for me.

I had Yokohama AVS sports in the same size (235/45-17) never did I have this type of problem (but it was on a lighter 3010lb car vs 3500), so I believe it is a design defect in the tire.

Good luck, as for me, I really hate it as I feel it every day after work now that the colder months are here!

acura_driver

I'm pretty critical of tires, and do push them hard. It is probably true that the TL's suspension is helping the EL42's a lot. The true test will come next year when I put descent tires on the car.

BTW, flat spotting is more noticeable in cold climates. Since the rubber is colder it takes longer for the tire to warm up and become round again. I think this problem was more common with bias ply tires.

-r

RJC RSX

the tires on the TL are specifically designed for the TL and are not the same as the tires you see on tirerack.com

rhaas

My car has the same problem every morning for the first few miles plus the tires are out of balance as far as I can tell (shakes at 70). I have a set of Pzero Nero M+S on the way and will report back on the change in feel later this week once they have been installed.

need4spd

Thanks.

LGG

Ok. I'll take your word for this. So how will we go about replacing them before too long if they really prove that special and these EL42 Touranzas are not the same as the rest of the EL42 Touranzas in the world?

rhaas

RJC RSX:

According to Bridgestone's website, the Turanza EL42 is standard on Acura TL. If there was anything special about the Turanza's on the TL I doubt Bridgestone would be advertising them to the general public.

Rock Dog

Flat spots from temperature, low profile tires, period. MY ASS! Look there is no doubt (and it's been documented in many industry magazines Automotive Engineering, WAW ETC...) That larger wheels, and lower profiles have more vibration issues. Mostly due to the uneven stiffness found in almost any sidewall on low profile tires. Not to mention the fact that a lot of wheels (especially OEM) and tires are not perfectly round. If you put the hard spot of the tire’s sidewall, in line with the high spot of the wheel, you've got a very out of round combo, or a high spot that creats a vibration.

I have found (been using the system since 2000 or so) that having a standard balance sucks. Track down a tire shop that has a Hunter GSP9700 Vibration Control System This system applies a force to the tire and wheel while it's spinning to check for sidewall stiffness variations. They also measure the rim roundness (or runout). Then the computer tells the tech how to place the tire on the rim. Then it does a standard balance usually requiring weights on the inside of the rim (just behind the spokes, if you will) and on the inside lip of the rim.

The difference I've seen between this system, and a standard balance is night and day. As a matter of fact almost all the Audi and BMW dealers in my area have one in their service departments.

Go to the website, and "find a GSP9700 near you." They have great Flash animations explaining this system as well.

It'll cost anywhere from $15-$20 a corner. But is well worth it.

The new models have another feature, (StraightTrak LFM) which I haven't tried yet. But I will find someone around here that has it and check it out for sure!

Why don't they use these systems at the plant? Don't know, Cost?

Why doesn't your dealer have one? Don't know, Cost?

They are very expensive machines compared to the standard balancing unit. And most people do not notice, feel or get bothered by the vibration. I do however, I am very in tune to it, and it makes me nuts. I've yet to have a car with 17" (or larger) wheels, and low profile tires, that don't vibrate out of the factory.

P.S. None of this means anything, if the operator is not trained properly, rushes through it, or is just plain stupid. I had that happen once.

death

I am finding the nearest "Hunter" balancing center near me as soon as possible. I have a 2003 TL-S with 3,900 miles on it and I have the same problem.

:devil: :enforcer:

acura_driver

If the vibration goes away after the car is driven a few miles, it isn't a balance problem.

-r

Rock Dog

True. I didn't mean to suggest that the "tire flat spot" issue/idea wasn't valid. But in my experience has been very rare. I did not mean to insinuate anything else by my post.

If the vibration goes away after a little while, maybe add a couple of pounds of pressure when cold, see if that helps at all.