I hate stereotypes. Eric is a mechanic. I’m a truck driver. Yet we are masters of our occupation. And we can speak like educated beings. What a concept! Never judge a book by its cover.
Pretty consistent with our used car inspection. The one thing I added recently and it takes 10 mins is a cylinder head gasket test. Super helpful to the customer
“Quick” battery terminal clean. 20 steps later... Way to do it right!!! Can’t wait to see all the fixes. It reminds me of the old videos that helped the every man! My 1998 Camry and 2008 mountaineer thank you!
The way people abuse cars, as expensive as they are. I am still driving my 1993 Buick Century that I bought new and it looks beautiful. I take care of my stuff. Makes me so sad to see this sort of thing. That poor car.
I feel bad for you, those were hideous cars and to be stuck with one this long, is really sad when you could have had something much nicer all this time even if it was still a '93 model year, even something with a similar new sticker price in '93. Well, a Chrysler might've been worse, but less likely to last this long so in that regard, putting it out of its misery sooner isn't all a bad thing.
I have a 2006 Acura TL with over 300,000 miles, original engine and transmission. Bought it from the original owner with about 270k miles on it at the time. No issues with the car, just recently replaced the clutch/pressure plate, flywheel and throw out bearing but did it in my garage in a day. Love the car, comes with all the luxuries and has awesome power.
Hey man! Got a 08 TL base auto-t couple months ago and you have no idea how you are a shining light in my life right now! I'm that apprentice who lacks self confidence and your vids are helping alot. Thanks for the quality of content too! It's well explained, well shot, well edited. I just subscribed and gonna be watching all your tl series, Congrats you just became my TL mentor.
8:40 as a lube technician at a Walmart Auto Care Center, I can put my hand on my heart and swear on a pallet of bibles that at my store, all of the drain plugs are loosened and tightened with HAND TOOLS ONLY and torqued (with an ACTUAL torque wrench) to a set of specifications that we have. (For example, if the sheet says 29 ft lbs for a 2009 Acura TL, then we set it 29 ft lbs, and not a ft lb more!) And if we come across a rounded off plug, or it takes excessive force to loosen it, or it’s acting like it wants to strip out, we IMMEDIATELY stop, inform the customer, and then use the dipstick evacuation system our store has.
When I had a machine shop replace the engine, the radiator drain was broken and they said it was bad. The oil drain was stripped and the shop blamed that on a quick lube shop. The vehicle has been a POS since that shop did the work, every gasket leaks because they went cheap on everything.. Bottom line, I got no faith in any rip-off shop who lies to me. [all 4 O2 sensors are bad (WTF?) because there was a vacuum leak]
That all varies by shop of course. I had a buddy that worked somewhere so shady they tried to tell him if you really don't feel like doing an oil change at that time just strip the bolt then go tell them it's stripped...some places really just do not give a shit
@@thelonelywolf88 -- Yes, took my '88 Accord to Jiffy Lube and they cross-threaded my drain plug after my oil change. They refused to foot the $100+ bill so I've never gone to another "quick oil change" shop since then. Learned an expensive lesson from those bast*rds!
@@CitizenPerkins yeah they're a giant rip off. When I worked there, we scared a lot of customers away with a $40 conventional oil change. Rotation was another $20
For sho man. I was cussing a lot when I was changing my oil at home. Rented a lift the next morning and took that mf with a 24in breaker bar. Hate it when the lube places do these 😡😤
Very interesting video...liked it! I am a proud owner of my 2nd Acura TL. I love everything about this car. The way it looks, the comfort, the way it drives, the pep, all of it. However, I had to chuckle when you were talking about the transmission issues being on the older models. I replaced the transmission in my 2006 Acura TL at 142k miles and I just replaced the transmission in my 2008 TL at 204k miles. So...they DO still have transmission issues. This time, it gave me no warning whatsoever. No leaking, no noise, no smell, no hard shifting, nothing. Just pulled out into traffic one day and it sounded like I ran over a bowling ball. I love the car though, so I put Humpty back together again and will keep driving it until the doors fall off. Keep making vids about this one!
@@dlo__3929 IKR??? I thought when I moved up to the 2008, my transmission worries were behind me. To be fair, the 2006 was not taken care of very well and had a host of issues. We just kept putting it together again...but this time, I just don't get it. I'm very easy on my cars, I don't drive like a race car driver. I make sure it shifts before I hit the gas....so I dunno. I love this car but this is my last TL.
I just wanted to be the 1000th comment and say you've been amazing help with my new-to-me 06 TL. Love there is a mechanic who has worked on these cars putting out high quality videos.
I bought this exact model a year ago for daily driving duty. It had 88,000 miles on it and I'm closing in on 105k now. Everything works and still does but I do have some concerns about some things so I'm looking forward to your contents!
@@Khadeejah-rl8jf For this particular model, I had concerns about oil leaks and the transmission as I've seen on some forums that they could get clunky and faulty and might need to either be serviced regularly or replaced. However since I last posted this, I'm now at 150k miles on the car and haven't really had any big issues. The oil leak has been a problem on mine but it has since been resolved. All the electronics are fine besides the Bluetooth which I had to remove because it was draining my battery. Also have had to change the timing belt and new brake pads and rotors. Car overall is really nice to drive and get fairly good gas mileage when I take it on long road trips. Hope that helps!
I'm on my 2nd 3G TL - an '06 this time, with only 124k on it (driven by a little old lady and only to church on Sundays - yeah, right). Glad to hear about the transmission thing - I'd been hearing horror stories, but gonna throw them in the 'apochryfile'. Obviously needs some things - gonna do a pre-emptive timing belt change - no record if it's (ever) been done and get valves adjusted. Oh yes, and the 3x3 transmission fluid change - heard that enough to believe it's the way to go. Eric, hope you keep us apprised of how this car treats you and what you're doing to it. I'll be paying close attention... Love. This. Car.
Camaro 1968 because a Honda/Acura technician will know about every common issue these cars suffer from, and all of the fixes that Honda/Acura sent out to dealerships to fix those common issues.
Yeah, mine are very worn, but no cuts or rips. Still, with some $100 fitted seat covers, makes a huge difference in looks (I care just a smidgen more than Eric about how it looks, but of course, reliability is still paramount.
Driving something like this as your daily driver can be such a relief -- because you simply do not care if someone puts a dent in it in a parking-lot incident, or with a 5-mph bump while sitting at a traffic light. Those can be *such* a pain in the ass in a new car, and you can simply ignore them in something like this. But it's not so far gone that it'll be an unreliable p.o.s. Having just said that, I do remember you making a video entitled "Reliable p.o.s." in the past -- this is definitely one of those cars. Good find.
I just bought a 2006 Toyota Solara for 200 bucks. Needed work but was well worth it in the end. It’s a shame how some people treat their vehicles when it comes to preventative maintenance. The previous girl that had the car, ran the brakes beyond existence causing catastrophic failure to the whole braking system. Timing belt was just about to snap and a number of other issues. I saved a lot of money doing it all myself but, I’m happy to say that it is a great and reliable vehicle and I made a good decision to buy it. 👍🏼
"Oh, am I calling you out for stripping the drain plug?" So true. I've owned vehicles that I had serviced at both independent shops and dealers. They ALL use impacts. Literally had to hammer on a 6-point socket once to get it off. First thing I do when I do my first oil change is replace the drain plug. Less than 10 bucks and no more rounded off hex heads.
@@Jonathan-pr1wo that's what I mean. A good friend of mine was rehired at one of those places and he would bring up the things they do when the customer isn't watching. Both tightening the drain plugs with impacts as well as never changing the filter
RL Jakovasaur true and overfilling oil is also a major problem that these places tend to do to cars. Only once I took my car to one of those places and they overfilled my oil so I had to drain some out when I got home. I should’ve done the oil change myself but at the time I was too busy to do it and was why I took it one of those places.
Awesome vid Eric I had a 2002 Acura 3.2tl and man I loved that thing that's how I learned how to fix my car.. and help from your videos. It just hit over 200k when I was involved in a pretty serious car wreck.. in the market for a used but newer one.
@@sugarai-yh9xe i always wanted to upgrade from my V6 6-speed accord to the 6-speed TL, but I could never afford it. Now, finding one in halfway decent shape would be damn near impossible 😞
@@rfehr613 it took me a few months to find this one. It was a salvage title but I saw the pictures and took it to my mechanic and this car was babied. Insurance companies seem to be salvaging for the smallest things nowadays. Good luck
@@sugarai-yh9xe if they car isn't worth anything, they will always pay the value and salvage the vehicle... Might even be law actually. I've had it happen twice when i got hit in my Taurus then mx6.
That is quite a heap, nice to see you're tending to it. I bought a Volvo 850 as a winter beater myself, a handful of small issues, but mechanically sound.
Eric I'm really enjoying the quick cuts in this video, in particular banging the wheels off and when you cleaned up the battery terminals. Super satisfying to watch!
Half the value is gone the moment you drive off the lot. Cars are not house and have never appreciated in value. This is why I'll never understand why anyone buys a brand spanking new vehicle. I say that because I once did that (07 Mustang with 14 miles on it). Biggest regret of my life.
Yay!!! Your back!!!! I found that a good majority of the things you looked at are similar with the 2003-2007 Honda Accord’s. I have an 03 Accord that I bought for $500 and will be following along, as well as working on with these videos :-)
Congratulations on your new TL! I have both a 3rd and a 4th gen TL with manual transmissions and love em. Even though I feel the 3rd gen is going to outlast the 4th there is no comparison between the 2. The 2011 blows the 2007 out of the water. No contest in handling, power, or looks. The 11 is in a whole other league!
The seats in these TL's are notorious for cracking. Along with the dashboard. Luckily, neither of mine have gotten to that point. But yes it was a common problem.
@@xXp0SeDx for real. I've put UV protectant and added a dashcover on the dash of my 08 TL Type-S to prevent cracking. Seats are holding up well, but cracking
That’s because these seats are not real leather, I believe the bolsters are. The seats are mostly comprised of a cheap Vinyl that felt amazingly soft when the car was new, but if you have ever left the sunroof open and water got in the car then the seats will ruin even if it was only 1 time.
You are suppose to put a leather conditioner on leather things every few months, at the very least once a year. All real leather dries out and cracks if you don't keep it conditioned.
Me and Eric will get along just fine...an acura refurbisher and a guy who does'nt give a hell what he's driving as long as he's the one who ensured the work was done right!
I have two of these cars because I love them so much! One daily and my type s is the weekend driver! Decent video. I'll be keeping an eye out for when they go live.
I used to want one of these soooo bad some years ago. But I found one a little better than yours for $7500...I decided NOPE!!! So I settled for an 06 Honda Accord Ex, which I enjoy very much! I still like the TLs. I remember the video you did some years ago where the owner didn't take care of the car at all. If I recall, you did an engine swap on it. Great video. I look forward to watching you bring this up to par! Thanks Eric!!
About to finally sell the 05 manual trans/Brembo Aspec TL we bought my wife new. Dropped 2” with camber kits and Koni yellows, cat back exhaust and U-pipe, CAI. Sporty RELIABLE car. 248k. Very reasonable maintenance. Probably 4 clutches/flywheels, timing belt/H20 pump 2x, problematic initial factory trans 3rd gear synchro updated a few years later, the 1” Aspec drop before I did the 2” drop put the camber negative initially from the factory and camber adjustment arms weren’t available until probably 08-09 and that wore tires out every 15k or so. Was annoyed at the new car killing pricey tires that fast. Now I get 30k from 19” Michelin’s. All front bushings/bearings/ball joints replaced after 150-200k miles. Went through countless CV axles. Something about the 2” drop I suspect. Or aftermarket boots are just garbage. I get about a year or 15-20k miles before they start slinging grease. They’re free replacement after first set but I shoulda started buying New ones Years ago to avoid such frequent axle changes. Pads for Brembo calipers are $200 at Honda but I got a close out special of 5 remaining sets of off-brand pads from rockauto.com for $5/set. Performance near or equal to OE Brembo. I’ve had zero fuel system issues aside from one fuel pump change around 220k. Rear main seal on this car fails before every clutch change. It’s the reason I’ve gotta change the clutch before I sell because of the terrible oil leak and the seals location, not the slight slippage of clutch under hard acceleration. Probably still has 5-10k miles on disk I’m losing. Stupid seal. Dunno why it fails so frequently. Replaced front wheel bearings at 240k. No motor leaks anywhere but rear main seal including oil pan gasket. Still OE gasket and clean. Had AC clutch go bad once around 150k miles. Aside from that, never any AC trouble other than a 10 cent bad shraeder valve leaking my Freon once. Had a door lock actuator go bad around 220k or so. That’s really it. Mainly wear items. Probably a tie between this and the 2000 Accord 2.3L we owned before it for the most reliable car we’ve owned. And we’ve had many as this car served as a spare driver for many years. We have 5 + a bike currently.
@@ericthecarguy - Good to know! Also, what I would find interesting is for each repair, include the price as SniperCat said but also the time/cost involved (both official shop time/cost vs. a shade-tree mechanic like me). That would at least make us feel better about saving $$ on repairing things we can do versus deciding it's time to pay big bucks for something that may be beyond our tools and capabilities (I guess to know when to take it to an expert and when we can do it ourselves). And thanks for all the great content, Eric. I've always worked on my own vehicles and have learned a lot from you over the years!
Dewy Russ It's always been my policy NOT to include labor times in my videos. I don't want to be the one dictating how much time a job should take. It varies greatly depending on your location, and the shop you go to. I think a simple phone call to a local shop would yield an approximate estimate of what they might charge if you want that information. With my parts links you can easily figure out how much it would cost you to do the job yourself. More importantly, you get to see what's involved with the job to determine if it's something you'd like to take on yourself. Thanks for your comment.
280,000 miles on mine and still running strong, just needed one alternator replacement and valve cover gasket replacement. all original. Replace timing belt for maintenance water pump and all fluids.. Other than that it's a daily that drives from Northern Cali to Southern Cali every few months and i use it for work everyday! Great reliable car!
This is what I'm doing from now on. Back in August I purchased a 2006 Ford 500. Before that, I took it to my boss at my old mechanic shop for a pre purchase inspection. She was in great shape aside from the stabilizer links making noise, a small coolant leak under the hood and a failing alternator. I was able to knock a few hundred dollars off the asking price
Some years ago, I replaced the hood struts myself on my 2003 Cl-S. Easy to do;parts were OEM over internet from Honda sealer, $50 or less. I love that car, but at 73 with some disability, I can no longer climb in and out. Just gave it to the son of a friend as a graduation present and bought a Passport.
Funny, I've been eyeing some acura tsx and acura TL on Facebook and craigslist and then i search a few mods on UA-cam then the next day your video pops up, thanks eric. I'm looking at a 2006 TL with 6 spd and navi and 92k miles for 8400$ hopefully its still around when i get my money
John Steele Felt washers do nothing in my experience. From what I've seen, batteries corrode terminals because of the way they are vented. The only batteries I've seen that are properly vented, and didn't cause corrosion, were Panasonic. I don't think they make those anymore. ua-cam.com/video/MhnVZ7ZPunw/v-deo.html Thanks for your comment.
@@ericthecarguy Correct on the washers, Eric. I just replaced the factory Panasonic battery in my 2008 FJ Cruiser after 12 plus years. Best battery ever. Not available anywhere, aftermarket.
Very glad to see you'll be bringing that gorgeous car back to some of its former glory. Should be a great daily. Would also love to see you making some of the repairs -- it's so satisfying to watch an abused car brought back to life.
I love my 07 . but its far from a $200 car .... 134k miles no cracks in dash or rips in leather . super clean etc . id need 7k for mine ... Love the vids eric . ive been watching for yrs 💪
Or just buy for $19.99 on Amazon. Have them on my '08 TL and they work great. ARANA 4.8 out of 5 stars 228Reviews Hood-Struts Compatible with Acura TL 2006-2008 Front Hood Lift Supports Shocks Struts Springs 2pcs
Eric I have a set of new Brembo (brand) front brake rotors for a regular 3.2 V6 TL that I dont need. If you need them please message me and let me know, Id be willing to donate them to your project. I have an 07 TL Type S and I bought a set online that was Brembo brand and was advertised for a TL Type S but it is actually for a regular TL so I can not use them on my car that has the larger front brakes. I cant return them because its beyond the return term for the seller so if you would like them, please let me know. Thanks!
Great video Eric! I own a 08 TL S and I’m eager to see any repair vids that you will upload on this car! I’m looking forward to seeing the transformation of this TL in the coming future
I saw that Eric didn't mention that the 07-08 have an RL-based AT, unlike the 04-06, which do have occasional AT failure. So my money is on the trans here having survived after all
This is hopefully my first car, please bring more of the content! I just found your channel and I enjoy the things you post, they're super helpful! Thank you!
I feel you on those battery terminals. I had to replace mine and took a while to find one that looked reliable. I hate how all the local part stores only stock those garbage ones.
Eric, I can’t wait to see the progress you make and the videos that come from this series... hopefully! Keep up the amazing productions and content! And thank you!
I hate stereotypes. Eric is a mechanic. I’m a truck driver. Yet we are masters of our occupation. And we can speak like educated beings. What a concept! Never judge a book by its cover.
Pretty consistent with our used car inspection. The one thing I added recently and it takes 10 mins is a cylinder head gasket test. Super helpful to the customer
“I’m going to make a list, check it twice” The Acura has been naughty, but now it will be nice! 😂
Dummy
No, RICE
The Christmas joke went right over your heads.
I own a 06 TL as my daily and this was very satisfying for me.
Althepal Music any problems I'm looking at one now with 200k
Same! 252k on mine and counting. Love my daily!
Cliff Simpson I have no problems with my TL, except my dash display with the digital clock flickers sometimes. Great car!
Great car!
Is it pretty quick?
that battery terminal clean up part was one of the most satisfying clips I've ever seen
Pat Bateman better than Whitney Houston?
“Quick” battery terminal clean. 20 steps later... Way to do it right!!! Can’t wait to see all the fixes. It reminds me of the old videos that helped the every man! My 1998 Camry and 2008 mountaineer thank you!
It's so satisfying to watch a master Honda tech ply his craft.
Your channel has millions of people since ive been on your channel. You never gave up and kept pushing. Power to you.
The way people abuse cars, as expensive as they are. I am still driving my 1993 Buick Century that I bought new and it looks beautiful. I take care of my stuff. Makes me so sad to see this sort of thing. That poor car.
Nice!
I feel bad for you, those were hideous cars and to be stuck with one this long, is really sad when you could have had something much nicer all this time even if it was still a '93 model year, even something with a similar new sticker price in '93. Well, a Chrysler might've been worse, but less likely to last this long so in that regard, putting it out of its misery sooner isn't all a bad thing.
I have a 2006 Acura TL with over 300,000 miles, original engine and transmission. Bought it from the original owner with about 270k miles on it at the time. No issues with the car, just recently replaced the clutch/pressure plate, flywheel and throw out bearing but did it in my garage in a day. Love the car, comes with all the luxuries and has awesome power.
Hey man! Got a 08 TL base auto-t couple months ago and you have no idea how you are a shining light in my life right now! I'm that apprentice who lacks self confidence and your vids are helping alot. Thanks for the quality of content too! It's well explained, well shot, well edited. I just subscribed and gonna be watching all your tl series, Congrats you just became my TL mentor.
8:40 as a lube technician at a Walmart Auto Care Center, I can put my hand on my heart and swear on a pallet of bibles that at my store, all of the drain plugs are loosened and tightened with HAND TOOLS ONLY and torqued (with an ACTUAL torque wrench) to a set of specifications that we have. (For example, if the sheet says 29 ft lbs for a 2009 Acura TL, then we set it 29 ft lbs, and not a ft lb more!) And if we come across a rounded off plug, or it takes excessive force to loosen it, or it’s acting like it wants to strip out, we IMMEDIATELY stop, inform the customer, and then use the dipstick evacuation system our store has.
Or you can just send it with an impact
When I had a machine shop replace the engine, the radiator drain was broken and they said it was bad. The oil drain was stripped and the shop blamed that on a quick lube shop. The vehicle has been a POS since that shop did the work, every gasket leaks because they went cheap on everything.. Bottom line, I got no faith in any rip-off shop who lies to me. [all 4 O2 sensors are bad (WTF?) because there was a vacuum leak]
That all varies by shop of course. I had a buddy that worked somewhere so shady they tried to tell him if you really don't feel like doing an oil change at that time just strip the bolt then go tell them it's stripped...some places really just do not give a shit
"Oh, am I calling you out?" Loved that, great Video Eric
I've heard stories of that happening and I also had that happen to one truck I did that was last serviced there
Someone should call the burn hospital on those guys, i hear it was a massacre at their HQ.
@@thelonelywolf88 -- Yes, took my '88 Accord to Jiffy Lube and they cross-threaded my drain plug after my oil change. They refused to foot the $100+ bill so I've never gone to another "quick oil change" shop since then. Learned an expensive lesson from those bast*rds!
@@CitizenPerkins yeah they're a giant rip off. When I worked there, we scared a lot of customers away with a $40 conventional oil change. Rotation was another $20
For sho man. I was cussing a lot when I was changing my oil at home. Rented a lift the next morning and took that mf with a 24in breaker bar. Hate it when the lube places do these 😡😤
Very interesting video...liked it! I am a proud owner of my 2nd Acura TL. I love everything about this car. The way it looks, the comfort, the way it drives, the pep, all of it. However, I had to chuckle when you were talking about the transmission issues being on the older models. I replaced the transmission in my 2006 Acura TL at 142k miles and I just replaced the transmission in my 2008 TL at 204k miles. So...they DO still have transmission issues. This time, it gave me no warning whatsoever. No leaking, no noise, no smell, no hard shifting, nothing. Just pulled out into traffic one day and it sounded like I ran over a bowling ball. I love the car though, so I put Humpty back together again and will keep driving it until the doors fall off. Keep making vids about this one!
Jesus, 2 transmission jobs? Looks like its time for you to get a new car. Such as a Lexus.
@@dlo__3929 IKR??? I thought when I moved up to the 2008, my transmission worries were behind me. To be fair, the 2006 was not taken care of very well and had a host of issues. We just kept putting it together again...but this time, I just don't get it. I'm very easy on my cars, I don't drive like a race car driver. I make sure it shifts before I hit the gas....so I dunno. I love this car but this is my last TL.
I have the same exact car and my favorite feature is double tap and holding down the unlock on key fob will roll down windows! Excellent for hot days.
I just wanted to be the 1000th comment and say you've been amazing help with my new-to-me 06 TL. Love there is a mechanic who has worked on these cars putting out high quality videos.
I own 06 Acura TL bought in 2009. After all those years its still running strong. Nothing major, just oil and brake pads.. Best car I ever had.
that vice grip trick is gold
I bought this exact model a year ago for daily driving duty. It had 88,000 miles on it and I'm closing in on 105k now. Everything works and still does but I do have some concerns about some things so I'm looking forward to your contents!
What kind of concerns? I'm thinking of purchasing a used Acura for my first car
@@Khadeejah-rl8jf For this particular model, I had concerns about oil leaks and the transmission as I've seen on some forums that they could get clunky and faulty and might need to either be serviced regularly or replaced. However since I last posted this, I'm now at 150k miles on the car and haven't really had any big issues. The oil leak has been a problem on mine but it has since been resolved. All the electronics are fine besides the Bluetooth which I had to remove because it was draining my battery. Also have had to change the timing belt and new brake pads and rotors. Car overall is really nice to drive and get fairly good gas mileage when I take it on long road trips. Hope that helps!
@@zangetsu209 Thanks so much for the quick reply! I'm looking at a 2007 Acura TL this weekend and this will be really helpful in asking questions! :)
I'm on my 2nd 3G TL - an '06 this time, with only 124k on it (driven by a little old lady and only to church on Sundays - yeah, right). Glad to hear about the transmission thing - I'd been hearing horror stories, but gonna throw them in the 'apochryfile'. Obviously needs some things - gonna do a pre-emptive timing belt change - no record if it's (ever) been done and get valves adjusted. Oh yes, and the 3x3 transmission fluid change - heard that enough to believe it's the way to go. Eric, hope you keep us apprised of how this car treats you and what you're doing to it. I'll be paying close attention... Love. This. Car.
This reminds me of Eric's classic videos. Been really missing those lately.
Cant wait til this car done bringing one of the best looking cars ever made back to life
A video, after a long time, from ETCG about a car that everyday people use.
That car is lucky it ended up with who has been/is Honda/Acura mechanic!
Camaro 1968 because a Honda/Acura technician will know about every common issue these cars suffer from, and all of the fixes that Honda/Acura sent out to dealerships to fix those common issues.
How about salvaging some seats? Could make the whole car feel a lot nicer.
Yeah, mine are very worn, but no cuts or rips. Still, with some $100 fitted seat covers, makes a huge difference in looks (I care just a smidgen more than Eric about how it looks, but of course, reliability is still paramount.
Driving something like this as your daily driver can be such a relief -- because you simply do not care if someone puts a dent in it in a parking-lot incident, or with a 5-mph bump while sitting at a traffic light. Those can be *such* a pain in the ass in a new car, and you can simply ignore them in something like this. But it's not so far gone that it'll be an unreliable p.o.s. Having just said that, I do remember you making a video entitled "Reliable p.o.s." in the past -- this is definitely one of those cars. Good find.
Reason why I bought used and will continue to do so....
The amount of money wasted on a new car to me is just insane.
@@davetom1743 I hear you. I'm never purchasing new again!
@@davetom1743 yep... Interest and the extra insurance costs are a waste of $$$
I have a 05 tl with 385 thousand manual transmission and still running strong
Amaizing, mine is 2004 automatic with 274k..
Mines an 04 6 speed with 335k runs and drives like new
an* 05
thebronzefur lucky. Mine started slipping at 130k luckily found one at the junkyard for 200$ and swapped it and has held for 2 years now
I have a '06 manual transmission with 310k miles, still running strong as well.
I just bought a 2006 Toyota Solara for 200 bucks. Needed work but was well worth it in the end. It’s a shame how some people treat their vehicles when it comes to preventative maintenance. The previous girl that had the car, ran the brakes beyond existence causing catastrophic failure to the whole braking system.
Timing belt was just about to snap and a number of other issues. I saved a lot of money doing it all myself but, I’m happy to say that it is a great and reliable vehicle and I made a good decision to buy it. 👍🏼
Great content Eric. Loved this model. I hope you'll be very happy with it. Looking forward to more of your great content! Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
$200 for a 3rd gen is amazing! I love it!
"Oh, am I calling you out for stripping the drain plug?" So true. I've owned vehicles that I had serviced at both independent shops and dealers. They ALL use impacts. Literally had to hammer on a 6-point socket once to get it off. First thing I do when I do my first oil change is replace the drain plug. Less than 10 bucks and no more rounded off hex heads.
That's basically done by young kids who don't know any better, or don't care. You won't get that from someone who has been doing it for many years
RL Jakovasaur not really it’s mostly done at places where you go in for a oil change drive thru and they use an impact gun to tighten the drain plug.
@@Jonathan-pr1wo that's what I mean. A good friend of mine was rehired at one of those places and he would bring up the things they do when the customer isn't watching. Both tightening the drain plugs with impacts as well as never changing the filter
RL Jakovasaur true and overfilling oil is also a major problem that these places tend to do to cars. Only once I took my car to one of those places and they overfilled my oil so I had to drain some out when I got home. I should’ve done the oil change myself but at the time I was too busy to do it and was why I took it one of those places.
Great advice for anyone looking to buy a car or truck.
15:57 "Look at me, look at me, I'm the master mechanic now."
As an owner of '06 TL, Im really glad to see you do this series
Awesome vid Eric I had a 2002 Acura 3.2tl and man I loved that thing that's how I learned how to fix my car.. and help from your videos. It just hit over 200k when I was involved in a pretty serious car wreck.. in the market for a used but newer one.
YESSS...just when I start thinking of doing my TL front brakes... I decide to look up Eric's channel after a long hiatus!
God i love the styling of that model year TL
Me too, it's my favorite. I bought a 2007 earlier this year
@@sugarai-yh9xe i always wanted to upgrade from my V6 6-speed accord to the 6-speed TL, but I could never afford it. Now, finding one in halfway decent shape would be damn near impossible 😞
@@rfehr613 it took me a few months to find this one. It was a salvage title but I saw the pictures and took it to my mechanic and this car was babied. Insurance companies seem to be salvaging for the smallest things nowadays. Good luck
@@sugarai-yh9xe if they car isn't worth anything, they will always pay the value and salvage the vehicle... Might even be law actually. I've had it happen twice when i got hit in my Taurus then mx6.
Finally a 2008 Acura TL.....looking forward to your maintenance videos..😀
That is quite a heap, nice to see you're tending to it. I bought a Volvo 850 as a winter beater myself, a handful of small issues, but mechanically sound.
Eric I'm really enjoying the quick cuts in this video, in particular banging the wheels off and when you cleaned up the battery terminals. Super satisfying to watch!
Eric, make sure the Bluetooth module works, if it doesn't, it'll put a constant drain on your battery and one day leave you with a dead battery.
Funny, I have an upcoming video on that very thing.
I'll be subscribing so I can catch that video!
I had that problem with my 06, and the mechanic couldn't figure it out but You Tube did
Yea just unplug the module.
I just got an Acura TL 2007. Great car. Clean body and interior. I’m happy.
Its amazing how much cars over the years depreciate. I remember when this generation came out and test driving it. And it being over $30k
Half the value is gone the moment you drive off the lot. Cars are not house and have never appreciated in value. This is why I'll never understand why anyone buys a brand spanking new vehicle. I say that because I once did that (07 Mustang with 14 miles on it). Biggest regret of my life.
Any Auto check out usedfirst.com it’s about 25% some cars are as high as 35% :(
Jasper DiLincoln I love this year TL perfect looking sedan!
I just got one for 1800 it’s crazy isn’t it
Yay!!! Your back!!!!
I found that a good majority of the things you looked at are similar with the 2003-2007 Honda Accord’s. I have an 03 Accord that I bought for $500 and will be following along, as well as working on with these videos :-)
Congratulations on your new TL! I have both a 3rd and a 4th gen TL with manual transmissions and love em. Even though I feel the 3rd gen is going to outlast the 4th there is no comparison between the 2. The 2011 blows the 2007 out of the water. No contest in handling, power, or looks. The 11 is in a whole other league!
I attest to to looks…
How’s the 11 holding up now?
@@rwnjerome still reliable and a blast to drive
At the 15:05 minute mark, I noticed something...... The terminal was upside down. That might have been why the cables came out
$200+$1600 in parts . Should still be a great daily car for the price
Try using a mirror in front and back of the car to check your lights when you don't have anybody else around.Love my cl type s.
The previous owner had a mountain lion as a pet or leather seats don't last.
The seats in these TL's are notorious for cracking. Along with the dashboard. Luckily, neither of mine have gotten to that point. But yes it was a common problem.
@@xXp0SeDx for real. I've put UV protectant and added a dashcover on the dash of my 08 TL Type-S to prevent cracking. Seats are holding up well, but cracking
the seats in these acura’s are awfully known for cracking!
That’s because these seats are not real leather, I believe the bolsters are. The seats are mostly comprised of a cheap Vinyl that felt amazingly soft when the car was new, but if you have ever left the sunroof open and water got in the car then the seats will ruin even if it was only 1 time.
You are suppose to put a leather conditioner on leather things every few months, at the very least once a year. All real leather dries out and cracks if you don't keep it conditioned.
It'll be great if you make videos for each repair and make the ultimate Acura TL repair Guide. Really looking forward to it. KIU!
“Oh did I call you out haha I’m sorry” 😭😭
Me and Eric will get along just fine...an acura refurbisher and a guy who does'nt give a hell what he's driving as long as he's the one who ensured the work was done right!
I have two of these cars because I love them so much! One daily and my type s is the weekend driver! Decent video. I'll be keeping an eye out for when they go live.
I used to want one of these soooo bad some years ago. But I found one a little better than yours for $7500...I decided NOPE!!! So I settled for an 06 Honda Accord Ex, which I enjoy very much! I still like the TLs. I remember the video you did some years ago where the owner didn't take care of the car at all. If I recall, you did an engine swap on it. Great video. I look forward to watching you bring this up to par! Thanks Eric!!
If it's a V6, the Accord is virtually the same car as this one. You are correct about the engine swap video. Thanks for the comment.
Who else likes or own Acura TL like if u do
nope looks like an ill designed piece of garbage.
sold my 2008 TL... Was a great car, and will last the next guy 10 years. I drive a tesla now
2010 TL love it...
About to finally sell the 05 manual trans/Brembo Aspec TL we bought my wife new. Dropped 2” with camber kits and Koni yellows, cat back exhaust and U-pipe, CAI. Sporty RELIABLE car. 248k. Very reasonable maintenance. Probably 4 clutches/flywheels, timing belt/H20 pump 2x, problematic initial factory trans 3rd gear synchro updated a few years later, the 1” Aspec drop before I did the 2” drop put the camber negative initially from the factory and camber adjustment arms weren’t available until probably 08-09 and that wore tires out every 15k or so. Was annoyed at the new car killing pricey tires that fast. Now I get 30k from 19” Michelin’s. All front bushings/bearings/ball joints replaced after 150-200k miles. Went through countless CV axles. Something about the 2” drop I suspect. Or aftermarket boots are just garbage. I get about a year or 15-20k miles before they start slinging grease. They’re free replacement after first set but I shoulda started buying New ones Years ago to avoid such frequent axle changes. Pads for Brembo calipers are $200 at Honda but I got a close out special of 5 remaining sets of off-brand pads from rockauto.com for $5/set. Performance near or equal to OE Brembo. I’ve had zero fuel system issues aside from one fuel pump change around 220k. Rear main seal on this car fails before every clutch change. It’s the reason I’ve gotta change the clutch before I sell because of the terrible oil leak and the seals location, not the slight slippage of clutch under hard acceleration. Probably still has 5-10k miles on disk I’m losing. Stupid seal. Dunno why it fails so frequently. Replaced front wheel bearings at 240k. No motor leaks anywhere but rear main seal including oil pan gasket. Still OE gasket and clean. Had AC clutch go bad once around 150k miles. Aside from that, never any AC trouble other than a 10 cent bad shraeder valve leaking my Freon once. Had a door lock actuator go bad around 220k or so. That’s really it. Mainly wear items. Probably a tie between this and the 2000 Accord 2.3L we owned before it for the most reliable car we’ve owned. And we’ve had many as this car served as a spare driver for many years. We have 5 + a bike currently.
@@morrisl7 gtfo.
I like it when you run into problems Eric. I learn a lot more!
Tell me more about the front bushings. My 06 tl has cracked ones
I bought a 2005 acura TL 6mt I am really happy you bought this car I look forward to seeing more videos about your TL thanks!
“Oh am i calling you out” 😂😭 subscribed 👍🏽
Buying a one owner 2004 dealer serviced can’t wait😊
Had an old school tech at the acura dealer I worked at for a year or so after highschool. Name was eric and looked exactly like etcg.
it was prolly him ha.
Dang today’s the day I look at an Acura 2007 ti and this video was dope and now I got a new channel to watch
I would like to see what every replacement part costs.
I link all parts in the descriptions of my videos along with the tools I use.
@@ericthecarguy - Good to know! Also, what I would find interesting is for each repair, include the price as SniperCat said but also the time/cost involved (both official shop time/cost vs. a shade-tree mechanic like me). That would at least make us feel better about saving $$ on repairing things we can do versus deciding it's time to pay big bucks for something that may be beyond our tools and capabilities (I guess to know when to take it to an expert and when we can do it ourselves). And thanks for all the great content, Eric. I've always worked on my own vehicles and have learned a lot from you over the years!
Dewy Russ It's always been my policy NOT to include labor times in my videos. I don't want to be the one dictating how much time a job should take. It varies greatly depending on your location, and the shop you go to. I think a simple phone call to a local shop would yield an approximate estimate of what they might charge if you want that information. With my parts links you can easily figure out how much it would cost you to do the job yourself. More importantly, you get to see what's involved with the job to determine if it's something you'd like to take on yourself.
Thanks for your comment.
@@ericthecarguy - That makes sense. Thanks for the reply!!
SniperCat ditto. Got mine in 2015 with 27k original miles. She’s my baby.
Just bought an 05 TL and I love it! Can't wait for more vids on this
I got my accord for $850 but also had a lot of little stuff I’ve had to fix
280,000 miles on mine and still running strong, just needed one alternator replacement and valve cover gasket replacement. all original. Replace timing belt for maintenance water pump and all fluids.. Other than that it's a daily that drives from Northern Cali to Southern Cali every few months and i use it for work everyday! Great reliable car!
We can make it cool again, we have that technology 👍
This is what I'm doing from now on. Back in August I purchased a 2006 Ford 500. Before that, I took it to my boss at my old mechanic shop for a pre purchase inspection. She was in great shape aside from the stabilizer links making noise, a small coolant leak under the hood and a failing alternator. I was able to knock a few hundred dollars off the asking price
Eric, the hood struts are just $15 for a pair.
ebay baby
Fails in every Honda/Acura I have had. This is the only way to go. Oddly the eBay ones last longer than the stock ones for me.
Acura parts direct
Some years ago, I replaced the hood struts myself on my 2003 Cl-S. Easy to do;parts were OEM over internet from Honda sealer, $50 or less. I love that car, but at 73 with some disability, I can no longer climb in and out. Just gave it to the son of a friend as a graduation present and bought a Passport.
The Acura dealer here in the Bay Area told me it costs $150 to replace both. I went online and bought 2, $12 each.
Funny, I've been eyeing some acura tsx and acura TL on Facebook and craigslist and then i search a few mods on UA-cam then the next day your video pops up, thanks eric.
I'm looking at a 2006 TL with 6 spd and navi and 92k miles for 8400$ hopefully its still around when i get my money
Eric didn’t mention very important feature for this car, no cracks on the dashboard !
By the way!!
a* very important
teddybear2123 mine had a perfect dash aswell until recently CRACKED!
I have an 2007 Acura TL and your videos on this have been a BIG help!
What is that stuff you sprayed on the battery terminals there once you had them installed again?
Battery cleaner. Linked in the description of the Battery Maintenance video linked in the description of this video.
Switch to an AGM or use felt washers... Corrosion problem no longer
John Steele Felt washers do nothing in my experience. From what I've seen, batteries corrode terminals because of the way they are vented. The only batteries I've seen that are properly vented, and didn't cause corrosion, were Panasonic. I don't think they make those anymore.
ua-cam.com/video/MhnVZ7ZPunw/v-deo.html
Thanks for your comment.
The CRC terminal protectant has helped prevent build up in my experience with a few vehicles.
@@ericthecarguy Correct on the washers, Eric. I just replaced the factory Panasonic battery in my 2008 FJ Cruiser after 12 plus years. Best battery ever. Not available anywhere, aftermarket.
this is the guy we are looking for. and now he is back!
Awaiting timing belt ep.
Very glad to see you'll be bringing that gorgeous car back to some of its former glory. Should be a great daily. Would also love to see you making some of the repairs -- it's so satisfying to watch an abused car brought back to life.
I replaced the hood struts on my TL for $10.
How junk jard?
@@wildingnemo5869 Rock auto has them shipped for like $20
I love my 07 . but its far from a $200 car .... 134k miles no cracks in dash or rips in leather . super clean etc . id need 7k for mine ... Love the vids eric . ive been watching for yrs 💪
Finally, a Honda!!! (okay, Acura)
I have an 07 TL Type S. These are some of the last good looking Acuras. Also hood struts are around $15 from Amazon.
I own both 07 Type s and an 11 TL. they're both sharp looking cars but the 4th gen TL really looks and drives in another League
Hood struts are dirt cheap on eBay. I bought a pair for my 2008 TL for $10. They work great.
So glad I ran into your comment. I really needed those (06 Honda Accord) THANKS!
Or just buy for $19.99 on Amazon. Have them on my '08 TL and they work great. ARANA
4.8 out of 5 stars 228Reviews
Hood-Struts Compatible with Acura TL 2006-2008 Front Hood Lift Supports Shocks Struts Springs 2pcs
Or $3 for a pair of small vice grips and you're done. ;) No additional parts or time needed.
Agree them after market battery terminal suck
terminals*
Literally looking at this car right now. Thank you for this
Eric I have a set of new Brembo (brand) front brake rotors for a regular 3.2 V6 TL that I dont need. If you need them please message me and let me know, Id be willing to donate them to your project. I have an 07 TL Type S and I bought a set online that was Brembo brand and was advertised for a TL Type S but it is actually for a regular TL so I can not use them on my car that has the larger front brakes. I cant return them because its beyond the return term for the seller so if you would like them, please let me know. Thanks!
Great video Eric! I own a 08 TL S and I’m eager to see any repair vids that you will upload on this car! I’m looking forward to seeing the transformation of this TL in the coming future
mexiking92 07_08 TL type S probably the best TL ever made!
JUST hope the trans is ok lot of miles
I saw that Eric didn't mention that the 07-08 have an RL-based AT, unlike the 04-06, which do have occasional AT failure. So my money is on the trans here having survived after all
This is hopefully my first car, please bring more of the content! I just found your channel and I enjoy the things you post, they're super helpful! Thank you!
They are terrific Ron! Any questions pls ask.
What's that foam that Eric puts on the battery terminals?
I was wondering the same, what is it Eric?
Terminal cleaner. Eats away at the corrosion
Battery cleaner. It's linked in the description of the battery maintenance video which is linked in the description of this video.
"The transmission fluid should be hot but you can also do it cold." Great advice!
Matt the master lube tech is offended.
Haytham BuKhadra stfu tell me how he made it from Facebook meme lol age to this 😂😂
Keep up the good work Eric Love your channel. Especially the older ones with older Honda's and Acura's
Which battery terminals do you recommend?
For a Honda, I bet he says OEM
@HighMans Brass terminal with a single post at the top. If you go to Eric's instagram page, he posted about it. The post was on Oct 18th.
I feel you on those battery terminals. I had to replace mine and took a while to find one that looked reliable. I hate how all the local part stores only stock those garbage ones.
Look for the military grade ones.
Whoever had this car really didn’t take care of it. An 11 year old car should not be looking like that!!!!
Wow. Wish this video came out before I bought my 08 TL Type-S. Had a few issues with it
Those hood struts are $10 on eBay lol
Rockauto has them for $11. Quality parts.
Eric, your Santa beard is MAGNIFICENT!
That interior alone would've kept me from buying that car even if it was mechanically perfect.
I agree. But For the price on the other hand.
Looks different if you're a mechanic and replacement covers probably isn't too much.
For the price, just throw some seat covers on and call it a day
Eric,
I can’t wait to see the progress you make and the videos that come from this series... hopefully!
Keep up the amazing productions and content!
And thank you!
Looks like a nice solid car that will not only get you around, but give us some great content.