Tune up for TL
 

I was wondering if any of the 2nd gen. TL owners out there can give me some advice on the basic tune ups for the TL, so far i've changed the spark plugs. appreciate it. thanks

if you just followed the recommended measures in the maintenance schedule in your manual, you should be fine.

What kind of plugs did you put in your car?

i put in ngks, is there some other plugs recommended?

There are 2 types of tune-ups: A) Minor tune-up and B) Major tune-up. Acura classifies it from Type1(Minor) to Type 4 (Major tune-up).

Type 1 Service

Replace engine oil and oil filter.

Type 2 Service

Replace engine oil and oil filter
Tire Rotation

Type 3 Service

Replace engine oil and oil filter
Tire Rotation
Plus just a visual physical inspection of certain compenents

Type 4 Service

Replace engine oil and oil filter
Tire Rotation
Replace air filter
Replace cabin filter

Basically, tune-up involves changing the following items according to milage or time duration:

1) Change the engine oil and oil filter. ( Done every 3750 miles)
2) Replace air filter ( Done every 30, 000 miles)
3) Replace cabin filter ( Done every 30,000miles)
4) Replace fuel filter ( not applicable to Acura TL, not required by Acura)
5) Tire rotation ( Done every 7500 miles)
6) Replace Sparkplugs ( Done every 105,000 miles)
7) Replace transmission fluid ( Done every 60,000miles)
8) Replace brake fluid every 3 years or when getting the brake pads replaced.
9) Replace coolant ( Done every 60,000miles or 5 years, whichever comes first)
10) Replace PCV valve whenever it stops rattling, otherwise leave it alone.

Much of the tune-ups involve changing fluids ( engine oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, windshield washer fluid (top-up) , and engine coolant) .

Normal wear and tear parts ( Oil filters, air filters, cabin filters, PCV valve, drive belts and coolant hoses and sparkplugs)

I suggest you use NGK or Denso sparkplugs because they are Japanese made specifically for our cars. You can try Bosch, AC Delco etc but I don't know how well they perform in our cars.

Here are the NGK and Denso sparkplug numbers for the 1999-2003 Acura TL:

Acura TL Premium NGK PZFR5F-11 Denso PKJ16CR-L11

Acura TL-Type S NGK PZFR6E-11 Denso PKJ20CR-M11

Spark Plug Gap: 0.04 inches (1.1 mm)
Tightening Torque for Sparkplug is 13 lbf.ft (18 N.m, 1.8 kgf.m)

Basically just follow the owner's manual service schedule under Normal or Severe service conditions. Most people fall under the Severe service category.

Good luck with the tune-up. A little tune-up can add signifcant service life to your vehicle.

other than regular oil changes there isnt much to "tune" up. have you replaced your cabin air filters? Engine air filter?

thanks for your help. appreciate it.

The OE NGK numbers are as follows (from my research so far)
P: PZFR5F-11, also known with the part number 4363. (platinum)
An iridium variant is available; ZFR5FIX-11, p/n 2477.
Type S: PZFR6E-11, also known with the part number 7790. (platinum)
I could not find a reliable source for an iridium plug.

So I ordered NGK 7790's (PZFR6E-11) from advance for 9.88 each. (Acura wanted 15-17 bucks)

Just be careful because some places tend to use the same part for both engines. That irks me. Im sure it all works the same. A good example of this is if you go to WalMart and use their Fram p/n Look Up computer in the aisle, they list the same filter for both engines, when in fact the filters are different (check out the Fram site).
From my experience as an aircraft mechanic, though two different types of plugs may fit the same engine, they may be grossly wrong for the engine. Not so much in reach, dimensions, etc, but in the ceramic compsition and most importantly heat dissipation patterns, electrode resistance/size... anyway, enough rambling.
All I know is that it took a bit of sleuthing to find the exact OEM plug and an iridium replacement.

I just put in the new plugs today and I took PICS!

Will post soon!

Yea so what about those pics????

hahahhahahahaha 2005....... nice dig

:wish: I really need pics to guide me :wish:

Same here! I need pics to see what's up!

It would be great if you could post the pictures.

My 2003 acura tl has 105K+ miles, and probably
I should change the spark plugs as well.

wow what a thread revival from years past
Do you guys know how to find the DIY section for spark plug change
its on the main page of gen2 thread list, a few items down -New official DIY thread list
here it is - store in your favorites for future use
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-1999-2003-98/new-official-2nd-gen-tl-diy-thread-706083/

Seafoam a few days to a week or more before spark plugs-
at least do the gas tank method 1 can in just under half tank/8 gallons
the intake vac port method gives instant results
use only NGK Iridium or NGK Iridium IX

105kmiles -you need the timing belt and water pump replaced soon- its due at 7 years or 105

>105kmiles -you need the timing belt and water pump replaced >soon- its due at 7 years or 105

Would you please post the DIY links(preferably with pictures), for doing those items (timing belt, water pump).

Thanks

click on the link I provided in post above yours
Its the entire list--more was to so read both post in the thread for all of them

Noob question here. Does the NGK iridium spark plug come with a standard gap that is good for the 2nd gen tl? Or will i need to buy a gapper and adjust the spark plug gap?

^ Most modern applications come pre-gapped.
IIRC all our NGK Application spark plugs come with the OEM 1.1mm Gap.

Thanks ^ :D

I think I may have screwed up.. Ngk told me the spark plug torque is 18-23ftlbs. I torqued to that specification. I see that Acura calls for only 13ftlbs. Should I change it to 13ftlbs or leave it?

what did you set them to?. I would loosen and retorque to acura spec