Keep in mind, as clearly stated in the video. Customer wanted NEW or REMAN ONLY. Refused used engines whatsoever, regardless of miles, or money savings. You guys keep reccomending used engines. Its not your car. Customer refuses used engines.
I would imagine that if he was presented with an option for a used engine with 40K miles to match the rest of his car, and if the price was thousands less, he'd go for that -- but as you say, it's his car and his decision. Interesting that they don't offer replacement engines. Nice video.
@@jjmarz1001 it's his money money. He gets to be picky. Not your cash. He can do whatever he wants with his money. He has it, he spends it. Seems simple to me.
@Car Wizard, hey man I don't want to sound too 'ricey' but couldn't you swap out for a K20 engine from Japan? They have some really incredible low mileage and the price is considerably less than 7 thousand dollars no?
@@battosaijenkins946 i was wondering about that. they do do it in Japan where you have to swap in a new motor after x time and they don't put that many miles on it, but i guess it's the stigma of it being a used engine or the shipping is a real killer.
@@jorgey4 Japan has all sorts of rules / incentives to make sure people buy a new car every five years or so. The old cars get exported to places like New Zealand or scrapped.
Keep in mind, as clearly stated in the video. Customer wanted NEW or REMAN ONLY. Refused used engines whatsoever, regardless of miles, or money savings. You guys keep reccomending used engines. Its not your car. Customer refuses used engines.
I’ve got a 2010 RL with 46k miles...also in pristine condition. I can absolutely understand wanting this poor customer’s heartbreak. I’d probably spend $7k to do the same thing.
I have an Acura MDX with a similar engine, and I do all the work on it myself. Here's a tip: The low frequency of the sound indicates that the problem is in the valve train, since cam shafts rotate at half the speed of the crank shaft. If there's no cross contamination between coolant and oil (and you showed no leaks of either), then the block is probably okay. So they haven't thrown a rod. Also, since it starts up, that also indicates no damage to the block. Since that seems to be the case, remove the valve covers and inspect for damage in the variable valve timing and cam shafts. If no damage is visible, drop the engine and remove the cylinder heads. Most likely the damage will be somewhere in the valve train, but this will also allow you to inspect the block very thoroughly. Repair/replacement of cylinder heads or valve gear is certainly better and lower cost than a new engine.
An even better tip is; DONT BUY EXPENSIVE CARS! They’re just disposable status symbols. Find yourself a good cheap car that you CAN afford to repair or replace if they go tits up! (A broken-down Lamborghini Murceliago sitting in your garage rotting away is not impressing anybody)
@@chrismayer3919hat’s debatable. There’s pricier cars that are priced the way they are. A good example of this is the inflated price of older sports/performance cars that cost tens of thousands, even though they’re well over the 90-100k+ mileage range. People know those cars are reliable, and most do the math to calculate how much it might cost if things aren’t the way they are when they decide to settle on buying the car (since other options might not be able now or even later). But, of course, this is coming from an average car enthusiast, and not some millionaire who buys the top trim level Ferrari with like every practical available option, and doesn’t even know how typical oil changes work, or how a typical dual clutch transmission operates. I, myself, have bought a semi-unique car, knowing parts and whatnot are semi-hard to come by. This means that I should be ready to pay for parts and do certain repairs if I decide to drive it hard and break things on the car. I’m most likely going to even have a whole donor car on the side if I can help it. This will pretty much alleviate most to all of the issues I might encounter, on a rather basic level. But hey, that’s just my particular take on it. Some people just buy cheap(er) cars and have the crappiest luck. I suggested someone to get a 1998 Toyota Camry V6 sedan with only 98k miles, yet they decided to opt for a 2013 Ford Fiesta base model sedan. Needless to say, the car didn’t last more than a year or two, esp with lack of maintenance.
@@izalman too late when that happens. He obviously missed a few oil changes and burnt what was left. Oil pressure switches can't detect low oil pressure The engine either has oil pressure, or it doesn't . When there is so little oil in the engine, and the oil pump is suckibg all it can to lubricate/ cool the head, the lack of oil in the bottom end will quickly start roasting the bottom end bearings.
I still have the letter. Its only maybe 5 months old. I should contact the dealer. I truly appreciate your feedback. After seeing the Wizards video I'm concerned. But still don't trust the repair. I know of a horror story about dealer rebuild. Thank you Jeffrey. P.S. I love my TL.
(As of April 2022): New and used vehicle prices have gotten so far out of hand that $7 grand put into THAT particular car is no longer unreasonable. Great video - thanks.
I experienced the exact same issue with my 3.7 liter Acura MDX. Was under extended warranty and luckily the dealer found a salvaged 3.7 liter replacement. It happened in 2019. I am almost certain the MDX 3.7 litter will also fit this Acura RL. Hope this info helps someone out there.
" Transmission " in the back is actually the "super handling" differential. These cars handle very well due to this piece of mechanical wizardry (pun intended), they will actually overdrive the outside rear wheel under throttle in a corner and rotate the car in a turn. They really do have super handling, I had an '06 and it was amazing. Great show, first time I think I have ever heard you misidentify anything. Keep up the awesome content....
The SH-AWD is really, really amazing. It's the finest AWD system I've ever driven. The only vehicle I've driven with more grab is a military Humvee. Those are ANIMALS in 4x4.
He called it a transaxle I believe. But yes, you are right. It'll send more power to the outside wheels on a hard corner. They borrowed this technology from the 5th gen Honda Prelude Type SH 😉 In this version, I'm sure they refined it and it probably works even better I'm sure. And on top of this added AWD to the mix!
I've had 3 honda legends over 10 years. Brilliant cars, slightly expensive on fuel, but totally and utterly reliable and well built. More reliable than a Rolls or Bentley. Mechanics who serviced them always comment on how outstanding these Honda engines are. This Acura definitely deserves to be saved.
Bro I almost got a 2009 Acura TSX black on black. It had 200k miles and new tires. Well-maintained. This car is way more car. The TSX has a K20. Did you watch the video? Did you see the aluminum front control arms? The dual composite drive shafts? Leather interior. Super low miles. on and on. It is worth at least 13-15k especially given internet marketing.
@@gb8641 Yes. For the same reason people fall in love with Hondas only MY J35 has Forged Rods, Billet crank and light forged Pistons stock. But I had the 3.5 :) anyways i also have double wishbones and multilink, my steering is electric :( but everything else is to love. Imagine a BMW that lasts 3x as long
The transmission is at the front of the car on these, with a drive to the rear axle. The rear differential has a planetary gear set attached that can overdrive the rear axle about 5% faster than the front axle in some situations. This was done in order to make the rear torque-vectoring system work better. This car does not have a rear transaxle, just an extra overdrive.
@@MrPaige222 they used in some cases the same fluid in both transmission and differential, a planet gearset in the rear diff would for sure support the need for atf regardless of a transmission or not
@@lorencooper6043 You are the owner? I saw you make a couple of comments? If they are going to do that, are you having the car shipped back to that dealer? That would be great news. You should write a comment and have the Car Wizard "pin" it to the top so people can follow your progress.
@@Corkoth55 I have a 05 TL, with RLX being discontinued, I'm thinking of getting a used RLX hybrid (if good price lol), really want to try that SHAWD thing
@@alecedmisten7639 I'd suggest checking the oil level periodically, been seeing they have oil consumption issues apparently. That's probably how this one got low on oil and ended up getting rod knock
Thank you for saving this car. As an enthusiast, I love seeing cars that are obviously loved by their owners saved even if it doesn't make "economical" sense. Not everything is about money.
It works both ways. I had a GM Vectra 2.2 which was really common as a Rep Mobile. At 99K miles and 13 years old the engine started making a noise like this Acura. Since "We Buy Any Car" reckoned it was worth £220 problem free, I took the £170 trade in offered against its replacement. Before trading it in I gather all the receipts and found I had spent £4000 in repairs and maintenance in the 12 years I owned it. Had it been a VX220, which uses the same engine, it would have been an entirely different situation.
wizard is too safe, not a bad thing and very responsible to his customers but the owner took it to the wrong mechanic some honda genius came up with some good engines 20 years ago so they decided to leeched off of it for the next 20+ years. a 3.7 from a 3rd gen TL will drop right in.
The engine is rare. The RL was rare enough, but it didn't share enough parts with other models to justify an inventory of fresh spares. Rare cars, make for rare repairs, thus rare opportunity to sell get inventory off the shelf to pay for itself. Dusty parts, cost money for the guy that has them waiting. Profit is about turnover.
Hey Wizard. Just to let you know that there is a recall on that motor for oil consumption. Its a complete dealer rebuild. Not sure if that vehicle applies to the recall but please look into it. It would be a great free fix for the customer.
I drove a brand new MDX that got rodnock within the first 3 miles. They found it was a manufacturing defect and gave me 10k off the price I paid for my troubles.
Lmfaoooo I could only IMAGINE you're face after paying for it and driving it home and all of a sudden ride knock engine toast. I'd be FURIOUS. so did they give you a different mdx or did you keep that one, get the new engine and the 10k back in cash?
You remind me of a great childhood memory I have -- 16 year old me watching Stacy David rebuild cars at 4am with my father before going to work. We used to do that almost religiously. Anytime I watch your videos Wizard, I get that same memory every time, and it's a wonderful memory to me! Also --- WHAT A MINT of an Acura!
Well that is really unfortunate. I wonder if Ericthecarguy has ever run into this issue before. He was a Honda master technician and worked at multiple Acura dealerships for many years. I think it's worth $7k to fix this car as expensive as it is for a car with such low mileage and given the immaculate condition that it's in for it's age this one is worth saving!
I'm sure he hasn't worked at Honda since this car was built. Though it seems like such a rare issue I doubt there's any service bulletins about it. Especially since Honda had the confidence in it to not stock brand new replacements or very very few of them. This is just a raw deal where a rebuild is the only option.
@@richardbicker640 ey there viewers, welcome back the south main auto channel. Today we're looking at a 2010 hondo, or acura...she has the big 3.7. how'd I do?
My guess is that it's the original oil.. the problem was that this guy ran it like that the whole time... Doesn't matter what car it is you cannot be driving a car with low oil...
I have a 2005 RL and the torque vectoring all wheel drive is amazing. It handles beautifully and is super quick. Very fun car. I call her Sleeper Beast LoL. Looks pretty average, but faster and better handling than anything in it's class!
Thank you for making a video on this RL. As an Acura owner, it saddens me to hear the bad news regarding the engine. Glad the customer is fixing it the right way.
I'm retired now,but when I still had my shop I used to explain to customers the difference between oi pressure and level,I would compare oil pressure to blood pressure,If your blood pressure is zero,you die pretty quick,the same with an engine,zero oil pressure means a quick death unless you immediately turn off the key and coast to the side of the road,you may be lucky and save the engine from major damage.---People don't know the difference between oil level and oil pressure,they think that when the oil light comes on that they have to add oil.
Yes, most definitely, I’d be willing to bet it was due to lack of use or improper maintenance. 1. Oil changes/checking the level was being based on mileage. It could’ve had 2,500 miles since the last change but if it had been a year or two the oil would’ve degraded to the point that it failed to protect the delicate components. 2. Seals had deteriorated.
I would like to know what the root cause is. oil pump failure? failed rings causing high oil consumption =low oil level .It would be interesting to see in a follow up video.
My guess oil pump failure and spun a bearing, its not a hard rebuild folks, people have been rebuilding DOHC V6's for decades. It does not need to be sent to Michigan, they truly are confusing it with a Ferrari. Its a Honda, find a Honda guy, they are everywhere.
I'd love to hear what the Wizard or the rebuilder thinks really happened. My gut says it was run out of oil, except that the exterior of the engine is really nice and dry. EDIT: notes in the comments below say that the oil pump failed.
I own this exact car and in the the same color. I live in New England. This cars a beast, never mind how great it is in the snow. It is a rare car. I still haven't spotted one near me and I drove over 2 states to purchase mine. I would advise anyone that wants to buy one to make sure timing was done, if purchasing with over 60k.
@@mikebingham9700 doubt it’ll make it to classic status. For that matter, I doubt any post 2010 car on the road today will make it to that point. Except maybe some American muscle with a dedicated cult following in the future.
Until the bearings they used close to the exhaust there go bad and start whining like a bitch 😭 also can't replace just a bearing gotta be the whole shaft. Luckily TL isn't carbon
Any diagnosis on a cause? This video kind of needed that as a conclusion. I know the guys getting it rebuilt, but I wanted to know how a low mileage engine failed. Does that Acura engine suck? What was the service record like? How does a low mileage engine, clearly well taken care of, fail completely?
As stated by others, the 3.7 from the TL SH-AWD(J37A4) and ZDX(J37A5) with the dual VTEC heads will be a near direct swap. Might be some accessory or sensor differences, but they're nearly identical.
The car is worth $12K tops in perfect condition---not sure throwing a rebuilt engine in there at $7K is smart. Just let it go, use the $7K on a 2011 Prius or Camry and the kid will finish his PhD with value left in either of those.
@@OMGWTFLOLSMH Acura of Roseville has agreed to cover the costs because of the issue and regular maintenance preformed at that dealer. According to the owner.
@@trevorsutherland5263 some people when they rebuilt the engine or motor they know they're not going to get their money back they just want to have a reliable car to take them from point a to point b it's more like an investment personal investment
Wizard, you can find a few 2009-2012 Acura RLs with that J37A2 for sale in IAAI, or copart, with around 60k miles. yes you'll have 20k miles more in the engine, but it will be as it came out of the factory. not a rebuilt aluminium engine, that had rod shavings running inside it... It will be cheaper, and you'll have an entire car for parts, if needed, that you can use to increase the profit margin in the job. 7k$ for a rebuilt engine, only if it comes with a 60k miles warranty, or something, that I doubt they'll be able to do. And even if it come with a warranty, do you really want to have to do the same job again before that car has over 200k miles?
@@CarWizard Aha. So I was thinking there were no used engines either. Well if he is so stubborn that he doesn't even want a used engine with 27k on it than I don't feel so sorry for him anymore. Its his own choice..
We had a 2016 Honda Pilot with the similar engine- it threw a rod at 50k miles. Exact same symptoms. We had the factory extended warranty. Honda fought us on the repair and ended up rebuilding the motor for us. Long time honda family and we were really upset that this happened. Our Pilot looked brand new underneath and inside the motor as well. This owner is not alone in his failure. I don't think Honda is aware of this becoming a larger problem.
have you thought about a 3.5l or 3.7l short engine from ebay? also asking Honda direct rather than through dealer? Honda America or even Honda in Japan direct? It can be more useful as middle men might not want to say "we can get one in 3 months" might be worth seeing which parts are needed and pricing the parts up as they are known to support parts long term even is don't have a spare engine. you could look into marine engines from Honda too.
I don't think I've ever seen many RLs on the road. That one like you said looks in rather good condition, but with the low mileage that makes sense. That's unfortunate about the engine; who knew the J37 would be so hard if not impossible to find versus a J35. That's good to know about; it's rather insane that you can't even get a J37 from Honda/Acura! Can't wait to hear the RL and see it running again when you all get the rebuilt engine back in it.
Maybe the dealership changed the oil and forgot to add the oil and then started it and let it run until he heard a noise and then added the oil. I dont know, just a guess
@@bigdm9349 Not if it belonged to an old lady who kept it in the garage and obviously didn't drive it much. You obviously haven't worked on any women's cars! They generally drive them until something breaks, like this one! She might not have done any maintenance at all, especially since women usually don't even know that cars need oil.
Or the Car transporting driver took it for joyride Abusing the life out of it. I wonder how many miles he drove it after it was dropped off. I have a friend that bought a car 2012 or13 not sure of the yearPontiac G8 in 2019 with only26kon it and just like this car look like Brand new. And within A thousand miles it threw a rod.🤔. The Worst way though is having those companies that will drive your car to you. Don't do it you'll be sorry.
RE: Hoovie's Leisure VAN The VCR probably just has dirty heads from sitting so long. There's a good chance you can just run a good quality HEAD CLEANER thru a few times and it will work just fine. That or you can adjust the TRACKING... Take it from this old guy...! Love your show... good luck!
@@lorencooper6043 It sounds like big-end bearings to me. Same happened with a car I had. Some cars can't run on low oil or the bearings break. I had to replace engine as well.
@@lorencooper6043 You should try to contact Acura Customer support at 888-234-2138. These engines have their warranty extended to 8 years/125,000 miles due to piston ring issues causing excess oil consumption. Acura dealers are able to get replacement engines.
I have a 92 Camry I bought for $500 and put 400k miles in it till the engine blew at 500k. I won't hesitate to put $3k in it and drive it for another 20 years. $7k on this clean car is a bargain because the alternative is anothet $60k for a new car.
I can confirm that. I took pot holes, a few curbs, a steel lane dividing cone and hell even a ladder (dropped off a truck in front of me at highway speed)....and absolutely nothing happened to the car, except for a few scratches to the underside plastic. This car is a tank.
@@gbriank1 yes the built quality between the RL and TL is night and day, it was basically Honda of the early 2000s showing off their engineering ability, similar to Mercedes of the late 80s. If you read about some of the tech introduced in this car it is astonishing.
@@gbriank1 The J-series is Honda's fourth production V6 engine family introduced in 1996, after the C-series, which consisted of three dissimilar versions. The J-series engine was designed in the United States by Honda engineers. It is built at Honda's Anna, Ohio, and Lincoln, Alabama, engine plants.
That's a real shame. The customer must really love that car to throw $7k at it. There choice and respect that. Be good to see a couple of video's on this one - engine out and back in, if you're allowed, Wizard. Thanks for a great video.
@@Shabbe02 it's his choice to use a mechanic of his choosing or the dealership. Honestly he may be paying partial so it may be in his benefit to keep it safe with the wizard vs some young tech.
At 3:37 that's the ATF cooler, not the PS one. And regarding the engine knock - with J37 the odds are it can be just the rocker arm spring, that's a common problem with these and a cheap and easy fix with the engine left unharmed even though it sounds like it's falling apart. If it turns out that the engine is indeed toast, then one can easily import a low mileage J37 from Japan between 2000-3000$ tops.
YES! Finally some Acura Videos and I'm glad it's of a 2nd Gen RL. They're the most under-rated Acura ever next to the 2003 CL Type S with the Manual Transmission. Unfortunately oil burning is a common issue with ALL Honda/Acura J37 3.7L Engines because of faulty piston rings from the factory. You can read all about the class action lawsuits that are STILL on going with these engines. They burn oil like crazy and unfortunately that's what probably happened to this car and the owner didn't realize that it was so low on oil until it was too late.
Any chance a 3.5 could be swapped in? I have a feeling they share a lot of components, if not alignment, bolt for bolt in some instances. If they do, might be better to swap in a 3.5 so that if there are any major engine issues in the future, repair to the 3.5 will be a lot easier
From what I understand from AcuraZine, the 3.7 V6 is just a sleeveless, bored out 3.5. That is the only difference between the 3.5 and this 3.7 engine.
I have a 2010 Honda Accord. 2.4 4 cylinder. My engine and the V-6’s from that era had a oil consumption problem. They don’t leak or burn the oil. It literally just consumes it somehow. I have to put a quart of oil every 3 weeks in mine and it’s dry as a bone around the engine.
I've been working at an Acura dealer for 4 years, unfortunately I have never seen one this nice, most of them are trashed cause the current owners can't afford to fix them, just buy them because it's the former Acura flagship
You should definitely interview the engine rebuilder and ask him what went wrong internally in this engine, and whether they think it's a common or even at all occuring failure (on all the other engines they have rebuilt so far). Or if they don't want to be interviewed, then at least tell us what they found!!
99% certain that this is a basic user fault, too long interval between oil changes which has clogged the oil lines that feed the main bearings and the rod bearings. For that reason a rod bearing has lost it's oil film and made contact with the crank and slipped loose/worn out.
@@TeroYyy I doubt it, I bet those j series could go the entire 47k miles with no oil change and still be fine. Probably oil pump failed or engine was consuming oil and he ran out.
100%, its very sad on their reliability nowadays. I was in FB 3rd Gen Honda Pilot groups and so many people having premature injector failures. And home have issues with their headunit. Honda also got hit with their reliability for oil dilution issues with 1.5T engines on CR-V and Civic right? It's really sad what has happened to Honda.
@@LionRunner Not all new Honda's have issues. I have 2016 Accord Coupe with zero issues. Even Toyota have had recent issues so its not just Honda. I'd still take a Honda or Toyota over any domestic or German vehicle. Only Kia and Hyundai would challenge them for reliabilty etc.
Hello from Austria (EU) where Honda sells maybe 100 cars a year nowadays. I looked at the previous model Euro Civic and the price was a bit too much so I dropped the idea. Am very glad I got a 2015 Mazda 3 instead, the current EU Civic is even worse I hear, the head gaskets don't hold on these highly strung little turbo engines. Sad really when you think how popular Hondas were here in the 80s-90s.
Most if not all J series engines are made in America for the North American market. Japan didn't have any J-series engined vehicles sold in their market at the level we do here so America is the best bet for finding a J37.
7:59 thats a spun rod bearing, 100%. I just rebuilt the turbo FA20 in my 2018 WRX. Subaru quoted a ton.. so I did it in my garage myself. If the cam lobes and bearing races look ok. Then its usually rebuildable by swapping crankshaft, main bearings, rodbearings, any rods that have heating discoloration (usually the bearing that was spun), and flush and wash everything to remove all micro metal shavings from bad bearings.. put it all together once all new bearing clearances checked and everything specd. Worth saving that RL as I saved my 2018 WRX..👍
@@LN997-i8x I’ll tell you the story, it was only out here for five days until the engine blew up going to the car wizards. I was going from McPherson to Newton. Driving 78 in high gear until I saw a flashing check engine light then a low oil light. Pulled off in Hesston and I was hearing knocking. Called AAA to take it to the wizards and that’s where it sat for this video to be made
I have a 1998 Acura tl that my dad bought in 1999 from a doctors wife. Dad didnt drive the car for a few years due to his health, and when he passed, I said to my wife, dad loved that acura, its time to fix it up a little and drive it. First was the exhaust system. That was a heck of a hunt, but parts were available, then it came to the brake rotors and pads, from sitting they rusted and glazed over, called dealership both acura and honda. They said not available. Ended up napa was able to them over a week for them to source all the parts. Then I had to take it in for inspection, abs light periodically came on, mechanic said it's the front right abs sensor starting to go bad. Bad news though, no one makes a replacement... a shame this happens to something like a Honda/acura. Oh well we still love the car and it only has 68,000 miles on it.
Good morning car wizard Ive been a motor engineer for some 50 yrs i served my time with Rolls Royce !! as soon as i heard that noise i immediately thought of a broken slack tappet if this engine is the same design as the 3.5 honda legend they hydraulic tappets ans slack tappets sitting behind the manifolds !! the idea is after a cll head removal your adjust the slack to give the engine compression to enable the first start up !! until the hydraulic tappets fill with oil !!! I may be totally wrong but worth using a stethoscope to check whilst running regards Derek
Yeah I bought a 2008 accord v6 that was dealer maintained its whole life. Most things were maintained well, but two things that really bugged me were the fact that the idler pulleys were not changed during the timing belt service. Also, the brakes were not bled during service and they simply replaced brake pads during brake service and not the rotors (due to those awful Phillip's screws holding them to the hub no doubt). Also, they of course perpetuated the myth of "lifetime transmission fluid". "Dealer maintained" is a mixed bag. All of these items were easy fixes, but never assume that dealerships are overly knowledgeable about these cars or even give a shit about doing everything properly. I do all my work myself, but for things like timing belts and valvevtrain adjustments that I don't want to mess with, an independent shop is always the way to go.
Go to the dealer and you rarely know what they really put in the crankcase or if they change the filter. The are not on the same side of the dollar as the owner. I NEVER go to a dealer for anything that isn't warranty and even that I triple check.
@J Oh Everyone should do that. I always change my own so I know exactly what goes in the crankcase and keep my cars forever. 22,5 yr. with current daily driver.
My buddy has this same engine in his 2013 TL - and this motor is always low on oil - lot of guys on forums have same issue with 3.7 burning oil - interesting the Honda/Acura went quickly back to the 3.5L - the 3.5L in my 07 tl type s has 220k miles no issues - dealer did replace the oil pump at 200k mile timing belt job.
Why don’t you pull it, strip it down to the block and head, send it off to your local machine shop, and have them rebuild it for you? They’ll clean it, deck it, put new bearings in it, reassemble. I’m not understanding why that isn’t an option in your mind. There is nothing special about a Honda 3.7. It’s just got a bigger stroke probably. My local machine shop here in the Valley would probably charge 2k for that.
I kinda wondered that. That is, of course, assuming that 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔 are available. Surely, unless the actual block is damaged, the engine can be repaired? I didn't hear anything about the customer not wanting a repair. Are we not talking about a guy called the "Car 𝑾𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒅"? Don't get me wrong, I'm no mechanic but, if parts are available, why can't the engine be repaired? The way the Wizard spoke, he hasn't investigated too much. Do we know exactly what's wrong with it?
we miss you 50skid! Please do some more videos or tell us about your life! Do a video soon! I fixed my BMW alone so many times cause of your instructions and i really really thank you for that!
You are the most honest mechanic I have seen but the true about this car engine bad problem is that these cars including mdx.rdx and beyond have a manufacturing recalls from 2008,2009 2010,,11,,and 12, is a oil consumption that results in piston rings and more that happens to my mdx too and I every one who owns one of these vehicles have a mail notice to get fish at no cost from Acura’s manufacture
Yeah, the TL 3.7L engines used electric power steering but the RL still used Hydraulic power steering. You can even see the high pressure line when Wizard zooms in around the Serpentine belt. Small differences like that can change an engines serial number.
The engine is cast differently, different internals, and different engine tune. Pretty much nothing is the same. The RL was very special, and they made very few.
there was a guy recently that had a honda with the same noise, all it was was the tappets, the channel was "Watch Wes Work" "Honda 3.5l Sounds Like its Gonna Blow" The problem was the timing belt tensioner
There are wreaking yards that specialize in certain make cars. I believe one is in Rancho Cordova, CA. that specializes in Acura/Honda...was well as one that specializes in Toyota.
The reason why there aren't any 3.7's out there is because they're typically bulletproof and don't need replacing. This is an extremely rare and unfortunate case. Acura isn't to blame and neither is the owner - just terrible luck!
actually the are prone to lots of oil consumption problems a quart every 1000 miles and need timing belt servers from 50k to 100k depending on the weather and rls are not the only ones with 3.7 j series tls also have it
You cant find them cause they were only produced from 09-14, I believe. Oil consumption is a big issure. Acura dealer replaced pistons and piston rings on my 2010 TL out of warranty for free. It's about $5k job!
Well it obviously isn't a noisy lifter or rocker arm . I watched a video on another channel where a Mercedes specialist took on repairing an 80 series Land Cruiser, making a similar noise and the fault was one of the main bearings spun and fused itself to the crank. The mechanic tried repairing it by sanding it down with some very fine wet & dry sandpaper but it didn't work. It needed a new crank..
That’s such a shame. I dislike how a manufacturer can just walk away even though it’s obvious it’s a manufacturer defect. They should at least pay half the bill.
According to the owner the dealer where he is from is paying for the bill because of the meticulous service and having taken the car exclusivly to one dealer.
@@adamgraham6265 oh i figured it out. the car is serviced at the dealer in roseville calif and the car is in kansas. cost of shipping it is expensive and they get great customer service exposure on car wizards channel
No it's not, the TL's used electric power steering and the RL used Hydraulic Power Steering so there's no ports to feed the hydraulic system in the TL's J37
Wow! I'm a huge fan of the 2005-2012 RL and I had no idea these 3.7 V6 engines could be problematic. In your opinion, would a person in the market for a used RL of this generation be better off focusing on a low mileage 2008 with the 3.5 V6 rather than a 2009-2012 with the newer 3.7?
I did alot of research on this car before I bought one I got a 2010 rl shawd, 75k miles for 10k. And what I found they are excellent car there is no reason why it shouldn't last over 250k miles if you take care of it and just do routine maintenance. And obviously look at how the previous owners took care of it get a car fax or something. Chances are if this car does not last over 200k miles you were just a crappy owner
Honda recommends the valves be adjusted every 30,000 miles on that engine, and also has a timing belt. A friend damaged his engine by ignoring the timing adjustments.....the engine had to be replaced and cost more than the car was worth.
Ive done many many valve adjustments on honda engines. Rarely even at 200k miles are they out of adjustment. Timing belts last 200k plus almost always. This car likely did not have oil added for a while or they added the wrong stuff.
The J Series can go 100k in between timing belts and only high mileage ones need valve adjustment. This seems to either be a freak accident or the owner didn’t keep up with the oil changes or used the wrong type of oil.
I had this car. The best passenger car I have ever driven in snow. There was one weird quirk: If you don’t close the gas cap tight or if the gas cap fails, your instrument panel will light up like a Christmas tree and will put the car in a “limp” mode with transmission preventing you from going beyond the 3rd gear. I went to my local Honda dealership and bought the original gas cap. Problem solved.
At 6:13... That "Super Handling" rear differential is a very trick design. It'll speed up the outside rear wheel when aggressively going around corners, while simultaneously slow down the INSIDE wheel at the same time via hydraulically actuated clutch packs attached to the inside/outside axle shafts.
I have a 2010 tech package in the same color, great car. Bought it with 180k miles for a whopping $3500, it was a one owner with great service history but I stole it because of the miles. Now it has 232 on it going strong. Best car I have ever owned, and probably will ever own.
Although a crate or rebuild would be preferable... It’s still an 11 year old car, regardless of how nice it is, and a junk yard motor will b just fine. Note: they ran it out of oil folks !
I got an 06 RL currently as a loaner from a friend while my cars alternator gets rebuilt and it has just shy of 300k miles and the car only looks like a high mile car on the seats. They are torn in some areas but the body is clean, no dings hardly and all straight panel gaps. Rides like a dream
Open the engine get the crack shaft cut to 10% and service oil pump and install new bigon barring. all will cost 8,500 rupees in Pakistan. 60$ dollars american... With oil and filter....
Must of been driven very low on oil these 3.7s had a warranty extension on the piston rings which causes them to burn oil. I had a 2012 Acura TL here in Canada with the same engine and I had the piston rings replaced for free at the dealer due to excessive oil consumption.
@@lorencooper6043 If that’s the case that is pretty disappointing for such a low mileage Honda engine to have such catastrophic failure. I’ve had several 3.7l Mdx’s in the family with well over 300k kms still running like new.
That’s the nice thing about living where there’s no snow. My 2005 mustang gt still looks almost new underneath. The paint and the top is another story. 8 months of 93 plus heat every day and insane sun just eats your paint away in Florida. The heat drys out plastic. The sun is so strong that you buy new wipers and the next week they will be dried and dragging on the windshield
He makes more of the engine rarity than it actually is. Same engine is in TL SH-AWD. Also, you can buy a used one from LKQ, or car-part.com or a rebuilt from Jasper.
![เจ็บที่ยังฮัก - ม่อน วรวิทย์ [ Official Mv ] จอนนี่มิวสิค](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KALIGSRSjFs/mqdefault.jpg)
Keep in mind, as clearly stated in the video. Customer wanted NEW or REMAN ONLY.
Refused used engines whatsoever, regardless of miles, or money savings. You guys keep reccomending used engines. Its not your car. Customer refuses used engines.
I love my Acura RDX I only use OEM AND NEW. Used is just going to make me cry later.
I would imagine that if he was presented with an option for a used engine with 40K miles to match the rest of his car, and if the price was thousands less, he'd go for that -- but as you say, it's his car and his decision. Interesting that they don't offer replacement engines. Nice video.
Picky customer for a guy that can't keep oil in his engine.
@@kennethfromkin6141 you imagine what you want. Not what he wants. His dime.
@@jjmarz1001 it's his money money. He gets to be picky. Not your cash. He can do whatever he wants with his money. He has it, he spends it. Seems simple to me.
"That engine is hardly broken in".
Yup. It's broken completely in.
@Car Wizard, hey man I don't want to sound too 'ricey' but couldn't you swap out for a K20 engine from Japan? They have some really incredible low mileage and the price is considerably less than 7 thousand dollars no?
@@battosaijenkins946 Turbo K swap RL? Spend $5k and have much more fun!
@@battosaijenkins946 i was wondering about that. they do do it in Japan where you have to swap in a new motor after x time and they don't put that many miles on it, but i guess it's the stigma of it being a used engine or the shipping is a real killer.
@@jorgey4 Japan has all sorts of rules / incentives to make sure people buy a new car every five years or so. The old cars get exported to places like New Zealand or scrapped.
Keep in mind, as clearly stated in the video. Customer wanted NEW or REMAN ONLY.
Refused used engines whatsoever, regardless of miles, or money savings. You guys keep reccomending used engines. Its not your car. Customer refuses used engines.
I’ve got a 2010 RL with 46k miles...also in pristine condition. I can absolutely understand wanting this poor customer’s heartbreak. I’d probably spend $7k to do the same thing.
the old 3.0 Legends were well lengendary...
there is no "probably" involved. it's worth the ticket without question.
Yeah it’s definitely worth it
46,000 mi what a garage baby
I have an Acura MDX with a similar engine, and I do all the work on it myself. Here's a tip: The low frequency of the sound indicates that the problem is in the valve train, since cam shafts rotate at half the speed of the crank shaft. If there's no cross contamination between coolant and oil (and you showed no leaks of either), then the block is probably okay. So they haven't thrown a rod. Also, since it starts up, that also indicates no damage to the block. Since that seems to be the case, remove the valve covers and inspect for damage in the variable valve timing and cam shafts. If no damage is visible, drop the engine and remove the cylinder heads. Most likely the damage will be somewhere in the valve train, but this will also allow you to inspect the block very thoroughly. Repair/replacement of cylinder heads or valve gear is certainly better and lower cost than a new engine.
An even better tip is; DONT BUY EXPENSIVE CARS! They’re just disposable status symbols. Find yourself a good cheap car that you CAN afford to repair or replace if they go tits up! (A broken-down Lamborghini Murceliago sitting in your garage rotting away is not impressing anybody)
@@chrismayer3919hat’s debatable. There’s pricier cars that are priced the way they are. A good example of this is the inflated price of older sports/performance cars that cost tens of thousands, even though they’re well over the 90-100k+ mileage range. People know those cars are reliable, and most do the math to calculate how much it might cost if things aren’t the way they are when they decide to settle on buying the car (since other options might not be able now or even later).
But, of course, this is coming from an average car enthusiast, and not some millionaire who buys the top trim level Ferrari with like every practical available option, and doesn’t even know how typical oil changes work, or how a typical dual clutch transmission operates.
I, myself, have bought a semi-unique car, knowing parts and whatnot are semi-hard to come by. This means that I should be ready to pay for parts and do certain repairs if I decide to drive it hard and break things on the car. I’m most likely going to even have a whole donor car on the side if I can help it. This will pretty much alleviate most to all of the issues I might encounter, on a rather basic level. But hey, that’s just my particular take on it.
Some people just buy cheap(er) cars and have the crappiest luck. I suggested someone to get a 1998 Toyota Camry V6 sedan with only 98k miles, yet they decided to opt for a 2013 Ford Fiesta base model sedan. Needless to say, the car didn’t last more than a year or two, esp with lack of maintenance.
Some shops prefer to cover themselves on these things and provide a limited warranty.
If the oil light comes on, pull over. Don't keep driving like this guy did.
Oil light coming on... too damn late to stop the engine... damage has been done.
@Brett Collins I miss those
Amazing how many people don't know this.
My girlfriend kept driving in my Triumph Stag. That hurt.
@@izalman too late when that happens. He obviously missed a few oil changes and burnt what was left. Oil pressure switches can't detect low oil pressure The engine either has oil pressure, or it doesn't . When there is so little oil in the engine, and the oil pump is suckibg all it can to lubricate/ cool the head, the lack of oil in the bottom end will quickly start roasting the bottom end bearings.
This engine was recalled for oiling issues. I had my rebuilt by the dealer free of charge at 100k miles
Have you got the recall done? I have a '09 TL with the consumption issue. I have to add a half quart every 1,000 miles. I nervous about the rebuild.
@@petegalicki7789 i did. It fixed the issue. Get it done by the dealership
Thank you Jeffrey. I am at 130,000. I have been biting my teeth about it.
@@petegalicki7789 they may not cover it now though. My dealer fought for mine though. It can't hurt to check
I still have the letter. Its only maybe 5 months old. I should contact the dealer. I truly appreciate your feedback. After seeing the Wizards video I'm concerned. But still don't trust the repair. I know of a horror story about dealer rebuild. Thank you Jeffrey. P.S. I love my TL.
(As of April 2022): New and used vehicle prices have gotten so far out of hand that $7 grand put into THAT particular car is no longer unreasonable. Great video - thanks.
In the UK, this model is called a Honda Legend - owned 5 and they were all brilliant family cars
Very very unusual for a 3.5 or 3.7 to go wrong. We only had the 3.5 in the UK.
owner ran it low on oil unfortunatly
I miss the old Acura Legend in the US
@@modernconflict9888 Oh no. :(
Miss the old shape Leg-ends, decent car, bet the manual was great, only ever driven slushbox versions :-(
I experienced the exact same issue with my 3.7 liter Acura MDX. Was under extended warranty and luckily the dealer found a salvaged 3.7 liter replacement. It happened in 2019. I am almost certain the MDX 3.7 litter will also fit this Acura RL. Hope this info helps someone out there.
" Transmission " in the back is actually the "super handling" differential. These cars handle very well due to this piece of mechanical wizardry (pun intended), they will actually overdrive the outside rear wheel under throttle in a corner and rotate the car in a turn. They really do have super handling, I had an '06 and it was amazing. Great show, first time I think I have ever heard you misidentify anything. Keep up the awesome content....
I just purchased a used '06 RL SH-AWD -- curious to know your experiences with it and what I should look out for
The SH-AWD is really, really amazing. It's the finest AWD system I've ever driven. The only vehicle I've driven with more grab is a military Humvee. Those are ANIMALS in 4x4.
Agreed, bought an 07 a couple months ago and i love it.
He called it a transaxle I believe. But yes, you are right. It'll send more power to the outside wheels on a hard corner. They borrowed this technology from the 5th gen Honda Prelude Type SH 😉 In this version, I'm sure they refined it and it probably works even better I'm sure. And on top of this added AWD to the mix!
I got RL 06 and the sh AWD keeps coming on and stops the cars for a sec
I've had 3 honda legends over 10 years. Brilliant cars, slightly expensive on fuel, but totally and utterly reliable and well built. More reliable than a Rolls or Bentley. Mechanics who serviced them always comment on how outstanding these Honda engines are. This Acura definitely deserves to be saved.
Is there many Legends in Thailand?
Beautiful car as well.
@@Shabbe02 have only ever seen one in thailand.
Hey now, Those 1995 Bentley Brooklands are actually fairly reliable now, and they usually go for 10k to 13k
@@defennia Yes Bentley and Rills only use the best stuff for parts. I’ve seen Rolls drive with water damage
The owner is probably in love with this car. I know the feeling.
Bro I almost got a 2009 Acura TSX black on black. It had 200k miles and new tires. Well-maintained. This car is way more car. The TSX has a K20. Did you watch the video? Did you see the aluminum front control arms? The dual composite drive shafts? Leather interior. Super low miles. on and on. It is worth at least 13-15k especially given internet marketing.
@@jamesmedina2062 k24
In love with an Acura? 🤔
@@gb8641 Yes. For the same reason people fall in love with Hondas only MY J35 has Forged Rods, Billet crank and light forged Pistons stock. But I had the 3.5 :) anyways i also have double wishbones and multilink, my steering is electric :( but everything else is to love. Imagine a BMW that lasts 3x as long
@@randomyoutubeaccount6906 I get the love for Japanese engineering, just not a big fan of Acura’s :). Kinda ZzzzZzzZzzz to me 🤷🏼♂️
The transmission is at the front of the car on these, with a drive to the rear axle. The rear differential has a planetary gear set attached that can overdrive the rear axle about 5% faster than the front axle in some situations. This was done in order to make the rear torque-vectoring system work better. This car does not have a rear transaxle, just an extra overdrive.
Then why does it say ATF?
a differential uses heavy gear oil......
@@MrPaige222 Acura used ATF for the rear diff.
4WD systems can be really complex.
@@MrPaige222 they used in some cases the same fluid in both transmission and differential, a planet gearset in the rear diff would for sure support the need for atf regardless of a transmission or not
I have no idea--I had just heard of rear transmissions 5-6 years ago, but dude that is a HUGE differential if there is no transmission back there.
If this was my car, I wouldn't hesitate to fix it. My big worry would be how good a job will the rebuilders do?
Sure... But only if you got 7k spare laying around.
@@computerdeals What is the alternative? I'd rather take out a 7K loan than a 30k+ new car loan to get something in this condition.
Yup, that's the fear.
@@lorencooper6043 You are the owner? I saw you make a couple of comments? If they are going to do that, are you having the car shipped back to that dealer? That would be great news. You should write a comment and have the Car Wizard "pin" it to the top so people can follow your progress.
@@louiswilliamhicks yep! I’ll definitely keep you posted on it! I’ll keep the wizard posted on it too
I want to say this RL is actually pretty rare, they don't sell many RL in general, especially this generation towards the end
No doubt! I have 2012 TL 3.7 and I love that ride. But this one looks sweet. Never seen RL with this front design on the road..?? Looks really. Nice.
@@Corkoth55 I have a 05 TL, with RLX being discontinued, I'm thinking of getting a used RLX hybrid (if good price lol), really want to try that SHAWD thing
I have a 2010 RL I just picked up a few months ago from its original owner. I like the car a lot but it gets pretty terrible gas mileage
@@alecedmisten7639 I'd suggest checking the oil level periodically, been seeing they have oil consumption issues apparently. That's probably how this one got low on oil and ended up getting rod knock
@@garykong7597 the RLX sport hybrid looks cool as hell
Thank you for saving this car. As an enthusiast, I love seeing cars that are obviously loved by their owners saved even if it doesn't make "economical" sense.
Not everything is about money.
You are like the only guy who gets this. :D
I DO THE SAME WITH MY CAR. I HAVE KEPT IT ALIVE FOR 26 YEARS.
RIGHT????? I am so happy and I would do the SAME THING. This car is worth it. It’s that special.
@@805NAVE LIKE NEW. INSIDE OUTSIDE, AND UNDERNEATH.
this one actually makes sense to save.
The lesson here is be careful when buying a rare car. All cars will eventually need repairs and it will be hard to find spares to fix them.
It works both ways. I had a GM Vectra 2.2 which was really common as a Rep Mobile. At 99K miles and 13 years old the engine started making a noise like this Acura. Since "We Buy Any Car" reckoned it was worth £220 problem free, I took the £170 trade in offered against its replacement. Before trading it in I gather all the receipts and found I had spent £4000 in repairs and maintenance in the 12 years I owned it.
Had it been a VX220, which uses the same engine, it would have been an entirely different situation.
wizard is too safe, not a bad thing and very responsible to his customers but the owner took it to the wrong mechanic
some honda genius came up with some good engines 20 years ago so they decided to leeched off of it for the next 20+ years. a 3.7 from a 3rd gen TL will drop right in.
@@lancercool1992 3G TL-S was a 3.5, 4G had a 3.7 available.
Car isn't rare. Just didn't sell as great as the TL
The engine is rare. The RL was rare enough, but it didn't share enough parts with other models to justify an inventory of fresh spares. Rare cars, make for rare repairs, thus rare opportunity to sell get inventory off the shelf to pay for itself. Dusty parts, cost money for the guy that has them waiting. Profit is about turnover.
Hey Wizard. Just to let you know that there is a recall on that motor for oil consumption. Its a complete dealer rebuild. Not sure if that vehicle applies to the recall but please look into it. It would be a great free fix for the customer.
Recall ended 2019
@@johnj949 ... Of course it did. My black cloud grows. Lol. Thank you for the update John. I sincerely appreciate it.
@@petegalicki7789 I switched to 10w30 since its thicker oil
@@johnj949 ... Not to heavy for this motor? Again, black cloud.
@@petegalicki7789 past 40k miles i use shell t5 10w30 no issues. Did every 2k miles the first year and all the carbon got cleaned out
If it was my car, I'd see about the possibilities of putting the widely available 3.5 in it.
He would lose 50 horsepower though
a bunch of engines can be imported from Japan,Russia.
@@sergeihanush2262 at what cost?
@@aaronshensky9385 2000 engine in Vladivostok, plus probably a 1000 for delivery.
@Duncan Macleod lkq has one engine with 137k miles
I drove a brand new MDX that got rodnock within the first 3 miles. They found it was a manufacturing defect and gave me 10k off the price I paid for my troubles.
Lmfaoooo I could only IMAGINE you're face after paying for it and driving it home and all of a sudden ride knock engine toast. I'd be FURIOUS. so did they give you a different mdx or did you keep that one, get the new engine and the 10k back in cash?
That's what I would expect. If a car with 3 miles develops rod knock, they better give me a new engine.
Wow only 3 miles . atleast you saved 10 k
what year?
You remind me of a great childhood memory I have --
16 year old me watching Stacy David rebuild cars at 4am with my father before going to work. We used to do that almost religiously. Anytime I watch your videos Wizard, I get that same memory every time, and it's a wonderful memory to me!
Also --- WHAT A MINT of an Acura!
I love how in his mind everyone he talks to refers to him as car wizard
Well that is really unfortunate. I wonder if Ericthecarguy has ever run into this issue before. He was a Honda master technician and worked at multiple Acura dealerships for many years. I think it's worth $7k to fix this car as expensive as it is for a car with such low mileage and given the immaculate condition that it's in for it's age this one is worth saving!
I'm sure he hasn't worked at Honda since this car was built. Though it seems like such a rare issue I doubt there's any service bulletins about it. Especially since Honda had the confidence in it to not stock brand new replacements or very very few of them. This is just a raw deal where a rebuild is the only option.
@@richardbicker640 ey there viewers, welcome back the south main auto channel. Today we're looking at a 2010 hondo, or acura...she has the big 3.7. how'd I do?
My guess is that it's the original oil.. the problem was that this guy ran it like that the whole time... Doesn't matter what car it is you cannot be driving a car with low oil...
@@hacatan24 Acura 3.7 has a history of oil consumption. He probably didn't check the oil and ran it low, then destroyed the bearings.
I have a 2005 RL and the torque vectoring all wheel drive is amazing. It handles beautifully and is super quick. Very fun car. I call her Sleeper Beast LoL. Looks pretty average, but faster and better handling than anything in it's class!
Yessir! My thoughts exactly with my 05!
Thank you for making a video on this RL. As an Acura owner, it saddens me to hear the bad news regarding the engine. Glad the customer is fixing it the right way.
It would be so good to actually see it being pulled apart and actually see what has died
To cause the knocking 😍😍👍👍
I sure hope they'll do a video on it!
I'm retired now,but when I still had my shop I used to explain to customers the difference between oi pressure and level,I would compare oil pressure to blood pressure,If your blood pressure is zero,you die pretty quick,the same with an engine,zero oil pressure means a quick death unless you immediately turn off the key and coast to the side of the road,you may be lucky and save the engine from major damage.---People don't know the difference between oil level and oil pressure,they think that when the oil light comes on that they have to add oil.
Yes, most definitely, I’d be willing to bet it was due to lack of use or improper maintenance.
1. Oil changes/checking the level was being based on mileage. It could’ve had 2,500 miles since the last change but if it had been a year or two the oil would’ve degraded to the point that it failed to protect the delicate components.
2. Seals had deteriorated.
thats def a rod knocking 100% that noise is always easy to verify
These 3.7s had a recall for faulty piston design. I work on em every day.
I have the same engine with almost 300k miles and still drives perfect
I'm at 20000
I would like to know what the root cause is. oil pump failure? failed rings causing high oil consumption =low oil level .It would be interesting to see in a follow up video.
It's the piston rings/liner. It's highly documented. 3.7 j series. They all do it.
Yeah wondering what caused it too
I would like to see a video on the re build if they decide on that option.
My guess oil pump failure and spun a bearing, its not a hard rebuild folks, people have been rebuilding DOHC V6's for decades. It does not need to be sent to Michigan, they truly are confusing it with a Ferrari. Its a Honda, find a Honda guy, they are everywhere.
Root cause is son driving it like a race car.
Personally something that nice, I'd rebuild THAT engine so it's all numbers matching.
Edit : Good to see you're doing that.
Prime example of the saying: "anything mechanical can fail at any time."
Exactly!
This makes me afraid of driving my car long distances
I'd love to hear what the Wizard or the rebuilder thinks really happened. My gut says it was run out of oil, except that the exterior of the engine is really nice and dry.
EDIT: notes in the comments below say that the oil pump failed.
No. There was a recall for these 3.7s. poor piston/ring design leads to excessive oil consumption
@@supersabrosinho i have Legend 3.7 for 13 years now and no recalls except of passenger airbag 250000 miles on it
With that low of mileage for a 2010, I'm curious how often the oil was changed on it.
Often, My friend would change it about every 3K miles.
@@adamgraham6265 Well it seems like that he should have looked at the oil level more often.
@@Shabbe02 The oil level was full. The oil pump must have failed.
@@adamgraham6265 my bad
@@Shabbe02 np just updating the people as they have been wanting
I own this exact car and in the the same color. I live in New England. This cars a beast, never mind how great it is in the snow. It is a rare car. I still haven't spotted one near me and I drove over 2 states to purchase mine. I would advise anyone that wants to buy one to make sure timing was done, if purchasing with over 60k.
That generation of RL came with a Carbon Fibre driveshaft - pretty incredible to see that level of effort and detail (and cost!)
I would spend the $7,000 to re-build the engine. It's going to be a Classic car at some point. i.e. 55 Chevy!
@@mikebingham9700 doubt it’ll make it to classic status. For that matter, I doubt any post 2010 car on the road today will make it to that point. Except maybe some American muscle with a dedicated cult following in the future.
Only $4500 to get another in case it fails 😅😅😅
@@Gerarghini isn’t the whole point of it being carbon fiber is so it DOESN’T fail? At least not easily.
Until the bearings they used close to the exhaust there go bad and start whining like a bitch 😭 also can't replace just a bearing gotta be the whole shaft. Luckily TL isn't carbon
Any diagnosis on a cause? This video kind of needed that as a conclusion. I know the guys getting it rebuilt, but I wanted to know how a low mileage engine failed. Does that Acura engine suck? What was the service record like? How does a low mileage engine, clearly well taken care of, fail completely?
Oil pump failure.
I did a swap on my RL and spent $500 on a used engine and swapped accessories. Did everything my self and it’s running good.
As stated by others, the 3.7 from the TL SH-AWD(J37A4) and ZDX(J37A5) with the dual VTEC heads will be a near direct swap. Might be some accessory or sensor differences, but they're nearly identical.
The car is worth $12K tops in perfect condition---not sure throwing a rebuilt engine in there at $7K is smart. Just let it go, use the $7K on a 2011 Prius or Camry and the kid will finish his PhD with value left in either of those.
@@trevorsutherland5263 - Yep. Sell the car for $3k-$4k and move on. Let the next person deal with a used engine replacement.
@@OMGWTFLOLSMH Acura of Roseville has agreed to cover the costs because of the issue and regular maintenance preformed at that dealer. According to the owner.
@@trevorsutherland5263 some people when they rebuilt the engine or motor they know they're not going to get their money back they just want to have a reliable car to take them from point a to point b it's more like an investment personal investment
Could I out the j37 air intake manifold on a j35a8 motor in a kb1 '05
Wizard, you can find a few 2009-2012 Acura RLs with that J37A2 for sale in IAAI, or copart, with around 60k miles. yes you'll have 20k miles more in the engine, but it will be as it came out of the factory. not a rebuilt aluminium engine, that had rod shavings running inside it... It will be cheaper, and you'll have an entire car for parts, if needed, that you can use to increase the profit margin in the job.
7k$ for a rebuilt engine, only if it comes with a 60k miles warranty, or something, that I doubt they'll be able to do. And even if it come with a warranty, do you really want to have to do the same job again before that car has over 200k miles?
Customer wants rebuilt or new only. Not used whatsoever
@@CarWizard Aha. So I was thinking there were no used engines either. Well if he is so stubborn that he doesn't even want a used engine with 27k on it than I don't feel so sorry for him anymore. Its his own choice..
Just find a really good Honda racer guy that builds engines, every town has them. You don't need to send it to Michigan.
Didn’t these 3.7L have a recall for piston rings or something ?
@@krassimirpetrov7131 It might have been a TSB.
We had a 2016 Honda Pilot with the similar engine- it threw a rod at 50k miles. Exact same symptoms. We had the factory extended warranty. Honda fought us on the repair and ended up rebuilding the motor for us. Long time honda family and we were really upset that this happened. Our Pilot looked brand new underneath and inside the motor as well. This owner is not alone in his failure. I don't think Honda is aware of this becoming a larger problem.
Honda has absolutely no engines in their supply chain and you think that Honda/Acura does not know that they have a problem??
Well, they're rectifying it now. Still no "remedy" yet for this recall.
have you thought about a 3.5l or 3.7l short engine from ebay? also asking Honda direct rather than through dealer? Honda America or even Honda in Japan direct? It can be more useful as middle men might not want to say "we can get one in 3 months" might be worth seeing which parts are needed and pricing the parts up as they are known to support parts long term even is don't have a spare engine. you could look into marine engines from Honda too.
worst sound i've ever heard a car make was when I turned on the radio to rebecca black
This is the comment of the day! BRAVO!
😆
When ever I work on a Acura suv. The paint they put in the suspension parts really surprises me.
I don't think I've ever seen many RLs on the road. That one like you said looks in rather good condition, but with the low mileage that makes sense. That's unfortunate about the engine; who knew the J37 would be so hard if not impossible to find versus a J35. That's good to know about; it's rather insane that you can't even get a J37 from Honda/Acura! Can't wait to hear the RL and see it running again when you all get the rebuilt engine back in it.
It’s very strange because Acura was replacing these left and right a few years ago for the oil burning issues.
Maybe the dealership changed the oil and forgot to add the oil and then started it and let it run until he heard a noise and then added the oil. I dont know, just a guess
Maybe the owner never changed the oil.
@@stevec5000 seeing as how the owner has kept up with all the other maintenance, I do not believe that is the case at all.
@@bigdm9349 Not if it belonged to an old lady who kept it in the garage and obviously didn't drive it much. You obviously haven't worked on any women's cars! They generally drive them until something breaks, like this one! She might not have done any maintenance at all, especially since women usually don't even know that cars need oil.
Or the Car transporting driver took it for joyride Abusing the life out of it. I wonder how many miles he drove it after it was dropped off. I have a friend that bought a car 2012 or13 not sure of the yearPontiac G8 in 2019 with only26kon it and just like this car look like Brand new. And within A thousand miles it threw a rod.🤔. The Worst way though is having those companies that will drive your car to you. Don't do it you'll be sorry.
@@stevec5000 exactly old lady driven is not a good thing they don’t change their damn oil or if they do it’s after 15-20 thousand miles
RE: Hoovie's Leisure VAN
The VCR probably just has dirty heads from sitting so long. There's a good chance you can just run a good quality HEAD CLEANER thru a few times and it will work just fine. That or you can adjust the TRACKING... Take it from this old guy...!
Love your show... good luck!
This car is in truly amazing condition... oh besides the BLOWN ENGINE!
It'll be really interesting to learn what the heck even happened to that engine (if, hopefully, the rebuild company provides that information).
I will keep you posted on it.
@@lorencooper6043 It sounds like big-end bearings to me. Same happened with a car I had. Some cars can't run on low oil or the bearings break. I had to replace engine as well.
@@alexbowers4203 oil was all full.
@@lorencooper6043 You should try to contact Acura Customer support at 888-234-2138. These engines have their warranty extended to 8 years/125,000 miles due to piston ring issues causing excess oil consumption. Acura dealers are able to get replacement engines.
@@lorencooper6043 Wish you best with your car, very clean.
Lol , wizard is so amazed at a car like this. Since he is used to Hoovie's hooptie patrol
I have a 92 Camry I bought for $500 and put 400k miles in it till the engine blew at 500k. I won't hesitate to put $3k in it and drive it for another 20 years. $7k on this clean car is a bargain because the alternative is anothet $60k for a new car.
Engine blew at only 500K?
The Camry engine would literally run for ever if it could be resleeved
Sure but it is still a lot of money that the owner may or may not have..to spend on it.
May I suggest you get out and live life a little? We are only here for a short time you know----go buy a Hellcat.
No one runs a car with that many miles in my country.. We just scrap them. Socialists can afford because we ain't paying for healthcare.
"Thrown a rod!' - The Blues Brothers 1980 All Rights Reserved.
Thank you thank you THANK YOU WIZARD for fixing this beautiful special car and helping the owner! This car is 10x cooler than hoodies lambo
The RL is one of the best made Honda’s ever...it’s NSX level, made in japan
I can confirm that. I took pot holes, a few curbs, a steel lane dividing cone and hell even a ladder (dropped off a truck in front of me at highway speed)....and absolutely nothing happened to the car, except for a few scratches to the underside plastic. This car is a tank.
@@gbriank1 yes the built quality between the RL and TL is night and day, it was basically Honda of the early 2000s showing off their engineering ability, similar to Mercedes of the late 80s. If you read about some of the tech introduced in this car it is astonishing.
Actually all J series Honda engines are made in the US
@@kingmarz3635 Is that the Marysville, OH plant?
@@gbriank1
The J-series is Honda's fourth production V6 engine family introduced in 1996, after the C-series, which consisted of three dissimilar versions. The J-series engine was designed in the United States by Honda engineers. It is built at Honda's Anna, Ohio, and Lincoln, Alabama, engine plants.
That's a real shame. The customer must really love that car to throw $7k at it. There choice and respect that. Be good to see a couple of video's on this one - engine out and back in, if you're allowed, Wizard. Thanks for a great video.
I know the owner IRL and I can tell you he takes great pride in taking care of his belongings.
@@adamgraham6265 Tell him that this is an amazing car and that it is 100% worth saving!
@@Shabbe02 an acura dealer in cali is paying for the damage since there was such a massive defect.
@@adamgraham6265 interesting so they are paying the wizard to do the job??? why won’t the Acura dealer do it themselves?
@@Shabbe02 it's his choice to use a mechanic of his choosing or the dealership. Honestly he may be paying partial so it may be in his benefit to keep it safe with the wizard vs some young tech.
At 3:37 that's the ATF cooler, not the PS one. And regarding the engine knock - with J37 the odds are it can be just the rocker arm spring, that's a common problem with these and a cheap and easy fix with the engine left unharmed even though it sounds like it's falling apart.
If it turns out that the engine is indeed toast, then one can easily import a low mileage J37 from Japan between 2000-3000$ tops.
YES! Finally some Acura Videos and I'm glad it's of a 2nd Gen RL. They're the most under-rated Acura ever next to the 2003 CL Type S with the Manual Transmission. Unfortunately oil burning is a common issue with ALL Honda/Acura J37 3.7L Engines because of faulty piston rings from the factory. You can read all about the class action lawsuits that are STILL on going with these engines. They burn oil like crazy and unfortunately that's what probably happened to this car and the owner didn't realize that it was so low on oil until it was too late.
Any chance a 3.5 could be swapped in? I have a feeling they share a lot of components, if not alignment, bolt for bolt in some instances.
If they do, might be better to swap in a 3.5 so that if there are any major engine issues in the future, repair to the 3.5 will be a lot easier
From what I understand from AcuraZine, the 3.7 V6 is just a sleeveless, bored out 3.5. That is the only difference between the 3.5 and this 3.7 engine.
I have a 2010 Honda Accord. 2.4 4 cylinder. My engine and the V-6’s from that era had a oil consumption problem. They don’t leak or burn the oil. It literally just consumes it somehow. I have to put a quart of oil every 3 weeks in mine and it’s dry as a bone around the engine.
I've been working at an Acura dealer for 4 years, unfortunately I have never seen one this nice, most of them are trashed cause the current owners can't afford to fix them, just buy them because it's the former Acura flagship
You should definitely interview the engine rebuilder and ask him what went wrong internally in this engine, and whether they think it's a common or even at all occuring failure (on all the other engines they have rebuilt so far). Or if they don't want to be interviewed, then at least tell us what they found!!
That is a great idea. I really think that's the juiciest bit of info we could all appreciate
I second this, I would love more info on how this happened!
99% certain that this is a basic user fault, too long interval between oil changes which has clogged the oil lines that feed the main bearings and the rod bearings. For that reason a rod bearing has lost it's oil film and made contact with the crank and slipped loose/worn out.
@@TeroYyy I doubt it, I bet those j series could go the entire 47k miles with no oil change and still be fine. Probably oil pump failed or engine was consuming oil and he ran out.
One of the saddest things can ever happens to a car owner 💔😢
Back when Honda used to make genuine, reliable, and quality cars...
100%, its very sad on their reliability nowadays. I was in FB 3rd Gen Honda Pilot groups and so many people having premature injector failures. And home have issues with their headunit. Honda also got hit with their reliability for oil dilution issues with 1.5T engines on CR-V and Civic right? It's really sad what has happened to Honda.
@@LionRunner Not all new Honda's have issues. I have 2016 Accord Coupe with zero issues. Even Toyota have had recent issues so its not just Honda. I'd still take a Honda or Toyota over any domestic or German vehicle. Only Kia and Hyundai would challenge them for reliabilty etc.
Eh. They stopped making reliable cars around 2007. This is newer.
You must be forgetting about the transmission problems they had behind their v6 engines.
Hello from Austria (EU) where Honda sells maybe 100 cars a year nowadays. I looked at the previous model Euro Civic and the price was a bit too much so I dropped the idea. Am very glad I got a 2015 Mazda 3 instead, the current EU Civic is even worse I hear, the head gaskets don't hold on these highly strung little turbo engines. Sad really when you think how popular Hondas were here in the 80s-90s.
Cant you get a used engine from Japan, they usually have 30000 miles or less?
Def should have some engines in Japan
Exactly what I was thinking.
This engine would be even rarer in Japan than in the States
I think we should overnight parts from Japan.
Most if not all J series engines are made in America for the North American market. Japan didn't have any J-series engined vehicles sold in their market at the level we do here so America is the best bet for finding a J37.
7:59 thats a spun rod bearing, 100%. I just rebuilt the turbo FA20 in my 2018 WRX. Subaru quoted a ton.. so I did it in my garage myself. If the cam lobes and bearing races look ok. Then its usually rebuildable by swapping crankshaft, main bearings, rodbearings, any rods that have heating discoloration (usually the bearing that was spun), and flush and wash everything to remove all micro metal shavings from bad bearings.. put it all together once all new bearing clearances checked and everything specd. Worth saving that RL as I saved my 2018 WRX..👍
so the son was driving it and he is going to school. it sounds like he was racing it around and over revved it and blew up daddy’s car
that's what I'm thinking, those cars are pretty quick so I wouldn't doubt the kid was beating on it
Yeah, that sounded suspect to me. There's got to be more to the story than he was told.
@@LN997-i8x I’ll tell you the story, it was only out here for five days until the engine blew up going to the car wizards. I was going from McPherson to Newton. Driving 78 in high gear until I saw a flashing check engine light then a low oil light. Pulled off in Hesston and I was hearing knocking. Called AAA to take it to the wizards and that’s where it sat for this video to be made
Also they don't like 87 gas
Nice car. I would fix it. We need not know how it happened, it just happened. Now we need to deal with the problem.
I have a 1998 Acura tl that my dad bought in 1999 from a doctors wife. Dad didnt drive the car for a few years due to his health, and when he passed, I said to my wife, dad loved that acura, its time to fix it up a little and drive it. First was the exhaust system. That was a heck of a hunt, but parts were available, then it came to the brake rotors and pads, from sitting they rusted and glazed over, called dealership both acura and honda. They said not available. Ended up napa was able to them over a week for them to source all the parts. Then I had to take it in for inspection, abs light periodically came on, mechanic said it's the front right abs sensor starting to go bad. Bad news though, no one makes a replacement... a shame this happens to something like a Honda/acura. Oh well we still love the car and it only has 68,000 miles on it.
Good morning car wizard Ive been a motor engineer for some 50 yrs i served my time with Rolls Royce !! as soon as i heard that noise i immediately thought of a broken slack tappet if this engine is the same design as the 3.5 honda legend they hydraulic tappets ans slack tappets sitting behind the manifolds !! the idea is after a cll head removal your adjust the slack to give the engine compression to enable the first start up !! until the hydraulic tappets fill with oil !!! I may be totally wrong but worth using a stethoscope to check whilst running regards Derek
5:05 also it has a Honda brand oil filter, so you know they took it to the dealership(stealership🤣) for the oil change
Yeah I bought a 2008 accord v6 that was dealer maintained its whole life. Most things were maintained well, but two things that really bugged me were the fact that the idler pulleys were not changed during the timing belt service. Also, the brakes were not bled during service and they simply replaced brake pads during brake service and not the rotors (due to those awful Phillip's screws holding them to the hub no doubt). Also, they of course perpetuated the myth of "lifetime transmission fluid". "Dealer maintained" is a mixed bag. All of these items were easy fixes, but never assume that dealerships are overly knowledgeable about these cars or even give a shit about doing everything properly. I do all my work myself, but for things like timing belts and valvevtrain adjustments that I don't want to mess with, an independent shop is always the way to go.
Go to the dealer and you rarely know what they really put in the crankcase or if they change the filter. The are not on the same side of the dollar as the owner. I NEVER go to a dealer for anything that isn't warranty and even that I triple check.
@@melvingibson4525 I learned many years ago that my cars are maintained best by myself.
Or it had none.
@J Oh Everyone should do that. I always change my own so I know exactly what goes in the crankcase and keep my cars forever. 22,5 yr. with current daily driver.
I had that sound on a car once it was a bearing that somehow got into the engine.
Yeah big-end bearing when the car is run on low oil
My buddy has this same engine in his 2013 TL - and this motor is always low on oil - lot of guys on forums have same issue with 3.7 burning oil - interesting the Honda/Acura went quickly back to the 3.5L - the 3.5L in my 07 tl type s has 220k miles no issues - dealer did replace the oil pump at 200k mile timing belt job.
At 5:30...
I'm impressed that a 4 door Acura has a carbon fiber reinforced driveshaft!
Composite driveshaft?
Not Reinforced. It a carbon fiber driveshaft.
Cool in an S2000. Not so Cool in that RL. Why bother?
It also has torque vectoring. They'll haul around a corner.
I need a car wizard garage by me.
Me too then id maybe buy an Acura with this engine
Wouldn’t that be amazing if we start seeing Car Wizard franchises. Similar to jiffy Lube
Me too,, here in Houston there are a thousand incompetent unethical mechanics for every good one !!
@@2packs4sure Scotty Kilmer was in Houston. You missed out big time.
@@B0xlife1 I know, I discovered him of few years ago but haven't needed any work done.
I have a low mileage 2002 F250 7.3 and it never breaks.
What caused the rod to through, .was it low oil ?. That 7k price for a quality rebuild seems like best bet.
His son was driving it . Ferris Bueller ?
Maybe that's how it has so little miles. Probably reversed 60,000 miles. lol
Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
Nah, it was his day off ;)
No doubt son drove it like he stole it
No Dad, honestly I never THRASHED the car.....OR.......maybe as honest as one previous President..."I did not have sex with that woman"...
Why don’t you pull it, strip it down to the block and head, send it off to your local machine shop, and have them rebuild it for you? They’ll clean it, deck it, put new bearings in it, reassemble. I’m not understanding why that isn’t an option in your mind. There is nothing special about a Honda 3.7. It’s just got a bigger stroke probably. My local machine shop here in the Valley would probably charge 2k for that.
I kinda wondered that. That is, of course, assuming that 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔 are available.
Surely, unless the actual block is damaged, the engine can be repaired? I didn't hear anything about the customer not wanting a repair. Are we not talking about a guy called the "Car 𝑾𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒅"?
Don't get me wrong, I'm no mechanic but, if parts are available, why can't the engine be repaired? The way the Wizard spoke, he hasn't investigated too much. Do we know exactly what's wrong with it?
we miss you 50skid! Please do some more videos or tell us about your life! Do a video soon! I fixed my BMW alone so many times cause of your instructions and i really really thank you for that!
You are the most honest mechanic I have seen but the true about this car engine bad problem is that these cars including mdx.rdx and beyond have a manufacturing recalls from 2008,2009 2010,,11,,and 12, is a oil consumption that results in piston rings and more that happens to my mdx too and I every one who owns one of these vehicles have a mail notice to get fish at no cost from Acura’s manufacture
How come a 3.7 Acura TL Shawd won’t work as a replacement engine???
That's exactly what I'm thinking as well. This engine shouldn't be any different than the TL's. They came with 3.5 for the FWD and 3.7 for the SH-AWD.
Won’t jive with the computers...all about computers
they made different versions of the 3.7 depending on application, with the RL and ZDX engines being the rarest
Yeah, the TL 3.7L engines used electric power steering but the RL still used Hydraulic power steering. You can even see the high pressure line when Wizard zooms in around the Serpentine belt. Small differences like that can change an engines serial number.
The engine is cast differently, different internals, and different engine tune. Pretty much nothing is the same. The RL was very special, and they made very few.
Finally a video on the RL from Wizard
there was a guy recently that had a honda with the same noise, all it was was the tappets, the channel was "Watch Wes Work" "Honda 3.5l Sounds Like its Gonna Blow"
The problem was the timing belt tensioner
Checkout Copart and see if they have a low mileage wrecked Accura.
There are wreaking yards that specialize in certain make cars. I believe one is in Rancho Cordova, CA. that specializes in Acura/Honda...was well as one that specializes in Toyota.
The reason why there aren't any 3.7's out there is because they're typically bulletproof and don't need replacing. This is an extremely rare and unfortunate case. Acura isn't to blame and neither is the owner - just terrible luck!
That wouldn't be why you couldn't find a good used motor, that's the exact opposite reason.
actually the are prone to lots of oil consumption problems a quart every 1000 miles and need timing belt servers from 50k to 100k depending on the weather and rls are not the only ones with 3.7 j series tls also have it
You cant find them cause they were only produced from 09-14, I believe. Oil consumption is a big issure. Acura dealer replaced pistons and piston rings on my 2010 TL out of warranty for free. It's about $5k job!
Well it obviously isn't a noisy lifter or rocker arm . I watched a video on another channel where a Mercedes specialist took on repairing an 80 series Land Cruiser, making a similar noise and the fault was one of the main bearings spun and fused itself to the crank. The mechanic tried repairing it by sanding it down with some very fine wet & dry sandpaper but it didn't work. It needed a new crank..
That’s such a shame. I dislike how a manufacturer can just walk away even though it’s obvious it’s a manufacturer defect. They should at least pay half the bill.
According to the owner the dealer where he is from is paying for the bill because of the meticulous service and having taken the car exclusivly to one dealer.
@@adamgraham6265 Wow!! That’s great.
@@adamgraham6265 then why isn't the dealer installing the engine?
@@gregh7457 it might be i don't know
@@adamgraham6265 oh i figured it out. the car is serviced at the dealer in roseville calif and the car is in kansas. cost of shipping it is expensive and they get great customer service exposure on car wizards channel
it must have been run low on oil for it to fail like that. i would love to know what the cause of the fail was.
Oil pump failure. The dipstick showed true according to the owner, someone I know IRL.
@@adamgraham6265 thanks for that such a shame for a really well kept car
Big question. Where did the oil go?? Surely it wasn't burning it up? Or rather, was the oil level ok?
Its the exact same engine from the Acura TL Type S and the newer TLs (2009 and up). Check junkyards for a TL Type S. Theres gotta be something around.
Type S only used a 3.5 the 4th gen TL ShAwd used the 3.7
No it's not, the TL's used electric power steering and the RL used Hydraulic Power Steering so there's no ports to feed the hydraulic system in the TL's J37
Wow! I'm a huge fan of the 2005-2012 RL and I had no idea these 3.7 V6 engines could be problematic. In your opinion, would a person in the market for a used RL of this generation be better off focusing on a low mileage 2008 with the 3.5 V6 rather than a 2009-2012 with the newer 3.7?
I did alot of research on this car before I bought one I got a 2010 rl shawd, 75k miles for 10k. And what I found they are excellent car there is no reason why it shouldn't last over 250k miles if you take care of it and just do routine maintenance. And obviously look at how the previous owners took care of it get a car fax or something. Chances are if this car does not last over 200k miles you were just a crappy owner
The J37 was also used in the 2nd gen MDX, 1st gen ZDX, and the 3rd gen TL SH-AWD.
Yeah that's the same engine in my MDX. Wonder why there is no mention of that?
Honda recommends the valves be adjusted every 30,000 miles on that engine, and also has a timing belt. A friend damaged his engine by ignoring the timing adjustments.....the engine had to be replaced and cost more than the car was worth.
I have 190k on my Acura and never had a timing adjustment. Purs like a kitten!
Ive done many many valve adjustments on honda engines. Rarely even at 200k miles are they out of adjustment. Timing belts last 200k plus almost always. This car likely did not have oil added for a while or they added the wrong stuff.
@chris younts You cant rev over 5500 on these, they have a rev limiter and the transmission won't allow it either
The J Series can go 100k in between timing belts and only high mileage ones need valve adjustment. This seems to either be a freak accident or the owner didn’t keep up with the oil changes or used the wrong type of oil.
@@TheMrLebaron I’ve gotten my 3.5 above 7000 easy
My 93 Topaz made the same noise when it threw a rod. 😑
I had this car. The best passenger car I have ever driven in snow.
There was one weird quirk: If you don’t close the gas cap tight or if the gas cap fails, your instrument panel will light up like a Christmas tree and will put the car in a “limp” mode with transmission preventing you from going beyond the 3rd gear. I went to my local Honda dealership and bought the original gas cap. Problem solved.
At 6:13...
That "Super Handling" rear differential is a very trick design.
It'll speed up the outside rear wheel when aggressively going around corners, while simultaneously slow down the INSIDE wheel at the same time via hydraulically actuated clutch packs attached to the inside/outside axle shafts.
The 3.7 was in every MDX from 2007-2013 and many Tls and RLs why is it so hard to find?
they are very popular performance swaps for accord, civics etc. they are very rare and expensive to get.
That and those people still own and drive those vehicles as well.
@@tilleryinnovations592 I’m guessing he wants that specific motor either new or with low mileage
He stated that the customer wanted only new or remanufactured.. No used
@@tilleryinnovations592 He clearly stated that it was modified by Acura itself to fit the car
I have a 2010 tech package in the same color, great car. Bought it with 180k miles for a whopping $3500, it was a one owner with great service history but I stole it because of the miles. Now it has 232 on it going strong. Best car I have ever owned, and probably will ever own.
3.7 or 3.5? And have the piston rings been replaced?
Although a crate or rebuild would be preferable...
It’s still an 11 year old car, regardless of how nice it is, and a junk yard motor will b just fine.
Note: they ran it out of oil folks !
Can you shoehorn an Odyssey engine in it?
The mounting should be the same.
I got an 06 RL currently as a loaner from a friend while my cars alternator gets rebuilt and it has just shy of 300k miles and the car only looks like a high mile car on the seats. They are torn in some areas but the body is clean, no dings hardly and all straight panel gaps. Rides like a dream
Open the engine get the crack shaft cut to 10% and service oil pump and install new bigon barring. all will cost 8,500 rupees in Pakistan. 60$ dollars american...
With oil and filter....
Must of been driven very low on oil these 3.7s had a warranty extension on the piston rings which causes them to burn oil.
I had a 2012 Acura TL here in Canada with the same engine and I had the piston rings replaced for free at the dealer due to excessive oil consumption.
The 2010 RL engine didnt have that recall. I know for a fact that the engine was full of oil.
@@lorencooper6043 If that’s the case that is pretty disappointing for such a low mileage Honda engine to have such catastrophic failure. I’ve had several 3.7l Mdx’s in the family with well over 300k kms still running like new.
That’s the nice thing about living where there’s no snow. My 2005 mustang gt still looks almost new underneath. The paint and the top is another story. 8 months of 93 plus heat every day and insane sun just eats your paint away in Florida. The heat drys out plastic. The sun is so strong that you buy new wipers and the next week they will be dried and dragging on the windshield
He makes more of the engine rarity than it actually is.
Same engine is in TL SH-AWD.
Also, you can buy a used one from LKQ, or car-part.com or a rebuilt from Jasper.
And it was in the MDX and the ZDX.