# 3rd Gen Acura TL System Issue ***Please Help***



## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

Ok....I have a 2004 (3rd Gen) Acura TL with the factory sound system. I am planning on gutting and making this my Demo car for my new 12volt company I am starting from home. I am having a problem with the factory system as it sits that I am afraid if I don't address now, will only move to the new system. If this problem can't be fixed, then the car will have to go! 

The problem:
When it is cold outside (today is 27 degrees ad the car is garaged), there is severe static coming from all the speakers, but noticeably louder in the rear speakers. When I first start the car, the left speakers are also attenuated. When the car warms up, the left side volume increases until normal. I found out that the static noise is only there when the car is running (with the car off it is gone), but it does not increase/decrease in volume with RPM's. The static also decreases a lot as the car warms up, but never goes away totally. I never noticed anything when it was warmer outside. 

Apparently I am not the only one that has had this problem as I found similar questions over at AcuraZine and apparently the dealer has replaced both the HU and amp for people without resolution and then chalked it up to "normal" and never fixed the issue.

Anyone have any thoughts????


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

Anyone?


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

The volume issue I had with my Helix amps. When it was cold out and they were cold they would be "off" and seem unbalanced, but once they warmed up they would be back to normal and they problem would be gone. This never happened in the summer...


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## Horsemanwill (Jun 1, 2008)

the only thing i can think of is something to do with the ground. considering that's the only thing the "whole car" has in common when it comes to coldness. make sure all your grounds involving car audio are properly done and sealed.


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

Why would cold cause a grounding issue? I plan on trying to swap an aftermarket HU tomorrow to verify the here say on AcuraZine that the dealer actually ruled out the HU and Amp properly.


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## j sexton (Sep 19, 2009)

very similar issue on 8th gen civics,static and distortion ,only with key on,but only on am stations. it was feedback through the intake manifold variable volume valve, some were worse than others. the tl would call it a "imt" valve ,right behind power steering pump on intake ,if yours has one.you could unplug it and see if noise goes away, but you will prob have to reset check eng light.


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## j sexton (Sep 19, 2009)

and see if rear window defrost on or off has affect


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## ncv6coupe (Oct 25, 2009)

Do u have navi or even a portable gps? Anything plugged into the cigarette lighters? For ages Honda's have been noise pits for aftermarket stereo but in the TL not soo much(maybe since not many put stereos in them). NE how, is this with engine on fast idle alone? Could be the $hitty factory speakers warming up and feeding back through the amp. Plug out the driver side mid and switch it with passenger side, or use an aftermarket one with the factory wiring and report back.

*warning*(I am known to say wacky things at times)


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

Okay... Typically the colder it is outside, the more noticeable the noise is, so I thought if it was the factory Head Unit, the volume of the noise would change as I heated and cooled the factory HU. I heated up the factory radio and installed and the noise was still present and unchanged. Then I put the factory radio in the freezer and (after a hour) installed and the noise was still present and unchanged. I then installed an aftermarket HU connected to an aftermarket speaker and the noise was no longer present. I then put the factory HU back in and tapped the speaker output at the back of the HU and ran a speaker off of that and 95% certain the noise seemed to be no longer present (the factory HU puts out very little voltage, so even at max volume it was hard to hear anything). 

It seems logical to me that I either go with an aftermarket HU or keep trying to isolate the noise by:
-connecting an aftermarket speaker after the factory amp (fully expecting the noise to still be present, since if it was a speaker problem, it would show up even with the car off)
-splicing into the factory speaker output from the factory HU and running a new wire to the factory amp (to bypass and factory wire harness and where they may have ran the wire to get interference)
-bypass the factory amp and connect an aftermarket amp to see if problem persists

Any other ideas would be appreciated. But since this problem is documented in TL's, as well as other Acura's and Honda's I am afraid it has something to do with the Acura/Honda's ELD or something of that nature.


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