First Maintenance in the ILX & Monsoon Rains
Odometer (Legend): 514,705
Odometer (ILX): 5,102
The drive to five (thousand) didn’t take very long! A few long highway trips is all it took to rack up an average about 145 miles per day over the 35 days I’ve been driving this new 2013 ILX.
Yesterday, I had the ILX’s first oil change performed at Acura of Tempe. Even though the maintenance indicator in the dash display said oil life 50% and they recommended not scheduling the maintenance until it was down to 15%, I still felt that for a break-in oil change I should have it done sooner than later.
Clean bill of health and it’s now back on the road. Aside from the tire pressure activation early on, there have been no unforeseen maintenance needs on the car.
I discovered while thumbing through the magazines at the local Barnes & Noble bookstore one time that my favorite part of every car magazine is the Long Term Update section. It’s one thing to evaluate a brand new car and announce its merits, but completely another to follow that car through its lifetime and see how it actually CONTINUES to perform. As someone who’s had an incredible experience with Acura in getting my last car to 500,000 miles, the question I want answered when I read about any new car is, “How long will it last?”
I plan on using Drive to Five a venue for not only continuing to value my heritage as an Acura Legend driver (since, after all, that car is responsible for getting me here) but also for sharing my experiences with the 2013 ILX from a real life perspective. This first oil change marks the beginning of my coverage of what it takes to keep the car in tip top shape for many miles ahead.
Thanks to Acura Connected, I learned this week about THR-W (Team Honda Racing – West), which is the road racing team of Honda R&D in Los Angeles. They’ve got a fun project going on right now! Check out the vision for a couple of race-inspired Acura ILX models that will be built to compete at Thunderhill Raceway in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance racing event.
I love seeing Acura dig back into its “performance” roots and truly showcase what it’s capable of. Here’s Honda Performance Development’s blog which talks more about the project and has a few pictures.
Our friend Linh loves being a goofball, but I think she’s got a potential future in modeling with cars. Right?
I vacuumed the car this week and reached under the driver’s seat to grab something that had fallen there. I discovered a hidden treasure. It appears the Acura production factory in Greensburg, Indiana left a tool in the car when it was on the assembly line! My car was #82 so it was among the very first ILX models that were made. Hopefully they didn’t need this tool for #83 and beyond.
I also realized when washing the car a few days ago that the side moldings had been scuffed by a piece of tire tread that got kicked up. The marks were easily cleaned up. I still need to wax the entire car – I think it’s safe to do so now that the paint’s a couple months old.
Milestone time!
How’s this for some high class company:
This dream garage belongs to my friend Kelvin. He’s got not one, not two, but three Acura NSXs. Talk about an Acura supercar hoarder! I visited him yesterday evening.
Left to right: 1993 Formula Red, 1999 Monte Carlo Blue, 1997 Kaiser Silver. He’s probably already on the waiting list for the 2015 NSX.
For any who would like to experience the ILX in a more involved setting than just reading my stories, there’s currently a sign-up in progress for an all-access Ride & Drive event nationwide held in 5 separate cities this summer (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia). Check out this link to see if the schedule works for you and you’d like to participate.
Legend Update:
The Legend coupe is under construction getting some paint work. Here’s a picture I received showing its current status up in Utah. The front end hasn’t been this torn apart since 2007 when it was repainted after hitting those two deer in Texas.
I found this sign in Kingman, Arizona fitting on my drive from last weekend:
Monsoons!
Lastly, now that we’re into July it’s officially “monsoon” season here in Arizona. No longer can we brush off our 110+ degree temperatures by saying, “It’s a dry heat.” Higher humidity levels bring huge afternoon thunderstorms to the area frequently. After a downpour yesterday, I spied a photo-op just off the McDowell Rd exit of the 101 freeway in Scottsdale. I was glad for those all-weather mats when I got back in the car with muddy flip-flops.
drivetofive 
July 15, 2012 at 9:20 am
Great photos Tyson.
July 15, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Thanks Terry! Wish I had your HDR skills. I loved the ones you posted on Acurazine. Keep them coming.
July 15, 2012 at 9:40 am
I kid you not, those are the COOLEST photos in the puddle that I have ever seen you take. Though you’re not a professional photographer, those photographs could/should win an award, or at least take a spot on a car calendar. Acura, are you listening? (reading) 🙂
I am wondering if you have an opinion on 3-ring binders and which brand you select to store your maintenance history paperwork. Hilar!
Lastly, I wonder what stories my car would tell if the driver’s seat was removed. You found a tool under yours. I suspect mine hides a French fry or two, maybe a dab of melted chocolate, a water bottle, and some coins. It’s all good!
Keep on keepin’ on my son, Tyson.
July 15, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Glad the photoshoot worked out! It wasn’t planned at all – just exited the freeway at McDowell, saw a puddle of water off the side of the road, and pulled over for a few iPhone pics. Voila! For 3-ring binders, I use Avery. This go-round, I’m using sheet protectors but I usually just hole punch everything.
July 15, 2012 at 11:56 am
Great photos with water reflections. Professional!
July 15, 2012 at 6:26 pm
Thanks Duane! I wonder if CA is getting as much rain as AZ is this weekend!
July 16, 2012 at 3:35 pm
Uh oh. F.O.D. left in your car. (foreign object debris) something all manufacturing plants are trying to control!
5,000 miles already. I would like to see Acura / THR do something new and limited editon. I think Acura needs a spark.
July 17, 2012 at 7:29 am
Dave, the “foreign object debris” mystery was solved yesterday afternoon, actually. The window tint place left that tool in there! I was speaking to them again and apparently it’s something the technician uses to reach into seals, moldings, etc. And I agree on Acura needing a spark. I’m thinking ILX Type-S in milano red with 18’s, a moderate drop, and dual exhaust tips?
July 17, 2012 at 7:14 pm
thats a good start! You know me, throw in some door window visors, some, some different Type S fogs, and a alternate interior fabric, and we’re good!
July 17, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Las fotos en los charcos fueron asombrosas! Tal vez aprendare algo de carros… jaja… hasta entonces pues
July 18, 2012 at 6:31 am
Pues gracias Ryan y espero que vengas conmigo en uno de mis viajes algun dia pronto.
July 18, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Nice Tyson! Glad to see the old Legend is still getting the royal treatment!
July 18, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Yes the Legend’s “spa treatment” is definitely well deserved. Plus it’s in good hands – my brother knows most of the nuts & bolts of that car since he’s helped me work on it from time to time during my 9 years of ownership.
July 18, 2012 at 3:20 pm
The Panda is on the way of the quarter million 😉 Next long trip in august from my town Caserta to Hamburg in northern Germany….
July 18, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Hey Francesco, thanks for the update! It sounds like you’ve got a really fun drive coming up next month. I mapped it out and you’re going to be traveling 1,869 kilometers in your Fiat (each way). Is all your maintenance up to date so the car’s ready to go? You’re going to have a blast.
July 18, 2012 at 5:14 pm
oil change,all filters,tires and secondary belt two days before and I’m ready to go!!
July 21, 2012 at 8:44 am
Love my all-weather mats. Purchased two sets when I purchased The PantherMobile. Driver’s all-season TSX mat is ready to be replaced after 3 yrs, 3 months of ownership. These mats are a must for any Acura/Honda owner, especially for an owner who has light colored (taupe) interior.
I put the all season mats on top of the stock TSX mats and by doing so, I cannot lock the all- season mat to the floorboard. As a result, I’m constantly pulling the mat back towards the seat to keep it away from the pedal.
Tyson, did you remove the stock ILX mat first or do your all-season mats sit on top of stock mat? How are you currently cleaning your all-season mats, and how do you plan on keeping the black mat looking new? If you need any tips, I will share what I do to keep my mats looking brand new.
What color ILX been the best seller since its debut? I’m glad you are enjoying the blue ambient lighting at your feet and above you at the maplights. The ambient lighting is a nice feature and it’s blue (although I wish it lit the floorboard a tad bit more and brighter)!!! What do you think of your new Xenon/HID headlamps? I love mine. The s2000 was the first Honda to sport Xenon/HID headlamps. The 2009 body re-design of the Acura TSX and TL sport more intense headlamps compared to previous Acura models. In response to customer concerns/complaints, Lexus started to tone down the intensity of its HID lamps beginning a couple of years ago. I can’t wait to see how the 2015 Acura NSX headlamps look.
Have a safe trip to Wisconsin. Drive on..
July 22, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Amanda, from what the Accessories rep was telling me, the all-season mats are intended to be installed in place of the carpet mats, not on top of them. I just keep the carpet mats in my bedroom (they’re still in the original plastic, in fact). Yes I love the blue interior lighting and also the HID headlamps! The cutoff is very crisp and the illumination is great at night. Thanks for the well wishes on my drive… at some point I’m sure I’ll make it through GA soon enough and we’ll get together. Keep up the great work with the PantherMobile TSX!