Acura TSX Alternator Replacement

[@andrewrobertson9827]

To the ladies and gentlemen watching this in 2020.. The Power steering pump leaking onto the alternator kills them a lot for this model.

[@AsiansOutdoor916]

Appreciate it

[@AsiansOutdoor916]

Any idea where to get a good power steering pump ?

[@gregvandy8902]

I got a deal on a old TSX, ps pump leaking. The alternator is just soaked in fluid but still working. I'm changing it today along with pump, belt, tune car up etc. This alternator surely will die soon but I'm shocked it still works

[@brandon-zk1fq]

⁠@@gregvandy8902when you replaced it what exactly did you replace I’m gonna do the pump and the alternator but should I do anything else like belt or something else related to it

[@dhalliday]

I'd love to see more on the actual removal. I followed your instructions and everything was spot on up until the removal which I just couldn't do. The manual suggested removing the two 12mm bolts attaching the power steering attachment (directly above the alternator). This did the trick and I had it out in less than 2 minutes. Thanks for giving me the foundational knowledge to do the job. I finished and felt quite happy, and had a few hundred extra bucks in my pocket.

[@bmw12347]

Did you also have to move the power steering reservoir and the plastic water bottle?

[@dhalliday]

@@bmw12347 Yes. i had to move both.

[@bmw12347]

One person even said to remove the left radiator fan to have access to the 2 lower alternator bolts. Did you?

[@dhalliday]

No I didnt move the radiator fan.

[@fernandoortiz2642]

2 years later and im on your exact boat 😂 one thing after another, I hope the alternator is it 😣🤞🏻

[@joe_hazard9859]

Haha same bro

[@heatherrhodge2588]

it's cool to know your alt and starter needed replacing at almost the same time. I'm pretty sure both of mine gave out at the same time too.. which ended up being (speaking of Domino effect) right after replacing my ECM. my TSX had been in limp mode for months (undrivable) and after replacing the ECM I only drove the car ONCE but it was accelerating normally. drove less than a mile to my daughters kindergarten orientation and noticed a slack tire so came home to add air. ended up accidently leaving trunk open & by time I realized it the battery was dead. charged it with charger but no start! got battery tested and no amps.. was relieved when I got new battery under warranty but still no crank!! starter gets battery voltage during cranking so it must be bad BUT I also noticed the check charging system light, along with a bunch of other dash lights, which makes me believe the alt is a goner as well! I haven't had the $ to fix em yet but I know once I do get around to replacing, I'll be rewatching your videos. when you needed starter, did your flywheel turn just slightly while cranking? I wouldn't have thought anything was moving just from turning key but watching under the hood while my bro tried I saw that the flywheel wld turn just a little.. if trying multiple times back to back however, it got less and less until it wasn't turning at all.. anyone know what to take from that? I'm just a broke female forced to be my own mechanic. I was so proud to diagnose & fix my lost communication with TAC module (U0107) DTC myself (even desoldering & swapping the immobilizer chips from old & replacement ECMs). it's such a huge let down that this mess popped up because I was so excited to finally be able to drive my car again, def didn't expect something else to go wrong after only getting to drive a few blocks!!

[@brianb8212]

Thanks for this! I've had my 2004 TSX since 2011 and it's just recently started to show signs of aging. Since I plan to keep for as long as possible and to do the basic maintenance myself, I so appreciate you sharing this man. I'll be changing my alternator first thing this Saturday morning.

[@twothousanddeep]

Gary, I legit appreciate you bro. Thanks for the DIY's

[@GTContent]

You're welcome

[@Raffmeowmeow]

I know you are always busy and DIY content is more demanding but i like your DIY videos more. Especially the old TSX videos and GTR exhaust

[@ryanh.2049]

I had to remove the pcv valve and hose just above the alternator, along with unbolting the power steering pump to get the alternator out. Those two bottom bolts are a pain. Make sure you disconnect the battery completely, or you'll be replacing your battery fuse like did. Thanks for the video!

[@stiltcity]

Ryan H. What did you do to get the two bottom bolts out? I can seem to get to them.

[@KERRIKATEYEZ24]

Just spent $600 to get my alternator changed on my 2011 MDX. They said it's a 6 hour job and the alternator is all the way on the bottom of my car so everything has to be removed. Now the battery light is still coming on, which I had the battery replaced exactly 1 year ago. So I spoke to the owner and was asked to bring the car back to them... my frustration levels is through the roof but luckily I decided to watch your video to shed some knowledge on this rip off of a job they did

[@VangRVang]

Thanks for making this a 6min vid. Helped a lot!

[@woesun6686]

Woah. I’ve been coming to your videos for help on my TSX come to realize we live in the same city this is insane

[@mobrule8610]

On a 6 cylinder 3.5 you have to do a lot of different stuff. You have to take the bracket off that holds the cable that runs to the alternator hook up. There's some weird hook up that runs through this cable patch that hooks up to the engine under the alternator, but the cable is connected to the back of the alternator. You have to take that off. Then you have to make sure you take both of those cowlings off, those black covers that cover the radiator and the side where the radiator fluid is and the window cleaner fluid. Then the little bottle that holds the radiator fluid, you have to take it off and take the bracket off that holds it in place. Then you can orient the alternator so you can slide it out of there. And remember exactly how you slid it out because that's the same position you have to use to put it back in there. Remember to start from the bottom when reinstalling the serpentine belt. If you are replacing the alternator I would go ahead and replace the belt.

[@thomasmui2960]

thanks for sharing... had to replace alternator 2006 TSX, bought at autozone, mechanic charged $78 to replace (i'm not that skilled.. but nice to know how it should be done!)

[@tkleo2006]

The same thing happened to me. I replaced the battery. A year later I replaced it again. Around 4-6 months later the car starts powering down while I was driving. It was the alternator.

[@tkleo2006]

A local shop overcharged me to replace it with a “new” one. Now on occasion, I get a “check charging system” warning light when slowing down. I'm about to install a brand-new one myself. I'm hearing horror stories about removing the 2 bottom bolts.

[@MrMoss786]

Exactly same thing happened to my friend,same car as yours. Power steering pump oil leaked into the alternator. Hope your steering rack isn't next. We also have those serpentine mismatch problems here, best to just buy from Honda.

[@900Yugo]

I used Dayco belts on a TSX. Tighter fit but it's much better than these Duralast belts. Gates,Dayco,and Bando are trusted brands and they should fit just fine. Avoid generic brands.

[@jacknjill3000]

This just happened to me and since I don’t know much about fixing cars and also on a budget, I just started with changing the battery when the check battery connection light first came on. Well, all the lights came on while driving it home. I made it back, but I made a mistake of turning the car off and thought I would be able to start it again, but didn’t. The next day I went and bought a new battery and hope that was the issue and the car started right up and I drive it twice in a week (short trips). On my way back from the second trip, the car wouldn’t turn over and I was in a parking lot trying to figure out my nav and radio codes (btw.) the dealers are not helpful and luckily I found the serial number on the back of the cd changer in the back trunk and got the code online. So I got this lady with jumper cables to give me a jump and got home. So it looks like I was running only on the new battery and the alt. was not charging it. So after looking on KZbin, I came across a few videos for TSXs and TLs that had a battery draining issue with the Bluetooth thing when the car was off. So today, I decided to disconnect it and located near the passenger door and by where your right foot would sit. That plastic piece was a pain in the butt to get off, but after about an hour, I got it off and unplugged this green plug. I’m actually glad to see it connected bc if the previous owner knew about this and already disconnected, than I would have to look for another cause of the problem. So after I disconnect the plug, I decided to jump my car with a portable and to see of the alt would now charge my new dead battery. It started up, but there were still some codes on the dash. But when I unhooked the charger, it was struggling to stay running on it's own. After about 15 mins. of running it, I turned off the engine and when I tried to restart it, it didn’t and now now of the lights came on and I couldn’t even lock the power locks with my remote. Then I tried charging it again with the portable charger and this time it wouldn’t turn over. I checked the battery to charger connection and tried again and it worked when I put both the positive and negative connections on the battery, instead of grounding the negative. After 15 mins running on its own parked, I turned the engine off and again it would turn over on its own. So now I think it could be the alt or the voltage connectors. At least I now know if I have to drive it to a mechanic, I just have to jump it and not have to get it towed. I also think I have that Geico tow thing, but never used. I’m still glad I disconnected the Bluetooth things bc I still think that played into draining my battery. Many said on KZbin that when they disconnected it, it was hot. Mine wasn’t, but my battery was at the time was very low for it to draw on it. Anyway, one more thing to go wrong if it was still connected. I also heard that many of the Honda/Acura folks don’t even know about the bad blue tooth draining battery issue and will say either you need a new battery or alt. Which would just buy you a little more time. Sucks I have keep my car park at this public parking spot for a few months, until I can save the $600. to get the alternator fixed. While spending $300. a month for the parking fees. Sorry for this long comment and also venting. But thanks for the helpful video. I think you are the same guy that post about getting a used TSX when you first got this car. Actually, I was doing research on this car and your video was one of the ones I watched to make me decide to get one 6 months ago.

[@c.j7292]

Dude your awesome, same shit happen to Acura Csx (Canadian whip) It’s either the alternator, starter or battery, but I got my battery tested and it checked out.

[@arturoalexisgomez2521]

Thank you so much for this video ! You do so well explaining how to fix it. Thanks man

[@TheReapersSon]

Hey! Thanks for your video. My '05 alternator just pooped out on me, 26 miles from my home. Luckily I had Geico's roadside assistance to help me with the towing job. I need to buy an alternator and install it myself, since I don't want to spend the excess cash at the shop. After watching this, and reading a couple forum posts, I'm glad to see it's not too difficult an affair. It's just annoying because of the typical cramped engine bay of Japanese cars.

[@jesseperezco3970]

Thanx buddy for making time to do this video.

[@alanmojo9562]

Hello, what’s the easiest way to get to the 2 bottom bolt for the alternator?

[@johnathontruong968]

Thank you so much for putting this video up! Your a life saver!

[@YourBMXerBoY]

Same exact problem man. Power steering rack an pinion a month or two ago now alternator today.

[@garyseeseverything8615]

Loved the video you took us around town lol. Thank you!

[@michaelmanny895]

Good job! ☺ Sucks they gave you the wrong belt... Glad you got it fixed...

[@akoust1c]

Awesome video. Quick question when you disconnect low pressure power steering hose does it leak out? Thanks!

[@GTContent]

Yes. Be prepared to plug it up if you don't want a mess.

[@giyoon215]

Great video! I would test which component is bad (rectifier, voltage regulator, brush...) & just change bad part while keeping OEM unit. Honda alternator has great quality, much better than autozone parts.

[@gregvandy8902]

Yeah I got a used oem alternator I know is good to replace my ps fluid soaked unit that surprisedly still works. I bought a new rebuilt ps pump and I'm hoping it's quiet and smooth as I've heard replacement pumps are never as quiet as the original unit. A Honda pump was too expensive for me new, a rebuilt was cheap so I'm hoping maybe since it's a rebuilt Honda unit, it will be good

[@Mr.Richards25]

I have the same problem tonight what if my radio is the regular 2005 acura tax video & how much should I look to spend on alternator

[@craigshupe]

I just replaced that serpentine belt and it was not easy to put on due to hard to hold it in place. Pain in the ass.

[@mtbway4302]

would be nice to actually see more of the problems you had as well as the replacement

[@kotimoto]

I would also appreciate if you could make videos on trouble shooting and figuring out what is wrong with a car is something is not working. I know each car may have different issue.

[@andrewvang6557]

Life is filled with mysteries...and the domino effect is real! I can recall when helping out a family-friend replace his cracked radiator, only to find out that the timing belt, starter, and fuse (rear lights) also had to be replaced. A week later, his battery had to be replaced whereas after replacing the battery, we realized the local autozone had provided him a dead charge replacement.

[@GTContent]

Dang! The things that can happen with one thing leading to another. Hopefully, things have been resolved.

[@alexmarquez2952]

Hello , thanks for the video, did you got a cluster message to check the charging system?

[@GTContent]

Yes

[@alvinlubis2226]

GT Content, You put out some great DIY videos. In this one, does it matter ifyou take off the negative terminal first?

[@GTContent]

Thanks. Just make sure you don't touch a ground or you'll see sparks since positive is still connected.

[@realtruth97]

Witch alternator did you get? The cheapest one? Or the upgraded one?

[@GTContent]

The most affordable

[@KilwaukeeSteppin]

So I jumped a friends car couple days ago, his car still didn’t turn over , & after that my air bag light came up.. yesterday battery light came on& car died , showing me signs of alt & battery. Currently getting my battery charged at auto zone (where I live it’s 5degrees & feels like -15/-25degrees((any tips guys))?

[@virginiabaez6306]

I own a 2010 ACURA 4 cylinder, changed the alternator but when I was driving (as soon as I left the workshop) a messages popped up that read “check charging system” it appears sporadically and turns off in about 3 seconds. Took it back and the alternator was changed, but the issue continues. The car has a new battery (bought it 1 month ago). The alternator I purchased was refurbished or remanufactured. WHAT COULD IT BE?

[@GTContent]

Check ground cables.

[@marklang7004]

Great informative video - thanks!!

[@lazojenny22]

Omg yessss!!! Thank you so much you have no idea

[@GTContent]

YW

[@fifadillon3819]

Question, I know this is a older video but my sister has a 04 TSX with 280,000 miles it has always run like a champ but a little while ago while she was driving it started shaking really bad and when she turned on the a/c it nearly killed it. She made it back home but it hasn’t cranked since any idea what this might be?

[@GTContent]

Might be bad engine mounts.

[@cloe4354]

check the ignition coils. (they connect to the spark plugs). when the car is running disconnect one by one each ignition coil and see if the engine stops or gets worse. If disconnecting the ignition coil makes it worse-this means that cylinder is working fine, but if there is no change it means you should change that ignition coil and problem solved!

[@vladleonard86]

What is the difference between regular 2.4, 2.4 EuroR, 2.4 Type S and 2.4 Type R ???

[@GTContent]

As far as alternator replacement? All very similar method.

[@Amber-db6cb]

Thank you this was helpful

[@Limeayy]

UHHHHHHHHHH 1:59, you can't get shocked by alternator or battery, its dangerous if you don't take out the positive battery terminal because if you touch your wrench to ground anywhere on the engine or the casing of the alternator, it'll weld and turn red hot. It's 12V's, you can't get shocked.

[@chemistrylife2177]

Great video

[@stiltcity]

What did you do to get the two bottom bolts out? I can seem to get to them.

[@GTContent]

Open ended wrench. Check out my Instagram for a picture.

[@xiong994]

Is it only acuras where you input codes after replacing alternators or all cars model year 2000+?

[@GTContent]

No.

[@xiong994]

Thanks😀

[@dfw89]

what year is your tsx?

[@fetofeto5466]

What is up with Tsx's and alternator problems, wheel bearing problems etc.🤦‍♂️

[@TheReapersSon]

Alternators go out on all cars. It's just an inevitability. The real issue with TSX's lies with the power steering pump, which tend to leak and go bad. Mine has developed the trademark whine when I turn the wheel far enough. I should replace it when I replace my alternator, honestly.

[@cashblack3396]

How did you get the 2 bottom bolts off??

[@GTContent]

Used a 1/4" ratchet

[@DrewFigueroa1]

The codes are also in the glove department I believe

[@efraindiazeze2641]

I just bought a 04 tax and its hesitant to start wat could that be sir.

[@GTContent]

Take it to autozone to get tested. They should be able to pinpoint if it's your battery, alternator or starter.

[@MrBchott]

Bro oil should not be where the Alternator is.. That's what killed it.. I think from replacing the power steering pump the oil went in it u didn't flushed it out so it ruined the Alternator..

[@kjensen1965]

Thank you

[@fuckoff1338]

Thank you very much!

[@markyazurin6304]

Nice video? By the way what brand alternator did you use and how much was it? Also how long did it take you to complete the job?

[@GTContent]

Autozone with lifetime warranty. About 1.5hrs to do.

[@4runner1grfe]

Thanks bro

[@chravedavisllc]

2008 doesn’t have the stickers you speak of for the codes.

[@GTContent]

Whoops. Maybe someone removed them or they're in a different location.

[@vladleonard86]

Super video.

[@alexincoma6967]

I like how pedantic you are!!! Same like me:))) good luck with all your videos , like subscribe!!! Love gtr!

[@newunderthesun7353]

"Another" in depth video? This is not an in depth video and it's not a how to video - it's a before and after video. No one that is unfamiliar with how to remove an alternator is going to learn anything from this video.

[@dizzard111]

Why would it matter if we see your code. Once you sell the car, the code is mine now

[@jacksonhowell6747]

Belt should’ve been a 690K7, not a 960K6. Someone was careless.

[@GTContent]

Works fine. Been a few years already.

[@virginiabaez6306]

The Acura is a TSX

[@EK99_00]

Show the steps don’t skip