| doggiedog |
I need to move some stuff from one city to another but renting a truck one way costs over $300. I was thinking of buying a trailer hitch for my MDX and renting a trailer for $75 instead.
I looked at options for the cargo hitch for the MDX but it's $550. I saw that U-Haul sells hitches for $135.
Is there anything else I would need to know? Is that a good price? Anywhere else I should look? I'm not planning on hauling anything else (no boats, jet skis, etc). I figure I'll just leave the hitch on to punish people if they ever rear end me when I leave my car parked. |
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| Wazowski |
| There are plenty of threads on this exact topic. The short story is that Acura's OEM trailer hitch comes with a power steering fluid cooler and a transmission fluid cooler (as well as the wiring harness) for about $550 from www.hondacuraworld.com. If you buy from a dealer, the price will be much more! (My dealer is charging over $1K for the hitch installed! :eek: ) But, the point is that you'll be getting "much more" than just a trailer hitch when you go OEM. Do a search and check out all of the threads on "trailer hitch" to read about whether the transmission and power steering coolers are "necessary" for your planned use. Apparently (or shall I say allegedly), you may risk voiding your warranty if you tow anything with your X without factory installed coolers. In other words, if you any problems with your tranmission during your warranty period, but you have a trailer hitch without dealer installed coolers, you may have set yourself up for an unpleasant ordeal with the dealer regarding whether or not your tranny problems will still be covered under your warranty. :( Whether this is fact or a simple "scare tactic" or "extortion," I'd like to know because I, too, would like to have a trailer hitch installed primarily for a bike rack. However, someday in the future, who knows, I could see myself wanting to tow a trailer for gardening, moving stuff, or if the economy turns around, a boat?! Decisions, decisions, decisions. :rolleyes: |
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| harmonr1 |
doggiedog - Search for hitches and you'll find a lot of discussion. The single big reason for the hitch "package" is that Acura requires both transmission and power steering coolers to be installed when installing a hitch. If you don't, you'll probably void your tranny warranty. There has been lots of debate on this but the general feeling is that if you're just using the hitch for a bike carrier, then no problem. But if you're actually going to tow something, you need the whole package. Just my 2 cents.
:o |
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| mramunds |
Has anyone determined if there is a super duty transmission cooler available that is specifically designed for the X? As in displacement, the old adage "No substitute for cubic inches" usually applies for cooling gear as well - the OEM tranny cooler looks too wimpy, IMHO. Anyone found another source for a bolt in tranny cooler with more surface area?
Thanks in advance-
Mark Amundsen::1: |
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| doggiedog |
Thanks for the replies. I'll do a search next time.
I will probably use the hitch once for this one move and never use it again since I don't have a boat or jet ski or anything. I thought the hitch was just a piece of metal welded or bolted to the frame and maybe a wiring harness. If it's going to cost me that much, it's definitely not worth it. I'm probably better off just renting a moving van. |
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| hammermdx |
| Sounds like that's the best route to go, if you're only going to use it once, doesn't make sense to go through the expense of adding the coolers which you would need in your case. |
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| imraw |
| oh, but that hitch is so cool looking and you never know when you will use it. I got it installed before I picked up the X so it is under the entire warranty for the vehicle, not just one year. I know that if you go to U-haul they will give you a lifetime warranty on their hitches. Their warranty even covers if you back over something and damage it. So, even your own stupidity is covered. The thing, however is the coolers. If you are just doing light hauling then the coolers are not needed and a simple tow hitch is adequate. Put a little more on it and you might be in trouble. Better to pay the extra scratch up front then to pay 4 or 5 times that down the road. |
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| imraw |
| Plus, I got a slick little Harley bar and shield hitch cover for mine. That is a bonus about the tow hitch: You can display your favorites right on the vehicle. Best $1000 picture frame I ever purchased!! ha ha ha |
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| rvehock |
quote:
Originally posted by mramunds
Has anyone determined if there is a super duty transmission cooler available that is specifically designed for the X? As in displacement, the old adage "No substitute for cubic inches" usually applies for cooling gear as well - the OEM tranny cooler looks too wimpy, IMHO. Anyone found another source for a bolt in tranny cooler with more surface area?
Thanks in advance-
Mark Amundsen::1:
Here is a link with a very detailed installation of a tranny cooler done on a CL-S. He used a B&M trams cooler model #70255. It looks like it may be a better cooler than the Acura OEM???
http://home.satx.rr.com/silverbullet/tranny.htm |
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| mcgeesm |
Feel free to toss this one in the "stupid question" category, but does the hitch detach once it's installed? I'm only asking because, if I get a third party hitch for light hauling (bike rack, ATV, etc.) I'd want to take it off before I went to the dealer for oil changes and such so that I don't get any "why are you hauling without coolers" questions.
Does the hitch look like one of those chrome balls I remember from my childhood UHaul days?
:confused: |
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| hammermdx |
| The OEM, Hidden Hitch, & Draw Tite hitches are all bolted on (10-12 bolts) to the frame. I suppose you could uninstall it each time you brought your X in for service. |
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| N_Jay |
quote:
Originally posted by mcgeesm
. . . , if I get a third party hitch for light hauling (bike rack, ATV, etc.) I'd want to take it off before I went to the dealer for oil changes and such . . . .
SUre but I don't think you would want to.
'It would be less work to do the oil change yourself, rather then take the hitch off.
The hitch is a "Receiver"; it is the 2" square hole you see in the back of pick-ups and other SUVs, the Ball is on the drawbar that you but into the receiver when needed. |
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| dbauchat |
My MDX, with factory hitch, got rear ended hard by a Mercury Grand Marquis several weeks back. (Very icy conditions, where the X stopped and the Merc couldn't). The worst part of the accident was that the other driver is our neighbor and good friend.
Anyway, the only damage to my X was the rubber cover for the receiver got sliced up. (The bumper cover had several 1/4" deep impressions but they all popped out when the temperature went up). I had my dealer check it out afterwards and even they were surprised at the lack of damage. Note: the MDX slid forward about 3-4 feet on the ice after impact which definitely helped minimize damage.
Meanwhile, the front end of the Merc was trashed. (The Merc did not submarine under the X). The front bumper snapped in the center (where it hit the hitch). The bumper cover and all the plastic components in the grill were shattered on impact. The estimate for repair is a little over $2500.
Considering my insurance deductable, the hitch just about paid for itself in one accident. Plus it saved me all the hassles involved in getting body work done. Score one for the hitch!
:) :) |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by dbauchat
My MDX, with factory hitch, got rear ended hard by a Mercury Grand Marquis several weeks back. (Very icy conditions, where the X stopped and the Merc couldn't). The worst part of the accident was that the other driver is our neighbor and good friend.
Anyway, the only damage to my X was the rubber cover for the receiver got sliced up. (The bumper cover had several 1/4" deep impressions but they all popped out when the temperature went up). I had my dealer check it out afterwards and even they were surprised at the lack of damage. Note: the MDX slid forward about 3-4 feet on the ice after impact which definitely helped minimize damage.
Meanwhile, the front end of the Merc was trashed. (The Merc did not submarine under the X). The front bumper snapped in the center (where it hit the hitch). The bumper cover and all the plastic components in the grill were shattered on impact. The estimate for repair is a little over $2500.
Considering my insurance deductable, the hitch just about paid for itself in one accident. Plus it saved me all the hassles involved in getting body work done. Score one for the hitch!
:) :)
I love it! I have the GoRhino bumper hitch..hope I never find out, but seems it would take a good parking lot bump... |
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| KES |
I bough a Drawtight hitch from etrailer. All hitches that I could find for the MDX are Class 3. Cost including shipping was ~$180. Installation was very easy - 8 bolts and took 45 minutes doing it myself. The hitch weighs 50+ pounds so installing it yourself is tricky. I used plastic ties to hold the hitch in place while I installed the bolts and then cut them away when I got the bolts started.
I have had the car in 2 times and the dealer has never mentioned that I have a hitch and have not installed the cooling packages. I only plan on using a bike attachment. As far as the warranty is concerned I am not really concerned as 1) I am only carrying bikes and 2) I have no registered vehicles (boat, RV, etc) that Acura could make a claim I was towing if it ever came to a warranty dispute. |
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| dancall |
Hey all,
Been a long time since I graced the presence of the group. Anyway, I am thinking of getting the factory hitch due to the fact that I have a new boat (2900 lbs including trailer). The question I have is: How risky is it to tow a boat this size with no tranny coolers 55 interstate miles, twice a year? I have 45k on my MDX and thus the powertrain warranty has expired. I only drag the boat to the lake for the summer and then I take it back home in the fall. Also, one of my friends said you could cool the tranny by putting the heat on full blast and winding down all the windows. Thoughts?? |
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| hammermdx |
| Really no way to know until you have a problem or don't. If it were me, I'd put the coolers on. |
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| BaldEagle |
quote:
Originally posted by hammermdx
Really no way to know until you have a problem or don't. If it were me, I'd put the coolers on.
I agree.
With the warranty expired I'd put in an aftermarket transmission cooler. Good ones (better than Acura's) are available for under $100.
I still don't understand why steering coolers are required?
Why take chances and even if cranking up the heaters works I could not imagine doing this when the temp is 90 to 100, typical when I go to the lake. |
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| dancall |
Hey Bald Eagle & Hammer,
Thanks for the replies. I'm only going to the lake twice a year. Once in April..50 degreex out and once in September..50 degress again. The rest of the time the boat is at my dock.
Anyway, do you have a suggested aftermarket supplier? Any idea what the whole schibang installed (aftermarket) should go for? |
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| hammermdx |
quote:
Originally posted by dancall
Hey Bald Eagle & Hammer,
Thanks for the replies. I'm only going to the lake twice a year. Once in April..50 degreex out and once in September..50 degress again. The rest of the time the boat is at my dock.
Anyway, do you have a suggested aftermarket supplier? Any idea what the whole schibang installed (aftermarket) should go for?
Sorry, I don't. Good luck. |
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| harmonr1 |
quote:
Originally posted by dancall
...one of my friends said you could cool the tranny by putting the heat on full blast and winding down all the windows. Thoughts??
This works for the radiator but not the tranny. The reason being that the heater core is nothing but a small radiator itself. So by cranking up the heater, you're passing the cooling fluid through an additional radiator. It's kind of like adding the tranny and P/S cooler, only for the radiator. The fact that you cool the radiator like that is justification for the tranny cooler itself.
With that said, if you're only going a short distance (55 miles) in temperate weather, and with NO grades to pull, I'd be comfortable not installing the extra coolers. But that's just my 2 cents.:p |
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| ghost |
quote:
Originally posted by dancall
Hey all,
Been a long time since I graced the presence of the group. Anyway, I am thinking of getting the factory hitch due to the fact that I have a new boat (2900 lbs including trailer). The question I have is: How risky is it to tow a boat this size with no tranny coolers 55 interstate miles, twice a year? I have 45k on my MDX and thus the powertrain warranty has expired. I only drag the boat to the lake for the summer and then I take it back home in the fall. Also, one of my friends said you could cool the tranny by putting the heat on full blast and winding down all the windows. Thoughts??
Zounds, it's DanCall! Welcome back. I see you've been doing plenty of driving too, I got mine Nov 2000 and have 46K
If you're travelling on the level (flat terrain, not illegally), I wouldn't sweat towing 3000 lbs for an hour a couple times a year. Keep an eye on your temp gauge, stay at a reasonable speed, and I don't think the X would have trouble with it.
That said, I bought the OEM hitch & coolers from Tim and did a self-install (got a pop-up camper I'm planning to tow around). I kind of like the idea of having the extra cooling capacity, particularly since I put on around 24K per year.
I used to do the full heat in summer trick with my old mustang, it was a necessary evil. This leads to a real increase in wind noise... :) |
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| adam2222 |
Can anyone make a recommend where to get an inexpensive 2 inch ball, receiver for the Acura OEM hirch, and pin?
Does any place sell them as a unit, or do I have to buy each one separately?
I'm more confused buying this than installing the darn hitch.
thanks |
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| ghost |
| Yea - the receiver is a standard size, so any standard hitch & ball setup should work - Napa, Pep, most any car or hardware place will have a setup. I picked up a Thule bike rack I got fits right into the receiver. |
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| apple904 |
| I saw them at Wal-Mart. So if you haven't got a Pep Boys go there. Probably cheaper. |
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| shootist |
Or, you can get a 2 inch solid stainless steel ball from Autozone, which will never rust, never lie, and never grow old.
The only other thing you need to know is the "stud size". I haven't looked yet, but it's almost certainly 1 inch. |
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| DaleB |
| Pep Boys sells the stainless also. Bigger bucks, but if you anticipate regular towing, probably worth every penny. |
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| dancall |
Thanks Ghost, HammerMDX and others.. I went to the dealer today and they quoted me $1100 bucks. When I told them I would only be towing twice a year or so and that my warranty was void they offered the possibility of installing the hitch with coolers for "half"! AAAAAAARGH!
Anyway, I still need a little help:
1) Ghost: How difficult is installing the Acura Coolers? This doesn't seem like something I want to do myself.. how tough is it? Does Tim have an installation guide for the coolers? (i'll go look it up).
2) HAMMERMDX: I noticed that you have a "Hidden Hitch" and you mentioned the possibility of added a "B&M" aftermarket cooler. I think this would be the way to go for me. I could easily install a Hidden Hitch myself and then possibly have an aftermarket cooler installed by someone that knows what the hell they're doing.. do you have information on the B&M cooler or where I might be able to get one installed????
Thanks in advance everyone!!
:D :D :D |
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| ghost |
Hey Dan,
This was a lot easier in retrospect than when I actually did it. I probably put 3 hours into it, but that's with instructions in hand, and going line by line, it would be a lot easier to do a second time (fat lot of good that is....)
First, you have to take off the front end, which is quite easy, but a bit unnerving since YOU"RE TAKING OFF THE FRONT OF THE CAR. The whole front piece is remarkably light, I have a picture of my 9 yr old holding it.
The power steering cooler is straightfoward and easy to access, it was pretty satisfying to do that. The transmission cooler was another story, you have to reach up from underneath with pliers to remove the hose clip - it's hard to see, cramped, and in my case, mosquitos were starting to come out. I remember using a lot of language I didn't want my kids to hear on that step. There's also that nagging suspicion that I might be cooling off my brake fluid. (Like I've said, this isn't my day job.) Reattaching the hose is pretty easy, the kit has nifty spring-loaded clips that snap on when you pull off the cap.
That said, I got it done in an afternoon, it works, and I'm $400 or so ahead. If you're mechanically inclined enough to tune up derailleurs, this is probably no big deal. I had a Plan B of taking the kit to U-Haul, who might do it for $100 or so, but it went just fine.
Other members have done this and said it's easy. I think that stretching it a bit, but it's not bad, and there is that satisfaction of that "fools rushing in" part of it.
$1100 was way high - I remember the quote being something like $880 here.
Yes there is an installation guide, it's quite thorough. Even tells you to lay the bumper on a blanket so you don't scratch it.
Actually, the hardest part was getting the damn transmission fluid in! Do a search on this - the dipstick port is way down there, I rigged up a funnel with some straws and duct tape, it was a royal pain. Others must have better ways.
Good luck! |
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| hammermdx |
quote:
Originally posted by dancall
Thanks Ghost, HammerMDX and others.. I went to the dealer today and they quoted me $1100 bucks. When I told them I would only be towing twice a year or so and that my warranty was void they offered the possibility of installing the hitch with coolers for "half"! AAAAAAARGH!
Anyway, I still need a little help:
1) Ghost: How difficult is installing the Acura Coolers? This doesn't seem like something I want to do myself.. how tough is it? Does Tim have an installation guide for the coolers? (i'll go look it up).
2) HAMMERMDX: I noticed that you have a "Hidden Hitch" and you mentioned the possibility of added a "B&M" aftermarket cooler. I think this would be the way to go for me. I could easily install a Hidden Hitch myself and then possibly have an aftermarket cooler installed by someone that knows what the hell they're doing.. do you have information on the B&M cooler or where I might be able to get one installed????
Thanks in advance everyone!!
:D :D :D
I think Daleb is the one with the Hidden Hitch, not me. Good luck! By the way was the dealer going to install the hitch and coolers for $650 or just the coolers? |
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| hammermdx |
quote:
Originally posted by shootist
I have a sneaky suspicion that the Acura hitch is actually a Hidden Hitch. Anybody have any comparison photos?
I don't think so as the Hidden Hitch uses 3 bolts on each side for mounting comapred to the 4 bolts on each side for the OEM one. |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by hammermdx
I think Daleb is the one with the Hidden Hitch, not me. Good luck! By the way was the dealer going to install the hitch and coolers for $650 or just the coolers?
I have the Acura Factory hitch and coolers installed. I have a Go Rhino hitch-step in the receiver as a bumper.
If you do more searches you will find pictures of the hidden hitch and Acura hitch, and they do not look the same. |
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| hammermdx |
quote:
Originally posted by DaleB
I have the Acura Factory hitch and coolers installed. I have a Go Rhino hitch-step in the receiver as a bumper.
If you do more searches you will find pictures of the hidden hitch and Acura hitch, and they do not look the same.
My bad sorry about that Dale! It's rvehock that has the hidden hitch. Here's the thread: http://acuramdx.org/forums/showthre...highlight=hitch |
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