[rtx07]

I-77 in Va..came out of heavily wooded area running. Very little to no reaction time for me. The RL held up well to the impact I thought. Buckled hood a, grill and radiator support damage, passenger side fender and headlight damage, and plastic bumper cover damage..leaking some transmission fluid and coolant from somewhere too...maybe the trans cooler ( has separate factory trans cooler ) or radiator connection. Impact pushed in the ac coil and trans cooler into the radiator.
Cruise was set at 62 mph prior to the impact but what braking I got done dropped speed to maybe 50-55 mph range.
Again, I thought the RL held up well to that impact....deer not so lucky as the investigating officer put it out of it's misery.
Anyone else here hit a deer with their RL? Just wondering how other RL's have held up to it.

 

[speedlever]

Ouch. Sorry to hear that. Post up some pics of the damage when you can.

What's your plan? Fix it and drive it? Or fix it and trade it?

 

[rtx07]

Fix it and keep it. speedlever, I have tried several times to get the picture from my pc onto this post. Right clicking and cut/copying and pasting and it's not working. The picures dont have a url thing on it when I pull them up. It just says it's a jpeg image. I wish I wasn't so computer iliterate. If there was a choice of "browse images from computer" on the tools to use in making a post it would be easy for me but when I click the "picture" icon from the tool list to make a post it just says to enter the http/url? I dont have nothing on the picture that pertains to that. There is probably a way to switch pics over to a http thing..I'm not savvy enough to do it.

 

[rtx07]

I think I got it speed. I clicked the paper clip instead of the picture icon. I will take a better pic of the front end at one time and post up to give a better view.

 

[speedlever]

I don't know if this helps or not, but if you look below the submit reply button when composing a reply, you'll find the manage attachments option which will let you attach an image.

Click on manage attachments and you should be able to select a picture as long as you know where it is on your PC.

 

[rtx07]

And a couple more and one of the "casualty" the police had to dispatch. Will get a large view when the camara batteries recharge.

 

[rtx07]

Okay, just got an overall picture. Doesnt look bad at just glancing and I'm curious what the adjuster may offer for repairs. I want to be able to get it back to its previous condition using decent oem parts.....no more or no less.

 

[speedlever]

I have Erie insurance but my repair bill was being paid by USAA (the at fault carrier). I was told that older vehicles like ours will use aftermarket parts. Fortunately, my local dealer has a great body shop (managed by a former shop owner) and they were able to get Honda to match aftermarket prices for almost all OEM parts.

I would recommend them if you are anywhere close to High Point.

 

[rtx07]

My comprehensive is covering this. I am north of Hickory about 15 miles. Thank you for that referral offer but it's a little too far I think. Adjuster to be here some time this week to look and cut a check for repairs.

 

[speedlever]

Yep, that would be a bit far. Hope you find a good shop. If you search out my old thread on my accident, there's some excellent info about what certifications to look for in a shop. I think my thread was titled, "My turn to go to the body shop" or something similar.

Good luck!

 

[rtx07]

Will do, thanks.

 

[Carsmak]

Yep, that would be a bit far. Hope you find a good shop. If you search out my old thread on my accident, there's some excellent info about what certifications to look for in a shop. I think my thread was titled, "My turn to go to the body shop" or something similar.

Good luck!

Here made it easy...

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/10-miscellaneous-general-honda-ridgeline-discussions/112442-my-turn-go-body-shop.html


Sent from my iPad...

 

[speedlever]

Thanks mak. I was on my iPad when I replied earlier... don't have easy access to that sort of info from the iPad.

 

[superridgeline]

Okay, just got an overall picture. Doesnt look bad at just glancing and I'm curious what the adjuster may offer for repairs. I want to be able to get it back to its previous condition using decent oem parts.....no more or no less.

I have Erie insurance but my repair bill was being paid by USAA (the at fault carrier). I was told that older vehicles like ours will use aftermarket parts. Fortunately, my local dealer has a great body shop (managed by a former shop owner) and they were able to get Honda to match aftermarket prices for almost all OEM parts.

I would recommend them if you are anywhere close to High Point.

Actually the adjuster could use new OEM, aftermarket, and used parts from a junk yard. It really depends on the availability of parts and cost. If you can talk your adjuster to use, used parts instead of aftermarket, that would be ideal. Using used parts has the advantage of it being a Honda part and secondly, the fit will be the same as new OEM because it is OEM, just used.

The only way your adjuster will use new OEM is when it is more cost effective, or aftermarket and used isn't available, and lastly you have a declaration on your insurance that only OEM parts are to be used when a claim is filed.

Hope this helps.

 

[Carsmak]

Thanks mak. I was on my iPad when I replied earlier... don't have easy access to that sort of info from the iPad.

It's all in what you adapt to.>

I'm on here from my iPad about 90% of the time. :grin:

 

[rtx07]

I found the thread and read it all....sorry you had to go through all that ordeal but glad it worked out. I did learn from your thread..it's fixing to come in handy for me too. Your RL looks super nice speed..like new nice. I have never heard of DV before and assume that is the difference in a vehicles value because of being in an accident as opposed to not being in one..ergo diminished value, correct?
Carsmak..thanks for the thread link.
Superridge thank you for the input, thats interesting to know about used oem parts.

 

[speedlever]

It's all in what you adapt to.>

I'm on here from my iPad about 90% of the time. :grin:

Probably so. But I don't have ready access to my files and bookmarks on my PC from my iPad... or perhaps I simply don't know how to access them! Plus, I hate using the virtual keyboard on the iPad... I much prefer a real keyboard and mouse. And yet the iPad offers portability and accessibility while I'm watching the TdF that the PC doesn't offer. >

 

[rtx07]

Just an update, adjuster came Thursday..$5600 minus $100 deductible..$5500 total parts, labor, taxes. Includes radiator and ac condenser btw. Adjuster was a super nice guy with a sharp eye. I got a body shop (supposedly best around and highly recomended) date for the 25th and it will likely take near two weeks for the repairs. One thing I hadn't noticed before was another cooler in addition to the trans cooler. Oil cooler maybe? It's about an inch thick, 12" wide, and probably 4" height. The clean installation and type of lines and connections used suggest oem to me. What was decided to be the best radiator replacement for our RL's?

 

[speedlever]

Based on what I've read here, I'm a bit partial to the OSC radiator. But if the OEM radiator has been changed as reported, that is also a viable option.

The extra cooler is the heavy duty power steering cooler.

My stop sign runner accident last year was nearly 7k in damage and was also a 2 week repair project. There were several follow up visits required to fix a couple issues that cropped up after the fact too.

 

[rtx07]

Based on what I've read here, I'm a bit partial to the OSC radiator. But if the OEM radiator has been changed as reported, that is also a viable option.

The extra cooler is the heavy duty power steering cooler.

My stop sign runner accident last year was nearly 7k in damage and was also a 2 week repair project. There were several follow up visits required to fix a couple issues that cropped up after the fact too.

The follow ups and getting the "bugs out " of a repair can be a pain for sure. The OSC, after searching some threads does seem like a better built rad...a tad pricier but for better quality worth it imo. I cant help but wonder..if an RTX is the only RL with factory installed tow package maybe it is a stand alone cooler that doesn't work in tandem with the radiator? Hmmm. Probably not I'm guessing. Once the shop tears it down I'll have to get a look at it. Hoping my repairs come out as well as yours did.