CalsCLS

I have a 2003 CL-S Type with 54K on it and the tranny is having difficulties - sluggish between 1st and 2nd gear. My VIN # was the later model that was not covered under the CA Class Action Suit because it was supposedly OK. Took car to dealer - Acura won't do anything. I lost my job and on top of new tranny, the headlight ballast went out which I've heard can cost $800-$900 to repair.

Is there anyone with similar tranny problem in this model that would like to investigate a law suit for the replacement of our trannies? I can't afford to fix the car, but I can't take such a loss to sell it.

Any ideas?

CH46ESeaKnight

Good luck with that!

StreetKA

iTrader: (8)

with ballast u can go with oem replacements and use aftermarkets
here is DIY to it https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ID+Aftermarket

about tranny i think u might be screwd i feel your pain anyway im not a tranny guy i have 6 speed so may be someone else can help you out GL man

YeuEmMaiMai

have you ever taken the car in to acura for service or do you do your own service?

The reason I ask is that if you cannot produce a service history, Acura will not be inclined to help you out. It goes a lot easier when you have a good relationship with your local dealer as well.....

StonedCL

iTrader: (1)

Good luck with the tranny.. I had 2 go and both where replaced by acura under the warrenty , 1st went at like 30K miles and second went at 99K (I purchased a extended warrenty) so none of them where GOODWILLED, and then my 3 tranny went at around 160K miles and ACURA would no help at all, I called corperate and wrote letters, no help whatsoever, they said they allready helped me twice (which was a lie cuz both times where under warrety) but there is nothing you can do.. Try writing a letter, I just read a tread where some guy got a check from them, but who knows..

As to your ballast problem, I have a FULL headlight for sale , case,ballast, and both bulbs for $300..

CL-S progression 01

iTrader: (2)

^^^ cut him some slack and sell him just the balllast... for a Azine member common!

As for ur tranny, I got mine rebuilt for just under 2 grand, and it's mint now, no signs of any wear and i'm already going on 15000miles. I've brought the car to the drag strip since the rebuild and it LOVED it.

the new model trannys can still have the same problem of clogged internal filter and no fluid flow onto the clutchpacks. so it's just as likely to happen to any of the tranny i would think.

Find urself a good rebuild place, SEARCH AROUND. find a place that's done that tranny before and you should be good.

I got all new gears, filter, low hold gear, front trans mount, thoroughly cleaned switches, Trans star tq converter, all for 1980Cash from a Acura mechanic at HIS HOUSE.

My advise to you is find urself a master acura tech that does work on the side and get him to rebuild it. you'll save a lot of $$

Acura quoted me 4000 plus taxes for the tranny.. so I think i got the better end of the stick.

I know it's a bitch of a problem to deal with now, but once u get urself a good rebuild and change the fluid every 30K u won't have this problem again.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

since acura wont do anything your pretty much screwed. the trannies going out on our cars are a common thing. the only real option i see for you is too either buy a used tranny or get it rebuilt.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

same thing on my tl-s, with me being out of the vin range, and the bastards wont give me a tranny when it was acting up, but i brought it back to life with a new filter though, so it is good for the time being and i would still be under the warrenty too (if it was not for the vin), for the mileage and the time limit too

Rapture

I don't think anything can be done. I read that they tried to redesign the auto trans for these cars a few years ago, but the problem still persists. Unless the transmission failing resulted in you getting into an accident, I don't think Acura would be willing to invest time and money into anything. I think so few of our cars are still on the road that they most likely see it as a poor investment.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

i say 3 other tl this afternoon on my way home from work :scratchhead; all were 99-01's though, but i have also seen a quite a few type-s around too (and not people on this board ethier)

Rapture

Hmm. Since I've owned my car I've seen maybe 2 other CL-S's around. Seen maybe 3 or 4 TL-S's

At the end of the day Acura probably just wants us to buy one of their newer cars instead of helping us hang on to our 01's :P

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

CL's definetly not as much especially the 2G, and CL-S even rareir


what manufacture does't; and you figure most of our cars are on their second owners or more by now

MrFluffy

my tranny has been going for 1YEAR now and im trying to get as much life out of it as possible

this is what I did changed the fluid, drain 3 liters put 3 liters in drive around for 10 min, drain another 3 liters put 3 liters in drive around for 10 min, and then finally drain another 3 liters put 3 liters in drive around for 10 min

BTW the total is 9 liters

Then after that every time you do an oil change drain 3 liters and put 3 liters back

Ive done this and my tranny doesnt shift great but it will buy you some time !

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

try changing the filter, mine seemed to be really plugged

StreetKA

iTrader: (8)

there is only one solution that i can see now... dont buy auto... buy 6 speed manual CLS.

MrFluffy

For us that already have a auto and cant afford a 6 speed that doesnt help at all it just pisses us off (sorry but I would kill for a 6 speed its a sensitive topic)

Where is the filter ??????????

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

on the top, all the way to the driver side and basically striaght down from the intake tube, about a 4-5 inch long x 2-3 inch round black thing, it is a $$$ little sucker but definetly wourth it

#9

http://www.hondapartsunlimited.com/i...- SPEED SENSOR

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

yeah i hope to do the 6-speed swap one day when mine finally craps out, but it is kinda out of the question right now (and i like being a lazy ass and not having to shift at times)

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

i love shifting. but than again, my car is loud when i just touch the gas, so ppl around me start to stare. o well.

i changed the filter in my tl, worth it. im gonna clean out the sensors? i think someone was saying to do that. but too lazy bc its cold and havnt found the diy for it. well i dont need a diy but need to know where the sensor are.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

yeah i need to clean out the switches on mine too, been too lazy too

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

^where are the switches at? bc i took off some thing and cleans what looked to be like small metal filters. two or three of them. might have been the sensors

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

i think those are the solenoids, but i think the switchs are more towrds the left side cover kinda underneth the battery more, but i am not totally sure , or the sensors that actually thread in themselves

fsttyms1

There was a member on the TL side that just got his replaced by acura with 180k or something like that. Write acura corporate. (thats what he did)

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

ill take a look the my broken trans that i have in my garage this weekend.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

kinda pointless if i want to do a 6-speed conversion,but i might be able to sell the rebuilt tranny for some money though, and anyways i would not trust those butchers at the stealership anyways

CLSspeedx

I like the idea of "draining and filling" the tranny (NO FLUSHING) with several cycles of fluid... on a similar year honda I thought I had a clogged filter after making the mistake of flushing it... a bottle of slick 50 high mileage tranny fluid bought it a lot of time with careful shifting... Not sure if it will help you, but a friend recommended it to me who is NOT a proponent of additives and it seemed to help alot. Good luck

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

we dont flush out trans. says so in the manual. drian and fill x3. change external filter and hope for the best.

MrFluffy

Is that rite near the oil jet thing and how do u get it off looks like at lest 2 bolts if not 4

just a random question and remeber my tranny been going for a year( im pretty sure ) what does it mean when the VSA stuff comes on and you car blinks D5????

TheWeez

A class action suit would take years to go through. This means you'd be putting up a LOT of money to get through it with the hope of getting a transmission out of it some years down the line. You'll spend 10x more on a suit then you would to just rebuild the transmission and be on your way.

CL-S progression 01

iTrader: (2)

car blinking d5 means a stored transmission code in the trann ecu... can only be read at the Dealer.

flashing vsa means tranny is hurting internally somewhere.

I say u drive down an get my guy to fix u up. ur tranny is like 90%+ finished.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

not if you have a quality after market scan tool, then no problem at an independent shop,
and the VSA light came on because the tranny has a store code, so it deactivates it, which would be the light coming on, so i would worry about the tranny first before the VSA

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

just a little bit foward of it , but yes (just follow the hose to the jet further up it)
actualy i think it is 5 for some reason: 2 (#29) to hold the pipe to the filter, plus 1 (#28) that supports the pipe further down near the hose, then 2 more to get then pipe holding bracket (#5) off, then the filter actuallys unscrews from the case itself (you use the built in nut on the filter to loosen it [which i think is a 19mm for some reason])

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

wanted to add to my other post, but the edit time was over

mine has puked it fluid before (out the vent tube)(got so low that it could not even hold a gear anymore from no)
refilled it and flushed it and it has been fine for the last 12K miles or so
(it happened with the previous owner though, but i was the one that worked on it, so i kinda know it's history, then i bought it with knowing one day the tranny will fully crap out and have to be replaced, but not yet)
so all hope is not lost with the tranny having to be replaced right now Mr. Fluffy, it just needs some lovin, to hopefully be able to bring it back to life

MrFluffy

Im trying to give it all the lovin I can when I get some time off work im going to change the filter (havent had a day off in a month) so it may be a while

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

u dont need a day off to change the filter. just 15 min (thats how long it too me) so about 30min for the average person and a few tools. little atf will spill out. nothing to worry about or to add (unless ur low already)

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

make sure to pre-order it from the dealer, mine did not have it in stock

yes you spill a little, but you also gotta fill the new filter too, so getting a bottle of ATF would not hurt ethier (better safe then sorry, with having to run back out, potentially have to borrow another car to get it)
yeah it proably took me about the same amount of time to do mine also

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

ur not gonna put a bottle of atf in the filter.

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

i know it does not take that much, but you still gotta be able to top it off, and fill the filter and that is the smallest quanlity you can buy it in (unless of course he has some spare ATF laying around)

Rajca

iTrader: (8)

and, when i turned my filter to drain the oil. almost nothing came out. i wouldnt worry about getting a bottle of atf. check the fluid level according to the manual, and if lower then normal, get a bottle. change the filter, then check the level and top it off.

Rapture

I sometimes think about doing the 6MT swap... I mean I'm sure I could find a usable manual trans somewhere around... problem is I don't have any way of actually doing the swap. I mean I don't have any of the proper tools..... and paying someone else to do it kinda feels cheap