Hello all,

Name is Ron nice to meet ya'll!

Sorry for the long Email, i'd like to hear from current 2003 CL Type S owners with any positive experiences on there cars, i have been reading a lot of bad stuff about the transmission in this car, and well:


I am going to purchase a 2003 CL Type S. Black interior, grey exterior, certified pre-owned. I am somewhat worried about the transmission issues these cars have. I will still have till about 2007 in the original powertrain warranty, and i've noticed that not too many people are actively posting in regards to these transmission clutch pack 3 problems lately..

Im buying the car with tax tag and title for 22000 out the door, car has 12000 original miles on it, which is wierd for a 2003 but i did run a CarFax and it is in fact a true and correct mileage! Anyways, the car looks brand new inside and out, drives beautifully, even as far down as to the actual leather shift know, the leather on the shift knob, it looks brand new, but it does have some wear on it so i know they didnt just recently replace it which would be probably a $10 part for them to easily replace.

I have a question, do most of the people on here who have reported 2 or 3 burnt transmissions race? Reason i am asking and i know i might catch hell for this, is because i am a regular driver that rarely does anything above 80 mph and i know that the problem lies in the overheating and poor lubrication in the gear 2 - 3 shifting, but aside from catching hellish traffic on the turnpike during my daily commute, i really do not accelerate hard at all, i am a pretty defensive driver so, im just thinking that i will have better luck with the tranny?

I'd definitely like to hear from current cl 3.2 type S owners or anyone with any advice on my decision to purchase, whether it be positive or negative in regards to the car, the price, the fact that it only has 13000 miles on it, ETC..

Thanks again to all, and i wish everyone the best of luck with their cars!

Drive Safe!

Ron

 

I'm assuming you're buying an automatic then because I haven't seen anything here on the forums about transmission problems on the 6speed. You might also want to check to see if the car was a lease. Because I've seen a few CL-S with that type of mileage (25k) or so for the same price but they're all lease vehicles.

 

AcuraMagician, thank you for replying so quickly, the car's carfax report does state that it was a lease.

And by the way yes, the car does have an Automatic Transmission. IMHO Manual Transmission cars are hellish in traffic and believe me we have hellish traffic down here. BTW I have a 2004 Suzuki Gsxr 750 when I really want to haul ass.

 

welcome
im not sure either if its a 6speed or Auto....if its an auto. no worries. you got a 100k mile warranty under your belt.

now let the modding begin

 

Stealth thanks for the welcome!

how many miles did your original tranny go out at and how many miles do you have on the new one? BTW what type of driving do you do?

Aggressive?
Quarter Mile track runs?
Grandma Driving?
Just plain regular driving with occasional bits of hauling ass?

I am the last one. i dont think i will ever do over 100 mph in this car, i get that out of my system on the gixxer.

Laters

 

Be sure you get a good picture of things. This poll may not be the most accurate or scientific way to go about it. From what I have read on this forum so far, a LOT of people are into modding their cars and racing them, even if just from a red light. Just bear that in mind. I just bought mine a few months ago and its been great.

Even though it was "Acura Certified" there have been a few things I was not happy with and replaced myself (rotors/brakes and flushed the transmission). It already had the oil jet kit installed but I just didn't think it was shifting very smoothly given automatics I have owned in the past (including an Accord V6 auto). I wasn't overly concerned with it since I know I have a warranty to 100k miles. I still flushed it out and put in new Z1 + Smart Blend and the car is shifting as smoothly as any I've ever had! Just like it is off the showroom floor!

Anyway, long story short, like you I use mine as a daily driver. Have another car to go fast in when I feel like it. I plan on changing the tranny fluid out every 20k just as preventative maintenance. I think you've got a heck of a deal there with such low mileage. The car is a dream to drive. With a warranty on the tranny to 100k, I think its a no-brainer.

 

mine went at about 50k, so now 22k on the new one.
i do all of those except the 3rd. ive topped her out a couple times

 

oh yeah is yours anthracite or satin silver metallic (ssm)?

 

That's really low mileage. Most tranny problems were on the 01 models but those were the most sold and with most miles driven too. Very few 02s and 03s were sold. I do not feel that driving style was the only factor. A 50+ yo lady at work had the tranny go out on her 01 at about 45k miles. She doesn't race or mod her car.
22k out the door is OK I guess. I would check on the 4 yr warranty and see when it is up, it will be up before you hit 50k miles. The certified warranty adds 1 year to the orig 4 year, but does not cover as much.
I prefer shifting and waited for the 03 6 speed version. The CLS is agreat car.
good luck.
ps - the auto shift knob will be more than $10, more like $100.

 

i believe it is anthracite.. not sure if i like the color but i can live with it for the price im getting and the miles it has.

 

anthracite was only offered on the 03 CL. I have it too. It is a favored color, most people like it here.
But mine is a 6 speed with Navi, I'm at 33k miles, average mileage on an 03 is like 48k.

 

Honestly, I really had trouble finding other cars in this same price range with this level of price / performance, and features, I did look at a couple of Lexus IS 300's and really wasnt too interested in it.

I originally set out to find an 03 vehicle with leather interior, 2 door couple, V6 engine, and Automatic. That was all of my search criteria that i would not compromise on and for the price i just dont think i can find anything as aesthetically appealing as the CL - S, the fact that it has a 7 year 100,000 mile warranty IMHO is really not that comforting to me, I mean, I will have the car fully paid off in about a year or two, and most likely I will still be under the original warranty at that point, so i can definitely sell the car, im not waiting to stick around to find out what it costs to replace a transmission on a then 5 or 6 year old car with no warranty.

 

Honestly, I really had trouble finding other cars in the same price range with this level of performance, and features. I did briefly consider the Lexus IS 300 and really wasn't too interested in it.

I originally set out to find a used car with the following criteria

1. Price Low 20's out the door
2. 2003 or newer vehicle
3. 2 door coupe ( I HATE 4 DOOR CARS, I don't want to be a taxi)
4. V6 engine
5. Automatic Transmission (although im not sure the CL-S Satisfies this last one)

That was the search criteria that I would not compromise on.

For the price i just dont think I can find anything as aesthetically appealing as the CL - S, the fact that it has a 7 year 100,000 mile warranty IMHO is really not that comforting to me. I mean, I will have the car fully paid off in about a year or two, and that being said, I will still be under the original warranty at that point ( 7 year powertrain). I dont want to stick around long enough to find out what it costs to replace a transmission on a then 5 or 6 year old car with no warranty.

 

By the way, I would appreciate it if only 2003 Model Year, CL Type S Owners partake in the voting so I can get an idea of the general (i know this poll is statistically invalid for all intents and purposes) failure rates on this particular production year.

 

whatever. i've beat the shit out of mine for that last 55k miles. i'm still on tranny #1 at 135k.

 

I'm on tranny #1 but I only have 27k miles

 

I'm not gonna vote, 'cause I have a 6spd 03... When I heard about the auto tranny issues, I wouldn't have bought a CL unless it had a manual transmission. Got rid of my last car because it started to develop transmission problems (@120K miles)...

If Acura didn't offer the 6spd on the 03 CLS, I'd be driving something else right now...

 

DITTO

 

Oh, and I don't think that all the 03 auto's have a 100K mile warrantee on 'em. The early 03's do, but there was a vin cutoff when acura "thought" they had solved the problem. So some of the late 03's have the standard warrantee on 'em... I don't have time to search for the info right now, but maybe someone else can confirm my suspision...

 

Good points, I'd probably buy it. Such low miles are hard to find, and overall the CLS is a great car, and you've got some tranny warranty anyway, and the extended certified warranty on most everything else.

I've had two 03 CLs (both were 6 speeds), only problems were some squeaks in the sunroof molding (fixed), the brake rotors can warp. Both were covered under warranty. I also had a headlight start collecting moisture. replaced under warranty.
Actually the rotors on the first CL went bad at about 12k miles, but on my current CL at 33k miles no rotor problems.

 

Yep going ahead with the purchase.

I lost sleep last night mentally masturbating myself over the car, I always get like this.. hahahah.. anyways, yeah the car is in such good condition i just couldnt let it get away for the price.

I know that the sales guy knew I was gonna buy the car, i hate it when that happens, its better if they think you are not really interested, or are just looking for *any* car, not one in particular. But anyways the sales manager at the dealer is a friend of a friend of a friend, you know how that goes.

thanks for all your input guys, the poll results are surprising me!

 

sorry if I corrupted your survey, I voted but I have an '01. car's been great, no tranny problems, 101K miles... however the nagging worry that it might grenade on me one day would prevent my getting another. a 6MT, tho, that's another story.

 

Good luck, don't worry. I've had like 6 Acuras, they are very dependable generally.
I would ask if the tranny is covered to 100k miles, it's true I read that not all 03s trannies were covered tp 100k. Try to see if you have a later VIN#. Mine ends in like 10100 I think and is about 2/3 into production (for 6 speeds).

Did the regular tranny warranty period change in 03? Cause it was a big deal that the tranny warr was extended to 100k miles on the 01 models. Not sure if powertrain is the same. Sorry for adding confusion.

 

Never had any tranny problems here. Though I'm not going to vote becase there isn't a choice that says:

Been there, done that, didn't have a problem and loved it but RWD/4WD > FWD.

 

gettin a new tranny put in as we speak. blew out last mon. at 49,5**. It was my first tranny so im not too pissed, covered under warranty. good luck with your CL though, nice buy

 

mine is on it's third. hopefully this one one holds on until i get rid of it.

 

tranny #1 for me went out today at 92k. dealership said it will be ready by wednesday. pretty good deal. almost no inconvenience to me besides having to bring the car in. hopefully this one lasts another 92k.

 

cltypeSlow, judging from that comment i wouldnt have expected you to vote the way you did on the poll? Im curious as to your feelings on this..

 

BTW Guys, i'm happy to announce that i purchased the vehicle in question today. I am ecstatic, I am more than happy with the vehicle and it is the first luxury type vehicle that i have purchased. I dont think i can ever go back to an american car after driving it home from the dealer.

The car feels solid, there is no wind, engine, or road noise in the cabin. There are no vibrations, everything feels nice and tight. It is a very nice vehicle. I didnt even know previous to today that the car comes with HID lights from factory. Something that probably a lot of new cars nowadays come with but that 95% of all other cars on the road dont have.

I experienced first hand the "alien search light" effect earlier tonight and thought it was great, the high beams are nice and high. LOL.

Anyways, the car is perfect stock. i plan on (boringly enough) not doing a damned thing to the vehicle as it even came with the exact percentage grade of window tint that i like. The car couldnt have fit my precise needs any better.

To recap, like i said before, i am ecstatic.

 

Do you race? Do you drive aggressively, do you have any mods done to the car mechanically? just curious from an inquisitive stance.

 

Congrats!! I feel exactly the same way about mine! However, you might actually want to look into upgrading the rotors and pads. A lot of people say they warp easily, even with brand new OEM ones. Mine did. I replaced mine with cryo treated Powerslots with Hawk pads and everything is nice and smooth. They will most likely never warp either. Just a thought. Congrats again on the car! I enjoy my drive to work so much more now.

 

no, i don't race on a track or course if that's what you're asking. i've had some street races here and there. since i am the second owner, both of us went through a tranny each, so far. and i sure as hell do redline this car a few times a day. that's why i keep her well maintained. as for mods, nothing out of the usual. just the Comptech headers, icebox, springs. also the Thermoblok spacers and Tokico illumina shocks.

good luck with yours!

 

Congrats, post some pix.
I personally love my Anthracite. I never see any others around here.

 

Hi, thanks for replying, yeah I never redline the car or even come close to it. It sounds to me like you would be a great candidate to purchase a motorcycle and get all that out of your system.

IMHO Motorcycle engines are smaller in size, but one must consider the Horsepower to weight ratio a modern 750 CC, 900 CC, or 1000CC SportBike Has.

My 2004 750 gsxr has 130HP to the rear wheel, and weighs in somewhere under 400 wet without me on board of course, making it efficient at taking out just about everything on the road in terms of sheer acceleration and top speed.
Redline is somewhere near 16000 RPM's.

Now consider the car, im not sure what the wet weight of the CL - S is, but im sure even with 260 horses, the HP/Weight Ratio is no where close to that of a motorcycle (obviously).

The reason i am bringing this up is that redlining auto engines is just not good for the engine and much less for an automatic transmission. Especially since the transmission obviously from what i have read, is especially sensitive to WOT 2 - 3 gear shifts, due to the overheating clutch pack and spot overheating.

If your objective was to treat the vehicle in this manner I suppose it would have been a better choice to purchase a Manual Transmission model.

But what the hell do i know I'm no mechanic.

 

I'm not sure where you're getting this information but you're wrong. Redlining is not BAD for the engine. Reving it PAST redline is bad, thats why there's a "redline". These engines are built to handle it. Hence Vtec.

 

Common sense, thats where im getting my information from. You can beat the shit out of an engine, or not. That's all im saying, im not trying to pull out graphs and charts and analyze my point from a technical or engineering point of view. It's just common sense. The more stress and heat you put on an engine, the more wear you will put on all its parts, so what your doing is accelerating its deterioration.

Thats why race engines get rebuilt after every race if not every couple of races.

 

Or if you dont believe me , do this.

Drive your car like a grandma for an entire oil change cycle. (3000 miles ok for you? yes, great)

After driving like a grandma for 3000 miles after your last oil change :While doing your very next oil change, collect some of the old oil directly from the oil drain as it pours out, into a plastic container.

Contact http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ and ask them to send you a free sample collection kit. Send them the sample and have them run an oil analysis. This will be your control sample report.

Now totally beat the shit out of the car even beyond your normal driving methods for another 3000 mile oil change cycle. Repeat, send for analysis.

Thirdly, Drive the car as you normally would for the last 3000 mile oil change cycle. Repeat collection, send for analysis.

You will notice a difference in the wear levels indicated by the report of your engine metals contained in the oil.

I have never done this, but i suspect that your "beat the shit out of it" cycle sample will contain on average higher metals on the oil analysis report.

Higher metals content in the oil means more wear on your internal engine components.

Have fun testing.

 

Running it WOT all the time would be hard on the motor, yes. However, normal day to day driving with the occasional WOT redline run (like most of us will do) will not hurt the car.

I have been into cars all my life and grew up in and around the garage with my grease monkey friends and family members. I learned to drive probably before I turned 10yrs old and I was driving a stick at 13 and I've never heard this before.

As for race engines, you are correct. They take a beating but thats what they are designed to do. Our engines were not but they are stout enough to handle a WOT redline run from time to time for years and years. If Honda didn't want you to be able to hit 6900 RPM's in the car, they would have put the redline lower than that and the fuel cut off lower than 7100 RPM. Common sense should tell you that.

Please, don't take me the wrong way. I'm not trying to flame you by any means. It's just that you're wrong in this case. No need to post false information.

PS: If I'm wrong, I'll gladly eat my words but not till it's proved and obviously by someone with credentials who knows their stuff.

 

You'd have to have one POS of a car to do that on, have lots of time on your hands, or are a complete idiot to do that test.


Oh BTW, are you saying a motorcycle engine can hand WOT redline pulls and a car's engine can't??

 

chris take it easy
i dont see what this is all about if the man says he drives like a grandma trust me bud your tranny is going to be ok. im bouncin the tac all day, and it stilll shifts smooth afteer that. im on #2 but that happened right after i got it so it can happen to anyone anywhere no matter how you drive.