Scamparoni

I am so upset ......

I never intended to buy a CL, I was looking for a new Accord when the Honda guy said to try the 2003 CL that had just came in... It looked good, all black with a cool spoiler on the back and impressive engine. When I test drove it I was blown away by the comfy seats, butter smooth transmission gear changes and awesome acceleration. I wanted this car and bought it straight away [officially for my wife] !!!

So I am really happy with it since the buy [Jan 05] and joined this forum to suck up all the tips but never had a real problem...until I took it in for a tranny check as per the recall. So they take the pics and decide I need a new one which went OK except they changed the PCM as well as I saw on the invoice [no charge].

This is when my car joined the mobile masses with jerky gear changes and dead pan acceleration. I thought it was maybe just me being critical and over sensitive after a big repair but now my wife just complained that she cant accelerate onto the freeway like she used to anymore.

It totally SUCKS.....you're driving along at maybe 45 and press down to zip on the freeway and......nothing happenes, it takes forever for the thing to kick down and get going and then at a donkey pace. It drives just like my 96 Accord V6 which though very reliable is dog slow and has jerky gear changes.

I am devastated that I spent so much cash on a car that I no longer think is worth the money as its main selling points have been stripped out !!

I am going to complain but am sure to get the run around...is there any light in this performance tunnel we have been forced into.

I feel like I've been scammed

Time For Sleeep

There's plenty of threads about the post recall band aid fix performance, and the unhappiness with it.

From what I have read though, there has been no documented loss in actual performance (when we're bringing up numbers and track times).

I dunno though. Could be in your head? My tranny crapped out @ 44,500, I got a new one, and I still love it.

Scamparoni

I think it is the change of shift timing in the control unit. Pre tranny change it would react to a quick push on the gas really fast with a smooth kick down and you're off !

Now there is a long pause while you're waiting for it and when it does change gear its jerky. I am not saying that the motor has lost power or that if you redline from the start that performance is less but I am saying in normal driving it is not as zippy and not as smooth as it was.

Dave

I had a similar experience with my '01 cls. Not quite as bad as you describe, but the crispness in shifts was not there after my transmision went out. Of course, I have an '03 cls six speed now, but the way I overcame the problem then was to use the sport shift mode almost exclusively.

For me, this seemed to bring the shift performance back to an acceptable level.

2003 cls six speed
Comptech Icebox

jit

I just got back from my 2nd transmission replacement (2001 model, 1st one at about 17k, 2nd one at about 64k)

Initial drive home felt sluggish. Not sure if just in my head. RPM also seems to run higher than before at the same speed. I havent really push the car (does new transmission need time to break in?), but casual driving felt sluggish.

Here are the parts they replaced this time:
MTG RUB ASSY EN (FP-NUMBER: 50800-S0K-A82)
WARRANTY A/T KI (FP-NUMBER: 06200-PGF-060C1RM)
ECU (FP-NUMBER: 37820-PGE-315RM)
ATF - Z1 FLUID (FP-NUMBER: 08200-9001A)

I don't push my CL like I use to, but I certainly hope they didn't rip me off by putting some inferior parts / re-program the computer so the car doesn't perform like before.

bradcline

I'm likely to get my 2001 CL-S back today from its tranny rebuild. Mine crapped out at ~92k miles, just under the warranty period.

Now, I use the SS almost exclusively. I love to drive a stick and wanted this car in a stick but bought it before the stick was available. So, I just use the SS to simulate it.

I really hope it still feels the same when I get it back. The 2004 TSX loaner is nice but the power differential is noticeable. I want my car back good as new!!

beestea

I am on transmission #4... and had at least two ECU swaps. I did notice sluggishness in shifting on the 2nd or 3rd transmission, but neither of those lasted much past 15k miles.

The transmission I have now seems good, and I don't notice any sluggishness at all. In fact I have had a couple run ins with other CL-S, and a G35 that tell me its working just fine

At any rate, if you are sure its a hosed tranny or ECU... probably the best way to get a new one is drive it like you stole it... LOL... unless of course you are at 90k miles or something.

INDIOKATS

i feel you on the second tranny. Mines too doesent feel like a CL anymore. Jerky shift change, loss of power or at least it seems, and not as refined as the original tranny. Mines went out at 115k. Im just gonna keep it for another year, and then im gonna get a sl55 used

bradcline

Quick update...I've had my car back for a little over a week now. It seemed a bit sluggish at first but I have to say that it's driving pretty well now. I seem to have the same power that I did before. There is a noticeably different feel to the transmission but not a bad one.