Is there any way I can physically check to see if my engine or transmission mounts are messed up? When i bought the car, it was very smooth. I'm a very aggressive driver so I gun that bad boy a lot causing jerking of the engine. Nowadays, I feel a little jerking or not smooth transition to every gear. I don't believe it's a bad tranny, but I think it's the mounts. Any help?

 

Start it, hold your foot on the brake, put it in drive, rev it up just a little and see if the engine moves up and down.

 

that would be to test what mount?

 

The way described requires 2 people. If it moves alot your front mount is shot. You can physically inspect the 2 left side and 1 right side mounts for tearing/wear. Rear isnt that easy. Also leaking fluid from teh front mount is a indicator as well.

 

Ok. Thanks

 

VERY COMMON to replace the front mount at trans replacement time, sometimes the side mount too.
Because the mounts work so well you dont realize they are bad until you replace them. Then it's really smooth
Thrash driving helps wear them- but if your over 60 k it would be no surprise.
Cheap to replace when trans is out

 

i see. thanks for the 411

 

very easy to replace yourself and save lots of $$

 

No one ever replied to my question in another thread about the mounts, so I'll give it a try here. Which is the front mount that is the usual culprit? The dealership told me my front mount is bad. Is it #34?

 

i might need to ask for assistance when i come around and change mine fstty

 

myTaLiza

My answer was based on your other thread complaint of trans problems and that you would have the car in the dealer for the replacement- then let them take care of it.
Otherwise a floor jack and a few tools will DIY

 

my warrenty is out already. not covered under the extended warrenty. they checked out teh tranny before and said it was fine

 

Well at least its just motor mounts, an easy DIY rather than the trans failed out of warranty!

A few tools and some thread reading will give you all the tips you need

 

thanks 01tl

 

so i haven't tested the hold brakes and rev yet, but i begin to notice more and more that when i'm at a complete stop, then half gun it, i can feel the engine rocking. has to be the mounts. i have my hand on the shifter and can feel the shifter slightly move forward as if the tranny is moving back and forth..can someone confirm a mount problem?

 

Yes

 

Thank you!

 

It is best to confirm while looking at the engine while doing the rev/brake method.

Here are some pics I took of my old mount, you can see the brown crud it left below it.


Pic of new mount:

 

ohh, thanks. i took my car to the mechanics and he says they are fine.. seems like transmission might be going bad he said. I have clunking noise when i reverse. knocking noise when i go over a little bump, or knocking when turning into a driveway. mechanic checked out everything and he found nothing. He couldn't find anything loose. Wat the hell is the problem?

 

yeah, mine looks nothing like that.

 

You are describing the same transmission failure symptoms I had, just about a week before my transmission started slipping when shifting from 2-3, then failed.

I noticed slow shifts, slight over-revs when shifting from 2-3, even in manual shift. One evening I even got the "clunk" when shifting into reverse. After that the tranny didn't last more than 10 days on me. I've got 76,520 miles on the odo.

Luckily it was under warranty. Santa Monica Acura made it really easy, and even provided a TSX loaner for free. I now have a new transmission, but I don't like that it only is covered for 12K miles!

Watch for the failure. BTW, I could actually drive the car to the dealer even with the "Christmas tree" (blinking D5, check engine light, and Traction Control Light). The final symptom was when I was getting on the freeway (Los Angeles), the car shifted out of 2nd, reved to about 5000 RPM, "clunked", then got into 3rd gear, immediate warning lights, shifted up to 5th on the freeway, and I was able to limp to the dealer.

My TL is back and butter smooth now!

But you mention "knocking" when turning into a driveway. Is this a front suspension thing, possibly? Might have it checked for loose bolts, CV joints, etc.

Oh, I just remembered I had to replace two motor mounts, front and right mounts @ 61K miles.

My guess is that you have two things happening at once, since these seem to be a common repair item on our 2gen TL's.

Best of luck.

 

well, when i reverese straight out, there's no clunking noise, but when i turn the steering wheel any direction, while still reversing, i hear one clunking noise. At first, I notice a slow shifting only going to 5th gear but only at a low rpm(roughly 1900k rpm). Now, I notice it from 2nd to 3rd gear. I was begining to think that it's the mount since it wasn't happening only on one gear. But i dont know what going on now. Maybe I do have a tranny problem and some suspension problem at the same time. thanks for the info kcknel

 

Time to ask a different mechanic, one that REALLY knows acura
Look in the yellow pages phone book under automobile repairing
There will be a few sports car/import shops list
Take it to a front end place and a trans place and get their opinion