I juat took my '99 Integra to 192,000 miles without a hitch. I got a new job and needed something clean and a bit more professional. I wanted a TL but thought I'd never find one that was spotless for under 12k so I went shopping for an Accord instead.

Much to my suprise, I found an '01 TL with 64k miles in amazing condition. It was an off lease vehicle which the leasee purchased at the end of the terms. They had it on Acura care with full pre-paid maint. and extended warranty.

Autocheck revealed that everything had been very well taken care of and iit had a score of 91 showing that 64 - 80 was typical.

It was garage kept, looks BRAND NEW inside, out and under the hood. Everything in the engine compartment looks better than most 1-2 year old cars. Those who are not familiar with the body styles over the years guesses it's an 06-07.

I knew that TL's are great cars with an occasional tranny issue but I'm just now finding out that 'occasional' might be modest.

I paid $8,000 and absolutly LOVE it as I cannot believe myself how clean and new it is. I'm just hoping that given the how it was cared for, I might get lucky with not having to replace the trans. anytime soon.

What do you think?

Would you have paid $8,000?

 

for that much you could have probably got a 02-03 type s with maybe 20k more, but its a totally different beast

but if your happy with it thats all that matters

 

sounds like a good deal ... look at the trans and see if it has blue bolts ... u will know if the trans has already been replaced

 

If your tranny has never been changed (which I'm guessing it hasn't) then you better be prepared. And under 12k you can definitely find a very clean 02-03 TL-S. Probably with a little more miles but it doesn't matter as long as the tranny has been changed.

 

I decided to research my trans. and found large bolt marked 'ATF.' At first, I took this to mean that an oil jet had yet to be installed sod I called to get a quote for doing so. The dealer told me that the vehicles history indicates that indeed an oil jet HAD been installed in '04. I questioned how this could be as I can't imagine anyone removing the oil jet.

I decided to call Acura Care and they informed me that the oil jet was indeed installed, but a year later, a new transmission was installed. That's when i learned about the blue bolts and that an '05+ trans. had the oil jet built inside rather than ported through the ATF bolt hole.

So...., I feel MUCH better about my purchase now, however, I still wonder...

Are the '05 tranny's really that much better and were all issues resolved?

 

yes and no

 

I have 198K now and I've had to rebuild the tranny every 85-98K; this is my 3rd. And yes, I've had all the Acura "fixes" done to it and change the fluid every 10K-15K miles. It's simply a fact of life with this model. Everything else is rock solid though.

 

I've been searching various threads and I think I have a better understanding now.

If I understand correctly, pre-Mar. 2005, replacement transmissions were simply that, a replacement of and with the same transmission with an external oil jet, and post Mar. 2005 ('05+) replacements were a different design with an internal oil jet and other changes that addressed most other issues.

Is this correct? Were there still problems with the '05+ transmissions?

 

its still not enough `clutch packs` (they are friction disc stacked like pancakes-
similar to motorcycle trans with `wet clutch`)
to handle the torque of the engine,,, and better, but not perfect, oil flow to those parts = heat stress and wearout

nothing you can do except change the fluid, at least 3 qts of its 7.3 capacity with every other engine oil change/~15kmiles

 

oh, and avoid max rpm downshifts in SS mode into 3rd and 2nd

Its ok if you are trying to be at the right rpm and torque/gear to clip the corner apex and start applying max throttle as you slide towards the exit point of a 35 foot wide road-- and rocket down to the next corner and braking event
That would cut it down to: mostly people doing track driving school/lapping days~

 

the new honda atf fluid is being tried by several ziners with good early results
even smoothing a shudder in shifts at low speed/rpm!!
that may help prolong the trans life

 

This is all wonderfull information! Thanks guys!

I just got off of the phone with the dealer who sold it when new. They verified it was a 1 owner car and that he preformed every single service on schedule. The trans was replaced in Aug of '05 with 35k miles on it. It now has 65k and is due for the trans service. The service manager said that they often see ACURA contributing between $500 to $2000 towards tranny replacements that go up out of the extended warranty. He said it depends on the service history and mileage.

Is there any benifit to having Acura do it for $179 as apposed to me doing it?

The only reason I can think of is that IF it were to go again, the dealer would have more of an argument in convincing ACURA to discount the cost considering that they, the selling dealer, have a record of doing all the service.

 

179 dollars to change how much fluid?? by what method?
the TL likes a basic drain and refill-- not a machine powered flush-- as new acuras can use

they are trying to bend you over!!

 

Has the timing belt and water belt been changed? Its 7 years or 105k but with a low mileage car like that the owner might have delayed it and sold it when he really had no choice but to change it.

 

They are asking $179 for a complete drain and fill, i'm not sure if that included a preassure flush or not. It sounds like I should just do it myself.

Any advice onhow to go about doing this for the first time?

I'm not sure if the timing belt or water pump have been replaced or not, however, I mean it when I say that everything under the hood looks as if it were new.

I know that the belt can fail simply due to material breakdown over time, even with minimal use but the belt looks shiny, solid, elastic and shows absolutly no signs of cracking or weathering. I've taken 6 of my Hondas and Acuras to 8-10 years and 180K+ without changing the timing belt and have never had a problem.

This car means a bit more to me than the other commuter boxes so I won't go that far but I think I'll wait a year or so until I hit 100k.

So, I'll be off to the honda dealer to day to get the new ATF you guys reccomended. Think I should just do one drain & fill with about 3 quarts now or do two flushes back to back?

 

1 time 3 qts--it may drain 3.2 to 3.5 if you are patient
buy 4 qts--you want to put the correct amount back in!!

drive 15 minutes on freeway to warm the fluid so contaminents will drain out easily
Wipe off magnetic drain plug after removal--its the one on rear side of trans with `ATF` marked above it on the case
requires a 3/8 inch ratchet- the square head of that slides into the special bolt.
29 foot pounds torque spec

remove the word `flush` from your mind- it means different things to acura and shops
will lead to confusion here--do a drain and refill
in 7500 or 15k miles do that again

 

the belt you can see is for the AC and is easily replaced
you cant access the t belt for visual ck of its internal side or see if the tensioner or other parts are bad

If the car was dealer serviced their computor will know if it got the 105
Other way to ck is look at bolts on the timing belt covers, the side motor mount bolts etc
Signs of wrench or socket used on them--chipped paint,,that would indicate removal

but in my lifes experience- not many would do a 105 then sell the car,,it doesnt equate in value to what you put into it--reduce price 500 and sell it!
dealer quotes of $1600 scare many right into the showroom to start the new car cycle all over

 

Are you sure you're looking at the TIMING belt, and not the alternator belt? You can't see the timing belt just by popping the hood... you have to remove the timing cover. hey, its your call... but keep in mind you bought a 10 year old car regardless of its mileage or condition.

edit: haha 01tl4tl beat me to it.