Hey everyone!

I purchased an 02 TL Type S a couple of months ago with 174k on the clock. I was told that the tranny was replaced at 120k along with the timing belt, and I have receipts for those. The car now has 175k, and I have noticed an interesting thing that I'm not sure if I should worry about or not.

I have done lots of research on here, and can't find anyone with a similar issue that's posted.

Once in awhile, when I am accelerating lightly (usually up a hill, between 2000-3500rpm), if I'm in normal D5, when the car gets to 4th and 5th, it will act like it is stuttering between the two gears before it finally goes into 5th.

If I leave the car in tiptronic and shift normally in this situation, everything is just fine.

Should I be worried? Haven't done a fluid 3x drain and refill on it yet. Other than this issue the car drives 100% fine. Thanks all.

 

Hi ZacharyMikel,
here is the link of my thread about my tranny and history of my car: https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...2-tl-s-918812/

I also have a 02 type s like yours I use to be in the same boat as you except mine would do that trying to decide if it should go into 3rd gear from 2nd. I know exactly what your talking about and the solution is to do the 3x drain and fill. its completely safe, I used Honda DW-1 although some people have recommended fully synthetic. I would stick with the genuine stuff. I purchased my tl with 179k and found out the tranny was replaced after the redesign in 2005, the car had 87k at the time it was replaced and and when the car hit about 185k it started doing the flaring thing(or stuttering as you mentioned above) and I decied to change the tranny fluid to see if it would solve the issue and it did for the most part only on occasion would it start back, so i decided to flush it using the 3x3 d&f method and now my car is currently at 193k with absolutely no problems at all, the tranny shifts from 2nd to 3rd so smoothand fast it literally has a pulling feel vs a accelerate-shift-accelerate like in a GM vehicle. I highly recommend flushing it with dw-1 using the 3x3 method even when it shifts when cold its not nearly as hard as it would with old fluid.

Best of luck to you and your Acura. I am also new to AcuraZine and started my account because of the same issue as yours.

 

Awesome info man, thank you so much. That totally restored my confidence. This car is my first automatic (don't know what I was thinking lol!!) but it's a blast to drive. And it's nice to have a "grown up" car that isn't a ricey honda/Acura. I'm going to do the 3x drain and refill soon. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

 

As a disclaimer I have a similar issue and I had Acura professionally do a Tranny flush it did not solve the fluttering, it'll still do it occasionally, especially in the cold. That being said I've been driving the car for a year since it started doing this so I don't believe it presents any real or immediate danger, but still do the flush..

 

Out of curiosity have you ever considered it to be the throttle position sensor? I wonder that because I also have a 99 Accord with original everything and it had similar characteristics to flaring, but it also had 302k but I ended up changing that sensor and it cured the problem. but on my TL the tranny was definitely flaring and I flushed it, it works great now but now that I put more thought into it I changed the fluid once more at 188k. I keep track of all my maintenance by logging it on the Acura Owners website. it also has recall info.

All in all with my tl it cured my flaring and I have confidants it will cure it if it just started within a couple months 8/10 times. Also try to clean out the solenoids. And the TPS sensor is just a thought but worth a try. BTW the Accord is a 4cyl

 

While Acura may have methods to "flush" our tranny's.......it's still better to do the tried and true method,
"Drain & Fill" procedure for best results, IMO. There's less of a shock and the tranny can more safely acclimate to the new DW1 synthetic ATF fluid. So, with that being said.....use extreme caution should a tranny flush be suggested.

 

I have a similar situation that I have posted about. Sometimes it seems like the trans gets confused on small inclines at low rpms. Maybe the grade logic I don't know. One thing that helped a lot- virtually eliminated any shutter was a tube of lubegard red after doing the 3x DW1 change. I don't really believe much in additives but this one I feel is safe and apparently many trans shops put it in newly rebuilt transmissions

 

Guys try putting the shifter in D4 instead of D5, I've noticed the shutter is reduced.
See if the symptoms are still present check the fluid level it may be overfilled.

 

I'll try that today.

 

Unlikely but possible. It's evident when I'm off the gas as well. It's hard to explain but after driving a car 6 years you know exactly where your foot needs to be to make the car do what and recently it's been acting different. I also have a very dirty IACV so dirty it's actually stalled the car from fluctuating idle.

 

Putting the car in D4 instead of D5 got rid of any stuttering I felt in the trans. I just switch it into D5 when hitting the highway and then back to D4 when getting off.

I'm still going to do a 3x3 drain/fill and replace the trans oil filter at some point soon though.

In the mean time I checked the trans oil and the levels are good and it's nice and clear so I should be fine for now.

 

I've felt this same stuttering on the uphill drive after work, on the freeway. I had my transmission replaced - for the fourth time - a year ago at 141k. I've got 153k on the odometer so this might be a good time to get the fluid drained and filled (my Acura dealer tells me that they never flush, only D&F). Thanks for the thread!

 

Why Why Why Why.

 

Yeah, after the "3rd" attempt not being a charm, the "AV6" is the most viable and lasting option.

 

mmmm Curious about this issue. Not that I´m Affected since I do SS all the time but what would cause Sport Shift to Shift fine but D5 to stutter? Are you guys sure that the culprit isn't the TQ Lock Mechanism?

 

I was wrong, the transmission was only replaced three times. I'm on the fourth now.

Because because because because my TL-S's original transmission was replaced by the original purchaser under warranty. I paid the dealer for a third tranny at a discounted price, then the same dealer paid for the fourth because the third was covered under warranty.

When I replaced the second tranny on my own dime back in 2009, no one on this forum had come up with the AV6 option.