datax976

So i bought a 99 TL and theres something up with what seems top be my transmission. What happens when im idle or at a stop and start to accelerate, the car feels a little lag or delay and all of a sudden BOOM......the car jerks or grabs after a moment. It only happens in like 1st or 2nd gear. I have been told its a bad torque converter, somekind of solenoid, or just need a new tranny rebuild altogether. HAs anoyone else experienced the same problem? It feels like the engine revs up at acceleration but doesnt grab right away. it takes a moment for the pull. Also, sporadically the TCS light comes on and off. Does this have anything to do with the delay in shifting?

tmnhs81

https://acurazine.com/forums/search....archid=4470051

01tl4tl

those threads about cover it
Sounds like someone sold you a lemon
how does the trans fluid look and smell?
its the dipstick closer to the driver side in front

the TCS light should have thrown/stored a fault code- stop by a parts store and ask for a free code reading
report any codes back here

hopefully its an external selenoid issue- othewise its 2500$ to rebuild the trans

ParaSurfer1979

Unfortunately you didn't read up on the car you were buying b4 you handed over the cash. This was the site to come to b4 you bought the car or any acura so you'd no what to look for and which cars to to stay far away from. But this is 2nd day quarterbacking. Can you afford a rebuild? If so let these fine members tell you which fluids to but in the tranny to keep it in tip/top shape. Did you not test drive it?

datax976

yeah i was pretty stupid about it. I just needed a car and i really liked the way it looked and drove around the block (should have taken it on the freeway). I also should have taken a mechanic with me. Anyway, its a learned lesson. Hopefully the car holds up and i take care of the tranny problem. I have been reading different post about the tranny and find it very helpful. Hopefully just the linear solenoid or the screen filter.

ParaSurfer1979

Have you really read all the threads for the 99's? when are you getting it checked out at the dealer?

ParaSurfer1979

Any updates with car?

datax976

Not yet, Im not taking it to the stealership though. Ive decided that i will get it diagnosed at a shop i know and trust. The guy that works there also owns the shop and hew real trustworthy. So ill take it in somtime next week. Its funny though, if im not too quick to step on gas after idle, my car doesnt do the jerk or lag like before. Ive learned to drive it a certain way that doesnt cause the delay or jerk. Def gonna get it checked though next week

ParaSurfer1979

Yes drive it the best way possible so that you can keep driving it until you can get it in to be seen. I sound like a Dr. office secretary setting up an appointment for a parents child...ha ha ha!!!

ou sig

hey I have some advice also - my car has been doing the SAME thing for about 50000 miles at least, if not more. I have just learned how to drive it smooth vs paying $1000s for a new transmission. Just learn how to feather the gas to let is shift better or the easiest thing that I have done is use the manual shift mode. For some reason it shifts nearly perfect when I use that vs leaving it in D.
PM me if you have any questions or what the dealership tells you. I bet they will say you need a new transmission. I personally think it is something to do with the torque converter or something like that because if it was the transmission it would have died a long time ago.
i have 173000 miles on my original transmission

ParaSurfer1979

I wouldn't go through all this foolishness. Most bought a sport sedan for at least some aggressive driving. Your way honestly is the (I wont spend money on tranny but on hi end stereo stuff...) kind of way. Guys just fix you car so you can enjoy all that vtec goodness with the sequential shifter so you can smile every time the tach sweeps past the vtec x-over.

01tl4tl

always ck the motor mounts when a jerk is felt--might be the cheap fix

see post by `I hate cars` for use of redline racing ATF to prolong a TL trans, he experimented on a 99 that was dead and its still going!

ou sig

ummm foolishness? I got all the stereo stuff over 6 years ago when the car was much younger and w/o any transmission issues and I had money to blow.

I simply said you can use the manual mode and with mine it shifts just fine - no matter if I drive easy or if I hit redline. for some reason if it is left in D it likes to slip around between gears for some reason. And spending $3000 on a transmission when the car is only work about that or a bit more is a little dumb.

tri2tun

iTrader: (5)

I agree - the tiptronic mode makes things a lot smoother for me - just make sure to let go of the gas when you're changing gears for a smoother shift.

I don't think there's anything wrong with being a bit cautious when driving our cars to let the transmission last a bit longer - this is great advice considering the OP just bought the car, so he's down a ton of cash already. He can save up a bit more for a rebuilt in the meantime.

If it were me, I would just lightly drive for a few weeks, see if that helps with the problem - otherwise just sell it, it can save you a lot of headache in the future.

Mind telling us the mileage and how much was spent on the car? If you bought it for 2-3k, I say just use it to get around and run it to the ground - doesn't make sense spending half of what you spent on the car to fix it up.

datax976

Hey everyone, so the update on the car. I have taken some of the advice on here by driving car in tiptronic mode. It does shift alot easier and smoother with no jerk. To top it off, the other day i went to fill up gas and when i started the car, the check engine light went off. So now theres no check engine light when im driving. It seems like a good thing but i have never had a check engine light go off simply by fueling up. hmmm. anyway i love the ride now in the car and it drives smooth and nice. if the engine light doesnt come back on , then ill take it as the problem fixed itself. lol. btw, it has 161.xxx miles and i ended up paying $4000 for it. may not be a great deal but if you knew what i got out of before this (2001 Audi A6 2.8) you would think i done good.

acutee

On 99, check the ATF solenoir mesh screen and clean it out. replace old fluid with new. if it jurks hard, it is lacking of fluid, or worse is transmission problems.

ParaSurfer1979

Have you tried it back in D4 yet? I'd still get it checked as a comfort so it wot be a thought sitting on the back of my mind worrying me. D like others and get it serviced. What comes out of the motor well tell you a lot. Any plans?

tri2tun

iTrader: (5)

That's great news- but be a bit careful with that. Sometimes the check engine light comes on and off - I think it usually stays on for like 2 days and then turns off for about a week. Then comes back on if you still haven't solved the problem - this happened to me with spark plugs before I changed them.

ou sig

can go to autozone or a place like that to get the code scanned for free. sometimes a bad tank of gas will cause it to come on so running new fuel will fix it. Mine has been on for a few weeks (poor car is getting old) because my cat is bad. Not really worried about it now since my inspection is still a year away.
good luck datax, lots of great information on this site. I have been on here for a long time and I have never seen a site 1/2 this good for a particular car.

ParaSurfer1979

BTW where ARE you buying you gas from? good question I didn't even think of asking. do you get a rotten egg smell ever?

datax976

I read about that solenoid mesh thing or read it on here somewhere and they said it helped out with the jerking. That could be the poroblem but either way im going to get it checked. where is this solenoid mesh. Not familiar with my way around an acura engine.

datax976

Update: My check engine came back on as i was driving and low on gas. Hmm. Ill get it checked this next week.

ParaSurfer1979

It's the transmission not the engine..lol.

Driving that low on gas isn't smart. Didn't the gas light not come on. Doesn't the 99 have a miles till empty gauge?

ou sig

no miles to empty guage - too old school for that
I just update my trip meter after every fill and with mixed driving I fill up around 320 miles - about 14 gallons
my low gas light comes on with about 3 gallons left at least

ParaSurfer1979

23mpg mixed isn't bad. What you should do is take a road trip. I bet you are getting 29-30mpg.

ou sig

I have basically the exact same weekly (mixed) driving and like clockwork the mpg comes out to 22.5 - 23 hand calculated year around.
all highway I can get about 27mpg not much more unless I want to get run over going under 70mph.
the '99s have the 4 speed so not as good as 5 or 6 speeds on the highway but not bad for a car with 175000 miles and most of the electronic and comfort goodies as newer cars...the only thing I have had to replace so far other than normal wear and tear stuff is the starter. everything else still works like new (except the transmission that is showing its age)