CJITTY

Ok, tonight I think is the night that my tranny is on the fast track to fail! Coming back home from the mountains, the tranny started to rev a little before shifting. Especially between 2 and 3 gears. The tranny fluid was changed about 4 months ago and it is still a little red. Not sure if the higher heat temp from driving in the mountains is causing this, but I will see tomorrow if it still shows signs of slippage.

I will make an appt at Acura to get looked at. No flashing lights yet on VSA and D5 indicators, but it is most definitely not acting as it should.

Oh, I had the oil jet kit installed about 9 months ago and the car now has 43000 miles on it. It's an 03 TL-Type S.

Damn it!! I was hoping that this would never happen, guess my luck ran out. It's still driveable at the moment, but I'm scared to drive it unless absolutely necessary.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

I suggest you fill out your application to the elite dead transmission club.


All jokes aside, that sucks. It gave me quite a scare when my failed on the highway. Good luck with everything.

CJITTY

Thanks Pure! I remember your story very well. Scary stuff! Thank goodness for my beater Honda Accord I have that at 190K miles is still pullin strong. Can't say for sure if a TL will be able to do that unless it's a strictly highway only TL. Geez

IndyTypeS

Something must be in the Acura air today...my tranny started this morning by revving and jumping, later in the day and this evening, it's almost as if it's locking up. I was just on the interstate going about 65 and the whole car jerked like crazy and I bet I slowed to 30 mph in a second or less. It almost feels like when I used to do neutral drops on my '82 grand marquis in high school, except now I'm not spinning my tires and I'm not in high school. Now when I take off from a full stop, there's a hard clunk, then the car goes.

Just had the fluid changed in August by the dealer...glad to know I at least got 65K miles before any problems. But, I still love the car, so I'll deal with it for now.

drcookie

Yup ! Mine has the same symptons before it crapped out at 54k miles. It slipped on 2nd and 3rd. It did not get far enough (may be 20 miles) for the Check Engine and VSA lights to show up and blinking on D

bx-tls

that sux, every tl owner worse nightmare, hope it is something else, if not, at least it's under warranty

SaNJoSeTLRydEr

would ur car still be under warranty if its a salvaged title car..?? i dont think so but correct me please...cuz my tranny jsut crapped out on me and im trying to fix it but yeah if i have warranty ill take it to the dealer and not worry about it...

03CoupeV6

No, Salvage Titled cars are NOT warranted in any way, shape, or form.

CJITTY

Update:

Acura inspected it the other day and my tranny is toast! So, a new tranny is on it's way.

Here is what I intend to do:

1. Get it replaced by Acura of course under the tranny recall and ext warranty
2. Put it up for sale immediately with the new tranny installed.
3. Purchase a Lexus GS430 or LS430 this summer sometime and keep driving my beater car this winter.

Assumptions in my mind:
1. I will get a rebuilt tranny that will be prone for failure again.
2. The tranny I get does not have any design changes that will allow the tranny to last longer or the life of the car.
3. If I don't sell it now, I may be stuck with it as word continues to spread about this crap ass tranny design and never be able to sell if for any decent amount of money.

Folks, I really, really love my car. I worked hard to get it and it was a birthday gift to myself back in 2003. I am very disappointed with the tranny issues because the car is perfect otherwise. I'm sure many of you share in my pain since you've been through it, but am I over-reacting here? I guess I just see all the problems from everyone and I don't feel as if the problem will ever go away.

I do have the ext warranty through Acura Care to 100K, but even though the tranny will be covered as well, I really don't feel comfortable taking extended road trips or traveling with my family in it anymore because I'm scared it may fail again. I know I got coverage for towing and all that, but I expect these issues from a Pontiac or maybe a Ford or Dodge, but not an Acura.

Well, any input from my fellow TLers will be helpful. I just don't feel like dealing with the problem and I guess I'm kind of giving up..kindaf like Philly did with T.O.

Peace,
Jitty

pimpravi

hey buddy, i'm in that same situation as you. I give up parting out my car as of now, goodluck with your next purchase.. im looking at some used 04 tsxs.

fla-tls

I think the newest version ('05) of the replacement tranny has got several updates in it. I don't recall reading of any of them failing.

I got an '04 replacement with the internal oil jet kit and mine is kicking ass with about 40k on it.

I wouldn't be so quick to sell that car if you get one of the newer design replacements...

fsttyms1

From what i read and found out on my last failure you are correct. They are supposed to have some internal part changes. And as of yet none of the new ones have failed

pzero23

so I I have a 03 tl-s, so I should drive it like I stole it and the tranny will be replaced under warranty, right now i have 39 k on it and the warranty is 7 yrs 100 k or ............

fsttyms1

Some Vin ranges in 03 wernt covered by the extension?? dont really know why they arent. You can go to acuralink and enter your vin and info and it will tell you if you are.

pzero23

where is the link is it the owners link and thanks for the advice.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=acura

FYI, my '03 isn't covered by the extended transmission warranty. But when it failed at 51k miles, Suburban Acura told me that it WAS covered. Either Acura officially extended it (I haven't heard anything to confirm, however) or they are implying the warranty to the rest of the '03 TL/TL-S.

pzero23

thanks Pure will check it out before I go a little too western on the car

dwboston

I have a 2003 TL-S with 25,000 miles on it, bought 6/03, build date of 5/03. It's above the VIN range for the 100,000 transmission warranty extension. My car was included in the oil jet recall but not the extended tranny warranty. I've asked the service managers at 2 different dealerships, Acura of Boston and Ron Bouchard Acura, why the late 03 tranny warranties weren't extended and both said that Acura had implemented fixes on the production line by the time those cars were built. I think that's BS as I've seen posts on the board from people with VIN #'s higher than mine with failed trannys. It's good to see that people in the same position as me have been able to get replacements above 50,000 miles but I wish Acura would just officially extend all the TL's tranny's to 100,000.

Marlboro27s

wait...they can swap 05 transmissions into our TLs?? is this what they are doing??

ive clocked almost 10k on my replacement tranny so far, no problems.....warranty expires in 2k miles but im just gonna go for it.

prjctTL

where have you read that they have updated parts in the newer rebuilt trans?? im not doubting you, i would like to read about the updates as well. i have 80k with a new trans and if they're not prone to failure i will keep the car for a few more years, thanks

fsttyms1

No they arent Putting in 05 trannies, they updated the parts in ours in 05. The 05 wont work in our cars


it was info the place that rebuilt mine got from the dealer and acura when researching parts for the rebuild

csilano

My 03 TL was outside the extended warranty vin range. After a call to Acura Customer Care I was told that they will include my car under the extended warranty as long as I sign a waver excluding Acure from any responsibility in regards to the trans after the warranty period. Bunch of crap.

I was also told that my my trans should have been fixed in the assembly line, but it failed at 34500 miles, so i guess not.

I hope all of us who have failed trannies have filed complaints on the NHTSA web site. here is the link: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
Do a search in Acura TL transmission complaints. It makes for some interesting reading. An investigation was opened then closed a while back. If they get enoug submissions maby they will open a new investigation, because based on what happened during my failure this is possible life threating issue. I cant believe no one has died yet. Acura must be held responsible, and do the right thing by fixing this once and for all.

I'll get off my soap box now-sorry for venting!

prjctTL

i asked my local acura dealership about this and they said they have no idea if its updated parts or not.

CJITTY

UPDATE! UPDATE! NEW TRANNY INSTALLED TODAY!

Folks, got my new tranny put in today. Mile High Acura here in Denver had my car for a couple days but I am pleased to report that my new tranny was put in and just like the advisor said, it does run much better. Well, it will obviously since it's not slipping gears anymore, but it actually feels different than when I first got it 40K miles ago. It shifts way, way smoother, no more "KACHUNKS" when I shift from Park to Reverse and vice versa and Drive to Reverse and vice versa. No more funny downshifts while slowing down. The acceleration actually feels more strong and a bit quicker than what I was used to, plus it seems the computer is letting the tranny shift later in the RPM range to maximize power. I like it.

Another advisor at that Acura told me that I should expect the car to run different, for the better, and I would say at least for now I have to agree. The tranny actually sounds quieter than before. The advisor also mentioned that the tranny case is the original, but the guts are new. Complete with smoother gears, wider tranny fluid channels and he even mentioned an updated transmission computer to better time up and down shifts. I can't tell if I got a new computer or not, but the car runs great. Also, the jet kit that was installed 10K ago is no longer there since it's not needed due to the wider fluid channels. I hope this latest update will last unlike the previous tranny rebuilds they sent out.

If anything goes funky..please, I hope not...I will let you all know.

ResidualFreedom

I was able to limp my car for three weeks once I saw the first signs of the slippage between 2 and 3. the key is to ease off the gas when the car is about to shift..If the gas is pushed too high during the shift it slips and revs high searching for the gear. If you ease off the gas when it is going to change gears, the car tends to shift a little easier. My tranny got progressivly bad one day, then the next day it totally crapped out while driving. The car would slam into first gear when I was slowing to a light, and struggle to find the next gear and shaking the car when it finds it.

I just got my TL-S back yesterday, I was driving a piece of crap Acura EL, brand new, as my loaner. Well built car, but teh 1.7 engine is nothing compared to our TL, now that I've got my baby back, I appreciate her so much more..

Side Question: When doing a tranny swap the car's headers would or would not have to be removed?

The reason I ask is I was tackeling a hissing header problem prior to my tranny dying, but since I got my TL-S back from Acura (for tranny swap) the hissing is gone and the headers sound great and the power is more prominant than it was prior to the tranny work.

ResidualFreedom

Check your recipt from the dealership, itwill say warranty inthe cost section obviously, butthe recipt has everything. I got a new PCM when mine was swapped, heckthey even listed a "cotter pin" that they used for the install.

I'mnoticing the smoother shifting too, it's great. I've yet to take her into vtec though.. I'm babing her for the first few hundread miles.. It's never good to beat on a brand new "anything", warm the tranny up for a distance before getting those high vtecRPMS going through there.

CJITTY

All my receipt says toward the bottom is:

Install SOP Transmission
100 218180 Replaced Tranny 5AT00/L7300
1 06200-P7W-A85C1RM Warranty A/T Kit
5 08200-9001A ATF-Z1 Fluid

I have no idea what all the other codes are, probably just billing data.

No mention of computer specifically unless it's included within the Warranty Kit itself?

Also, I noticed my engine looks really, really clean after I got it back. I wonder if they cleaned during the tranny swap. I know for sure I had some dust and stuff all over the engine when I brought it in. On the tranny, I see the tops of the bolts have blue and green colors with markings off to the side of the bolts on the tranny shell. Fluid is nice and reddish too hopefully it stays that way.

ResidualFreedom

I'm almost100% sure my recipt has all four of those items PLUS a PCM and cotter pin. odd...I'll double check for ya, but I've got to be awake in four hours for work... I've got to go to bed..

wilp99

how easy was it to get them to change the tranny. ive got a pretty good jerk into 3rd at about 1/4 throttle. do yo think that will be enough for them to change it? im driving it to ohio from tampa in jan and i dont want to be stranded somewhere.

03CoupeV6

If it's jerking at only 1/4 throttle, then you may have a problem with motor mounts rather than the transmission. One of the most common signs of transmission failure is slippage.