As mentioned in a previous thread, the tranny in my 03 TL-S (The Silver Bullet) was replaced in 8/05 (I didn't own it then, but confirmed it with the original servicing dealer by giving them a call).

When I bought it in 9/06, it had 95,000 on it, looked like it had 24K. When I took it to my mechanic it threw a transmission code (although the CEL was not on). Otherwise, he said it was in outstanding mechanical shape. At that time, I didn't notice anything funky with how it drove or shifted.

The code was cleared but came back, and the local Acura service department checked the code, road-tested and confirmed that the tranny needed to be replaced because it wasn't shifting correctly. They also got a taste of that slight downshift.

What I noticed was that it seemed to want to downshift as soon as it went into third gear, instead of smoothly shifting into 3rd from 2nd.

I took the car in yesterday at 7 am and it was finished at 5:30 pm today. I had asked them not to wash it because they scratched it the last time it was there, but they hand-washed and detailed it anyway, inside and out, and buffed out most of the scratches they made the last time. A good will gesture. Although I didn't want it done, I must admit they did a better job than I could have.

As for the new tranny, it's sweeter than cotton candy, smoother than papa's old brandy. I have to check in with them tomorrow to see how this will be warrantied, but the shift points seem correct, and it's not trying to downshift, like it did before.

As an aside, they gave me a TL (don't know the year, but it's the new style) as a loaner. The thing looks like a Ford Focus inside. It's got pep, and it's got speed for sure, but the thing feels cheap as all hell. Our 2G TLs kick their a** on many points.

So, that's my report. I'll keep you posted if anything changes! Thanks for the prior support when I first reported that my tranny was giving me agg.

 

You on crack? Looks like a ford focus inside The inside materials and design are 10x better than the 2nd gen IMHO......

Good deal on the trans though.

 

I'm tellin ya, I had to rent a Ford Focus a few weeks ago, and this TL was REAL similar! Maybe they gave me a Ford Focus with Acura badging? Those bastids!

The leather, if it was leather, felt like vinyl. The buttons were kinda cheap, and when I shut the door it sounded like I was closing the lid on tupperware.

Just my

 

Musta really had a used and abused loaner of a TL?? the few ive been in were night and day better than the 2nd gen, but thats just my opinion???

 

Glad all is resolved.

I work at an auction dealing with repos, and lease returns. Some TL's 2nd and 3rd gen look, feel, sound like crap and very few are in great shape. It all depends on how the car was treated and taken care of.

 

Good deal man sounds like they took care if you. It took them a week to put mine in . I am hoping this fix keeps the tranny going at least for a long while. The shift to 3rd is smooth as butter, smoothest shift out of all the gears at least to me. .

 

Billy, I hope it works out for both of us! Long live the smooth shift.

 

Im glad it all worked out for you I think mine me be on the way out as well. It shifts buts its really not that smooth and once and awhile it will clunk into gear instead of shifting. As for as your Focus to the TL comparsion I see nothing in common at all and I think the 3G Tls are some really nasty cars and would love one for a loaner.

 

Driving the new TL definitely made me realize how screwed up my own car was. On the positive side, the engine was incredibly smooth. It also made me appreciate how much power and acceleration my own 03 TL-S has, too, because, despite being several years old, it's still got tons of SPUNK!

 

As an update, I was told that the transmission just replaced is covered for an additional 3 years/36,000 miles, which will take me to 136,000. I think Acura stepped up to the plate on this one.

 

Yeah I dont have a type S but for what it is the the base has diffenently got some power to it. I also agree when im in other peoples cars there trannys are so much better. I just hate how mine once and awhile "clunks" into gear and it some what jerks the car when shifting. Now I would think thats normal wear but the tranny was replaced 20k ago according to the records I had from the previous owner. Anyway though as being covered untill 136000 miles is AWESOME. Despite what everyone says I think Acura is a great company and hendrick acura here is a GREAT service and very nice. I think with acura dealers it seems to be hit or miss.

 

Whaaaaatt??? jk... I honestly don't like the 3Gen TLs as much (although the Type-S looks sexy )... I had a loaner for 2 weeks while mine was in the shop around thanksgiving time for what I thought was a tranny issue and yeah, the inside is cool and all, but I still like my car a LOT better... I love the HID lighting on the display and I got used to the navi real fast, but the list of complaints is real long- no Bose (wtf?!), it's a little more "rickety" (the inside makes more... noises... than mine), the suspension isn't as good (this was a bone stock 06 loaner with 13k miles on it), it's not nearly as powerful (all I have in mine is an intake, but the difference was very noticable) and after the first week, I already wanted my car back ... Sorry to steal the thread for a sec


As for the tranny, once you get Acura to admit yours is screwed up, they DEFINITELY step up to the plate... You're lucky you got one of the good dealers because the trouble is getting some of them to do that... lol... my roommate and I both have TLs (I'm the hardcore one, tho... haha) and I kept telling him over and over and over that his tranny's going and he wouldn't believe me... He took it in for a checkup at the same dealer my car was at right after I got mine back and they told him everything's fine, and then overcharged him for some BS work they did on it... When he spoke to a different dealer today after giving me his car to take to work (bastard gave me a car with a busted up tranny without telling me it was just to see if it was still making noises... now I have to drive home with a car that DEFINITELY has a defective tranny... some friend... lmao)... he's gettin the work all done for free and a free loaner, too... hopefully they won't screw him this time and give him a TL instead of a TSX, then I can really list my complaints when I can compare the 2

 

Thanks for jumping in! I was cornered there for a second. I was dating a girl recently who had a new TL, and I was all excited to check it out because I thought it would be much better. So she tells me how much more she likes the 2G TL! As soon as I got into hers I was thinking, "This thing feels cheap to me!"

I do like the dash better, but you have to be double-jointed to work the volume controls and cruise on the steering wheel. Also, I dig the navi the size of big-screen TV, but I don't need to see that sh*t lifesize! I'm on the damn road!

Anyway, to each his own. Power to the people. Look before backing. No parking on the dance floor.

 

LMFAO! nice string of cliches... yeah... the dash is nice, but overall, the interior definitely has a little bit of a cheap feel to it... like I told my friend, it's FANCIER than a 2Gen TL, but it's not BETTER than a 2Gen (at least mine)... I think replacing the stereos could probably fix that real easily, along with some other stuff, but honestly, it's the little things that you can't pinpoint that make it feel that way

 

...so is this the first reported post 2/05 tranny failure on acura zine?? does this mean all hope is lost in these new trannys being revised? :-/

 

Well maybe since the car was bought used we dont know for a fact that it was replaced it could have been a rebuild? Im kind of afraid becuase my 2/05 tranny (which I wasnt the owner of at the time) doesnt seem to be doing great either but once again maybe it was rebuilt?

 

No it doesnt. we dont know for sure it was a revised trans, and also did you ever buy something that just didnt work right to begin with?

 

I guess to each their own. I prefer the 3rd gen. Way more head room, Way better stereo than our crappy BLOZ stereo, Way better lights, Way better seats, Handles better, Awesome navi, More power base than the stock TL-P, better looking in and out, AND the best thing of them all IS the availability of much bigger/wider rims and tires!!!! (with a offset thats not nearly as bad as our +55 But thats just my opinion.