RAVing Mad

Greetings everyone,

New to the forum here and 1st time owner of a 03 TL with 237k.

Perhaps a bit of backstory to ease you into what's going on. The car was purchased 3.5 years ago. At the time i had no idea what i was in for.... it had 218k on the clock and very 1st thing i did after buying it was hook up a code reader to find out how bad the stealership took me for.

There was codes for IAC and MAP, both of which were taken care of. Plus there was code P0730.

I started to read into the horrors of what folks went thru in owning these cars, but had figured mine had long since had a transmission swap. So for 3.5 years and nearly 20k miles i have had smooth sailing. Till as of late.

I was getting coffee one morning and as i was trying to proceed away from the window, i put my foot on the gas and, nothing... so i shifted to park and restarted the car and then it went on its way. Being less than a mile from home i didn't need to drive far. But it was slipping so hard the only way i could keep it going was to stop wherever in the road i was, park it and restart.

Upon getting home i checked the fluids. Barely getting out of the red, but not dirty by any means.

I pulled the solenoids on top and in front of the transmission, (learned this after scouring the forum) all the screens were clear. I tested the resistance and all came up 5.5 across the board.

For good measure i even swapped the spin on filter and topped off the fluids. (Maybe 1/2 qt including spillage)

But now i start the car, engage it in gear and it's about a 5 to 8 second delay from the gear engaging.

so, from the experts, should i try and do a simple 3 quart drain and fill, or not bother wasting my time??? This is typically why i avoid autos. We don't get along lol.

Thanks to everyone for inputs.

RAVing Mad

I should also mention the fluid had absolutely no smell of being burned. I even sniffed the brand new stuff in comparison. And it was only the stuff bought from Honda dealership. Nothing else

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like you are low on ATF.

whitetiger5

you can certainly try many things, though the signs are not good.

When mine went out, it did the same thing: delay in shifting into gear, sometimes loud pops when I would switch into reverse and more notably; whining toque converter.

RAVing Mad

Unless there is a serious blockage somewhere it's full to the marks

RAVing Mad

Did you end up doing the AV6 swap or basic rebuild???

I'm looking at the AV6 option only hoping to get maybe another year or 2 out of it before upgrading. I don't dare stuff a used factory trans into it.

whitetiger5

I ended up replacing mine with an AV6; if you have a type-s, it's really a basic swap. The best decision I ever made.

Personally, I would start looking to find another; so you are doing it while you want to vs when you have to.

I took my old transmission apart after all was said and done and yep...3rd gear clutch discs with worn out and non-existent friction material. It contaminated all the other parts of the transmission and that was all she wrote.

RAVing Mad

And if i don't have the type s??? Do i just burn the car down?
hahahahaha

I'm just getting into the research side of what all is required

whitetiger5

the premium model has some sort of connection for power steering assist. You can find all the details you are looking for in the most viewed (nonsticky) thread in 2D forum:

https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...n-swap-905115/

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

What gives me pause about the above is your comment about the spin-on filter; it makes me wonder if you were checking the engine oil level and not the ATF level.

zeta

iTrader: (1)

Use car-part.com for your local area salvage yards, you might get lucky and find a 'low mile' AV6 tranny down the street.
Look for the 2006-2007 Accord sedan (non-hybrid). If you call a salvage yard to inquire, make sure to ask if the trans code is BAYA.

zeta

iTrader: (1)

I believe he's referring to #10 on the link below:

https://www.acuraoemparts.com/v-2003...il-level-gauge

RAVing Mad

Well... unless engine oil is red, filled in through the trans, and i have to dismantle half the side of the car to replace the spin on filter... I'm pretty sure i was checking thre trans fluid.

I don't mean to sound like a sarcastic ass, but as previously stated I'm new to Acura/ Honda. I'm a diehard soobie guy and have spent my fair share of years (and countless dollars) fixing modifying and swapping parts.

Sad to say though this is why i stick with manual trans. Autos have a tendency to blow up on me and it's so much a headache trying to fix, instead of just swapping a clutch or a master and slave cylinder

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

@RAVing Mad, agreed on the manny-tranny; I spent five months shopping for a 6MT TL before I found one which was almost "Just-Right" (yeah, I over paid).

Saudade

Did you fully drain and refill or just top off? The only thing I can suggest prior to the AV6 swap is the full 3x3 fluid swap. When mine started acting up, I went through the same deal. Pull the screens (some were dirty), swap the filter, 3x3 drain/fill. On the first drain, the drain plug magnet was pretty well covered in filings. It got better with each drain/fill. I ended up doing it 5 times until the magnet remained clean.

Here's my thread on this.

https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...s-gear-985558/