So the dreaded transmission problem has finally started to set in. I've able to notice it for almost 2 months but I was trying to tell myself it was in my head.
I was looking at at an 03 tl-s at one of the local Acura dealers today and the sales manager drives my baby and tells me he wont give me more then 3 grand because he can feel the tranny slipping.
So now that someones told me what I've been thinking for weeks, what do I do? I'm 4k past the mileage extension to 114 but I work for an Acura dealer so I can get all the parts at cost plus 10% and labor for $70/hr instead of 90. So its not going to be as expensive as usual.
So my real question after all this is....taking into consideration my discount on parts and labor what would be better? Dropping in an oem tranny or 6MT?? I've tried making since of the parts cost from fsttyms1's sticky but I'm in too bad of a mood to do any math on all those parts. Any advice?

 

If I were you, I'd buy a Type S engine and get the 6MT to go along with it.

 

so lemme get this straight

1. u work for an acura dealer
2. only 4k over


and they wont help u what so ever? wow. try calling client care man, im pretty positive they will cover more than what ur discounts give u

 

Yea I'm leaning towards the motor/tranny swap if Acura won't cover the failed AT. I'm just trying to nail down the costs. I have a week until one of the techs can even check for any problems because my tl is in the body shop all week to repair some damage from an accident. So I've got a week to work over client care and if that fails I'll start looking for a decent motor/tranny. Any suggestions on where to look?

 

first the shop must diagnose trans failure,
THEN the service manager- not SALES is who contacts acura and ask for help

Sales told you that so he can score the car cheap- have a warranty trans put in and sell it for triple!!!

get it warranty covered and pay no more than 4 hours labor and acura pays for trans.

 

Let this be a lesson to all:
When you get any trans symptoms,,,, head for the dealer NOW
Even if they dont get it to act up that day, its documented,,,
so when it fails after limits- they still cover you 100%

 

You should definitely be able to work something out at only 4K over working at an Acura dealer

 

^^^ what he said

but if you really want to take the plunge and think you can do it then by all means go for the 6speed and tl-s engine or even the j35

good luck

 

Yea I knew the guy was trying to low ball me, especially since the only 2 acura dealers in
Utah are way to into some kind of rivalry and the car was at the one I don't work at lol. But yeah my advisers have told me to let them know as soon as something definitive starts happening so I've had it planned once I made since of a few problems to get it checked out. I'd better be able to swing something or I'm going to just pay my advisor to steal my car and burn it like we've been joking for a the last few weeks

 

http://car-part.com/

Lots of choices for Type S engines, seems like they go from $1500-$2800.

6MT, they go from $850 to $1500.

Also, there's a guy selling the 6MT for $500 in the black market forum. I'm not sure if it's sold already or not though.

 

You notice the problem but dont go to the dealer when you notice it??? You work for a acura dealer. You should have talked to someone right away. You are only 4k past. Im sure they can work something out with you.

As for price, please search the other threads on it (there are multiple 6 speed swap threads). The estimated prices are posted SEVERAL times for parts. Labor is a whole different animal. There will be a good 10-40+ hrs of labor depending on how good the guys are.

 

Here's how I would look at it.

Keeping the car less than 5 years
- Call acura care and work something out...

Keeping the car 5+ years (5AT will fail within this time period)
- Do the 6 speed swap and never worry about the transmission again.

Since you work for an Acura dealership you should be able to do the swap for less than others have been charged. I would think you could do it for about $4-5k or less.

 

Where can you get a type s engine and 6mt ????

 

I just posted the link above..here it is again:
http://car-part.com/

Remember to choose 2003 Acura CL when choosing the 6MT tranny.

 

Thanks a lot guys. I've even had my car worked on since my first suspicion and they didn't notice anything so until my car is out of the body shop on Friday I'm stuck waiting around :/ but hopefully they will be negotiable or a 6MT is definitely going in.

 

yaaa, you are young like me...it only makes sense to mod your car :P

 

I know right. I'm honestly trying to decide if I really want mod my tl or just save up a crap load of cash and pay off a huge chunk of my car and maybe be on my way to Acura's new employee lease program...Dealer pays up to $200 a month, Acura does the same and I would be left over with whatever is left. However that is still 2 years away, damn mandatory 3 year minimum of employment. But after reading over all the 6mt posts and seeing the actual costs I would rather get a comptech sc kit on the new tranny and a shit ton of other mods for that same price. Even though watching vu's video on of his swap does make me pretty jealous.

 

The 6 speed is far more fun than any mod (and probably still faster) than any mod other than the SC

 

 

MT with 6speed

 

"A Comptech SC kit on the new tranny" .....

It shouldn't be too long before you'll need yet another new tranny. Start to save up now if you wanna go this way.

 

haha, yeah well I spoke with my adviser/friend at work and he told me I might be s.o.l. cause I'm not the original owner of the car and its over the mileage. Luckily next when I have my car back and one of the master-techs was going to drive it, is also the same week the Acura Service Rep makes one of his week long visits
So I just hope everything falls into place and works out for me and the rep gives the okay on warrantying the tranny.
But yeah I know I'd need to save. I would do all this in the summer when I have the money but what I'm more worried about right now is the immediate possibility of having to drop 2-3k on a new tranny if its not warrantied.
I guess I just have to decide what I'd want more the constant fun of a 6mt or the easiness of an AT.

 

more fun for now man haha

Type S engine + 6MT + SC = your TL