Don't forget to change the filter too....(01-03 5spd.....not sure about the 99 4spd)

 

we have an actual external filter? what else is going to appear on this car!!!

 

Yep..kinda hard to spot if ur not lookin for it. I had a good tech that spotted it first thing when we flushed. Its been about 12k miles and goin to do it soon. Tryin to keep it runnin for a long time!!

 

going to share the secret location and part price?

 

This was brought up a few weeks ago in another thread.

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...mission+filter

 

I also changed my tranny filter , the dlr had no clue it was there when I gave them the part # they said it was a strainer not a filter..LOL.. And they said they never change it!

 

thats retarrrrrded....looks like something to do in the summer.....ugh

 

i agree with u, and my teachers and i were talking bout this for a while...most of them are domestic guys, and we were talking about the caravan and lebaron trannys (a604) and how they were so prone to fuckin up because of this reason.

 

I wanted to swap out the honda z1 with redline or royal purple ATF but I heard it is very bad to mix fluid and since you can not flush all 7+ quarts at once it's nearly imposible to get 100% all the z1 fluid out becuz every time u flush and add it mixes so you have to do a 3 x 4 to get most the fluid out and still prob would not be 100% and 12 quarts of sybthtic ATF gets costly. I wonder for those that switched to diff ATF how did they get all the z1 fluid out without mixing it?

 

when you add new fluid is not mixed so much as its pushed forward in the system by the use of each gear during 5 minute drive- especially the TC where about 3 qts lives all the time and only gets moved forward by driving it

The 3x3 actually calls for 12 qts total- thats gotten rid of all the old fluid
and is acuras method if you put dextron3 in- to get it all out

the little remaining wont affect the new fluid
Beware if you are still under warranty...taking your chances on non honda fluid

 

may as well change the strainer/filter while you are at it
They may call it a `strainer` if only a metal screen is inside (my guess) while a `filter` has some material in it like the oil filter -fuel filters do

 

It is a filter....it also has a by-pass valve inside...in case the filter becomes clogged. Someone on the Oddssey forums cut one open (yes they do have the same filter, 2000-2003 Odys basically have the same trannies as ours....with the same problems) and there is a paper element along with the valve plus silver metallic shavings!

If I can find those pictures, I'll try and post 'em

 

Well...im at least gonna do the drain and fill once on my 99 tomorrow. Dunno if im gonna do 3 quarts or 6 quarts...im too much of a wuss to do all fresh fluid

Ive put about 20k on it since I bought it (at about 124k now), and the fluid is starting to get a little dark...have to see what happens

 

One of the guys in the CL forum also cut the filter open after I told him our cars had a tranny filter. I bet 5 out of 5 dlrs will say that our tranny does not have a replacable filter!

here is the link:
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-cl-2001-2003-50/replacing-rear-main-seal-transmission-while-its-out-711126/

 

Do u know if the fluid was replaced B4 and when? Do you even know if its the original tranny?
If you dont have a clue I would only do 3 quarts and wait maybee 5k miles and do anouther 3 , then start doing 3 every 15-20k miles, get in a rutine!

 

Im not positive when it was done last, but the fluid was clean when I bought the car...and the dealer said it was serviced, but who knows. I also asked the dealer to check and see if the trans was ever replaced, and they said it wasnt...but again who knows.

I probably will just do the 3 and see how much of a difference it makes. The car still shifts ok, but definitely doesnt feel like when I first got it.


Im really hoping nothing happens...i really dont wanna be stuck driving a Jetta if the trans falls outta this..lol

 

Yeah when I went to our local dealer and gave him the part number and said it was a trans filter he had a surprised/ confused look. Really strange that it's not a known part.....

 

for the same a604 trannys, chrysler were telling dealers/customer to use gm synchromesh fluid on their trannys, it ended up making the clutches slip like crazy, and then eventually failed, that was just 1 problem to their design, was claimed one of the first adaptive trannys made back then, but was major shit...


so with our trannys, if u get it done by recalled, it comes with this new filter then no? since its bolted to the housing

 

Yeah you most likely get a new filter.....

 

I did the 3 qt change on my 88 Legend every 30,000 and had over 210,000 on the tranny. Now I am on my third tranny on my 03-TLs and plan to keep doing the same (last one replaced free at 100,0000- now I have 122,000 on it). Hope this one lasts.

Funny, I never heard of the tranny filter either...I wonder if the Legend had one ???

 

Did the 3 qt change this morning...gonna drive for a couple thousand miles and do 3 more.

Fluid was a little dark, but still had a red tint to it...it could just be me being paranoid, but it does feel like its shifting a little smoother.

 

Yeah if i where you I would deff wait at least 5k mile maybee even 10k till you do anouther 3 quarts you want the fluid to mix and give it some time to mix, then get on a 20k or 30 schedule and do 3 quarts every 20-30k.
I think it might be better to flush 3 quarts and add 3 quarts every 15-20k rather then doing 3X3 every 30k and shocking the tranny with all that fresh NEW fluid. In the manual the call the 3 quart flush maintence and they call the 3x3 a tranny overhaul!

 

My new neighbor is a honda tech. He's telling me to do the 3quarts as thats 'standard' procedure for tranny fluid. The entire fluid is only done for overhaul.

I'm wondering if the people who have had most of the failures are following the 3x3 method for all their changes?

I have an oil change coming up soon and will be doing the 3qt tranny fluid at the same time.

 

For ROB-2 and 01tl4tl and fsttyms1

I'm not very familiar with the transmission maintenance at all. I am very experienced with TL's though - and I'm on my second one. My 1999TL failed at 98K. This 02 has failed sometime before I got the car, and again at 94K, and I recently had problems at 115K that turned out to be a wiring issue (I still find that hard to believe).

I don't understand what you guys are talking about when you say 3x3 and such. Next time I take my car in for service I am going to have them do a tranny flush and remove/replace the filter as well. I want to give them specific instructions on what the best procedures are if they don't utilize them currently. I'd like to get all fresh fluid in there and get all the crap out - if that means flushing it, then driving it, flushing it, then driving it, and filling it up all in one day - then that's what I'll do. I'm out of warranty, and I will do anything to make sure my transmission lasts.

I'm done dealing with tranny issues. Next time it fails - I will have my lawyer involved. I've dealt with this bullshit too long, and it's turning into a safety issue. I wouldn't let something like that fly at work (no pun intended), and I would refuse the airplane instantly. Why should I be any different in my personal life?

 

I believe the best method is to follow the drain and fill. Removing the 3qt's and replacing it. The 3x3 method is doing the 3qts replacement, driving and replacing 3 times. This will mean there is no old fluid in there. However I am not a mechanic nor am I God. It still might fail.

FRANKLY if it's a safety issue for you, get a different car. You or your lawyer will have nothing to stand on when it comes to getting Acura to pay for anything.

Concerned, get a new car.

 

Yeah I think the best think for OUR trannies is a traany maintenence which is the flush 3 and fill 3 every 15k miles. I think the 3x3 is overdoing it but I am no tech but have some expirence with these cars and there trannies and im friends with some acura techs over at wayne acura. I tried to do alot of research on these trannies cuz im in the same boat. I got a replacement at 35k and 99k and now have 165k and want to keep this tranny for at least 2 more years 210k miles!

 

like i said in my original post, it will just put new additives in the tranny fluid cleaning it super clean, but removing gunk that may be holding clutches, gears in place/cushions etc inside...

rob-2
when i did my 3x3 on my 99tlp and my 02tls, 1-3 months later they died. stuck in 1st gear.

 

I believe- and this is soley my opine:
The book and what has been learned since its writing are 2 different things
We have learned by experience- starting early like 15k or 30 (lets say on a warranty replacement trans) on a fluid change program is usually a good- but not a fail safe --thing to do for the trans-
fsttyms lowest mileage failures were ones with several frequent changes- and an oil cooler so there is no telling

The 3x3 which is actually 12 qts total-- not 9-- as everyone is doing, if you read the fine print in the owner book,
according to the book its for when you `In an Emergency top off with Dextron3`, the industry norm for trans fluid
It doesnt get along with other trans fluids for whatever reason, so they want every bit of that rinsed out. Rememebr the book was written before the cars- so 1997-98??

At the dealer- they have a new advisory service bulletin on trans fluid change-
mostly for the newer cars but can they use the same method on your car- running it on the lift to simulate the drive

For cars with over 60-70-80k miles, A: hope for warranty failure B: changing all the fluid at this point is risky at best- do a basic 3 qts

cars with 100k miles + and no history of frequent change-
in warranty see A:
out of warranty dont touch it, or maybe 1 qt fluid
Its dangerous to put in the new fluid with all its cleaners at high mileage on any car,,they wear out - the TL trans clutch packs are weak and get hot due to oil flow problems and lots of engine torque in 2nd and 3rd gear shifts

Disclaimer: I am not a honda transmission tech -and have never worked on the inside of a TL trans ,,acura kindly replaces mine instead of changing the fluid~
All my opinions are based on reading here- my TLs experience, and general knowledge

 

This is where I keep forgetting that my trans only has 65K on it and was replaced at 75K on the first tranny before they replaced it - though likely didn't need to. Long story short it was a broken motor mount not a tranny failure.

I've been doing the 3qt every 30K. Not the 3x3 method outlined here on the board. Why not? According to my service manual the car doesn't require it. I've been following the service manual.

Honestly, I do have some hesitation about replacing even 3qt this month. However I figure not replacing it might be worse then replacing it. I however will never do the 3x3 method - I think it's asking for trouble.

My next acura will be a stick. I cannot be bothered with these auto trannies.

 

^^ lol same here, engine is solid, but these trannys are iffy.

01tl4tl

agreed, that pretty much sums it up on what to do depending on ur case. anyone reading this, dont do a 3x3 if u havent done a fluid chang ever!

 

rob- have a look at gen3 and the stick trans threads- bad 3rd gear- now 2nd and 4th in some cases and -oddly enough - clutch problems including really early wearout- with $2800 clutch jobs!

 

rob - stick with that standard 3qt warm up- drain - refill- done
and you should be good to go another 100

 

my transmission fluid was change last summer.

 

Okay so I have about 20K on this new transmission that was a warranty replacement. I am now OUT of warranty. So do I do the drive, drain, fill.... or something different? I don't care how long it takes or what's involved. I want to make sure this thing lasts.

 

Just did a 9 quart change on my TL with close to 70K. I hope nothing goes wrong, but if it does i should get a new tranny since I'm still under warranty.

 

You and I are nearly the same case. I just last week did the 3X3 on a replacement tranny at 30K after the replacement. Out of warranty also. Did not change out the filter. Fluid was very dirty and dark. Shifting is very smooth now, but I'm watching it closely over the next month or so after reading this last page of comments.

I see you're in Atlanta and part of the ATL group, but haven't seen you at any of the mini-meets. What part of town are you in? You should come out sometime to meet all the guys.

 

Part of me wonders if this is because of the way people are driving their cars though. Honda makes a great 5 and 6sp and cluthes go from use. I figure it's still a simplier tranny to work on.

I'll let you guys know. I'll do a post with the results. At this point I figure the car doesn't owe me anything and if it goes I'll give me even more reason to pull the trigger on the s2k I have been talking up with my wife. She however just rolls her eyes at me.

 

I haven't been on Azine for a while, I kinda forgot about it - so I didn't really know about the ATL group. I'm a pilot so I'm not in town all the time, like I'm in Denver tonight and Austin tomorrow night. But I'd love to meet up next time, and help anyone else out with their TL. I've had a lot of experience with these cars, so I'm pretty good with them. Next time there is a meet, and if I'm in town I'll be there!

 

Is it really that bad to mix tranny fluids? I have some z1 mixed with redline high temp ATF since I plan on installing a charger soon.