AcuraKid_RENAMED

HOw exactly do u know when u have tranny problems? ie. is it problem shifting? swithcing gears in sportsshift mode? Sorry for the newbie questions..has any1 who had their TLs for a few yrs NOT experience such problem????

SilverUA5

you should do a search and didn't you get a notice from acura? it pretty explains it.

FTM-1

The automatic trans warranty extension letter that most of us got has symptoms of possible trans failure listed for all 2000-2002 3.2TL & 2001 -2002 3.2CL models with some 2003 3.2 TL & CL models.

These characteristics are not normal; if you experience any of them call your ACURA dealer.

While driving the D5 indicator on the instrument panel flashes.
An abnormally loud noise from the transmission.
Extremly slow or delayed gear engagement, upshifts or downshifts.
Erratic or excessively harsh shifting.
Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) leaks.

I have not had any problem & my car is a 2000 TL & is over 3yrs old. It has been dealer serviced since I got it back in late 1999.
The trans fluid was flushed & condition at 30K service done before 30,000 miles.

AcuraKid_RENAMED

Thanks for the info, i will watch out for those signs....I just got my Acura 3.2 TL 2003 1 month ago (brand new), hopefully i won't get any big problems (keep fingers crossed!)

acur8

In all honesty most people have NOT had transmission problems.
Dozens of cars have had problems out of tens of thousands sold.

2007AcuraRL

Nevermind the flashing D5 light, watch the tach in between shifts from 2nd to 3rd, if (when) you see the tach increase by a few hundred RPMs between the shift, its time for a new tranny. That "warning" will give you a week or two of advanced notice (about 300-400 miles) that the tranny is about to fail. When it does go, the car will jump from any gear, even 5th, down into 2nd gear (the so called "limp mode" most electronic trannys are programmed to go into when there is a failure) regardless of what speed you are going. Mine went from 5th at 75 MPH into 2nd in the blink of an eye. It fells like being rear ended and its not very pleasant. Alot of other people on the site had the same 'joyful' experience as me. The lucky ones get the flashing D5. Mine never flashed, it just went period.

chris03tl

This is happening on my Accord V6, but figured Id post here because you Acura guys seem to have more experience:

lately Ive noticed if Im driving in D4 and I give it enough gas to downshift into D3 under hard throttle, and I back right off the gas after the shift the tach drops, but then comes back up about 100 RPM. (i.e. if I punch it in 4th, it may go up to 3500 RPM in 3rd......if I just back off the throttle totally, the tach goes back down to 2500 or so, then hops back up to 2600 or 2700).

Is this indicative of a dying tranny? Coupled with the fact that my car has been very sluggish lately, I need something to go on to get my dealer to notice a problem. Its not throwing any codes, so as far as they are concerned (it seems) there is nothing wrong.

Also, my tranny fluid is rust colored, not pink (getting it flushed shortly, but if I can get the dealer to do it as part of t-shooting the tranny, thats less $$$ outta my pocket).

Thanks in advance!!
-Chris

2007AcuraRL

i dont think so. If you accelerate hard enough for the car to downshift the RPMS should increase. If you come back off the gas just as the car is shifting down, its going to hunt for the right gear. If the car senses there is a no load condition anymore its gonna want to go back up to the next gear.

Why would you downshift and then come immediately off the gas to begin with? Are you deliberately trying to ruin your tranny?

chris03tl

Im deliberately trying to find something to get the dealer to take me seriously.

The car is at a point that even my wife notices she has to hit the throttle more than ever to do something as simple as get up a small hill.

And its very intermittent.....sometimes it just feels like something is pushing back on the car, and sometimes it feels like 3rd gear has no acceleration: where I would normally accelerate fine in 3rd, the car now has to downshift to 2nd, almost like something is loading up the engine. This coupled with the fact that A) the car runs fine and B) its throwing no engine codes has me leaning towards the tranny going out, or at least the tranny fluid being the problem.

I dont normally floor it and then just back off.............I just noticed it happen once (never seen it happen before in 3 years of owning the car), and figured something could be up.

-Chris

2007AcuraRL

2 thoughts:

It could be torque converter going or it may be engine performance related, and has nothing to do with the transmission at all.

chris03tl

Yeah. I had hoped that an engine issue would throw a CEL, but I hear there are a bunch of things that wouldnt come up on the computer, so I cant rule out the engine too.

I guess Ill just wait out until my tranny appt. and see if that fixes stuff.........if not, Ill just turn around and bring it back to the dealer

-Chris