03WDPTL-S

Ok, I've tracked down three options with the tranny on my 03 TL-S, which option would you choose?

1. Used 07 Accord Tranny - Front end impact, 43,000 miles. Can't find a shop locally that feels good about doing the swap. They don't have experience with it and have never heard of it. I have shown them a complied list of info from this forum, but they are all very skitish about doing the job. Some wouldn't even give me a price. I'm concerned about the condition of a used tranny, and so is the shop. Two of the shops even report issues with 06/07 Accord trannys. The only warranty would be 90 day parts only from the salvage yard. Approx. $2,300 out the door.

2. Rebuild existing tranny - Local shops say that since I've maintained our car well and am at 170K miles, we should be happy with any auto tranny at that miles. Any transmission will wear out over time and 170K is good mileage from any tranny. Every shop recommends rebuild of the existing unit. They have all said that every transmission has it's issues and that they have seen clutch issues in the 06/07 Accord trannys and in Oddesey tranny. Most places offer a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. Cost varies between $3,000-$3,200

3. Acura dealer remanufactured unit - Dealer will install remanufactured unit from Acura. Supposedly they have updated some internals and doesn't have same issues as original units (second gear overheat).......comes with 36 month/36,000 mile warranty. $4,400 out the door.

Can't decide the best route for this work.....help me out here......

smartypants

I'm in the same boat.

I also found that tranny shops don't like the "Frankenstein" option and are not really receptive to the concept. I'm opting for rebulding for $2.2K but it really comes down to how much risk you want to absorb against the current value of the car.

However, re-building is such a crap-shoot, as it really comes down to the quality of the person who is actually performing the work. That's why I always asked if the shop had done TL's before and made that the main selection criteria.

Of course it also forces a timing belt replacement, if you haven't done it yet.

smarty.

MilwaukeeDave

iTrader: (3)

You don't need a vote dude. Rebuilding the existing trans is NOT an option unless you look forward to another transmission sooner than you want. Find the accord trans or one from an odyssey. Besides being a lesser priced option it is also your best option. Just gotta find a shop to do it and you're in.

victus1

First...find a shop that has experience with TLs. They should be able to tell you about the motor mount problems the TL has and recommend that you change the front and possibly the rear mount. It's right in front of them when the tranny is out. If they are not sure about the mount issues....walk away!
The AV7 is reported here to be a direct bolt-on except for these 3 minor swaps:

1) The transmission range selector (otherwise known as 'neutral safety switch') will have to be swapped from the old trans to the newer as the sensor has a different connector.
2) There is a small wire harness that connects to the 3 and 4 clutch pressure switches and the oil temp sensor, that will need to be swapped as well, the harness has a different connector to plug into the engine harness, but all the plugs going to the switches / sensors are the same.
3) The external filter assembly from your old TL trans into the New Accord Trans.

That is it. Everything will work as before. Make sure you are there when the shop is dealing with these 3 issues. When the customer is around, things seem to magically work. Find an honest shop that is willing to work with you. They are only doing a swap, with probably another hours worth of plugs/sensor swaps.

This should be the cheaper option.

How about finding a Honda tuner ricer shop? They are known for swapping out engines and transmissions.

03WDPTL-S

I have been told this by a few members here, but no one provides details on the Accord Trans. They just say 06-07. I call the salvage yard and they ask if its a sedan or coupe...I don't know which....I have no experience with this type of stuff. I look at Majestic Honda's site and it gives two options for trans in 07 Accord KA5AT and KL5AT, what's the difference? How do I know which one the salvage yard is providing?

I just talked to another salvage yard with a 07 coupe trans, 22K miles, front impact, broken solenoid....I can get it for $600. I also just talked to another local shop, he has doen lots of Honda trans, but no Acura's, say if all I need to do is the three steps you list, he can install for $500.....He said they could use the Acura solenoids on the Honda trans if it needs a new solenoid....does that make sense?

victus1

Does the $500 include removing the old tranny and installing the AV7? If so, that is a fabulous price.
As far as the 3 steps I listed above....this is what people who did it here say. I haven't done it, but if I ever need to, I will definitely install an AV7 rather than do a rebuild. My tranny shop will also do a removal of old and install of new for $500 labor.

The important issue here is to make sure the salvaged tranny you get has no damage from the wrecked car. You need to check it over thoroughly.

03WDPTL-S

Can you elaborate on this? I have no idea what to look for.....one salvage yard has a 44K that was in a "soft rollover" for $1100

The other is a 26K with damaged solenoid with front impact, drivers side for $600

Yes, $500 includes removal, switching over the range switch, harness and fliter and install. He said that you are taking a chance with the used tranny. That's my main concern....I drive this car for business and need it to be reliable and dependable. Every signle shop that I've gone to have really stressed this. They were concerned about the swap too, but mainly the quality of the used tranny. Two shops told me that the 06-07 Accords have problems with the clutches, so I'd be trading the second gear overheat problem for the clutch problem. They stressed that all automatic transmissions have some issue or other and to get 170K out of the stock Acura one is a good tranny.

I have no idea what to do.....

the-G-ride

If I were you, I would take any other option but rebuilding the damn thing. I had mine rebuilt 3 times from october to now. It was all covered under warranty from AAMCO, but it was a huge hastle. As soon as they put it in, it went like 3 weeks later, then the same thing again after the second time they put it in. After the 3rd time, I just stored the car and waitied to work on it now and to no suprise, it sometimes slips from 2nd to 3rd . Looks like im just going to store it again until the funds come up for a 6mt swap. The only reason I did the rebuild in the first place was because I didnt have the money for a 6mt swap and it was the only car I had at the moment, so I needed it to work. Plus AAMCO only charged me 1100, still not worth all this trouble though.

victus1

The best you can do is to take a knowledgeable buddy with you to check the tranny at the wreckers. You can only check for visible signs of damage and the condition of the oil from the dipstick. If the tranny was hit in a front end collision, I would personally avoid it. If it's just a broken solenoid, well....check it and see if there is any other damage or scratches from an impact. But the $1100 one is obviously too high....he needs to come down in price.

I haven't heard anything here about the AV7 having bad clutches. Can you google this and see if there are complaints on this issue?

Either way....a rebuild is also a gamble. It's best to go with the option you feel more comfortable with, and cost-effective.

666wokker

I did some massive internet research before I stabbed my AV6 trans in, I had a really hard time finding complaints about the trans and it's operations, very little to no issues whatsoever.


To 03WDPTL-S,

If you wish, I can see what my local vendors have available to them, and also my offer still stands, if you want to take a little trip, I will be more than happy to show you what I did with mine to make it all happen, and if you can't find a shop that's comfortable doing the work, I would be more than happy to do the job for you, just call me and we can talk more

victus1

Were the 3 items I listed above the only modifications you needed to do to the AV7 in order to swap it in? Any other details? Thanks.

666wokker

Yup just those 3, and I don't think you even need to do the oil warmer and filter assembly, I did mine anyway, just to be sure, but they were both pretty much the same. Only other thing, if you have the steering speed sensor in the trans coming off the rack, you will have to delete that and loop the lines on the rack. Everything else is direct bolt on replacement, very easy to do with the right tools =)