blak_wit_blak

Hi guys. i drive a 03 tl-p w/112k miles i was driving home yesterday from work during the snow storm in bosotn, ma. i shifted from D4 and it kinda slipthru D5 into neutral. and from there my tranny started to act up. the transmission light came on and the tcs came on. after 10-15 mins the tcs light went off and the tranny light stayed on. so i'm driving tryin to get home and all of a sudden my car is moving at 20-25 mph and my rpm is reading 3k-5k in a blink of an eye. so i pulled over and shut it down and restarted and its fine for the next 10-15 mins. i don't know what the hell is goin on and i can't afford the transmission job at Acura or any technician shop. i never had any huge problem wit the car wat so ever. my warranty ended 12k miles ago. is there any thing i can do or anythin you guys can suggest??? bad time for a tranny problem.

thankyou much
happy holiday!

marjenmiller

iTrader: (1)

Ummm...you weren't driving with the cruise control on while driving in the snow were you???

02CL-TypeS

so have you had this problem since then? Sounds like it downshifted into 2nd on its own.

blak_wit_blak

no i didn't drive on cruise control and this happen ever since the snow storm yesterday. and it looks like my tranny is on its way out. i did alot of research and found out a bunch of guys on this forum have had the same problems. i haven't had a chance to go to the dealer. i only went to the dealer once since i had the car and that was to flush the tranny. wats the chances of me gettin one replace of no charge?

01tl4tl

are you part of the covered VIN range- to 7 years plus 9 months or 109k miles??
a little over is not a problem to the dealership- bring donuts when you bring the car in~
and there are some years (02-06) that get an additional 5% speedo error -
to 114.5 indicated miles
Even if not part of `covered vin`- acura is really good about goodwill warranty- or you pay a small amont
ESPECIALLY since you had them do a transmission fluid service (that often kills the trans)
You did your best by having the dealer service the trans- acura likes that
The Service Manager makes a call to acura rep and gets ok to replace under warranty

you can check your cars status online by registering -need your VIN, then look in recall section- it will say 50k miles or 109 (website may still say 100k but the court gave us more now)
http://owners.acura.com/registration...erstepone.aspx

If you are automatically covered- get it in immedialty- tell them it acted funny on the freeway and now is too scary to drive.
If not on the covered vin's, read the last several pages of tranny failure thread,
I used to work at a dealer and private shop and have posted what you need to know if fighting for a freebie

In the snow you probably dont want 5th gear anyway= overdrive just makes is shift more than needed- leave it in 3rd or 4th and plow thru
See owner manual for good snow driving info

register online and report back

01tl4tl

If you need to be shifting manually- use the SS- it is controlled with the computer and wont let you overrev the engine or miss a shift
Thats what makes our car so much better than a 6 speed IMO
we can run it to redline and the rev limiter kicks in
On downshift `request` the computer checks if that will cause an overrev and denies the shift...its all microswitches and logic circuits- no mechanical connection of the shifter to the transmission like an older ride

totaledTL

01tl4tl

what can I say, Goodwill generates Goodwill!

A $5 investment can realize hundreds in savings back to you!
Mileage a bit over, hmmm donut powder must have obscured the odometer, I was sure it read 108~.....
The ol Pay it Forward idea, be nice to someone and you get more back from the next!

blak_wit_blak

thanks 01tl4tl. how do i kno if my vin falls under the tranny failure? i'm going to go to a few acura dealers around me on monday and hopefully one of them would offer me a tranny with no fees. no xmas shoppin for the fam this year. this fuken blows dude.

01tl4tl

if you register with your VIN and look in `recall` section- it should say warranty extension 100k miles, or it says 50 k miles
http://owners.acura.com/registration...erstepone.aspx
go do that now!!
03 also falls under the odometer error court case vin's and gets 5% extension to 114.5 miles

So why do you want to shop dealers??- call and say you have a trans problem- unsafe to drive- when can you get in?
Its christrmas week- dont expect much availble or much to happen

They diagnose it- its bad- if 109/114.5 VIN they order a replacement unit and a week later you get your car back-FREE- holidays may effect schedule
If 50k vin group- the manager talks to acura rep and they try to hook you up for free or for 500$ labor and they pay for the trans

blak_wit_blak

do you guys kno if anyone or maybe urself that had a tranny problem but couldn't get it to a dealer and instead brought it to a tranny shop and somehow got acura to pay for it?

totaledTL

VERY unlikely.

01tl4tl

Did you find out if 50 or 109 coverage on the trans?
If your acura account says `trans warranty extension` you are covered vin

when you are on a trip in the middle of nowhere- and you are `covered vin`- with trans failure, acura will reimburse you for rebuilding yours,,, up to a point- say 2000 as example

BUT
the acura units are rebuilt with a NEW case and its improved oil passages
You want the acura unit if you can get it

01tl4tl

blak- what are you not telling us- why are you avoiding the dealer now?
salvage title?
Have you made a dealer appointment yet?
parts warehouse is probably closed for the week or 2, so shipping time will be delayed

blak_wit_blak

i made an apt and brought it in and the Service manager says vin number doesn't fall under warranty extension. so paid a bill for the diagnostic. went to my technician and he said the same thing and did a diagnostic chek for free, we got code PO730 and PO740 pretty much sayin my tranny is toasted. but he gave a note from AllData saying that all 02 03 TLs have up to 109/114.5k so i'm gonna call acura HQ and talk to them and see if they can help me with the bill, after that my technician says he knowsa guy that can probably hook it up cheaper at aamco. (i'm all piss of already so fuk it lets see wat this guy have to offer) so went to AAMCO and he said anywhere from 1800-2200, with tranny cooler, and oil passage clearance to gears are bigger and a 3yrs 36k warranty. so on the way home from AAMCO my tranny dies on freakin 93 during traffic time. and now its bak at AAMCO since the towing was free. and to the dealer would've cost me 200. ( which i didn't have at the time either. so i'm screwed) and AAMCO will tow for free if i get it done there. and thats where i'm at as of now. So I’m curious to find out if Acura HQ can help me out in some way.

01tl4tl

Your buddy has been wrong on so much of this- why do you keep asking him stuff?
Not ALL 03s are covered- mid year was the court settlement and they picked the vin that day as the end. Never meant the problem was solved-

As we have repeatedly stated- those 03s `out of vin range` can get `goodwill` from acura corp, anywhere from free- to $500 to $2500, depending on the situation and on your attitude-- as perceived by the service manager
If you stopped trying at the level of service writer or alleged service manager, who told you full price and no help- because they get Commission$$$$ on sales....why offer a deal if they can get more from you? you must speak with the service manager-

you made no attempt to negotiate help from acura?, and still paid for the diagnosis!!!
why didnt you follow any of the advice in the tranny failure thread and what we have said here?

Why do you like to come here asking for help- then disregard it because your friend, who has been wrong so far,, but is always right in your mind-says different?

You didnt need the dealer to diagnose, parts store or aamco could do it free as you know
You were supposed to look up coverage or call the 800 and find out if covered vin before you went in to the dealer, also see if the oil jet kit was installed...thats often a saver for out of vin cars-

But to each his own-I guess

aamco can do a good job for you, will use the latest parts/upgrades and gives a good warranty.
Its a total bummer to have gone thru the getting stuck and all- especially right now
At least it didnt downshift into 2nd on the freeway!- thats really exciting -for the person behind you too!

This is why aftermarket warranties are gaining popularity- 2500 for a trans is normal now- 850 for an alternator...its crazy if you cant work on your own car
or have ziner friends get together and help each other

rob-2

Because everyone's an expert.

Merry Christmas!

yrowzani

aamco sucks, I had my tranny rebuilt by them, and it just failed on me. I'm prolly gonna have to pay out of pocket since I'm 1.5-2 months out of warranty. After I do fix it, I'm just gonna sell this car and never buy an acura product again.

01tl4tl

the good part of getting a fresh trans from acura is they give you a new designed trans case, in 05 they made a change which really helps- but nothing is perfect
aamco reused yours with its weak oil passageways
Did they reinstall the external oil jet kit at least?
The new ones come with it built inside

Did you get just over you 3/36 out of the aamco rebuild- and they wont work with you?
Speak with a manager and call corporate aamco if you need
We have a ziner who runs an AAmco and hopefully he will reply with the straight facts for you
They need to see it to know its failed

Cant blame acura for a low mile lasting rebuild (assuming you had higher miles or salvage title is why you went to aamco)- the TL is a good car, the trans is known weak spot but the rest of the car is great
Look at any other new car and they require expensive repairs all the time

Be sure to buy an aftermarket warranty on whatever you buy

totaledTL

It may be a fine car, but the transmission is a MAJOR part of any car & if it's prone to failure it sours people.

01tl4tl

I look at other car brands with similar trans design- they fail at 50 and no help at all from corp! Seems like the newer the car- the more expensive the repair too!!

Acura had a problem- got it resolved as much as possible- and generally takes care of the customer with a trans problem.
Not every trans fails either- there are plenty with 150k miles and going strong~
The number is high on here because its a tech help forum- you search for acura trans problem and you end up at acurazine

Acura went to the 6speed MT and what happened-3rd gear problems (required rebuild trans)-or $2500!! clutch failures at 20k miles...
Wonder what gen4 and the AWD will experience- and acura dropped the MT if I heard correctly, so its back to the auto with SS.
Hope they made the case bigger so more clutches and such will fit---thats the gen2 prob, needs more room for more parts- cant be done~

How many other cars can you throw a trans in at 120,000 miles and the car keeps going another 100? the bulk of them are headed for dismantling at that point, just like the car maker wants- 8 years and retire the car

I do agree its a bummer to have a trans failure- my first one occured right after purchase of the car- and that warranty replacement unit had a problem so another one went in. free
Cant ask much more than that on a 6-7-8 year old car!!

rob-2

Acura will be back to a MT with next years models. Thats how they roll out models.

I agree, even with the trans problem the car is still a great car.

01tl4tl

if every potential acura owner would come here first and do research, just as you should ANY car new or used---they would have known to get some type of warranty to cover the possible trans failure, or some electronic component failure like Throttle sensors and ecu

It used to be a ripoff to pay a grand for warranty- but now thats a worthwhile investment on some/most cars made!

rob-2

Well its not a good investment, but it sure covers the risk of an expensive failure.

Let's be clear, insurance is never an investment. It covers risk, the downside or unexpected. Just as a car is not an investment, its a depreciating asset.

However with repair costs and complex systems a case can be made for extended warranties. I personally dont believe in them, as the company offering the service makes money, but to each their own.

substanger

Exactly. I actually work for a warranty company so I know ALL of the ins and outs regarding what's prone to break on what cars. When I purchased my car with 131k miles from the original owner, I turned around and purchased my warranty (vehicle service contract) for $980 (my cost with $0 deductible). 6 months later the ck engine light came on with the dreaded P0740. My contract took care of the transmission, as well as lower ball joints, tie rod ends, motor mounts and a front end alignment as I might as well get all of that stuff taken care of at once. Grand total was just shy of $3400.00. I paid for the oil change. Nice Christmas bonus.

substanger

You are exactly correct as I have NEVER paid for or purchased any extended warranty on anything (TV's at Best Buy or car purchases), but in THIS case with this car, I believed the "odds" were extrememly in MY favor of a failure in the 2 years or 24K miles of the term of my warranty for which I purchased. My gamble paid off!!

rob-2

Gambles more like it. In fairness your wholesale rates are about 30-40% less then any of us can buy it. Best I found was $1500 for 2 years.

We had the tranny replaced at 75K. Since then, we've been out of the extended warranty. It's been 2 years and almost 60K.

00-05 75K
06-08 128K

1 tranny. Now it would be a pain if at 150K we had to replace the tranny. But I likely would. It's a great car to keep as a beater/city car. I rack up a lot of miles on it in the summer going places.

01tl4tl

hey rob- I knew I would get you with investment ...
What I meant was: that with the ever growing complexity of cars, that the odds are something expensive will fail just after the normal warranty period.

You have to weigh the cost of a `warranty` now (when buying a used TL, or yours is aging) versus potential/probable cash outlay in a few years...
For our car thats a $2500 trans rebuild- the only major thing that often fails

In robs case- the car has 1 owner with well done maitenance history, those type cars seem to last longer with fewer problems overall

substanger

True. Since I work for the company I do get a small break, but our company doesn't sell contracts to just anybody, over the internet or by phone or solicit business. We ONLY sell our contracts through new and used vehicle dealerships and used car outlets. We price them accordingly, and then the dealership or used car place charges what they do for them. I've seen my contract sold for as high as $2500.00. Pretty pathetic but the buyer does need to beware and do his homework prior to purchasing any vehicle service contract.

substanger

Mine was the same way (purchased from the original owner with receipts and service history for ALL services done at the local Acura dealer) and to be honest with you, I wasn't going to buy a warranty on my car even though I work for a warranty company UNTIL I started reading the horror stories here regarding trans problems. Now I'm glad I did, and the best part of the deal is that my warranty expires at 160,000 miles, but the trans is warrantied through Acura for 3/36. I just want the car to get to 200k miles, and I'll feel like I got my $5600.00 worth out of it.

01tl4tl

perhaps you can share the name of a good company to look for when buying warranty?

Buyers need to know- car salesman get huge commission on stuff like this, and its totally negotiable in the deal- they want 2500- you know it cost them less than 1500...
work from there.
They want to sell the car-whatever it takes!

01tl4tl

our MegaMod fsttyms1 has over 250,000 miles on his TL and going strong

After 5- yes FIVE A/T failures, he dropped a CL-S motor with 6speed M/T into it and kept driving. The TL motor had 200 on it and was perfect inside--barely broken in!

He even takes his car on the track for some full throttle fun- its not just babied.
roadrace track tracks are great skills training and fast fun

rob-2

I could be wrong but that could be the law. If memory serves me only two companies in California are allowed to sell direct.

Your car will goto 200K.

yrowzani

No, I had a 1yr/12k rebuilt tranny from aamco- they took my current tranny and rebuilt it, my warranty company paid for it. but i never kept them active, so i dont have them anymore. that bill was about $3600

I spoke to hte manager wehre i had it done, and where the car is stuck now (back home on Long Island, NY) i also called corp but they said they can't do shit once i'm out of warranty, its up to the franchise owners and they obviously dont want to loose money. and it's definetly failed, i blew it on the way coming back from school, funny thing is that i wasn't even going that fast, occasional 100mph, but generally 80-85mph.

the aamco by my house, the owner was very helpful and was like if i fixed th tranny i had in their now it would run me 3500$+ but he found me a used tranny by that aamco certifies for a year for 2100$. i actually went to the guy today to say yes. hes gonna order it for me, and hopefully ill have my car back sometime next week. it sucks though, in two years. spending close to $5500 on two transmission failure (granted i didnt pay for it fully the first time around but somebody did)

blak_wit_blak

well i spoke with acura and they really didn't help much ova the phone, all they said was bring it into the dealer and in order for acura to help out in any way acura has to do the diagnostic check. ( i'm paying another 100 for a diagnostic chek that my technician already did.) so i'm dropping it off on friday and i'll keep you guys updated. by the way my vin # doesn't fall under the extended warranty.

SodaLuvr

If it has already been diagnosed, call Acura corporate and explain the situation. Ask them to consider offering goodwill assistance to you. A lot of people on this site were out of the extended transmission warranty and Acurs picked up a large portion of the bill.

wise2k

If you cannot get much help over the phone, TALK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER in his office.
I have a 99 TL which just got a new transmission at 227000 from the dealer for more than 50% off, just $2000. I got the diagnostic done, they won't charge you right away if you leave the car with them (dealer). After they quoted me the $4200 I called Acura HQ. I did not get help from Acura HQ over the phone for obvious reasons, mileage way too high. But, I did not stop there, went back to the dealer and asked to speak with the SERVICE MANAGER. Be nice and sincere, he will listen.

Good luck to you.

kchaudhary

I wanted to share my experience, it might provide one more option to a few facing the same issue.

I bought mine 2003 3.2 TL at 82K miles from a private party in Feb, 2007 and was getting my services done from an Acure Dealership close to my work. After I noticed some problem in the gear shifting around 103K, I got it diagonised from the same Acura Dealer for $110, which they offered won't be charged, if I get it replaced thru them and they gave me an estimate of $3500 for the replacement. As I already had done some research here and knew there was a recall on trannies for this model, I asked them to cover under 109K extended warranty and they told me that my VIN# is not covered, then I asked them to cover it under the goodwill warranty. After going thru their Regional Manager at Acura, they offered me to get it replaced for $1950 plus tax, which in actual was 75% of toal cost as per the invoice. Acura shared 25% of total (cost plus labor). New tranny is covered for 3 years/36000 miles by Acura.

RUF87

I gateshift/manually most of the time and you can't over rev it this way either. The advantage over SS is that you can downshift in to 1st at 30mph or in to 2nd at 50mph. Although I only do it in those cases when I'm messing around or running some one.

As for shifting in to neutral, that shouldn't cause any harm . . . unless you're are under full throttle and over rev the engine. So I'm betting the tranny was on it's way out.

Good luck with the repair.

Ruf

01tl4tl

I only know what happens to old school trans when abused and misshift to N- which only seems to occur under full throttle!

Have not tried to abuse the TL trans--- do my race driving on the roadrace track, as the TL is not a dragster~ IMO
If you can afford to replace the trans- drive however you like!