tenmile

So I just got my TL back from the stealership where they put in a new Acura Tranny, because my old one gave up the ghost. Anyway, on this new one, it's acting really funny (to me at least) and I want to know if it's normal or not:

*Transmission "surges" right before a shift
*Transmission sometimes "clunks" or shifts REALLY hard
*Mostly really slow shifting, like 1 full second or more, including the "surge"

It's got about 75 miles on it with the new transmission, so I'm wondering if it still needs to be "broken in" or if this is just the way it is? My mom's 2001 TL and a friend's 2001 CL-S doesn't have these symtoms at all...that's kind of what i'm basing my past experiances on.

Thanks for your help!
Mack

MikeElmendorf

Mine does sort of the same thing. I have been back to the dealer maybe 3 or 4 times describing the problem (on my SECOND transmission, 2003 TL-S). Of course, it does not do it consistently, and never in the car with me, so they keep tellig me nothing is wrong.

I have been going back on the phone with Acura client services, and I am getting ready to file a lemon law claim in two states, which I am advised by counsel I have a strong chance of prevailing with.

I don't feel this car is safe, frankly.

ME

samkws

oh no?
still not gd with hte new tranny?

Severin

Sounds like a crappy torque converter if the shifting is mushy or delayed.
I've never heard of a tranny breakin that you would *feel*.
Demand they fix it.

Hokie D

Same here, mine's been back for about a week now. Seems to behave differently than my stock tranny. Seems like it's not grabbing the gear firmly - takes a second for it to grab...like there's too much slippage. Slippage = heat, heat kills a transmission faster than anything. This one will be gone in under 15K miles. Anyone wanna place a bet?

Do they make shift kits for TLs? If I could firm up the shifts, it might solve the problem.

One more thing. Was thinking about selling this car and buying a Lexus RX330, but after visiting a Lexus forum I changed my mind. Seems that a bunch of people are having problems with their trannies....clunking noise during deceleration, gear whine, slow shift behavior. Doh! What's up with the Jap-neez and their trannies?

Ruski

Japanese used to make less powerful engines (on the mass scale). Their trannies were OK with that. Now they have finally figured out how to extract some more power from the engines. I am afraid they did not beef up the trannies enough.

Hokie D

I tend to agree. When you don't put beefier clutches in an automatic tranny, but you increase the HP/TQ, you are asking for trouble. Plus, so many of these manufacturers spend too much time trying to make a tranny shift so that you can barely feel it....that's just built-in "slippage" which slowly kills a tranny with heat.

derek23

Hello, I have been on the site since my first experiences with trouble on my 2003 TL-S. I have only 3300 miles on mine and have been to service 3 times for the car bucking or jerking on the highway, almost stalling out, hard jerk and loss of rpm in the city, and loss of rpm and a dead second or two and a jolt in rpm when it recovers. As has been the case with others here on the site, the dealer cannot duplicate and I am exploring lemon law alternative. Any feedback? I would appreciate it! Thanks!

Hokie D

"and loss of rpm and a dead second or two and a jolt in rpm when it recovers" - sounds like mine. Sounds like your tranny gets warm and start acting up which could explain why the dealer can't reproduce it. It will fail soon, you should get the dealer to drive it for longer and demand that they find the problem even if they have to drive it for an hour. Tell them these symptoms are all too familiar of the dreaded tranny problem.

Mine would have a huge delay shifting before finally "grabbing" and from the time it started delaying shifts to the point where it would no longer shift to 3rd at all was only about 30 miles of driving. Be careful if you must drive it.

TypeSwork

Same **** with mine 02 TL-S with 22000 miles on 1st tranny. I don't have warranty so i took it to a shop and they said it was the solenoids 3 of them. If it's true I have no idea well see when i get it back how it is.

derek23

Thanks to the two members who responded so quick. Hokie D, they had the car for a whole week and put 220 miles on it ( I checked) and told them to drive the car for more than a few minutes because it tends to happen while on the road longer than just five or ten minutes. Trouble is, it doesn't do this everyday and I don't know when it will do it next, or if it will flat stall out completely.

scottiew

I've felt it jerk. I'll mention it to them when I take it for an oil change. Usually happens to me when I'm driving at a constant 30-34 mph (speed limit on a highly policed street) rate of speed.

Hokie D

Oh, mine had a few "episodes" prior (around 20K) that never amounted to anything - just some little surges, nothing violent. It behaved 99% of the time. Perhaps it was an indication of a problems yet to come.

scottiew

I hope not! Mine has almost 5k miles on it.

jrmavmom

I have a 2003 Acura TL S type which has been losing power briefly. I would equate it to an engine surge but in reverse. My husband noticed it as well. I have only had the vehicle about 4 months and have about 6000 miles on it. I have an appt Monday at the dealer. I hadn't thought about it being the transmission but reading this thread I am beginning to suspect it is the same thing. Any thoughts?