I have a 2002 acura tl type s that I just drove on about a 7 hour drive. It has about 194,000 miles on it. I was driving down the highway going 70 and the rpms were right about 2k. About every 5 seconds it would jump about 200 rpms and then go back down right away. It only did it for about the first 15 minutes of driving and then it would quit. After every time we stopped it would do it again. I put regular gas in it, could this be the problem. I don't know much about this car as far as maintenance, but looks very clean. It has no leaks and ran very well besides that. Any help would be appreciated.

 

I don't know if that's your issue, but really 91 is the lowest octane you should be putting in the TL. If you feel this is too costly then just find a better suited car for your needs. If it was an accident you should be fine just be sure to pump premium from now on.

 

Welcome to the forums!

Sounds like a possible slip to me....... Vehicle should never disengage gear unless there's a problem.

How's your 1-2 and 2-3 shift, is it slipping or flaring as well? 2nd and 5th gear share in this system if I remember correctly......

Regular gas is bad in this system, use 91 octane or higher, but that shouldn't cause your problem.....

 

I didn't think about it too much, but definitely wont happen again. It is only around 5 dollars more per fill up, so I will be putting in super from now on. It seems to shift really smooth and I don't really feel a jerk or anything at that speed it just jumps a little. Is there anyway to check for shavings without draining the transmission fluid? I am afraid if it is starting to go and I drain the fluid it will be really bad as I have had this happen in the past.

 

Is your CEL on ? Have you had any other issues ? When was the last maintenance done ? Tell us a little bit about the overall history of the car. How's the tranny fluid look and smell, is the level ok ?

 

At that speed it could be the Torque Convertor Solenoid Switch becouse there is no Upshift-Downshift at 70mph unless your really gassing it...

On the Other hand the Torque Convertor can Engage/Disengage at that Speed if you press the Gas to Pass-on a Vehicle and the RPM should fluctuate as much without downshifting into 4th.

Sounds like the TQ Solenoid needs a check up.

 

As the trans shifts does the rpm slightly jump up as it shifts?

 

The CEL isn't on, but I did notice that when I shift the car into reverse it jerks pretty hard. When the rpm's jumped I had it at 70 and was keeping it there it wasn't when I was trying to pass or anything. I checked the level on the fluid and it is about right, but it is kind of dark but doesn't smell burned. I just bought the car, so I am not really sure with the maintenance schedule. The person I bought it from didn't seem to know anything about it. I am guessing he bought it and didn't have it very long. There are no maintenance logs in the car. If I change the transmission fluid and it hasn't been changed will it shorten the life of the transmission even more.

 

Hey Tcfls2, check with your local Acura dealership's service dept. With the car's vin #, they will be able to tell you if the original tranny was replaced under recall.

The reverse jerk clunk could be a bad motor mount. Does the car seem to shift ok when starting out from a stop and accelerating up to normal highway speed ?

What is the overall condition of the car like, can you tell if it's been neglected ?

 

The car shifts perfect through all the gears. The slight jump in rpm's at 70 and the jerk when putting it in reverse are my only concerns with the car. Looking at the car it almost looks like a new engine it is so clean. After driving from Dallas I looked at the engine and there are no leaks, overheating and even the interior was well taken care of. I will go ahead and change the transmission fluid and filter and take a look at motor mounts also. Thank you for everyone's help.

 

I just contacted Acura and they said that it was brought in to take care of the transmission recall. They didn't say what was done, but hopefully it was replaced.

 

Go to the dealership with the Vin#, they may be able to give you better info !

When performing the tranny drain & fill, make sure that you use only Honda fluid. While at it, replace the filter. If the fluid is getting dis-colored, it may be burnt. You can have the fluid analyzed for contamination. Check the magnetic drain plug for metallic fines. This stuff can accumulate within the shift solenoids and cause issues over time.

With nearing 200k on the odo, your TL is close to needing the T-belt service along with the misc. suggested PM located in the "DIY" sticky.

 

I will be doing the timing belt install and 200k maintenance really soon, but I have noticed that the transmission is going out. I have been driving it back and forth to work and it is starting to slip and grind while it is in 2nd and 3rd, so I am pretty sure that it is on its way out. Does anyone know of a good place around west texas to pick up an accord v6 transmission? I have looked at a few places around town that don't have them and the places online are $1500 for the transmission itself. Thanks for all of the help.

 

Ruh roh.