Hi, I'm seeking advice about what to do with my 99 TL. My engine and traction light came on a few weeks ago. I brought it to the dealership and it was a code P0740. They quoted around $4500 I believe to replace the transmission with a used one. The car ran fine before the engine light came on, and was running like normal for a few days after the check up, but just today, the gear slippage has become the worse it's ever been. Every time the trans shifts, there would be a very violent shake compared to the relatively smooth kick that happened before. The car has lots of trouble moving in reverse, I have to step down on the gas pedal several times before it shift out of park. I can still drive it on D3/1/2, but if I shift to D4 it seems the car maxes out at 3rd or 4th gear, going about 50mph with 5k rpm.

My questions are, what do guys think I can get for the car either in a trade-in or straight up sale? It has 194k miles, but has been well taken care of, I'm the second owner. For about $4800 I can get a 01 Acura TL with 181k miles on it from a local dealership, but I'm not sure if they accept trade-ins.

I plan to take my car to another transmission place next week to see if anything can be done to it without replacing the transmission, which I doubt, but maybe they'll give a lower price. Would you guys recommend just sell it/trading it in or getting a new tranny? How many more miles can it run with a new transmission? Would I have any chance with the dealership picking up part of the tab? What's the cheapest I can get a new transmission replaced for?

Thanks for your help.

 

The exact diagnosis was "Found code P0740 (T/C Clutch System Failure)."

 

You got the tranny code of death, you can try do drain and fill on the tranny fluid if it help, but I would seek for independent shop at a lower price on replacement.

 

Pretty much what's been said. That code is the kiss of death. That transmission doesn't have much more time left.

 

what should the cost be to replace the transmission?

 

The 99 4 speed TL tranny is still the best out of all the second gens. I would call around to more places and even some salvage yards to find a better price on a replacement. I am not sure if rebuilding it is good or not. 4500.00 sounds like a lot of money to repair the tranny.


Dealerships will charge you a lot more for this repair. Shop Around!

 

Used one from a salvage yard is a risk, If its bad a shop is going to charge you twice for installation and removal
Go for a rebuild but make sure to ask if they use Sonnax parts for the valve body. If not try another shop

 

Welcome By45 !!!

By the way ya described things, it appears as though your car's tranny is done.
IMO, if ya really like the car and it's in really good condition other than the tranny.....ya may want to fix it up. Has all the "PM" and T-belt service been kept up to date ?

The choices would be with a local independent shop either rebuilding your existing tranny or find a lower mileage used donor "4 speed AT" to replace the old one with. The donor option's the cheapest way to go.....probably about $1500 total. The rebuild should be approximately $2500.

For the bad news, a '99 TL with a bad tranny is not worth much more than salvage price.....maybe $1000, IDK ? Don't jump into another TL, unless ya know for sure that it has a good tranny !!! $5000 doesn't buy alot these days, so it pays to check around and look for the best overall value for the money.

Best of luck in whatever ya decide to do, and if ya have any more ???, just ask.

 

Would you guys recommend getting a transmission from Ebay like this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-Acura-3...bdb8d8&vxp=mtr

If so, what do shops usually charge for installation? Thanks again for answers.

 

It's odd that the 4 speed auto in the 1999 wasn't very problematic, yet the 4 speed autos used in the Accords from 1998 to 2002 were well known for their failure, just as much as the 5 speed autos from 2000 to 2003. If you're going to go the rebuild route, avoid Aamco at any and all cost. They do a pretty shit job.

Most dealerships, even small ones, accept trades in my experience. But be weary of a 2001, those transmissions are horrible. Look to see if it has blue bolts if you're considering it.

 

I wouldn't say they weren't that problematic. Although not so much as the 5 speeds, I do see quite a number of '99s on craigslist with bad transmissions

 

By45- what does the fluid look like in your trans? Although it does sound like yours is likely shot, it may be worth trying to do a couple of drain and refills to see what happens. Maybe give the screen on top of the trans a cleaning. You probably have clutch material clogging up the works. Maybe just use some cheaper dexron fluid instead of Honda fluid just to see what happens

 

You can try a drain & fill along with cleaning the solenoids, but chances are that the tranny is dying. The Ebay rebuilt tranny appears to be a viable option. Check with your local shops for installation costs and their opinions on what to do....should ya decide to fix and keep the TL.

Shipping would add to the overall costs of installation. Figure at least $500 for labor involving a direct bolt in replacement. Things like mounts and the T-belt will also need to be evaluated when considering spending a substantial amount of money on repairs. Ya gotta ask yourself if the car is worth investing into or not.......and if the money would be spent more wisely on replacing the car ? A tuff decision to make.

 

Thanks for the help. I was able to find a used transmission near me with 70k miles on it and a one year warranty for $1200.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRANSMISSION...99c5db&vxp=mtr

I called around the local shops and the best price I got was $750 for installation. Is the used transmission worth it even though it has a 1 year warranty? If I do replace the tranny I won't expect to drive it for much longer than a year.

Can you elaborate on the PM? My T-belt hasn't been changed since the car was bought from the original owner in 2008. If there's a problem with it, how much should I expect to spend to have it replaced? What else should I check for in order to decide if I should replace the tranny or get a new car?

Thanks again for your guys' help.

 

So there is a chance that the tranny wouldn't need to be replaced? I imagine it's not a big chance. What is the difference between the used transmission I posted above and the rebuilt transmission I posted earlier?

 

Sorry not sure why I can't edit my posts. When buying another transmission, is there something specific I should ask or look for to make sure it's not the model that has the same defect as my transmission?

 

The trannys should be the same, except that the rebuilt one has a 2 year warranty. Prices need to reflect delivery to your installer. Shop should be able to advise ya on the nearby used one, maybe test it at the yard ? Either option should get ya several more years of service.




Your '99 TL @ 194k may possibly be in need of other "PM"attention at this stage of it's life, IDK....what all have ya done since ya bought it ? How many miles were on the car at time of purchase and was the 105k T-belt servicing performed ?

 

I ended up sending it to Firestone who said they could do everything for $2800, the price is slightly less than a new car, and about 1000 more than if I bought the tranny from ebay and paid for the labor from elsewhere. But I figured I could probably sell it in a year's time for 1 to 2000, and going with a bigger service shop feels safer than if I bought the part from online and had a smaller shop perform the service. Probably getting ripped off a bit but all in all considering the speed of service, hassle, etc, I thought this was the best decision. Thank you all for your help.

 

Hmm, didn't realize that Firestone did tranny replacements.

~ Are they installing the used 70k tranny near ya ?
~ What kinda warranty are they giving ya ?
~ Are they checking the T-belt also ?

 

Was that a quote or fixed price ? Assuming its a rebuild, They can take advantage of the situation when the trans is opened up. Hopefully there honest and stick to that price.
Did you ask if they use Sonnax parts ?

 

they looked at it first and then said that would be the price for a re-manufactured tranny + installation. I will ask if they use sonnax parts, thanks.