ATF "Thick" in the Morning
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1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Portland, OR
ATF "Thick" in the Morning
So, I'm new to the Acura community. Hi!
I bought a 2000 3.2TL a few weeks ago with 150,000 miles. Awesome car. Among other maintenance items, I had the ATF flushed at the Honda dealership, thinking they'd use the right ATF and everything would come out right.
In the morning, the ATF seems really thick. It seems to shift into drive more slowly, and if you move it over into manual shift mode, the shifter springs (?) barely have enough force to move the shifter back into the middle. Like the shifter is moving through molasses. It seems to shift fine through all the gears, and as it warms up the shifter moves more freely.
I can't remember how it behaved before and, frankly, it was a lot warmer when I bought it (late summer), so less likely to exhibit this behavior. The transmission has been replaced twice, most recently about 30,000 miles ago.
Thoughts?
I bought a 2000 3.2TL a few weeks ago with 150,000 miles. Awesome car. Among other maintenance items, I had the ATF flushed at the Honda dealership, thinking they'd use the right ATF and everything would come out right.
In the morning, the ATF seems really thick. It seems to shift into drive more slowly, and if you move it over into manual shift mode, the shifter springs (?) barely have enough force to move the shifter back into the middle. Like the shifter is moving through molasses. It seems to shift fine through all the gears, and as it warms up the shifter moves more freely.
I can't remember how it behaved before and, frankly, it was a lot warmer when I bought it (late summer), so less likely to exhibit this behavior. The transmission has been replaced twice, most recently about 30,000 miles ago.
Thoughts?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 33,535
Likes: 1,142
are you fully on dw1 or a partial change?
honda/acura uses same fluid in the TL
is the level correct= when chkd at 15 minute freeway cruise- from cold
stop on level ground IN PARK ENGINE OFF
wipe stick and insert fully
remove and read- level should be BETWEEN the dots- not at either,, but between `at that fluid temp`
honda/acura uses same fluid in the TL
is the level correct= when chkd at 15 minute freeway cruise- from cold
stop on level ground IN PARK ENGINE OFF
wipe stick and insert fully
remove and read- level should be BETWEEN the dots- not at either,, but between `at that fluid temp`
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 33,535
Likes: 1,142
ck the invoice or call dealer
did they drain and refill 3 qts? $100
or was it hooked to their special trans machine and all the old fluid was pumped out, all new fluid in it now? $200-250
again, cking fluid level is the place to start
then CRC electrical cleaner spray for the 3 micro-switches under the shifter plate
ck under car for anything in shifter mechanism there
go ask service manager to take a ride with you
did they drain and refill 3 qts? $100
or was it hooked to their special trans machine and all the old fluid was pumped out, all new fluid in it now? $200-250
again, cking fluid level is the place to start
then CRC electrical cleaner spray for the 3 micro-switches under the shifter plate
ck under car for anything in shifter mechanism there
go ask service manager to take a ride with you
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Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 31
Likes: 2
From: Phoenix, AZ
Ok today it felt like I was moving a stick in a almost fully dried concrete, it was hard. Op before shifting push the bottom black plastic the one in the shifter, push it down and shift while you're pushing it down, it should shift fine.
I'm really confused on what it could be...
I'm really confused on what it could be...
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 63
Likes: 12
Hi Jorge,
Just chiming in that you aren't going crazy. I too feel a light "restriction" when sport shifting in the early morning.
I often drive in sport mode (90% of the time) with my palm flat on the console, and the shifter in the web (lol) of my thumb and index finger, so its easier for me to recognize the restriction you're referring to.
Its not really like going through dried cement at all though, more of like through a kind of medium grade sand.
I should add that i had my tranny replaced by Acura a while ago, and feel this restriction more after fluid changes. Although others say that the shifter is just controlling a bunch of switches, which makes sense for a 2003 i guess, I still believe there is some sort of feedback system integrated with the shifter.
Anyway, I drive a lot and I'm really in tune with my car's behaviour, so the way i understood what was happening was that my engine was providing too much power for the transmission to deal with (because it wasn't warmed up yet) so it kind of slowly/gradually shifts it in to gear instead of just dropping it in.
What I do to counter this in the morning is rev slightly higher than normal before shifting, and when i shift, I let off of the accelerator a bit, and the engine+tranny seems to appreciate the gesture by giving a more smoother/quicker shift.
I mainly go uphill to get to the highway in the morning, so I rev a bit higher so that I have enough momentum to shift successfully without the tranny wanting to shift back due to too much load.
The restricted shifter issue may be a separate issue brought on by the cold. Perhaps the spring system that returns the shifter to the middle resting position misbehaves when being compressed in the cold?
Hope this makes sense and helps you a bit!
Just chiming in that you aren't going crazy. I too feel a light "restriction" when sport shifting in the early morning.
I often drive in sport mode (90% of the time) with my palm flat on the console, and the shifter in the web (lol) of my thumb and index finger, so its easier for me to recognize the restriction you're referring to.
Its not really like going through dried cement at all though, more of like through a kind of medium grade sand.
I should add that i had my tranny replaced by Acura a while ago, and feel this restriction more after fluid changes. Although others say that the shifter is just controlling a bunch of switches, which makes sense for a 2003 i guess, I still believe there is some sort of feedback system integrated with the shifter.
Anyway, I drive a lot and I'm really in tune with my car's behaviour, so the way i understood what was happening was that my engine was providing too much power for the transmission to deal with (because it wasn't warmed up yet) so it kind of slowly/gradually shifts it in to gear instead of just dropping it in.
What I do to counter this in the morning is rev slightly higher than normal before shifting, and when i shift, I let off of the accelerator a bit, and the engine+tranny seems to appreciate the gesture by giving a more smoother/quicker shift.
I mainly go uphill to get to the highway in the morning, so I rev a bit higher so that I have enough momentum to shift successfully without the tranny wanting to shift back due to too much load.
The restricted shifter issue may be a separate issue brought on by the cold. Perhaps the spring system that returns the shifter to the middle resting position misbehaves when being compressed in the cold?
Hope this makes sense and helps you a bit!
Last edited by Mr. ShawnJ007; Nov 9, 2012 at 08:26 PM. Reason: missing word :)
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 31
Likes: 2
From: Phoenix, AZ
Hi Jorge,
Just chiming in that you aren't going crazy. I too feel a light "restriction" when sport shifting in the early morning.
I often drive in sport mode (90% of the time) with my palm flat on the console, and the shifter in the web (lol) of my thumb and index finger, so its easier for me to recognize the restriction you're referring to.
Its not really like going through dried cement at all though, more of like through a kind of medium grade sand.
I should add that i had my tranny replaced by Acura a while ago, and feel this restriction more after fluid changes. Although others say that the shifter is just controlling a bunch of switches, which makes sense for a 2003 i guess, I still believe there is some sort of feedback system integrated with the shifter.
Anyway, I drive a lot and I'm really in tune with my car's behaviour, so the way i understood what was happening was that my engine was providing too much power for the transmission to deal with (because it wasn't warmed up yet) so it kind of slowly/gradually shifts it in to gear instead of just dropping it in.
What I do to counter this in the morning is rev slightly higher than normal before shifting, and when i shift, I let off of the accelerator a bit, and the engine+tranny seems to appreciate the gesture by giving a more smoother/quicker shift.
I mainly go uphill to get to the highway in the morning, so I rev a bit higher so that I have enough momentum to shift successfully without the tranny wanting to shift back due to too much load.
The restricted shifter issue may be a separate issue brought on by the cold. Perhaps the spring system that returns the shifter to the middle resting position misbehaves when being compressed in the cold?
Hope this makes sense and helps you a bit!
Just chiming in that you aren't going crazy. I too feel a light "restriction" when sport shifting in the early morning.
I often drive in sport mode (90% of the time) with my palm flat on the console, and the shifter in the web (lol) of my thumb and index finger, so its easier for me to recognize the restriction you're referring to.
Its not really like going through dried cement at all though, more of like through a kind of medium grade sand.
I should add that i had my tranny replaced by Acura a while ago, and feel this restriction more after fluid changes. Although others say that the shifter is just controlling a bunch of switches, which makes sense for a 2003 i guess, I still believe there is some sort of feedback system integrated with the shifter.
Anyway, I drive a lot and I'm really in tune with my car's behaviour, so the way i understood what was happening was that my engine was providing too much power for the transmission to deal with (because it wasn't warmed up yet) so it kind of slowly/gradually shifts it in to gear instead of just dropping it in.
What I do to counter this in the morning is rev slightly higher than normal before shifting, and when i shift, I let off of the accelerator a bit, and the engine+tranny seems to appreciate the gesture by giving a more smoother/quicker shift.
I mainly go uphill to get to the highway in the morning, so I rev a bit higher so that I have enough momentum to shift successfully without the tranny wanting to shift back due to too much load.
The restricted shifter issue may be a separate issue brought on by the cold. Perhaps the spring system that returns the shifter to the middle resting position misbehaves when being compressed in the cold?
Hope this makes sense and helps you a bit!
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 31
Likes: 2
From: Phoenix, AZ
Op as I have said in my thread I found out I had too much tranny fluid so last night I drained some out and this morning I turned on my car and my shifter is now back to normal.
So you might have the same issues as me and if thats your case just drain a little out and you should be good to go.
So you might have the same issues as me and if thats your case just drain a little out and you should be good to go.
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