2003 TL Type S, 77000 miles. I've never had any transmission issues (no slipping, rough shifting, etc.) until this morning. I backed out of my driveway, put it into D5, the D5 light starting flashing, the check engine light came on and the VSA light came on. The car acts as though the transmission is/has failed - it won't start in D1 and shift to higher gears. However, I can manually put it into D1 through D5 gears without any hesitation/problems. Is this a sign of transmission problems so common on this forum or could it be something relatively simple like a failed module? Since it does easily shift into low to high gears manually, am I safe to drive it until I cna get into the Acura dealer?

 

first register your car with acura and see if its covered under the 7 year 109k miles extended warranty- not all 03s are- but we can get you covered anyway- aziner rules!
You need your VIN number to make a free account- thats acuras warranty computer
https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=acura

DO NOT DRIVE
It could decide to downshift into 2nd on the freeway or not go past 2nd on the upshift then you are really stuck- YOu have no manual control of the trans- SS is just a microswitch

The dealer will send a flatbed tow truck at no charge with the warranty

report back here- what it says about trans warranty when you register

 

I had registered with Acura Owner Link, but can't seem to find whether the transmission warranty applies to my vehicle. Where do I look to verify? I do see that the Transmission control module has an 8/80 warranty.

I did not use SS to shift from 1 through 5, but rather put it directly into D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5. When in D5, the car shifts normally between D4 and D5 with no hesitation or slippage.

I do have an appointment with the dealer on Monday, but his instructions were to drive it to him 20 miles away... It would be nice to know whether the extended warranty applies.

Last night after shuttingoff the car and filling it with gas, the D5 light stopped flashing when I restarted it (although the check engine light remained on). The car performed normally, shifting smoothly from D1 through D5 without any slippage. With computerized control, it sounds like a module problem, but I am not a transmission expert.

 

sorry- its under the RECALL section of your account

 

With the trans problem continuing into gen3, its becoming easier to get Acura to cover "out of vin" 03s. They only set a VIN because they needed a cutoff number for the court case to settle and the extended warranty to be in effect

Always talk with the Service Manager, bring a box of Entemanns donuts or fresh donuts-
4 bucks generates A LOT of goodwill in your direction on a Monday morning

If they can- they give you a loaner then- if not , once prob is diagnosed they will get you one, all warranty covered

Just be nice, and mention member of acurazine.com, you love your TL, and would they please NOT wash it

 

All it states for my vehicle is:

Description 00-04 CL & TL A/T RECALL
Date 6/29/2004
Type Safety Recall Campaign
Status Fixed

Does this mean that I have the extended Transmission warranty? I should add that I am the second owner - bought it early 2006 with 48000 miles.

 

If you are driving under light throttle cruise- at 35 and 45, try stomping the gas and when it downshift into 2nd-3rd see if it revs without going faster or takes a few seconds to engage the gear fully- like a slipping clutch

Not a perfect test but does check the clutches

 

No that means the oil jet RECALL was performed.
You dont have the 7/109 but dont worry
In past weeks in this same thing- dealer said $800 customer pay labor only (its a $4000 trans job)
then Regional Acura manager steps in and says I got Corp to cover you 100%
Its all a game and mentioning acurazine does go a long way -nearly as much as those donuts

 

and 77k miles is right on schedule for the trans failure, per my tech at acura- anything over 50 and they expect to see a failure. No big deal, they cover out of vins all the time and they dont hassle you about CAI shocks exhaust, pretty much anything short of th ebottle the turbo or the supercharger, they look at as not adding to a known problem- and a way fun car to test drive.

 

Car started without the D5 flashing and shifted smoothly 1st thru 5th. Slowed down to 25 mph under light load, hit the accelerator and dowshifted smoothly and accelerated rapidly. Let off the gas and D5 light started flashing again. When this happens, it doesnot appear to engage lower gears although acceleration and shifting between 4th and 5th is fine.

I plan on bringing it in on Monday to the Acura dealer and will do as you suggest. Let's hope the acurazine membership pulls some weight! Any thoughts as to bringing a printout of this thread?

 

By the way, the car has a full Comptech package - supercharger, ice box, strut tower bracing, sway bars, headers & custom exhaust, transmission oil cooler, etc...

It has been a GREAT car, fun to drive, but I worry about whether they will cover the transmission with all the upgrades...

 

hahahaha By The Way= the critical missing detail in the story

The supercharger is a NO NO --- NO warranty item for the trans-
you added power to a known weak system and it failed- what a surprise!!!
is what Acura has to say about that!

And the trans cooler ~ eh maybe~ its not a detriment but you did play with the system

My tech said they will overlook mods except turbo, supercharger or nitrous

Pull the bad boy off before monday or the answer is already known

They know all about the trans probs and resolution- you have to deal with the MANAGER not the commission-bonus oriented service writer- who should always be trusted about as much as the car salesman. Some are retired techs while others are just saleman pushing car repairs

 

I had that same probaly you are having d5 light flashing check engine light cant shift out of secon except mine went at 44k sucks. FIGHT IT THEY WILL PAY IT!!!!!!!! i went to get it fix and at first they were tryin to give me bs cuz i bought it used and the warranty isnt under my name blah blah blah. I called up the district manager and sure enough i had it all fixed up. You are covered up too As for the mods you have i had the CAI and they didnt say anything bout that but the supercharger 01tl4tl is right that has to go everything else you be fine with.

 

warranty not in your name?!?!?!-
and I thought I had told every lie there was as a service writer!!!

The CAR carries the warranty- thru 10 -20 owners

You serve yourself by registering with acura online and on the phone
There may be free repairs waitng for you- you never know
Have your VIN and radio codes handy, you can store the codes online for free in secure account. Register by VIN
1-800-382-2238 x5
https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=acura

 

Sorry to jack the thread, but the Status : Fixed means that the oil jet was already done correct?

I'm the second owner of this car, and I never preformed that fix. Just wanted to make sure.

 

yes its been fixed- the RECALL oil jet kit install that is

You should also register with acura 1-800-382-2238 x5 have your VIN handy, ask them what warranties you have. You will be surprised at the freebies

 

im going to be doing that rite now thanks

 

Thanks for all the advice guys. While I would love to be able to pull off the supercharger, it is beyond my expertise level. I'll have to take my chances with the dealer as is. I've got my fingers crossed that it is just the module. The intermittant nature of the problem and the fact that there is no slippage when the D5 light is not flashing keeps me hopeful that it is just electronic in nature...

 

some members have have gotten replacement with charger still on, so it depends on the dealer and your relationship with them.
This is where a 5 dollar investment in donuts for the service manager goes a long way~

 

It must be my lucky day! It ended up being the TCC Solenoid valve - $37.22 for the part! Of course with the $118 to hook it up to the computer (they hooked it up and found the problem before I got 2 miles from the dealer - nice racket if you can get it!) additional labor and $10 shop charge, the total bill was $251.38!

It used to be that they would actually diagnose a problem without charging you, but they were very clear that for them to even hook up my car to the computer, I was going to be charged $118...

I am not impressed with the computer diagnosis (5 minutes of work) charge of $118 and HATE the fact that they can charge 10 in shop supplies for a module? Still, $250 vs. the prospects of a new tranny is something I can stomach, I suppose...

 

You need to have a chat with the service manager like I said in the beginning,
but I was only in the industry for many years, so lack practical knowledge of how to work deals

 

This is also why its nice and free to head down to the local auto parts store to get the codes read for free, or to invest in the scanner for your own