Pete's2000TL

2000TL-P with 126,000 miles

Lately it seems that when i engage in reverse to park (on a flat surface), the car needs extra gas instead of being in idle to go in reverse like it used to. I just give it extra gas a couple of times and it finally goes.


Brakes are fine and the parking brake is not engaged.
Trans fluid was changed last year at the dealer.

Tonight I will change the plugs.

Any suggestions thanks in advance
Pete

CJITTY

I predict a tranny failure very soon. Mine did exactly that for about 3 months. Then, one road trip in the mountains cooked my tranny and I'm on #2 now. Looks like you are past the 100K cutoff, could be an issue. If it gets worse, you may be looking at a new tranny. Sorry to hear that, hopefully it's just something simple, but just trying to be real with ya. Maybe you may need a new transmission control module, much cheaper than a new tranny.

tweedle99

iTrader: (2)

Second that. New tranny on the horizon. I would go to the dealer now because you are still pretty close to the 100k warranty mark. They might do a good faith exchange for no charge.

uncald4

iTrader: (3)

It's done!! Trade the car in before your car TAXES you!!

Pete's2000TL

I changed the spark plugs and it still does the same thing in reverse.

The car is 26,000 miles over the 100,000 tranny warranty is that too much over?
The car was bought used at a dealer auction, would an acura dealer still provide goodwill?

I will probably take the car to the dealer later in the week to get a proper diagnosis.

thanks,
pete

SodaLuvr

The Saturn S-Series Automatic Transmissions are notorious for exhibiting the identical "reverse slam shift" behavior that you are experiencing.

On the Saturn S-Series transmission (GM TAAT), the pressure regulator bore would wear out causing slow/no reverse. However, sometimes, buildup in the reverse valve due to infrequent fluid changes can be the cause and a valve body replacement can be delayed or eliminated.

The problem with adding Auto-RX to clean-up the transmission in this situation would be the inability to adequately circulate the product for an extended period of time to the reverse valve only.

Solution? Use Lubegard's Automatic Transmission Flush. It may not be as effective as Auto-RX since its only used for a short period of time, but it is certainly worth a try in this situation.

Pick-up a 12 qt case of Honda ATF-Z1 from Maximum Auto Parts. Purchase an Automatic Transmission Flush and Protectant Kit from Lubegard, part # 98602, for $21.95 including shipping.

Drain the transmission from the drain plug, then add the full container of Lubegard Automatic Transmission Flush, followed by refilling with enough Honda ATF-Z1. (About 3 quarts)

Then, follow the instructions exactly:

Start the car, shift through all of the gears, then set the hand brake. Put a brick behind each rear wheel to ensure that the vehicle does not move. Then, shift into reverse, and LEAVE IT THERE. Allow the car to idle in reverse for 30 minutes. Afterwards, shift through all the gears again, and allow it to idle in Park for 10 minutes to clean-up the rest of the transmission.

(What this does is that it will use fresh fluid and the cleaning additive to dissolve any deposits (hopefully) in the reverse valve, as it simulates driving in reverse and allows fluid flow to that valve.. This has worked very well for the members over on SF forums with a similar problem on their S-Series Automatic.)

Finally, complete the process by draining the fluid, and refilling with 3 quarts of Honda ATF-Z1. Take the vehicle for a drive, go from 0-60 at least three times to run through all of the gears. Drive for about 5-10 miles to circulate/mix the fluid. Drain the fluid again, and repeat this process.

At the third and final drain/refill, add the full bottle of Lubegard protectant and enough ATF-Z1 to refill. The Lubegard protectant is not PTFE or anything of that nature, just LXE that are found in synthetics such as RL, Amsoil, etc. It will continue to clean the transmission to an extent and smooth out shifts.

I cannot guarantee that this will work. It works for many people on SF forums, but not everyone. However, for $75 total in parts, its worth a try in my opinion.

trini9999

Hey Pete,
You have described the exact symptom that my 2000 TL exhibited just a few weeks before the tranny failed. I took it to the dealership, they took digital pics and next day they booked me in for a tranny replacement. Its really important that you take it in as soon as possible.
Good Luck with it!
D.