01tl4tl

craig: metal shavings where?? ps fluid?

snh99,,acura sells only rebuilt units- there are no brand new ones to be had
local rebuild shop will get $1800-2500 to rebuild yours,,
4 speed right? those are better than the later 5speeds

but--since its a 4 speed you are limited in choices, no other car model swaps that I am aware of, so its the local rebuilder or junkyad- which wont be any fresher than yours now

99 gurus what do you think? who has a trans laying around..phee??

craigmax929

Metal shavings near the bearing and caliper. I'm tearing it apart tomorrow. Been to how and riding my CBR is more fun. Hard to get off of it sometimes.

jshagenow

Wow this is crazy....it is a transmission nightmare for the good 'ol Acura TL.

I think these Acura tranny's are good for about 90k and then it is anyobody's guess when exactly it will go out after that. I bought my '03 TL-S Type with about 35k on it and thankfully bought the warranty package as my first tranny went out right at 89k (heading onto hwy from on ramp it simply would not shift out of second gear). Now with 186k on it, I am beginning to get some lag when it is shifting from first to second, almost seems like the gears are not quite catching properly. Anyway I am sure it will be only a matter of another couple thousand miles before I need to replace it again. I love this car and drive so many miles that I will replace it as the engine is running great and everything else is in fairly good shape....who knows maybe I will get another 90k out of the next tranny or better?

03TLDayton

Hey guys, my 03 TL is whining/whirling noise during acceleration.

Here is the data:
1) 155k miles, original owner, post-2005 trans at 114k, 3x3 with DW-1.
2) Old ATF looks okay; no metals on plug;
3) Saved 3oz old ATF for testing per 01tl4tl; honestly it looks, smells okay.
4) Noticed slight leak of blue-green grease on one CV axle (outer;near clamp).
5) Sound like it's the transmission; if so, it happens in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
6) Replace noisy tension pulley last month; repl. PS pump; motor mounts
7) It only whines under load, when it's hot (>90 deg.), just like my friends.
8) It whined last summer as well. But now it seems worse, just like my friends.

Maybe I should just accept my whining car (and friends) during the dog days of summer?

On the other hand, I might stop whining when my car does the same. Any advice?

01tl4tl

no grease allowed on outside cv- ck the rubber boot and clamp carefully
any loss of grease means road grit can get in and will destroy the bearing

there are a few ways to ck the cv bearings, but if you see grease its basically time for a new axle unit

another possible is the wheel bearings in the hub, also known to fail
ck front and rear on those too

01tl4tl

that sample only helps if you send it to the lab!
if there is excess clutch material in sample you know what that means...

03TLDayton

Thanks 01tl4tl!

Yes, I'll replace those tired axles. Better now than when axle grease goes flying around. I remember you saying that NAPA has good replacements for about $100 each. Should I plan to do the bearings at the same time? I think at least one bearing is going bad because I'm also getting a wha-wha-wha noise. Do you think that the axles are causing the whining noise? With all the whining and wha-wha noises, it sound like my front end is crying.

There was only a very thin layer material on magnetic plug. Almost nothing really. I also let the old ATF settle in the drain pan. Then poured the last 8 oz. it though a coffee filter. Still no sediment. Should I still get it analyzed? Maybe it's worth $20. It might help to rule out the tranny.

01tl4tl

start with the axles, at least the one thats got a known leak problem
if noise keeps up, it needs hub bearing too,,

but the new axle includes inner and outer cv bearings so thats usually the noise fix,
especially on lowered cars

ATF: its the miscroscopic stuff and condition of the fluid and its built in additives that are revealed by mass spectrometer inspection, and diagnosis by an oil pro

saintsfan08

I just recently got my transmission fixed about 2 months ago, and everything was fine until this morning. I got into my car and cut it on, and I heard a knocking noise coming from under the drive panel (between the front seats). Add to that, the D5 light was blinking. Does this mean my transmission is about to go back out? Do I need to take it to the transmission guy that fixed it initially?


Thanks!!!

klectic

Looks like my time came up. 165 000km (CDN) and my original tranny is on the way out. Didn't bother calling Acura as I rather just get the problem fixed and move along instead of discuss etc etc. Got referred to a shop and am being charged $2000 for the rebuild.. good deal?

My symptoms over the past 4 days:
TCS and CEL light on
Delay from shifting from R to D5
Slip in 2nd gear
Grinding when P, and
the dreaded P0740 code (I also got a P0505 'idling' but haven't experienced any shakes during idle..?)

Good thing I took it in asap as I was going to the shop I lost 3rd.

Anyways, hope the rebuilt trans is solid afterwards!

01tl4tl

thats a good deal
Dont be surprised if it goes up after they do a full teardown, or you want to upgrade to better clutches..maybe it needs a motor mount..

klectic

^ Just got a call about my motor mounts! lol

Anything else I need checked / replaced while it's under the knife?

Thanks!

01tl4tl

engine rear main seal condition--its just behind the flywheel ,,exposed now--
10 part a few more dollars labor for safety = worth it

If it fails later- have to remove the trans!!

you saved big on front motor mount labor with trans removed,,did it also need a passenger side mount? get the acura mount ~150?
its fluid filled and vac boosted for stiffer when on the throttle
that should also fix a slight mystery miss your engine had

01tl4tl

ask about clutches, do they suggest kevlar or what brand aftermarket do they use?
of course it gets a new or rebuilt torque convertor

ask if the pressure switch/shift selenoids will only be cleaned, or replaced
very common prob for us is those clog, and when the clutches die that stuff goes everywhere

New external trans fluid filter

maybe install a magnafine filter inline? who knows about those- using one?

klectic

I'll be grabbing it tom and seeing what they did/billed me for lol

From our quick chat on the phone, clutch, torque convertor, front and rear mounts and a few other things were fully replaced so hope it won't give me anymore problems till I die haha

Thanks for the insight on what I need checked!

01tl4tl

make sure what atf they are running
Honda is now using DW-1,,superceeds z-1, which is no longer made

use of dextron 3 will eat the trans!!

after a good break-in period change the fluid with honda, get the early metal particles out for safety

make sure they look at the passenger side mount, after front goes= thats the next from excess load,,it takes a while with both those bad to take out the rear mount!

Oakroadsteve

My 01CLs is experiencing the same issue (the tach dance and some stumbling bout no slippage) though it is on deceleration or a constant 30-35mph, especially when not full warmed up. I was hoping it was an IACV...

Did you notice yours under similar conditions or was it on acceleration??

01tl4tl

typical clutch pack failure shows when on the throttle

Have you tried the new honda fluid and a selenoid cleaning, filter replacement?- if applicable to your year

Oakroadsteve

04....I am leery of changing it out, although I understand the new fluid is superior. Just heard of the solenoid cleaning recently. The CL's don't have a filter (allegedly) although I did read a ways back that there might be one in there.

Good points you brought to the forum as always..I will look into the matter and advise...

Thanks!!

Cochese

iTrader: (3)

Here's my story. Currently on vacation 5 hours from home - upon leaving the parking lot of hotel (at 7pm), I get flashing D5, slipping, and CEL. Coasted to parking spot and turned it off. I limp it to autozone (less than 1 mile away) and get P1750 code.

From reading all about the trans issues since starting as a member, I realize I am probably screwed trans-wise. Fortunately, I am here with in-laws and they drove separately and also have AAA which will help out (only for 100 miles).

I know what I have to do (take to trans shop) - think I can limp home after checking/adding trans fluid if it is low? Any help would be appreciated.

Timing could not have been worse with this....

Cochese

iTrader: (3)

forgot to mention, was shifting fine when driving to Autozone - but I was driving like a 138 year old woman.

GRFMotorsports

OK guys, I'm new on here and I have a couple quick questions. I have a 2002 TL with aprox 180K and the trans is dying. 80 some pages in one thread is a lot of info to digest. My 2 questions are this. The 2003 trans will work in the 2002 correct? I have also read that the Type-S will work in the regular TL as well, is this correct? I'm sure this info is in here somewhere but Im feeling a bit overwhelmed tonight with a few different projects. Thanks for any and all info!

Acura32CLSRocketShip

I just signed up and wanted to share my experience with Acura 2001 CL 3.2 Type S Transmission - and a car in general.

As of today, my CL has 411,000km (that's 256,875 miles). It still has the original transmission and runs great. Over the past 11 years (I got it in summer of 2000), I replaced only parts that normally wear out: engine and trans. mounts, tires, brake pads, wheel bearings and recently the starter motor. Total cost of maintenance is around 3 cents (US) per mile. Mileage is at 31mpg (highway, when driven up to 2000rpm.Mileage drops to 27mpg is rpms are above 2000). I started treating the engine and fuel system with ZMax at around 200k mile mark.

Yes, it has a few dents (from the parking) and scratches on the paint but nothing maguire paste and a little touch up paint can't fix. No rust whatsoever (driven in snow and salt climate!)

I am looking to get a brand new (rebuilt?) transmission (as preventative maintenance) from the dealer. Ebay has a number of listings for rebuilt transmissions but I don't "get" their pricing scheme with "core" and other buzzwords. It sounds like the new transmission will cost $2000 (with installation?) which is a fair price for another 256k miles

There is simply no better made car than a CL. If you let the beast warm up for five minutes when you get rolling (keep the rpms under 1500), it will reward you with flawless performance and low maintenance cost. After five minutes, you can go as high as you want with rpms.

-codenetfx

BillThyCat

If it uses the same AT as the the 2nd gen TL then check out Willow Creek Transmission in Cades, SC. I found them on eBay. $1395 for a rebuilt with kevlar clutch plates, a better TC, and I just received mine yesterday and it looks beautiful on the inside. The outside looks like they didn't bother to wipe it down, but what pieces you could see were bright and shiny.

The 99 TL is $1295 and they have others, so they may very well have the one you need for your CL as well.

BTC

jaybird67

I have an '02 TLS....183,000 miles..Have taken immaculate care of this car. It has always shifted perfectly up until this day. I was coming up a steep hill (paved state road, but very steep) going about 30 mph and I had it in manual shift mode...in 3rd at that time....the person riding with me actually hit the gearshift when turning around to get their backpack from the back seat. It jumped down to 1st and I immediately let off the gas to compensate. I proceeded up the road I was on and for the first time ever, the temperature gauge rose and the transmission started slipping. I pulled over immediately and shut it off...luckily at a neighbor's driveway. I went out the next morning to check the fluid level and started the car to see if it would move. It went into reverse...moved a little....I did'nt push it though. I switched it into drive.....moved again....Enough to get it out of the neighbor's driveway..It actually shifted normally through to 3rd...but as soon as it warmed up it started to slip again. I parked it immediately. It's been sitting there since. I noticed the fluid was a little darker than the last time I checked it which was 2 days before this incident. Anyone with some insight on this?....Could this incident have kind of tainted the fluid. Could I do a 3 quart drain and add and clean the external filters and possibly come out ok on this?....or should I roll up my sleeves and get ready to rebuild?? Thank you in advance.

01tl4tl

rocket
you cant buy a new trans, all are rebuilt with a mix of new and old parts inside
the differance being pre or post 2005 case design

dealer gets around 4 grand installed- the trans come from a place that does all acuras rebuilds from warranty returned parts, and will be the newer case design
trans shops around 2000-2500 in your case

core charge is your old trans returned to them and able to rebuild it--not totally trashed- broken case- holes in it etc.. or they keep the core charge
its money you put up front and get back later

01tl4tl

jaybird
it wont downshift even in manual mode at a speed/rpm that would cause it to overrev (plus we have rev limiter)

30mph up steep hill in 3rd--well that was lugging it really bad.. putting a huge load on the clutch plates,,2nd would have been a better choice- rpm 3000-4000 makes torque to climb the hill
low rpm not for that~

the rising temp is the first concern--does the driver side fan turn on after sitting at idle several minutes,,then turn back off?
Does it run more than 2 minutes after shutdown? thats a sensor problem not activating it correctly
Ck fan blade spins easily by hand

coolant level good in rad- and res bottle

fsttyms1

Forgot i had this gem of a pic

01tl4tl

oh that should be fine back there,,we dont need no stinkin extra oil flow for cooling to that area
Start building them!!

fsttyms1

Yea but the shaft allows for oil flow and there are little holes in the drum

asdecorazones

Hi all. This is my first post. I have an '02 TL Type S. The car is on its third transmission, and I don't want to have to get another one. I recently moved to Boston and I need to decide where to get my car serviced. If I go to a garage that's not an Acura dealership (which is what I'd prefer to do), what do I need to do to make sure the transmission is maintained properly? I think I've read that the thing to do is to get genuine Acura transmission fluid and have my mechanic drain and fill three times each instead of flushing the transmission. Is this correct? If so, please tell me the name of the fluid I need to buy and the best place to get it. Also, what exactly should I tell my mechanic to do? Thanks for any advice.

01tl4tl

to be really on top of it, at every other engine oil change ~15kmiles,
also do 1 drain and refill of the atf

use honda DW-1
its replaced the atf we used to use and is now all that acura/honda sells
Buy 4 qts at honda
this is easier than an engine oil change, dont let anyone bs you
the key is to exactly measure the drained atf and replace that amount
--it varies from 3 to 3.4 qts
you must drive the car 15 minutes on freeway-from cold- then stop and ck level on dipstick to get a good reading
the reading after they change is not accurate
too little or too much can kill the trans

average person should replace atf at 30kmiles, or 40kmiles doing it 1 or 2 times
if you want to be extra careful 15kmiles, 1 time

01tl4tl

look in the phone book for smaller ad in repair shops,,a private owner type of place where you are talking with the owner
and has honda or acura listed in their specialties

ask other TL owners you see in a parking lot where they go
ck license plate frames for private shop name- not dealer frames

asdecorazones

Thanks, 01tl4tl. This kind of sounds like a voodoo ritual; I'm almost wondering if any chicken blood will need to be sprayed to protect the transmission from an early death . . .

I've never done any kind of car maintenance myself, so it would be a big step for me to change the atf myself. I should probably start learning. The first questions that occur to me are: How do you properly dispose of the drained atf? What do you drain it into to get a good measurement of the amount drained?

Also, when you say to drive 15 minutes on the freeway and then check the level -- when do you do this? Is this immediately before doing the drain and fill?

Sorry, you couldn't have known the extent of my lack of knowledge about this stuff.

I found instructions on YouTube for changing the transmission fluid on a 3G TL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71w0QE_X0Wk

If it's similar for the 2G there are lots of things I need to know in addition to what you've told me. Does anybody know if there are detailed, step-by-step instructions online anywhere for 2G TLs?

How did a transmission like this ever make it to the market??

01tl4tl

detailed instructions=
put car on ramps- locate ATF stamped on back of trans,
under that is a screw-in plug with a square cutout- a normal 3/8" drive ratchet fits perfect
Lefty loosie, righty tighty- as you look at the plug from the rear of the car,, forward

drain fluid into normal oil catch pan (pop dipstick loose so it drains faster)

pour into former oil jug with view slit on side to see level
now you know how much to refill
refill thru top fill port- large bolt with ATF stamped on it

raldavis616

I have a 2003 3.2 TL with 69,728 miles. We all know the problems Acura had with their transmissions. Mine went last week. I had the car towed to the nearest dealership which was a Honda Dealer in Moon Township, PA. I was advised that the Transmission was bad and it would cost me over $4,500 to repair it. I was also told that my lower ball joints were bad. I asked about the extended warranty on the transmission and was told that it would have to be diagnosed by a Acura dealer and they would see if Acura would honor the warranty. By the way, I am 9 months out of the warranty. I also asked if they were sure that my lower ball joints were bad and was told yes, the mechanic checked them. I then told them to look in their records for that car and they will see that I had the ball joints replace by them 6 months ago. The service Manager looked, there was silence and then he told me he would have to talk to the mechanic and get back to me. Never heard a word from him. I had AAA tow my car from the Honda Dealership to Bairel Acura in Wexford, PA to have it diagnosed. This after paying Honda $80.00 to diagnose a problem I already knew was wrong. Bairel charged $97.00 to "Diagnose" the problem and told me that I needed a new transmission and recommended I replace the Torque Converter. The cost for this was around $6,250.00. I asked them if they could contact Acura and see if they would help me since the car was under the mileage but over the 7 years by nine months. They called me the next day and told me that the service Manager would knock $500.00 of the repair cost. I asked if they had contacted the Acura Regional Manager for help and was told they did not. I told them to contact the Regional Manager and then get back to me. Two day later I received a follow up call saying they were waiting for the Regional Managers decision. This was after numerous calls to them. When I heard nothing again, I called them at 3:30 PM on a Friday and ask that they call me that day and advise what they were going to do. No call from them until Monday Morning and was told the same thing that the Service Manager will take $500.00 of the repair. I asked if they even talked to the Regional Manager and was advised that they did. I asked for the Regional Managers name and number and they would not give it to me. I then told them that is not good customer service and my mechanic would be out that day to tow the car to his shop and rebuild the transmission for 1800 - 1900 dollars. Bairel then told me there was no way he could do it that cheap and use genuine Acura parts and my warranty would be voided. I flipped out and told them there was no way in hell I was paying over $6,000.00 to repair that car when it was Acura's fault. I also told them according to them there was no warranty so what the hell do I have to lose? I owned a 99 TL, 99 Honda and the 2003 Acura TL. It will be a cold day in hell before I buy another Honda/Acura product. I will also posy this to every social network I can. Any advice form the experts? Sorry for the long message and thank you for letting me vent.

01tl4tl

service writers--what a pita they are

the actual warranty is 7 years PLUS 9 months from date car first sold as new
the TC comes with the job as it is required replacement part
most dealers want 4000-4500 for everything

call 1 800 382 2238x5 `acura care` and ask for a report to be taken on failed transmission with `request for GOODWILL`
A real acura manager from corp will call you back

they will be very intertested to read this thread/description of your ordeal
Its out of line with corps policy to deny customer a rightfully deserved warranty, or at least some `Goodwill Consideration`
Especially a low miles 03

are you sure you are part of the extended warranty?- didnt cover all 03

At the least, you have a right to full diagnosis refund at honda- for telling you it needed parts already replaced--by them!
its called fraud and cost them in small claims court!!
Speak to the General Manager of the dealer, let them know what service dept is up to

warranty void? what warranty exactly? their non existant future warranty on a rebuild not from them? so what,, you cant have whats imaginary!

2_Late_I_Won

So I'm confused (go figure) I have a 2003 acura tl (type s) with 146K I just bought this about a month ago. I've noticed it seems to kind of pop out of 1st gear if i'm trying to get going fast. (like driving 30mph trying to get on to the highway) It seems to be worse when cold. It does it sometimes when warm too. But other times it has no problem down shifting and staying in gear with no slipping. Is this a common problem? what could be wrong? it almost seems more electrical than mechanical.

Thanks Brian
405-812-8581

asdecorazones

This is the way my '02 has behaved for most of the time I've owned it (I bought it new). I'm on my third transmission (but I suspect that my car's first tranny was replaced unnecessarily). If you take it to a dealer, my guess is that they will either tell you that you need a new transmission or that they couldn't find anything wrong. If you get a new transmission, the behavior you are seeing now is likely to come back after a year or two.

01tl4tl

please go back in this thread several pages for info on our weak 2nd and 3rd gear clutchpacks, and stop pushing the rpm in 1st
ck oil/atf condition..reddish or black and smells like burnt sugar

you can try cleaning the pressure/shift selenoids or replace them for 100$ in parts
and change 3.4 qts of the 7.3 total atf (one drain and refill) with new honda DW-1 fluid and hope for the best

if it slips going into a gear on the throttle, the D5 light on dash flashes sudenly when getting on the freeway hard,,,you are looking at rebuild time ~$2500, can be less or more