Had to take my 02 TL Type S in about 2 weeks ago with close to the same symptoms. I don't drive my car as hard. Within 20 minutes of taking it to the dealer, the tech came back from a test drive and ordered a new tranny. I bought the car about 3-4 months ago and it was Acura Certified. The tranny replacement didn't cost me a thing and I am glad it still had a warranty.

 

Getting a free tranny and a free loaner does not change the fact that we've all lost $3k-$4k on resale value on this POS.

I'm just not as forgiving as some of you. Being screwed once is enough for me.

 

Look at the resale value of most other cars with 80-100k on them, try and find one with a fresh transmission--what kind of price are you seeing
A first few years of the millenia car in the 10-12-15k range is holding its value fairly well

Many cars go down in value each month about the same amount as your payment
Thats a normal car. You could have bought anything else and had a motor blow- no warranty.
We forgive acura because they continue to take care of us.
If you want real problems, get a gen3~

 

I don't think anyone is ever happy enough with a company/product. Everyone wants something for nothing.

Honda/Acura screwed up, and have done more than enough to make up for it. The reason the "value" dropped on our cars so much is because of the 3G TL. Yes, anyone that researches a car before buying will be aware of these problems.

So a TL out of tranny warranty, with the original will not sell as fast as one with a 05+ replacement, or still under warranty. If anyone doesn't like this then they NEVER should have purchased the car, or got rid of it when the problem became so widespread/public.

IMO I love this car, and I'm happy I'm CPO so I don't have to worry about it. Although, I am smart enough to get rid of it if the trans is not replaced before my warranty is out. I'm sure I'll want a new car at that time anyway. Yes it will be another Acura. It's the only car I will own.

 

WOW... your loyalty is impressive.... My TL gets traded in this Thursday while it still shifts correctly..... Glad to get rid of it & I'm done with Acura!!!

 

Indeed. Some of you are obviously very forgiving. You're a better person than I am.

But again, my dissatisfaction with this car goes beyond the transmission. It's the warped rotors, peeling window trim, separating door panels. These are all expensive repairs. I've NEVER seen another car that has so many different serious issues. But then I've never owned a Dodge...

I'm also done with Acura/Honda. And so are some of my friends who work for American Honda Motors.

 

So you have stated before. Im happy for you that you think you will find a trouble free car elsewhere. EVERY car company has issues. Honda has tried and tried and has gone far and above what other companies have done with car issues that weren't deemed recall worthy (something the govt makes the decisions on) Show me one manufacturer that has had issues that has upped the warranty like honda did.

All i can say is, Good luck with your next purchase, what ever that may be.


Issues that not all have i might add.

 

Exactly, and I did have the window molding problem but they replaced them all under warranty no questions asked.

The brake rotors warping can also be cause by driver error. Over tightening the lugs, washing the wheels when the rotors are hot, letting the pads get too low before replacement, failure to re-surface when replacing pads, constant hard stopping, track use and so on.

No car is perfect, ESPECIALLY cars in the TL price range. I feel Honda/Acura has a great warranty/goodwill attitude with their customers.

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

I just got a replacement tranny put in by the dealer outside of the 7yr9mo period. Called ACS and they told me that the replacement tranny carries NO warranty. That's because the original warranty has expired and I did not pay anything out of pocket.

So folks in the same situation be aware. You have ZERO warranty on your newly replaced transmission.

 

You got a free out of limits trans, and still you find a way to bitch
First: never believe the minimum wage person at customer care
Go talk with your service MANAGER, who is the one that worked with the regional acura rep to secure the ok.
Most likely it has 12 month 10k miles warranty.

Your other choice would be aamco using the old case for 2500 and a warranty

P.S. Sell that car right away before you discover it needs the timing belt and water pump were not done at 105- thats not free either!

 

I'm just stating what I was told so others are aware of it. And you call that bitching?

You can't seem to be able to deal with any criticism on Acura.

 

Lets look at the facts:

1) Your transmission failed

2) You are out of the warranty period on a $4-$5k dealer repair

3) Acura decided to replace it FREEE OF COST with an updated transmission that is known to be reliable.

4) Since you were out of warranty, and still gave you the NEW FREE transmission, they won't give you a warranty on it.


I would be extremely greatful for that. Anyone here would be. You seem to not like Acura because they haven't found a way to build a perfect/maintence free/unbreakable car, so yes sell it and buy that perfect car.

 

100% agree. I always tell those who keep complaining about their cars. Life is good. So why make it worse by driving and cursing everyday the car you hate so much. I would sell it in no time. Why should anything make your life miserable ? You have the power to fix it.

 

I'm simply sharing information that I learned with other members of the forum. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what a forum is for?

Fine. Whatever I learned I will keep to myself.

 

3lch3apo, it's the way you said in your orignal post that sounded like you're bitching, even thought everyone here would have agreed that you are one lucky guy already. If you've been on this forum long enough, you'll read about some not-so-fortunate members who had to pay $3000-$5000 out of their own pocket to fix the out-of-warranty failed transmissions, while others are still fighting with Acura headquarter to get some kind of reimbursement.

If these people get the same treatment from Acura like you did, they'll be so happy to be thanking everyone, rather than emphasizing getting ZERO warranty from the newly replaced trannies. So consider yourself extremely lucky, or do you rather prefer to pay $5000 to secure the warranty on the newly replaced tranny ?

 

Yes 3- thats the point I was trying to make. Each of your post seemed to be about how you and your friends will never buy another honda because you bought a car that anyone with an internet connection knows there is a trans problem with!

If you had 500 post and were griping about trans failure, we would say: bummer dude it finally happened- you joined the club, what did you get for a loaner?
When you come in new, and badmouth a car we all know the probs with....

Look in the gen2 thread list and learn every common failure and its fix and price.
Want to bash acura- go to the Camry forum
Want to share ~Opinions~ go to the Ramblings section in here
Want to share Tech Info- great, and we do appreciate you advising that out of coverage ~goodwill~ units are: take it and say thank you. That is new news!
Normally the in warranty units are 1yr/10k miles and when they share cost out of warrantry its 1 year per $1000 up to 3yr/ for your $3000

 

EdwarsTLS I couldn't agree more..... you are so right.... I sold my 2000TL today after 7 months of ownership.... I hated it for several reasons--primarily the tranny issue.... I followed your advice to the letter, and sold it today!!!

Best of luck to all!!!!!

 

It's all how you look at it -

'00 TL bought used in '04 for $12500 (78K) and needed a trans within 1 mo. - very minor symtoms but dealer took it in and gave me a brand new loaner for a week and a 12/12 warranty on the new trans
That trans went out this summer with 165K on it - major failure. Called dealer and they said they'd see what they could do - wound up with another trans for $1200 and a 36/36 warranty as I paid some of the cost for the trans. Oh, and another nice new loaner for a week.
165K and they gave me a a $4000 trans job for $1200! What other car company would have done that? Maybe one or two, maybe. Did I enjoy dealing with the problem? no, but I am very happy with how they have treated me. The car has been bullet proof otherwise. I did do the required timing belt and put new, aftermarket rotors on. 176K now and I finally need a ball joint on the drivers side.
No complaints - very cost effective and fun car to own.
Obviously all dealers are not the same, but man, some of you guys seem to flip out about stuff thats not too out of the ordinary. Good luck with your future vehicles.

 

Good for you. Another happy individual who life is no longer miserable. Stay in touch. Tell us what you've bought.

 

Hey, All,

I just joined up today. Looking forward to e-chatting with you all.

I'm looking to get a newer car and, after several months of research, I've decided I want a 2G Acura 3.2TL (1999-2003). Then I discovered this thread and now I'm seriously reconsidering my choice because of the transmission nightmares with these cars.

I've read most of this thread, and as a result, I have some questions for anyone inclined to wanna help me out:

1) First of all, what exactly is the "Sport Shift" transmission? What makes it different from a 'regular' automatic transmission? Does it allow you to 'override' the auto shift points and shift the car manually, like with a stick shift, or ???? And is the Sport Shift only on the Type-S or does it come on the base model 3.2TL as well?

2) Much has been said of the supposedly "redesigned" transmissions beginning in February/March 2005. Has Acura PUBLICLY explained -- via an official announcement, or tech bulletin, for example -- just what EXACTLY they fixed or "redesigned" beginning in Feb. 05? Did they finally, once and for all, definitively and positively FIX -- I mean REALLY FIX -- the probs with these transmissions, or are they still flawed but just made to last a bit longer before they eventually fail from the same flaws as before? I have to know the answer to this question before I will buy one of these cars.

3) Are the problems with these transmissions exclusively DESIGN flaws, and thus inherently un-fixable (on a permanent basis), or are they PRODUCTION flaws due to weak steel/metal or otherwise sub-standard materials (steel gears or fluid jets or whatever) having been used in certain production runs/batches? Reason I ask is that I talked briefly to a senior mechanic at an Acura dealer recently, about these probs, and he commented that TLs that had VINs with a "J" in them (indicating the car was made in Japan) seemed to have a lot less transmission probs than TLs without a "J" (presumably ones made in Ohio). If that's the case, then it would be a PRODUCTION issue rather than an inherently-flawed transmission design. Anyone have any thoughts or inside knowledge about this?

4) While much of this thread has focused on the cost/inconvenience issues associated with the transmission probs, of more importance to me is the SAFETY issue. There are a number of posts in this thread (and on another similar Web site as well) from people who say their 3.2TL just suddenly downshifted into second gear while they were cruising down the freeway at 70mph. Others mention getting on a freeway onramp and having their TL shift into neutral as they were trying to merge into traffic.

Obviously, these are EXTREMELY DANGEROUS situations and it's an utter miracle no one has been seriously injured or killed yet (or maybe they have and we just don't know). All it would take would be a tractor trailer or even a large SUV or Humvee, for example, to be behind you when one of these incidents occurred and you could easily be rear-ended and crushed/killed. Since many have said these things happened with no prior warning or transmission symptoms, the danger is ridiculous.

That being the case, do any of you guys/gals know if these types of incidents have continued to occur with the supposedly "redesigned" transmissions (from 2/05 forward)? Are there any reports at all, or has this problem been 100% rectified?

There is no way I'm going to put myself, my girlfriend, or a future family in jeopardy like this, so I need to have complete reassurance this can't/won't happen if I buy a 2G 3.2TL with a post-Feb. '05 transmission in it. Can anyone point me to such reassurance (in writing or wherever)? Or are we all just relying on anecdotal reports that the newer transmissions "seem to be holding up better" or the like?

Whether or not the transmission is "covered under warranty" is not the primary concern to me -- the cost to replace the transmission would be irrelevant if I'm dead or crippled. My main concern is the SAFETY factor.

I just wanna mention how glad I am that I came across this site and this thread in particular. Particular kudos go out to Member 01tl4tl for his detailed and informative posts. This is a great resource for sharing info and helping each other out.

 

Bristol Shore,

That has to be the longest first post by any Acurazine member.

1) Does it allow you to 'override' the auto shift points and shift the car manually? Yes

2) There's no official announcement regarding the revisions made in February of 2005. If there's a service bulletin out I haven't seen it mentioned here.

Did they finally, once and for all, definitively and positively FIX -- I mean REALLY FIX -- the probs with these transmissions, or are they still flawed but just made to last a bit longer before they eventually fail from the same flaws as before? I have to know the answer to this question before I will buy one of these cars.

It seems that the revised transmissions are more reliable but that's just based on forum member reports. If you need an absolute answer to that question, I would pick another car.

3) The general consensus appears to be that the original material selected for the third gear clutch pack has led to many of the failures. That's apparently one of the things Acura changed in 2005.

4) On the safety topic, I don't recall any forum reports of injuries during a transmission failure. I did read a couple of "that could have been really bad" high speed failure reports.

Be aware that the 1999 TL uses a 4-speed transmission while the 2000-2003 TLs used a 5-speed. The 4-speed transmission is more reliable from a statistical standpoint.

Good luck with whatever you buy.

Bob

 

The other design change was to the case itself, and the oil passages inside were made larger. The post 2/05 replacement units have the new case.
Thats the other prob- not enough cooling flow oil to the 2nd and 3rd gear clutchpacks. You have to be a very skilled tech and driver to sense the failure coming like the downshift on freeway, which isnt enough to spin the car out or overrev the motor- but does happen now and then

From the sounds of your safety concerns, you should be looking at a camry for 5 grand more than a TL. Not as fun to drive, but peace of mind for the average driver~

 

Thanks, lads,

Sorry for the long first post, but there's a lot to this topic and I had a lot of questions that I need answers to.

After reading your responses, I have a couple more questions:

1) Based on what you guys have said, it would appear that I shouldn't have to worry about the transmission if I get a car with a post-Feb. 05 transmission in it. If Acura has enlarged the oil passages (w/the new case) and made a change to the clutch pack material, that would appear to have corrected the problems. Yes? No?

If that's the case, you'd think Acura would have put out some sort of definitive announcement to that effect (if for no other reason than to calm the firestorm of criticism & unhappy TL owners). In a couple months, it'll be three years since the Feb. 05 revision transmissions, and one would think that by now the results would be in: Have there or have there not been reports of the same old problem happening again? If there have been zero reports of the same prob, presumably we could say that the prob has definitively been fixed. If there are still reports of the same failures (even if less often), then obviously it hasn't. Have either of you guys heard of a post-Feb. 05 transmission failing for the same reasons as before?

2) Do either of you happen to know if it would be possible to have the transmission checked/inspected, say, two or three times a year to check for the kind of damage that would result in the notorious freeway downshift or slippage and thus catch it before it caused a potentially unsafe failure? Could an Acura mechanic look inside and see clutch pack wear, or signs of overheating, in the early stages? Or maybe diagnostic error codes being stored that could be accessed by a tech and thus kind of alert us that hey, this thing is starting to act up internally and we should investigate further? Or is it basically a matter of drive the thing until it fails and just hope & pray that when it does, it isn't on the freeway or in another unsafe situation?

Re the Camry recommendation, thanks but I'm not really looking for a 'family car' at this time. I really like the looks, style and otherwise great quality of the 2G 3.2TLs, and that's why I'm making the effort to find out if I can make this work for me. If not, then so be it. But there aren't many cars on the road that appeal to me these days, and the 3.2TL does -- but not if it means risking my safety or that of my friends/family.

 

There are 2004-2005 TLs with same trans problems now- so I would say there is improvement but not perfect
There have been some failures of post 2/05 replaced units- not like the number of OE units that went bad though, parts is parts and the goober assembling the thing for low wages.....
Not all TL trans fail- just most of azine because its a tech forum.
Ask owners at large and they dont even know there is a problem, which is why no big statement claiming fixed- why alert people to old prob and create doubt in product?

There was a recall for install of external oil jet to help those packs, at the time the tech uses a boroscope camera to check for wear of the gears- but you cant tell much about the clutches themselves.
The best thing to do is find a TL with warranty coverage remaining- that hasnt had the trans yet. Then you get it replaced soon after and start with a like new car!
You cant pull codes unless there was a flashing D5 light on the dash or other problem.

Any car you like call acura 1-800-382-2238x5 with the VIN number and ask about its history- any outstanding warranty or recall issues, and prior warranty repairs?
if thats all good- have a private shop put it on the lift and check all the brake parts.
To test trans- now this is general method- there are specific ones for each model. the tech told me on my 01TL-P at 35 mph light throttle- stomp on gas and see if trans downshifts and engages properly thru 3rd into 2nd or lags- indicating potential problem. Clutch is clutch- just like a manual trans, it has to hook up under power and extreme load!

 

Thanks a lot, 01tl4tl.

You said, "There are 2004-2005 TLs with same trans problems now- so I would say there is improvement but not perfect." Now you've got me confused: Are you referring to the new TLs -- the 3G's -- or the 2G TLs with rebuilt transmissions from 2004-2005?

You also said, "Not all TL trans fail- just most of azine because its a tech forum.
Ask owners at large and they dont even know there is a problem, which is why no big statement claiming fixed- why alert people to old prob and create doubt in product?"

That's interesting, and I think you're right. There's a girl living a couple blocks away that has a 2000 3.2TL for sale with 110K on it, and when I mentioned the transmission problems these cars have had, she knew nothing about it and said she's never had a transmission problem. And it's a Marysville (Ohio) production car -- there's no "J" in the VIN. That, coupled with what you and others have said in this thread, leads me to believe the problem is more of a production problem than an inherently-flawed design. If in fact it were a design flaw, then theoretically every trans in every 2G 3.2TL on the road would fail. Would you concur?

I also have to wonder if maybe, just maybe, these failing trannies are due to the way some people are driving these cars. Could it be possible that the Sport Shift feature is largely to blame, maybe due to people trying to drive these cars like sports cars (doing a lot of manual, aggressive shifting)? I wonder if the trans failures are less prevalent in TLs where the driver never even uses the Sport Shift feature. Any thoughts on that?

BTW, is Sport Shift only a feature on the Type-S or do the base model TLs have it also?

Quote: "The best thing to do is find a TL with warranty coverage remaining- that hasnt had the trans yet. Then you get it replaced soon after and start with a like new car!"

Great idea, but I'm assuming I wouldn't be able to get the transmission replaced until it fails, right? So how would I "get it replaced soon after"? I'm assuming I can't just drive into an Acura dealership and get a new post-Feb. 2005 trans just by asking for it, right? You're basically saying drive it a bit and hope it fails, then get it replaced under warranty?

Quote: "You cant pull codes unless there was a flashing D5 light on the dash or other problem."
Okay, I didn't know that. So basically the car's onboard computer (or whatever) doesn't keep a record of clutch slippage or less-than-perfect gear shifting in such a way that a mechanic could plug the car into a machine and pull that record up? In other words, the mechanic couldn't say, "Okay, this printout of the activity in the last 4 weeks shows 17 abnormal clutch/shifting occurrences" or something like that? Before you skewer me for my ignorance here, know that I've been driving a 1978 Toyota Celica for all these years and I don't know much about how newer cars work. I know they have "onboard computers" but I don't know what those can do.

Thanks for the Acura phone #. I was planning on doing exactly what you recommend if I move forward with getting one of these cars.

Quote: "The tech told me on my 01TL-P at 35 mph light throttle- stomp on gas and see if trans downshifts and engages properly thru 3rd into 2nd or lags- indicating potential problem."

Is there a typo there -- did you mean to say "engages properly thru 2nd into 3rd"? (Stomping on the gas would be acceleration, obviously, and you'd go from 2nd to 3rd, not 3rd to 2nd, right?)

Thanks a lot for the info. I really appreciate the feedback.

 

Hey Bristol Shore......
Your talking about buying a car from a company who has never officially admitted to a transmission design error... Yes they extended the warranty and failed to correct the problem the 1st time around.... Although there seems to be general agreement the problem was fixed after 2/05----5 years to come up with a working fix??? Who's running that place???---and be advised that 01 and 02 MDX's have the same problem. If your gonna buy... make sure the dealer confirms tranny replacement was after 2/05 and hope you didnt get a left-over from before... Go find a used Lexus ES300... you'll be happier..

 

What I wrote was correct- and you are correct on some of it- so to be clear~

The VIN designation only tells country of final assembly and means nothing about where the thousands of parts made in 3rd world places come from. Ever wonder why the seat feels like sitting on a tennis shoe?

The NEW 04- 05 TL with 40-50 thousand miles have been having trans replaced with same prob as ours. Some with even less miles!!!!

Some replacement units in gen2 fail- thats a bad part or assembly- it has its own warranty when replaced, plus still car covered under the 7+9/109k

When in Drive and going easy on flat road-the trans has to downshift when you stomp on it- causing the clutches to strain the hardest- an easy way to see if they slip. The speed the test is done at varies with year and model -per the tech-, directions were specific to my car so I could watch for prob with replacement unit.
Buy a TL and expect trans failure!?!?- you already joined azine--- that seems to cause trans failure! and you dont even own one yet!!
If the trans acts up it, it stores codes- you will have noticed it not shifting right at that point anyway, clunking into gear or slip on hard throttle. My code was for engine overrev- because trans slipped and fooled computor
Use of SS has no impact on the fact the clutch pack has a weak material- even the current replacements sold and used by Acura, and the oil passageways dont carry enough oil to keep everything cool. No, an external oil cooler will not improve the FLOW rate of the oil.
The 05 case design change ~mostly~ fixed that- until then, they reused old cases.
The new cars in 04-05 would have been on the older design.
Smell the trans fluid for burnt smell- if so and a warranty car- buy it!
Its an automatic no matter how you look at it and the fluid is the first sign of trouble

 

The rebuilder shop/warehouse only ships current units- the only prob was the remaining stock that got distributed till mid 05- failed againd and replaced. These days- a service writer would have no idea what you are talking about.

VW and many other makers, use the same Tiptronic trans and had massive failure rate- they dont warranty!-, as do most cars with the early days of any technology. Look at the new car ads and wheel mounted SS is the common item. While its really only good for playtime at the track or backroads- some of us enjoy it, while others have never done anything but put it in D5 and go

What's up with the 00 down the street from you? Check it out- if trans looks bad, have the girl take it in - they will goodwill 1k over limit no questions- especially if she had any service done there.
After an exhaustive wide area search, my TL was found just down the street with the original owner.

 

I admit to not having read most of this thread...

While I know there are some design flaws that can't be cured by cooler, better, and cleaner fluid, I don't see why people aren't doing basic things to prolong the life. I've installed a big cooler, a servicable real filter instead of the screen they come with, and the best synthetic fluid on the market.

My fluid does not change color whatsoever. It's always bright red even after 15,000 miles. My Z1 was burned and black after the same time period. Shift quality is better than stock and it doesn't get "confused" as to which gear to shift in to. When lube is marginal already, a synthetic can help some since it resists shear a little better.

A filter will stop the cascading effect. You have a part failing and releasing metal into the fluid. This metal in turn gets circulated back to the failing part and helps it to wear faster, not to mention what it does when it gets into the valvebody.

A cooler is a win-win situation. It makes the fluid last longer, the seals stay soft longer, gives more consistancy, and coupled with the synthetic fluid can help the marginal lube hot spots in the trans. We're pulling a 3,500lb car with 260hp and a factory cooler that can't possibly cool lower than 195 degrees best case scenario.

These are things Honda should have done from the factory but didn't. Still, they're so cheap, I don't know why no one does this.

 

This thread is mainly about the gen2 cars and the symptoms of failure, what to tell the dealer, how to get warranty coverage out of limits etc.

Gen2 Moderator fsttyms1 went thru 5 automatics in 200K miles. The 2 that lasted the shortest time... had an external oil cooler he installed. At 250k he got tired of the game and installed a CL-S motor and 6 speed in his 2000 TL.

Low flow rate-amounts of cooler oil is not much better than low amounts of the designed temp oil, with the special Honda fluid.-Some parts of the car really prefer their own brand of whateversinthestuff products.

When the clutch packs go- a filter wont help- its rebuild time.

Back when these trans were designed in the 90s- a TL barely had 200HP
Lets all pretend only Acura saves every penny they can, look at the front calipers- they had 2 piston units that fit perfect on gen2 cars, but nooooooooo

The new cars and the replacement transmissions have a better designed case with more oil flow- bigger passageways and other improvements. They are better- but not bullet-proof

 

Sorry but a cooler wont do any thing on the 2nd gen to prolong the life of the trans. I had one (as did others) and i still went thru 5 trans) The one that lasted the longest actually ding have the cooler. ANd fluid wont help either as its not the problem, the problem is the clutch packs wearing out too fast in the 3rd gear clutch pack due to inadequate cooling (not enough fluid can get to the pack)

 

Correct, the factory rebuilt units have added passage-ways and also enlarged the passage-ways in the tranny blocks to increase the coolant flow rate and to bring the heat out from deep inside the trannies. An external cooler does nothing to increase the coolant flow and to release the heat trapped deep inside the tranny block.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. I go back & forth on this ... IMHO the way Acura handled this whole situation is horrendous. Even the senior Acura mechanic I spoke to said to me, "I hope some people at corporate got fired over this."

OTOH, as has been said so many times, these cars are phenomenal otherwise. There's so much to like, and the transmissions are the only significant problem. (I'm aware of the brake rotor issues and a couple other minor things, but all cars have problems and there is no 'perfect' car on the road -- the small probs are not ''deal killers'' in my mind.) So it's kind of a love/hate thing, I guess.

I love the Saab 95, but there are very few independent shops that work on Saabs (zero in my area), which means I'd have to take it to a dealer everytime it needed service. And the nearest Saab dealer to me is about an hour's drive, so that kills that idea ....

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Is this still a problem with the post-Feb. '05 units (with new, redesigned cases)? I'm a little confused here because I went back and skimmed thru several previous pages of this thread and can't seem to find any mentions of post-Feb. 05 transmissions failing (due to clutch pack failure). Yet 01tl4tl says the new transmissions are better but not bulletproof (meaning, I assume, they still eventually fail for the same reason but it just takes longer?).

No offense, guys (really), but do you mind if I ask where you've heard of, or read about, post-Feb. 05 units failing? I admit I kind of skimmed the posts and might have missed something; I'd just like to see for myself.

01tl4tl: I'm heading out the door for a few hours but will respond to your earlier posts this evening or tomorrow. Thanks again for the continuing info/feedback. It's helpful.

Thanks to the rest of you as well. I'm considering looking at other cars, but I haven't decided yet. Still gathering info ....

 

There is a seperate thread in gen2 for post 2/05 trans failures to check in and report.
See gen3 threads for trans failure with the 04-05s.
Better means say, 1 in 5000 replacements and 04-05 cars fail, versus 1 100 for gen2 TL
My dealer said they do 4+ warranty gen2 trans a month, its no big deal to them, they get paid to do it by Acura.

Ok- I agree- an oil cooler is not going to hurt anything, and a filter is always a good idea since we cant change one on the TL. My tech at dealer who rebuilds these at home for friends-said: he is working on a size change to some shaft and better clutch material and secret mods. He wondered if there was a market for reliable trans? Hope he doesnt mind giving up his day job!!!

 

I should've looked at what forum I was in. Thought I was in the 3rd gen lol. I saw the failure thread with all of these posts and freaked out a little. Still though, the cooler, filter, and synthetic won't fix the defects but won't hurt.

 

I have an 01 TL with 1`03K and my shifting seems pretty normal but occasionally feel a very slight ummmm.. like lag when passing through lower gears. So slight I cant call it slip. Is there a way to determine quickly if yer tranny is on the verge, so to speak? I'd hate to lose aftrer warranty. And by the way, whats that website where you can check to see if you are covered? Thanks in advance.

 

https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=acura
Have your VIN number in hand, and you can store the radio security code there too!

Basic test- cruising light throttle at 25 and repeat test at 35
in D5 stomp the gas and see what the trans does as it downshifts, does it slip? even a little? take a few seconds as it struggles? How about 2nd gear on big hill full throttle?
How about N to D5- any delay more than 1 second?

Take it in and complain NOW-
if problem not found today- its in the records and when unit fails after warranty- you still get goodwill coverage because they couldnt find it before

 

Yeah, you're right of course. I'm guessing that the MIJ (made in Japan) transmissions might have gotten clutch packs made of different materials or something? I dunno. I'm just goin' by what the senior Acura mechanic told me, and he was pretty forthright about his experiences with these transmissions. He's personally replaced hundreds & hundreds of 'em, he said.

He also said that it's his theory that the basic prob is that the engine is too powerful for these transmissions. They weren't designed to withstand the torque put on them by the 2G TL engine, and that's why they get too hot and fail. Seems like a good theory to me.

So basically you're saying the transmission actually downshifts momentarily before upshifting to the next higher gear? That's unusual to me, but then I've been driving a car with a manual trans all my life.

Heh heh ... yeah, I may have unwittingly secured a descent into the Acura Valley of Transmission Doom™.

Okay. I could live with that, but my big worry is that the car could be working perfectly, with no symptoms whatsoever, then suddenly shift into second gear while I'm cruising down the freeway at 70mph one day. This could easily cause an accident even if a driver behind me happened to be following at a normal, acceptable distance. There are a few posts in this thread to that effect, and they *say* they had no prior warning. That seems a bit odd to me, given what I've learned about these trans failures -- you'd think the driver would have noticed some probs before the situation progressed to that point, but I dunno. Your thoughts?

You'd think that by now they would be using military- or aircraft-grade steel in these clutch packs or something. I mean really, how difficult can this be to correct? Couldn't they just do a volume purchase of the same type of steel that NASA uses on the Space Shuttles or somethin'? (You know, the kind that'll withstand the inferno-like heat of the Earth's atmosphere?) Sure it would cost extra $$ to do something like that, but contrast that with the labor & materials cost to replace thousands & thousands of entire transmissions due to premature failure, and you'd think the choice would be obvious.

Presumably I'd then take it to a dealer, ask for an inspection, and hope they find heat damage and offer to replace it under warranty? Or would I have to wait until it physically starts failing?

 

I looked & looked & couldn't find it. I don't normally ask others to search for things for me on the Web, but could you give me a link to that thread?

If he could convince the pinheads at Honda/Acura corporate to pay him for the re-design/mod he comes up with, he just might be able to quit his day job! Maybe they'd give him a half million dollars or something if it would save them several million ... who knows? Heh heh ... I'll volunteer to help with the marketing presentation to the suits.

I'm not really joking -- if he could come up with a great fix, he should really present it to Honda corporate. What's the worst that could happen? All they could do is say no.

I still like my idea of military- or aircraft-grade steel in the clutch packs and/or gears ....