hey guys, anyways i need some help hopefully u guys can give me some help....
i got a salvage 00 tl-p at 69k tranny is eff up!!! So i know im out of tha dealer warrenty. I wanna know anybody out there who have got a goodwill from acura about salvage titles having tranny replace at any discounted price. if not i either have AAMCO replace my tranny which is a pretty hefty price. i wanna know who got job done by AAMCO and was it any good? and do AAMCO replace tha tranny core or just rebuild it? And one last thing if not AAMCO i was gonna go to a local shop who rebuilt for $1200 but i know it no good just to rebuild it cuz it still have tha defective core but how long will a rebuilt run? MUCH THANKS hopefully i can get sum idea what im dealing wit sorry bout tha reading haha

 

its not really a `defective` core/case...they did a design change in 2005 to the oil passages.

Acura has no reason to help you with salvage title but it wont hurt to go in person and speak with the SERVICE MANAGER about matching aamcos price- about $2500-2800 right?
Getting it at their cost plus a percentage- instead of the 3500-4000 they get retail for the entire job

Times are lean everywhere, and some profit is better than the job going to someone else
The replacement units from acura have the new case design and have a good record, but some do fail---they are just a bunch of parts

Its not the case thats the failure- its the clutch packs

 

aamco rebuils your transmission- replacing what parts are needed
What kind of local shop said 1200- have they ever done a TL rebuild?

 

So today i dropped of my TL and got Brand new TSX. In one week getting my TL back

 

i dropped my tl in late friday night, got a new RDX as a loaner with full feature Nav, XM Radio, pretty cool vehicle plus they will call me tomorrow about my transmission.

 

Hello,

My 03 TL tranny just started to act up today (same problems with slipping when shifting from second to third etc) so I decided to see if there was any info on the problem.
After a little searching, I found this thread. Holy Crap
51 pages and still going... I started to read and after 10 pages, I decided to skip to the beginning of 2008 and go from there.
I get the feeling that 01tl4tl spends all of his free time here and very likely is tired of answering the same Questions over and over again. I won't ask anything that has not already been answered but instead, would like to add my 2 cents regarding Aamco.
A couple of years ago, my 2000 Accord needed a new tranny so I went to Aamco for an estimate. They said, no problem, leave it for a day and they will phone with a figure.
The next day, they called and said $3800 for a rebuild. I was more then a little suprised and thought I should get a 2nd estimate. They said fine but my tranny was already on the bench and they would have to charge me almost $500 to put it back together without fixing anything.
At this point, I was really pissed but I needed the car the next week for a trip, so I reluctantly agreed to have them complete the work. Keep in mind that up to this point, I had only agreed to have them inspect it for an estimate.
Well, the car was done in time but with a few extras thrown in for free.
When I picked it up, there were two gouges on the side (one was down to bare metal). They refused to believe that they were not there when I brought the car in. Well, I have a buddy who does body work for fun so I figured I could bring over a couple of cases of beer one day and he could take care of it for me. At least I would have the car for my trip.
Now this is where it really gets fun...
After two blocks, I hear a really bad scrapping noise from the front and pull over. Turns out, they had not attached my left front brake rotors correctly and they had ground against something. There were several very deep groves in the rotor. Aamco agreed to fix it but they took their time. My car was not ready for my trip so I had to rent one (they refused to cover even part of the rental fee).
When I got back to pick up my car, I found that their fix was to resurface the rotor and not replace it. The problem was that both of the front rotors were less then 4 weeks old when my tranny went. Not Trusting Aamco, I took my car to my local shop and had them inspect the rotors they had installed the previous month. They measured and found that my almost brand new rotor was now less them minimum required thickness. When I told them my story, they felt sorry for me at replaced it for the cost of the part. These guys, I always bring coffee and donuts when I go in.

Bottom line, I would rather see my TL rust in my driveway then bring it in to Aamco.

 

I am sorry to hear of such a bad experience with ANY shop. Poor QC is everywhere, millions out of work and all the crap ~alleged mechanics~ seem to have jobs!!

You may want to write AAMCO corp about the problems with that shop- their name is on the line in cases like this--might get some refund for your efforts--
What parts they damaged on your car, they have to replace with new

Everyone should do a walk around of your car at drop-off with the service manager.
Take pics of any existing damage and the fact there is no other damage
Then its no arguement later
Cars get parked really close together- doors get banged, some idiot tries to wedge a part between the wall and a car and scraaaaaaape~ ooops

The TL trans is a complex device- not all trans shops have actual experience with them- which is why I always say to ask how many they have personally done- less than 10-- go somewhere else

We dont have a lot of choices on rebuilders- its not a basic chevy 350/400 trans of old.
Its usually about $2500-2800 to rebuild yours, 3800 is pretty steep unless you ran the old one till it wouldnt go another foot!

Acura will do the job for about that price and get their new trans case in the deal

Estimates on trans repairs, beyond the basic of `needs a trans`codes and test drive~
DO require complete removal of the trans from the car (no simple task) and opening of the unit- thats a good 6 hours to remove and disassemble- plus another 2-3 hours to reinstall.
They give a `inspect and teardown estimate` of $500--you know its going to be more than that- that only covers getting inside and making a parts list,,not installing the parts or putting it back in the car

Once inside they see how many clutch packs-gears-belts- the ECU, pressure selenoids-torque convertor etc etc are required on this particular job

Any shop can have a lousy employee/intern tech not tighten the bolts right on something, that is a hazard of allowing anyone to touch your car!!
I had the dealer do the craziest stuff like overtighten brake bolts- ripped the threads right out of the bracket!!,,,and a spedie lube tech told me he inflates tires to max pressure -= not the suggested/requested pressure- because its easier for the customer to let to let air out if they want to...
Why not set them at the 36 they are supposed to be at?
Ummm- because max is what is max

In closing: let no one think I endorse a certain company- only what I have read on here
My trans gets warranty replacements so I dont have actual experience with trans rebuild on the TL

 

aamco owes you a rotor or 2 because they turned it below minimum
its a minimum thickness for a reason,,, and shops are NOT allowed to send cars out with the brakes at or below allowable spec
Its simply not safe and IS their LIABILTY

 

LOL, I just wanted to get out of there.
Chocked it up to a learning experience and moved on.
Right now, I would rather have my privates pounded flat with a rubber mallet then go anywhere near Aamco.

BTW, I called my local Acura and made an appointment for Monday am. Thanks to all of the info posted here, I was able to describe the problem and knew what to expect. Thanks for all that.
Will followup next week on what happens
2003 TL, within VIN range, 128,000 KM, Canadian car, etc

 

Yes this used to be my hangout and place to share service writer/tech insider info-

now I have a 2 wheel Honda to spend time on,,,just waiting for the roads to dry today and out for a fun run!

Whats the warranty on canada cars- ~within VIN range~ doesnt really mean much if its
50k miles limit and you have 128,000km's approx 75,500 miles

 

Well, I had my car towed into the dealer. The service manager is on vacation, so I had to deal with a service writer. Car has been at dealer for 2 days now. Finally calls me today. The transmission needs to be replaced. Great. In 2004 I am assuming the oil jet kit was added for the recall. I purchased in oct '05, tranny replaced in march '07. Now they are telling me it will cost $4,500.00 to fix it plus the motor mount is broke again (third time know, shocks are leaking in the front and the somthing with the one of the ball joints as well, another $4,000 to fix. I am waiting for the Service Manager to get back on Monday, but I think they may not "help" me with the tranny price if I am not going to get the rest of the items fixed. I just want to get rid of this car. Between the freaking transmission problems, motor mounts, parking break switch not releasing, it sucks. I payed $25K for an "acura certified" car in 05 and I can't get more than 117 thousand miles out of two transmission fixes.

 

as 01tl4tl describe above, acura will replace my 02 tl-s tranny, but not a new one according to them, it's a rebuilt, will get my car back within one week from today, they do not know if i need new motor mount until they start working my tranny, however what is this 3/36 extended warranty for $100 others are referring.? i mentioned that to the dealer and they are pretty much clueless or does not know anything about it.

 

it's not a warranty for $100...acura gives you that warranty if you contribute ANYTHING to the cost of the transmission replacement. some apparently get away with $50 or $20, others pay $500, but my dealer asked for $100 (when i inquired about the 3/36 warranty). given how far i was out of warranty, it seemed like a pretty good deal.

 

the story keeps changing,, but last I heard was: if you paid partial any amount-then you could BUY a 3/36 for $300--applies only to out of limits cars getting GOODWILL

If totally warranty covered inside limts- then the unit has 12/10 plus whatever the car still has from the original settlement
Different people heard different things

All the replacement units are rebuilt using acura returned units as parts sources.
with new parts as needed.

Acura corp should be willing to help since you had a warranty failure in 07

The service writer can only quote full price, and cant call acura corps regtional warranty rep who makes the actual decision.

the trans and other items you need are seperate isssues- ball joint is very common failure- rough roads where you live?

Motor mount is prone to fail over 50k miles, more so if you are hard driver
As soon as the tech looks under the car to remove the trans they can see if the mount is leaking (they are fluid filled)
Very simple 20 minutes for tech to replace it when trans is out
part is $120 or so

Speak with the service manager and describe the cars history,
ASK for `GOODWILL warranty help` from acura
Be NICE Be positive- you love your acura, and have read on acurazine.com how corp is hooking people up for no charge or very little in similar situations

 

plumr- its not 2 fixes you had in 117k miles,
and most cars are ready for the trash at that miles- all you need is a few parts- timing belt if not done yet and go another 100

the 2004 recall was to install an oiler external to the trans for 2nd gear- while the main failure is actually the clutch packs

In early 2005 a change was made to the oil passages in the case design, so new cases were made for the rebuilds

So you has a trans failure at what- 70k miles?- right on schedule according to acura techs! and they gave you a freshed up one free, and may do it again

Front shocks leaking and bad ball joints- Where do you operate this car?

 

So I'm getting my tranny replaced under warranty. They also said that my front motor mount is bad ( $535 to replace) and ball joints ( $610 to replace). My question is is it difficult to replace motor mount and balljoints? I've done it before but on different car.

 

your grand total is $1145, , they are still waiting for my replacement tranny at the dealer and i wouldn't know how much they'll charge me until they rip my car open.

 

what happens after the tranny replacement, are they going to last for a while.? people here are getting their tranny replaced multiple times, to me it is just not worth it to keep my tl, perhaps i should sell it after my tranny replacement.

 

just picked up my car from the dealer today, feels like a new car! it feels smoother than the 09 tsx i gave back so seems like a good deal to me.

 

SH!T...121,0xx miles and my 2000 TL just started the harsh shifting. Rough shift going into second gear. Harsh downshift from 5th to 4th and sometimes 3rd.

I'm going to try and plead for the goodwill warranty from Acura, but I don't have high hopes. I guess on the plus side I got 121,000 miles out of the original tranny.

 

I've been noticing some slipping going into 3rd gear so i took my TL to the dealership. They drove it, but wanted to keep it till the morning to drive it when its cold. I sit in the lobby and the service manager tells me "wait one minute while I hook you up with a loaner car...You are 21 right?"

of course, my 21st birthday is in August. But I only have 97,000 miles on it right now so I'll be good until then, the problem can only get worse I guess, which is better for me. Do they just replace the transmission all together?

 

If diagnosed as failed- yes

 

I can't believe how many more transmissions are failing. Glad to see most of you guys are getting goodwill/warranty, or 50/50 replacements. Mine failed at 76k out of warranty, not covered under extended warranty. I paid $500 for the 3/36 and had use of an 08 TL as a loaner for a week.

Acura seems to be doing right by their mistake with these transmissions. The motor mount issue pisses me off, but overall I still think it's a great car. I'm going to be keeping my TL until it's not worth fixing anymore.

 

Amen. You gotta love Honda/Acura, cars will never die, I had my 94 accord for 202k miles, then sold it for $1,200. I'm sure its still kickin hard

 

yau- the Front motor mount price was quoted wrong- they forgot to change it to -`with trans removed`- then its only 20 minutes not 3 hours for labor on it!
Simple mistake- happens- tell the service manager and they will correct it to $150 with part 120 and labor 30

Have an alignment shop do the ball joints and do an alignment

Ask service manager on price for those, are complete new control arms with bushings- and why- are all the bushings bad or its easier for them to replace whole component parts than a piece of it

 

My dealer just called me and told me that my TL is not part of the recall for the oiljet replacement. I thought that all 1999 TL's were part of the class action recall?

 

I've talked to Acura and they told me to take my car in to the dealer and ask them for goodwill. She also said that they have a district manager in the area and talk to him also. She said due to the high mileage (171K) of my car it will be harder for the DM to offer any goodwill.

I told her I was a loyal Honda customer, she said that was a bonus, take it to the dealer.

 

got my 02 tl-s (51k on mileage) back last night with a new tranny replacement from the dealer, service guy said motor mount and ball joint does not need to be replace, they even fixed my radio too since i can't get it going even with my original code, total cost $0.

on my tl 7 year 9 months warranty will be expire this Sept. 09. hopefully with my new tranny it will last up to 200k, this is how long that i plan to keep my tl unless otherwise my new tranny go haywire again.

 

No, the 1999 TL uses an entirely different transmission than the one used in the 2000-2003 TL. The oil jet recall only applies to the 5-speed used in the later years.

But the 1999 TLs were covered by the extended warranty on the transmission. Perhaps that's what you were thinking about?

 

see submariner- told you it would be painless
Did you get a loaner?

did it have the right radio code and they did the antenna plug disconnect trick?

others have found that going to an undergound parking structure blocks the radio signal and then the radio will take its code--strange~ but true

 

chip- when you say loyal customer- Have you purchased several cars from this dealer and had service done there forever

And someone who answers the phone at acura 800 was hopefull- well that was nice of her at least- better than hearing- dude you are sooooooooooooo screwed

171 is pretty high for any trans to even last- let alone get goodwill help

It doesnt hurt to ask, maybe for them to match aamcos rebuild price would be good deal

 

thanks for all your info 01tl4tl , yes i did get a loaner, an 08 rdx with nav and xm radio too.

i've tried pull the antenna and that didn't work, was going to try the underground parking but the service guy beat me to it, and all these for $0.

still don't know i should be happy or upset, i never imaging for a $35k car which was how much i paid for at that time comes in with a defect transmission, but with all these it sure has put a dent on my future purchase for another acura vehicle.

 

I sold my 1994 Acura Integra LS (auto) with 200k on the clock for $4,000 in 2004. The guys still has it with 260k on it. That car also needed a new auto trans (covered under extended warranty) at 60k. The replacement was fine.

My father had an 03 TL-S with 40k on the clock. Took it in for the recall and they replaced the transmission. He traded that car in 05 for his current TSX. Dunno if that trans lasted or not since it was a pre 2/05 replacment.

My next Acura will be an NSX as a toy. As far as a daily driver it will most likely be an RL. Acura has stood by their product with me and everyone has certain flaws. I only paid $500 for my trans warranty so I can't complain.

 

true, nobody built perfect vehicles, but transmission is vital and essential for our car to keep on running the way it suppose to, for me this is unacceptable.

 

look at audi and vw with a similar tiptronic trans- 50k mile warranty- no goodwill and pretty much sure to fail after 51~

There is not enough room inside the case for enough clutchs and other issues, the TL kept growing but the trans didnt keep up with the HP

What new car doesnt have major recalls and design flaws- build cost cutting etc.
What you paid for it and how it was made are not related

At least you did have the special court ordered trans extended warranty and were fully covered plus a few freebies, Gen 3 gets hosed with a 50 limit

The new trans is like getting half a new car- run some seafoam thru it and install new plugs- be like a brand new car again

 

01tl4tl,

I will be getting a new trans next week for the 2nd time within 8K miles first one was toast at 71K and now this one is done at 78K. Trans fluid is already turning a dark red and i just started getting intermittend shuddering........not to mention a consistant delayed 2-3 shift on the first startup.......

I hope that they get a new trans in there asap because I do not want to go though the mess I did last time.....

 

I'll ask them to match the rebuilt price, I take it in to them this friday.

 

Yeu--you know that mechanical things may fail- thats why there is warranty
Wont be any problem with the swap for you

Loaner cars are fun to take to a track day~

 

Thats amazing. What made you decide to take it in? It's not really a "recall", im surprised that they even replaced it even though there was nothing noticeably wrong that you knew of. I hope I can take my 02 in this week and have them replace it.

 

Last time before they would change the trans, they had to wait until the unit threw a code. and they changed the trans fluid 4 times within 30K miles.lol

40K
47K
55K
63K

Eff that........