Spoilaz

My 03 TL-S only has 53,xxx on it and it "jerks" sometimes when you go from drive to reverse and makes a cracking sound.. even if you are not moving at all ... sometimes jerks from 1st to 2nd when its cold.... I took it to the dealer and they said it was fine because it wasn't doing it when I went there... but from what I am reading here it seems to be on the way out...has anybody here had theirs replaced at a dealer in southern NY area...did they give you any hassle?....if not, can you give me the name of the dealer because I would like to try to get mine changed before the 7 years is up...next month

Bob_F

The current time limit on the warranty is 7 years plus 9 months. Check your car's original in-service date to determine when that expires.

Also, if you haven't already, make sure that you car is in the VIN range of 2003 TLs that are covered by the extended warranty

thug lyfe

i have a 00 TL w/ 142k mi on the original trans. the trans first started the hiccup back in july and then it was a once in a while thing. now it does it every so often but the CEL is on and shifting seems rough and car doesn't drive as well. what are the chances of getting the trans fixed by the dealer for free? my dad (og owner) said we got a mail years back about the trans prob from acura and when we took it in they said trans was fine and didn't do anything. i'm not really expecting the dealer to cover anything now but just wondering what my chances are.

also, the mechanic that we always go to who is a family friend told us that the rebuild will cost around $2500 and it should fix the problem permanently. but after reading this thread i'm getting the vibe that even with a rebuild it might fail after only 30-40k miles. is it worth me to sell my old 98 corolla and rebuild the tranny or should i just sell the TL and save myself the hassle? besides the tranny the car runs well and everything so it seems kind of wasteful...

i'm in nyc btw, if anyone has experience w/ dealers in queens that'll help too, thanks.

niju321

given the age and mileage of your car it will be more difficult to get help from acura, especially in this unfortunate economic situation. if your dealer did not do the oil jet kit, then you can come down on them for that and i'd expect a free replacement in that case.

as for rebuilding, acura changed the design in 2005 to have better fluid flow to the weak 3rd gear clutch pack, and i think they changed the clutch material as well. so if you're having it rebuilt by a non-acura source, make sure you get the upgrades as well, otherwise you're right, you could have it fail again pretty quickly.

i would suggest taking it in to acura first and seeing what they quote you....if they give you 50% or something i'd sell that corolla and get a "new" acura redesigned unit, which should come with a 3 yr 36k mile warranty...

tjokster

Well I have another positive experience with Acura to add to this thread. I have an 03' Type S with 79k miles on it and my tranny started going out. I started experiencing the same failure between 2nd & 3rd gear like most others. So I took it to Acura of Richmond and my service manager went to bat for me. Acura is splitting the cost with me so I'm only outta pocket about 2k instead of 4k for Acura's replacement tranny. And I get the 3/36k warranty. My vehicle is outta warranty, outta the VIN # range and has had the recall oil jet service done. But they still worked with me! This was a great christmas gift!

TL Type S fan

My Type S transmission was replaced in 08 and it now has 74K miles. I just had the fluid replaced and Acura told me that I am still under full warranty if the transmission failed again. I also had the oil jet kit installed in mine. If the vin range was out then why would they install the jet kit? I would call Acura direct and get their take on your situation. I think they should cover it 100%. Good luck

tjokster

I was out of range for the extended warranty. I'm not sure how they went about determining who got the oil jet recall. It was done before I bought the car as the 2nd owner.

niju321

Everyone is eligible for the oil jet recall--maybe even salvage titles!
The issue that the oil jet fixes is VERY rare, but as it is a safety issue, acura is obligated to take care of it.

The issue that most TL owners complain about is not necessarily a safety issue, so there are different procedures to cover it.

eggyhustles

so which 2nd gen's are the most reliable..99 and 03's? or are they all ticking time bombs?

gold2003tl (90)

99 more reliable, but they still can have the same problems.

anionrings

iTrader: (2)

I have an 2003 TL-S with 68k miles on it and it is salvage...the tranny started going out also..it keeps slipping around 2nd and 3rd gear...eventually once that starts happening..I experience the Blinking D5..

when the D5 starts to blink my whole car is in 2nd gear the whole time...it wont shift to 3rd?...The Acura Dealership told me..i could take the oil jet thing Even if my car is salvage..

however,if it passes.. they said the dealership will replace a brand new one..only if i pass that test ..they recall about the oil fluid doesnt go up above 2nd gear?..which causes this some kind of safety hazard and they will replace your tranny for free??..

Does my symptoms seems simliar to that?..or is everyone experience the same thing i am?..

niju321

The symptoms you are experiencing are not what the oil jet fixes. The oil jet fixes (or at least is supposed to fix) an issue with (2nd?) gear overheating and CRACKING. That is a safety issue, and that is why Acura still does the work on salvage titled cars. However, they look inside the transmission with a borescope and if they notice overheating damage to the gear, my understanding is that they replace the transmission. So if you don't have that recall, you could have a good chance of a free replacement

anionrings

iTrader: (2)

Well i forgot to add when the D5 starts blinkin...The foot area where the gas pedal is warm ish...and on top of that its like i can smell the trannsmission...

i dont know if u can picture it but just think a Manual car clutch is burning...u can smell that weird smell?...i dont know if i explained it right?..but thats what i smell something in similiar...i hope that helps a bit?..

eggyhustles

take it in

anionrings

iTrader: (2)

I agree..ill make it there but i dont know if i can make it back home

Scott S.

I brought my 2002 TLS to the shop (not Acura dealer) yesterday and they looked at the tranny fluid. He said the fluid was dirty but it doesn't smell burnt which is an early sign of issues. The guy thinks I can do a 3-4 qt drain and fill will help clean out some of the dirty fluid. Then he recommended doing another one at my next two oil changes. While I trust this guy I still have my reservations about doing this as the tranny is working fine right now and don't want to create an issue.

Tranny was replaced in 2002 and now has 92K on it.

tjokster

I picked up my car yesterday and it's running great. But it ended up being cheaper than what I was originally quoted. Because of my VIN, Acura determined I didn't need to replace the ECM so I was only out $1700.

eggyhustles

so, i'm least likely to run into issues with a 99? or would an 03 with lower mileage be better?

i really want an 03 but shelling out 4k for a tranny replacement is

russianDude

99 model has less tranny problems than 03, but they still fail. The problem that 99 is 4 years older, probably has more miles, and things could go wrong just because its older. If you buying 03, try to find one that had transmission replaced after Feb. 2005.

anionrings

iTrader: (2)

the only way to cure this transmission sickness on our TL's are the 6 speed manual swaps ..

Once you do that swap..tranny problem might just dissappear

aarif1

Does anyone know if the failure rates are actually lower on replacement transmissions post 2005? I had mine replaced on my 02 last May, and I'm wondering how much lifetime I should expect to get out of it.

russianDude

I've seen on CL/TL 2nd generation forums maybe about 5 failures. The consensus that these transmissions are more reliable, but still fail. Part of the problem is the manual rebuild process that has human error factor. In additional, fundamental design problem is still there, just few band aids here and there to make it last longer.

Scott S.

i saw a post on another forum stating the failure rate is only 2% on the TLs but from the looks of things it is much higher than that. Does anyone know of someone who hasn't had a problem with a tranny in the 2nd gen TLs or the REAL failure rates?

russianDude

I know where this 2% is coming, its the number Honda gave to NHTSA like in 2004 or 2003. This number has so many problems in the way it was computed, that most agree that its not real, and probably at 2003 there was not enough data as cars where only few years old.

dukelx2005

I just bout a 2000 Acura TL its being repaired at the moment but i am not liking what i am reading bout these TRANSMISSON why are giving out, i heard about the RECALL but i noticed some of you all have replaced the transmisson 2 and 3 times now .. My currently has 144 i pray i dont run into any issues when it hits the road

Meatball

Yep, looks like I get to join the club too. 02 TL with 99K miles on it and I'm 6 months over my 7 year/9 month date.

I'm getting some slow shifting when I first start up, particularly when it's cold and I shift into reverse out of the driveway (delays 2 seconds or so) and then into drive (delays 5-6 seconds) before the transmission grabs and I can go.

I had the same problem a few years back, took it to the dealer and they said there was a 'recall' and fixed it. Now that I'm reading, I'm guessing they did the oil jet fix, but it seemed to run a little bit better and I didn't know any better.

Took it in to the dealer today and they said they feel the slipping too and I'll probably need a new transmission for $3500 since I was out of the warranty period. So, I called Acura and they sent me back to talk to the Service Manager. I just got off the phone with him and he was going to check on things and let me know in the morning. I'm planning on a 2k mile trip in a few weeks, so I'm hoping for the best and they'll at least cover some of the repair, but we'll see...

JDM-UA5

Well today i join the tranny club lost thrid gear last sunday and now the only way to pretty much to drive my inspire is to drive it in manual mode and skip third gear it sucks but i hope that the trans hold intill i can start my 6 speed swap and the thing is i got laid off back in Noverber so dont know what to do but i will push on

anionrings

iTrader: (2)

I heard you can do the 3rd Gen TL Auto Swap also to our 2nd Gen TL and it solves the problem??(permanantly)..i over heard it on a few threads ...

anyone has more info on this?...of what is needed to do the full swap?..or more interesting infos?

if this is right..i need to stop my mechanic and tell him to get a 3rd gen TL tranny

JDM-UA5

i would love to know bout this too

anionrings

iTrader: (2)

i Agree...i need more info fast so i can stop my mechanic..
i read this here https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-cl-2001-2003-50/3rd-gen-tl-tranny-sawp-2nd-gen-cl-tl-750891/#post11465390

IMO...if you are interested...if u going to put a huge sum of money around 2k for a rebuilt thats going to F*** up again...why not put a bit more to where ill permanantly fix it?

eggyhustles

Wait

don't the 04's have tranny problems, too?

anionrings

iTrader: (2)

Yes i hear that a lot but...if i was to do a transmission swap i would go with the 2006 model and up

My sister owns a 2004 TL...she has 80k miles on it with no problem everything runs smooth...

soria

Mid '05+ TL transmissions are solid.

03tl42

Hey all, maybe this is old news, but I've also had tranny problems with my 2002TL. After doing some research, i found this website..http://www.hondatransmissionsettleme.../php/login.php

From the looks of it, my problems aren't as bad as most. My TL had 80,000 when it started acting up on me. I've adjusted my driving habits and found that if I'm easy on and drive it like a 4 cylinder (ugh!!), I greatly minimize my problems. I'm determined to drive this car until the tranny goes out on me completely. So far, I've been able to put another 10,000 miles on it with no additional problems. I don't use S/S (not saying you can't or shouldn't- just saying what i use). I've also noticed that at lower speeds, going up hills poses periodic problems and as the engine heats up, the problems get worse. I've been told by the Acura dealership that there are two internal solenoids that are not shifting in my transmission. Seeing how the problems are less when the engine is cold, the solenoid valves being faulty seems to make sense.

I have noticed (and maybe it's just being over sensitive to the car now) is that when i'm stopped, it's hard to ease into the gas and take off smoothly.

koulio

Hi everyone, I'm new here and I'm just trying to learn all this jargon so please be patient. I repair anything myself when possible but when it comes to cars i'm just not so good at nor do i have the necessary tools.

Anyways, the shop told me my tranny seems to be failing since he's checked out all other possible causes. What happens is when I accelerate and the gears switch from 1 to 2 (i have an automatic), the car dips/stalls and then jumps from 1 to 2. Sometimes it's not so bad but at times it's terrible. I've been reading these threads for hours and I would say it probably is the tranny as well.

1) Anyhow, I keep coming across threads where members would say their tranny is "slipping." What exactly is the definition of that?

2) I registered at Acura and checked out the recalls.
Description 1997-99 CL/TL IGNITION SWITCH Date 05/17/2002 Type Recall Customer Letter Status Fixed Your 1999 Acura is included in the 97-99 CL & 99 TL INTERLOCK Campaign.
Description 97-99 CL & 99 TL INTERLOCK Date 11/10/2003 Type Recall Customer Letter Status Open Your 1999 Acura is included in the 2000-03 TRANS WARRANTY EXT Campaign.
Description 2000-03 TRANS WARRANTY EXT Date 09/27/2002 Type Recall Customer Letter Status Open Schedule Service Appointment


is it too late now to still take it in? can my problem be possibly fixed from the recall? i doubt im getting a new transmission.


3) also my check engine light came on a day after i got it back from the shop. the technician did all the necessary requirements of replacing an engine with a used one. timing belt, spark plugs, the whole shabang. i later took it back to his shop and something with the intake manifold port/valve, if i'm correct, has been clogging up. that was fixed and 2 hours later the CEL came back on but now its gone. I read somewhere here about the EGR recall but it's not listed under my vehicle. would that reduce the clogging problem and is there anything i can do to slow down the clogging process at least? is the EGR and intake manifold port/valve even related?

sorry about posting other problems with this thread. any help would be greatly appreciated. again, bear with me as i try and steer away from the noob level.

ChristinePatsFan

Took my 2003 TL Type -S in yesterday for the Transmission. They wanted $5700 to replace. We balked at that and they said they talked to Corporate and they were willing to pick up 40% so that was about $3400, but they said we needed brakes and an engine mount, so they would do it all for $4000. So I called Corporate myself and they assigned me a case number with a district manager. He called today to find out some more information. I told him that we bought the TL from another Acura dealer in 2004, CPO, and had all our services done at their dealership. We have also purchased a 2003 and a 2006 MDX from their dealership. They are supposed to get back to me tomorrow.

In the meantime, the service advisor is calling my husband asking him what he decided. Originally he told us our VIN wasn't included, but I checked myself and it was included. The problem is the mileage is about 118k. The service advisor apologized and said they will review the case again. So now we are waiting to hear.

The book value of the car is about $5800, I feel like it's insane to put so much into it at this point. Any ideas or suggestions? Will follow-up with response from the District Manager.

Thanks,
Christine

JDM-UA5

hey Christine i feel your pain i am in the same shoes of you i lost thrid gear of my auto and because my car has a rebuilt title acura wont toouch my car but i am planning on doing an swap but to help you out i was going to do this same thing as i am telling you try autozone they carry the 2000-2003 tl trans starting @ 1500 with a core and the come with a 3yr so i hope this helps out and good luck

niju321

Good to see your transmission continues to work. There is one member who put on 50k miles (and counting) after the onset of transmission symptoms. Hopefully you'll have similar luck but be ready for it to fail at any time--could be years from now, or tomorrow.

Dunno about the CEL or EGR stuff, but if your car did not have an oil jet kit installed, you could be ok...the oil jet fixes a safety issue so i don't think it even matters if you have a salvage title. Since it's a 99, if they haven't done the oil jet, they'll look inside with a borescope and if there is heat damage (likely) then you get a free transmission. On the other hand, I didnt see anything about an oil jet in your list of recalls so who knows.

If your car has already had the oil jet installed, then you have to try for some goodwill. It's going to be hard because you have a 99, but on the other hand I have a 99 and got 100% goodwill because I was VERY nice to them and my car had under 100k at the time.

I think you should get a significant amount of goodwill assistance if not 100%. At the time my transmission was replaced (Feb 2009) approval for these sorts of "close" cases seemed to be almost automatic. Good luck!

ChristinePatsFan

They got back to me today, they said the best they could do was a 50/50 split. So for the transmission, brakes, engine mount, I'm out the door at $3500 plus tax. We will have it done, hopefully get another 2-3 years out of the car. I guess it's better than adding another payment. Includes the warranty 3/36. We've already done the timing belt, so hopefully this will be it for awhile. Now as my MDX creeps up on 80,000, hopefully nothing big goes there!

Thanks,
Christine

'02_TL-S

^Not too bad..much better than having to pay for the whole shebang. Good luck with the car afterwards. Tranny should be much more reliable..supposedly..and 3 more years should be the minimum you can get out of it.