nope, its not because of filtering system. And there is a replaceable filter, do a search. The reason filters get clogged when your clutches come apart. clogged filter is not the root cause, when clutches start coming apart changing fluid and filter will not help, maybe get you another few month.... its all downhill from that point on.

 

the base problem is not enough room for enough clutch disc, and not enough cooling oil flow thru hot areas==
I think the problem started when they jammed a 5th gear set into a case never meant for that
the replacement units from acura have a `new case design in 05` with bigger and better oil passages and much improved reliabilty
sure there are a few failures- just like anything you buy and any car can fail at any time new rebuilt it doesnt matter--its complex mechanicals interfacing..most of the time

 

Yes, some do have a secondary external tranny filter which can be replaced fairly easily but the main filter is buried deep in the tranny. I wish I had taken some pictures to share when I had it disassembled on the bench. The main filter clogs as the clutches wear and there is no way to clean or replace it without tranny removal and disassembly. Changing the fluid every 20000km or so may extend the life of the tranny, but it will still fail eventually.

 

and this is supposed to be news to us???

You are new here-while we appreciate everyones input, we dont know your technical expertise yet, and statements on failure causes really dont matter anymore--
you cant fix it and neither can acura- they dont care~

we know its a design issue and nothing can be done about it now- bummer but true

acura doesnt care about 10+ year old cars from 2 generation of model ago!
most car makers expect 10 years life max from a car and you recycle it into beer cans and plastic whatevers~

Our cars go well past that, 200-350 kmiles!!! and going strong for several ziners..
not even needing a real engine service till 105!
other than a trans fluid change annually.. which most dont know to do
because the book doesnt say to

If there were better oil passages there would not be the heat issue that allows severe wear of the clutch disc material
sadly no filter is going to change that fact

you can bitch about the past, or buy a different car, or change your fluid and hope for the best

Please tell us about your qualifications, and get to know the groups gurus--each has a some area of knowledge to contribute
read the threads for subjects already beaten to death- like trans failure, brake fluid change, brake choices....

BUT- most of all Welcome!!!- we really are decent people~

 

note- there is a change to the replacement trans acura uses sometime in 2005-
a new case design with improved oil passages, oil jet kit moved inside, and other changes we are not privvy to the specs of--
but the failure rate of those units is far less than the originals
so there is some hope,,but not a cure

 

On a side note, today I changed my tranny fluid. I did the whole 3x3 and was able to remove the jet hose from the top to top her off. Cars running perfect! Thank God! I had a 03 CL-S and needed a tranny service at 120k. $2800.00 rebuilt!!! (I know, I got got)! Anyways, i dont want to go through that again. I dont have the manual for my car, but i still had the 03 Cl-S manual. It recommended the 3x3 method even though the Service Manager here in South Florida told me just to drain and refill once with 3 quarts. IDK. I just got my 03 TL-S and it has 75k on it. I dont know if the tranny was ever serviced, but shes clean now!

 

there is danger in a 3x3 on higher mileage trans from the cleaners in the fluid washing away crud holding the clutches together~
not long after,,, the trans dies
thats why dealer stays away from them

you are supposed to be able to remove the oil jet kit to access the normal atf filler hole- its 1 bolt and pull straight out

 

Alright guys just got back from a Aamco owned by a family friend and had an interesting conversation. Iv been shopping around to get my tranny fixed and have so many options im getting confused.

The friend was telling me has done over a dozen Tl's and as I got there he just finished fixing one. He is stating the tranny cooler on our Tl's is PART of the problem as well as a weak torque converter. He said anytime he rebuilds these he puts a really large cooler which looks like its 3-4 times bigger then the OEM. Anyways he offered to order a new tranny from Aamco, bigger cooler and a 3 year warranty for $2700 out the door. He showed me his cost for the tranny alone in his book which was around $2200.

I also know a couple other people who own Aamcos and one other friend stated he would do a basic rebuild for $2100 with the standard 1 year warranty.

Acura wants $3500 installed with a 3 year. Another option is a Honda Oddy tranny swap which is around 2k with parts and labor and the tranny itself is only covered for 3-6month depending on where i buy it and labor of course i would have to pay if something fails.

I also know a service manager and head tech at Honda which i should be receiving a call from tomorrow to talk prices. Out of all the people i spoke to so far the Aamco friend i spoke to seems to know his stuff. I asked what type of fluid do you put in and he quickly grabbed a bottle of Honda atf-z1 and said nothing but this stuff. Iv seen many people put other types of fluid and it does cause problems, i know iv repaired many. So any input from you guys on what route i should take would be much appreciated!!

 

I guess i'm joining the club... Long time reader - first time poster (reluctantly if i might add...)

873xx on my '03 TLs and last sunday on the freeway, in D5, the car hesitated on a downshift and rev'd up to redline - then re-engaged in what felt like 3rd gear when the rpm's came down... the jet kit was installed around 31kmi and after dropoff today the service mgr says it's not covered under any warranty except for installation of the jet kit...

acura fail. this is the first and last automatic i ever buy.

 

Manuals have their problems to mate!!! What i learned from my TL is, I will never again own a car without a warranty, EVER!!! My friends 2 year old Nissan just went out of warranty and is having problems and big repair bills.

 

Its BS, if that was only that simple to add a cooler and improved TQ converter, then don't you think its odd that 10 years later Honda still has no solution?

What does it mean you getting a new tranny? Aamco will open your old tranny and replace broken parts. It won't be as good as Acura because they will use old case.

 

I HATE AAMCO!!! HELL NO TO AAMCO! CLICK LINK TO SEE WHY!
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-cl-transmission-recall-q-55/tranny-nightmare-please-read-1st-744964/

 

Bought my 03 TL type-S with 145k on it about a month ago and took it to the dealership for the oil jet install. After inspection they had decided to replace the transmission and PCM free of charge. Today I noticed oil spots on the driveway and checked under my car to find fluid leaking at a decent rate from the seam where the transmission is divided in half. Got an appointment to have it checked out tomorrow.

 

I dont think he knows what he is talking about For starters the TL does NOT have a cooler. (the 99 does in the radiator but the 00-03 does not) There is a WARMER on top of the trans but no cooler.

 

fixed

aamco is the last place id ever take my car to get worked on.

 

this is the best option rather than putting in another shitty 2nd gen CL/TL tranny in it. 3rd gen TL or oddysey tranny.

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-cl-problems-fixes-70/another-solution-my-auto-cl-guys-758220/

 

I do have a 99! I would never even consider using Aamco, only reason im thinking about is because its owned by good friend of the family. He has owned it for 19 years and worked on a lot of friends cars we know and none of them have ever had a problem. Its a totally different story if i were a regular customer.

The Honda oddy swap sounds great and all but having to buy a used harness, ecu and tranny on top of only having a 3-6 month warrenty only on the tranny just doesn't seem like a gamble im willing to take. Cannot afford Acuras price of $3500. I'm still waiting to hear back from Honda this weekend. So as of now its still up in the air and just weighing out the pros and cons.

I understand a lot of members have had bad experiences with Aamco but when your dealing with a close friend who actually owns the biz its a totally different ball game.

To be honest I wish my dumb ass sold this TL a while ago. Being as this is going to be my 4th tranny I should have known better then to keep it.

Ultimately i want to fix it and sell it within the year seeing as I just spent $2200 on 100k maintenance with tires and brakes now another 2k+ im at the price of the dam car. Sad thing is i love car so much, other then the tranny, haven't really had any issues.

 

if you actually read it theres no buying new harness or ecu. but you got a 99 so i might not work for you. is the 99 4 speed?

 

Only the 99 needs the harness & ecu which i have and yes its a 4 speed. I was planning on keeping the car for a while but after this trans went out its out the door with in a year of getting this repair done. Iv been looking into a 05-07 Tl, things just are not going well at the moment so it will be a while.

Diddy you did the 07 swap correct? I would be all over the oddy and or 07 swap if it at least had a one year+ warranty and we know that's not gonna happen. When buying crap from a junk yard you really never know what your getting. I personally cannot even really afford this fix let alone afford to pay if it fails again.

 

another az member did the swap for me. ive putting 20k on my TL tranny since the swap.

 

First time poster.

My 2000 TL's transmission went out minutes after the dealership inspected it. 159,000 miles.

I formally complained to Acura since 2004 about the constant slippage and erratic transmission problems, in writing. 6 separate formal complaints while the vehicle was under the extended warranty.

It was a pain in the a## to drive and I never enjoyed the experience due to the trans.

I contacted an Ingrid at Acura in California about replacing it and splitting the cost in some fair manner. After 11 days without a car she finally got back to me and said they would contribute $500 towards a $5,200.00 transmission. Laughable. It takes 11 days of inconveniencing a loyal customer to make this determination?

This was our 8th new Acura/Honda in the past 20 years. My brothers and parents bought over 15 in the same period. I referred many customers over the years who bought and leased vehicles. Ingrid was informed of this loyalty in writing and on the telephone.

I would have been happy with a 50-50 split but their greed and arrogance will cost them at least 10 vehicle purchases in my extended family over the next 10 years.

Well played Acura.

 

I forgot to mention in this last posting that my brother's 2002 MDX and his 2002 Accords transmissions also went out shortly after the extended warranty tolled.

He did not experience problems as quickly as I did with my TL.

The salesman told us when he looked at his MDX that the transmission problems only existed in 1999 and 2000. No more problems and never in the MDX.

History has shown us that the Acura transmission problems take about 4 years to surface.

I see that 2006 transmissions on the TL are now experiencing problems. Better unload any TLs now before you end up where my brother and I did.

No wonder the TL sales have fallen so much.

 

no TL sales have fallen because the new redesigned version is fucking ugly.

 

Cant deny the truth in that.

 

Hi you guys I am new here I do own Acura TL 3.2 and the car acting up when shifting gears from 2nd to 3rd gear it revs up real high and jerks is replacing 3rd and 4th pressure gear would help save the Tranny as I read it in this forum any advice from some one who done it would be appreciated.

 

do you know about the 7 year 9 month/109kmiles trans warranty for many VINs?

what year is your TL? and current miles- is it good title- not salvage-rebuilt title car after accident?

register here and look in the Recall section
http://owners.acura.com/registration...erstepone.aspx need cars VIN for that
it should say recall - oil jet kit- DONE- Fixed-

and below that it may say Trans Extended Warranty OPEN
that means you are a covered Vin

get that info and report back
DIY thread has all you can do to try and bandaid it

 

if its alredy doing the big rev and slipping clutch in 2nd...
exploring your replacement options is what's next

 

You can try taking the 3rd clutch pressure switch out and clean it. what you going to loose right ? Give it a try.Worse case is the damage was already done to the tranny.

 

i think you should seek legal advice. you did complain about the trans while it was under warranty and they failed to fix it.

 

I hope this is the right place for this question. I want to replace my 99TL (190K miles, new tranny at 110K) because it needs lots of things done. I really like the body style so I figure a 2003 TL with low mileage (e.g., 80K) would make sense. An 03TL with a VIN after 3A019061 is not part of the tranny recall. Does that mean a latter VIN has an improved tranny that is less likely to fail? What can I do minimize the prospect of buying a soon to fail tranny that has no current symptoms?

 

159 thousand miles from a TL trans! and you think corp should cover it still?
Even though it was looked at earlier,-in warranty- it must not have been serious or wouldnt have made it so far..bet thats acuras opinion in the matter

How long should freebies last?

Look at other car makers for what they really cover--lucky for their whole car to make it past 100!!

 

Paul

double ck your info- it should be part of the `recall to install oil jet kit-external`
- but may not be `covered VIN for court ordered trans extended warranty`

80kmiles, out of vin, and for sale- I give the trans a month
Note:
figure you need the 105 service soon- its 7 years or the miles- ranges 800-1200-1500 dollars depending on whats already done--diy spark plugs and oil change to save on the service-
let a pro change the timing belt and water pump etc

You cant tell when the trans is going to fail, certain hard test can be done driving to ck for slip, and ck the fluid condition,,have an analysis done on the trans fluid for 25$ www.blackstone-labs.com
that will show if excessive clutch matrial is present and if the fluid is burnt or worn out

if you drive one every day,, you can drive another and tell if the trans is funny

 

after the VIn cutoff does NOT mean a fix-
it was soley to settle the court case and get acura onto refunds and warranty replacements for those past 50 with failures

never was a fix, never will be
some improvement with the 2005 new case used on warranty units
but they still fail from the primary issue --clutchpacks

to minimize your chances of a bad trans,,,buy a honda with a warranty~

 

Well a partial drain and refill of the tranny didn't workout for me; on the ride home from Quebec City last weekend( > 600 miles) the car started 'bucking'. Now the transmission shop is recommending a complete overhaul for $3200.00 with a 2year unlimited mile warranty.
They said the clutch plate material had clogged all of the filters and screens. The Inner race on the one way clutch was severely worn( >200k miles) as well as the fluid heater core was all clogged: both require replacement. I'll be very happy to get another 50k miles or 2 years on this baby and end this nagging worry!

 

If the car is not at a shop yet:
ask the dealer service MANAGER if they will price match the rebuild for one of their units
They can match it if they want to make some money.. over no money

198 on the 1st trans is a record in itself--take care of the timing belt/water pump and keep up the oil changes every 7500- that car will easily go another 100

our megamod has OVER 350,000!!! miles on his 00 and going strong- daily driver AND takes it to Road America racetrack for afternoon playtimes~

 

What the deal. When I start my car its lik a hard jump n when I move reverse or drive its another hard shift. When I drive no shift. Ill drive 25mph n the rpm will nvr shift if it does its a hard 1. Won't go ovr 40mph. Shud fluid b black? Tcs n engine light on. Help me out fam. Jus got 1 year til its paid off

 

these are NOT good symptoms-as you probably imagine
Im guessing it started a while ago--2 months? and now its undriveable?

Whats your year and current mileage? usa or canada car?

Any service dept. history with the local dealer???,,oil changes,,anything at all where you spent money with them?
that helps if we need to get you `Goodwill`- thats `warranty` after limits,, based on being a good customer and all around deserving person

from a court case in 2004- MANY VINS get a 7 year+ 9month/109kmiles trans warranty (114.5 on odometer error court case VINs)

You can call acura care (customer service) with cars VIN- that 17 digit number letter combo stamped on dash plate, or door sticker, or registration, or insurance papers.

1-800-382-2238 x5 gets a human,, tell them you need to register as owner and ck warranty and recall item status
they can tell you date car first entered service and warranty period started,,
IF its still in the special `trans extended warranty time` or just past it, if covered vin or not

do that and report back here
Ask if the `recall` install of `trans oil jet kit` was performed--thats critcial for the trans
ask if part of airbag inflator recall as well

to answer your questions:
fluid should be pinkish red--not black,, and should not smell like burnt sugar on dipstick

Your trans appears to have suffered stage 4 massive failure of the clutch packs- plugged everything with shredded material so fluid cant get thru the lines--
trying to get in reverse and computer increases line pressure to make it shift--causing slam into gear--
see the post a few above by ziner with same prob and tried 3 qts fluid trying to fix it--no such luck

You may also have broken front motor mount and possibly pass side mount--very common and contributes to slam and thunk--often found at trans failure time when a tech looks for leakage at front mount

Will it rev above 2500 rpm driving? if not, thats LIMP mode- a safety feature is ON- if car things engine overrev--from slipping trans high rpm information- it goes into self protection mode-- limited rpm- to get you off the freeway

 

if in the usa, except in Cali. ===Parts store will code scan for free
tells you codes from the dash warning lights

While not a diagnosis themself- they are clues to the problem
Bet you get the code for Torque Convertor at the least

 

Agreed, we just had an 06 525 i think with a ZF 6sp, the tranny filter cost like $120. I built quite a few of the Bimmers and Audi which basically share almost the same kind of transmissions. My brother had a 98 540, the whole thing caught on fire last year on the highway, luckily every one got out safely. My 90 BMW 535i had a bad brake light switch, caught the dash on fire a few years back.

 

its an american car 140k on it...i talked to my mechanic he drove it and he said fluids not cycling..hopefully he said it can b flushed be u wont kno till u get it on the scope..i hav an appt monday. it runs n everything it dozn do the shift thing everytime. but i jus parked n left it till its time to take it it...n yes my fluid is black but its not burnt smelln...i already called and they said the previous owner did the recall on it. they said theres nuthing else as far as warranties going on and they told me about the airbag thing. im staying prayerful n hopeful that i can get away with somthn cheap...