Skirmich

^^ Its pretty sad that People still dont research before buying.
The trans issue is well known and its not something Acura is trying to cover since basically every 2G Acura TL will eventually fail.

The funny thing is that they wont cover the car since it was paid on a Dealership, did you try to talk to the BOSS? not the Clerk guy that will repeat the same info over again.. I mean the Big Guy at that Dealership? They should be countable for the Car malfunction and cover the repairs themselfs. At 8K that they sold you at they better cover it up.. You can Find TL-S here in the US for as low as 5K.. Some dude even found a 400 buck TL-p..

4th Trans? Please 10 trans wanst uncommon back in the days.
Im on my 2nd but already have AV6 Trans waiting until mine dies.

An Accord V6 06 to 07 right now cost around 1500 bucks + Shipping.
If your not planning on DIY then labor would be very costly around 1K more. Also the shop need to swap a few things and some shops dont like to do stuff like that so you need to find one that does.

3.2TLc

Yeah, go back to the dealer ASAP ......tell them to either fix the car or take it back !!!!

Way too much money for a lemon tranny TL. Sorry for your luck, but ya gotta do your homework before assuming. Worse case scenario, maybe pay 1/2 of the repairs if the car was sold as is, no warranty.

TheMightyQuinn

Nsharma1999, don't you have lemon laws in BC? Was there a dealer warranty, even if it was only 30 days?

nsharma1999

I don't believe the Lemon Laws are applicable up here but I am looking into it. So far the dealership has been accomodating... they've had the car for a day now and I'm waiting for a phone call. They are a big dealership so if their reputation is worth anything I'm hoping for a reasonable resolution. Aside from the tranny issue, I love the car. It runs well and I love the look of it. I hear it's a bit hard on gas but then again it is a V6.

I'm really interested in the 2006/2007 Accord V6 tranny swap. It seems that this is the best way to go for anyone who wants to keep their car without the constant nagging f when this car will drop it's transmission again. Can anyone please send me a link or point me in the right direction... my car is a 2003 TL Type S with 76,000 miles on it.

nsharma1999

Interesting website I found regarding one of the Honda?Acura transmission issues.:
https://www.automaticchoice.com/Cata.../HON4_VA02.pdfthe Honda/Acura t

nsharma1999

disregard the above link. Here's the correct one:


https://www.automaticchoice.com/Cata.../HON4_VA02.pdf

nsharma1999

Another interesting link from Sonnax Industries that may help explain what happens when these transmissions go:


http://www.sonnax.com/publications/t...rters740-codes

nsharma1999

So I took my car back to the Lexus dealership who then had Acura confirm that it needed a new tranny. After some discussions back and forth the General Mgr. decided that the company's reputation was too important to quibble over this and gave the go ahead to have it repaired. The re and re was done by a local Vancouver transmission repair shop and I just got the car back today. It seems to shift well but I am scared to push it so I "babied" it back home. Don't know if there's a break in period on tranny's so I'll take it easy for the next while. The repair comes with at 2 year warranty and cost approximately $3600 which was covered by the dealership. I'd like to take this opportunity to publically thank Chris Graham (the GM) and Tony Haseli (the Salesperson) for resolving this issue. Jim Pattison Lexus in North Vancouver should be proud to have professional people like these guys working for them... customer service is obviously very important to this dealership and I hope to be a customer here for life. Thank you guys once again.

nistah

My 2002 TL-S had the transmission, TC & ECM replaced under warranty by Acura on April 2006 at approx 47,000 miles. When I purchased the car I thought that since the reman trans, TC and ECM was installed in 2006 that it was the updated version and I would be good to go for a long time.

Imagine my surprise when the the reman trans again gave out in March 2013 at approx. 96,000 miles. I again thought this would not be an issue since it was less than 50,000 miles from previous replacement and less than 7 years since previous replacement. After all the Almadea County class action settlement extended the trans warranty up to 7 years and 109,000 miles right?

WRONG Acura, sneaky as they are only covered the reman units to 3years/36k & some only 12 months/12k depending on if the replacement was warranty covered or customer paid. Not a very fair resolution for the consumer considering the documented design flaw in the trans went unfixed.

This troubled me greatly, facing spending 5500-6000 for ANOTHER new trans from Acura dealer, I opened a corporate case with Acura seeking good will, to which they essentially responded that I should pound sand & that they would extend zero good will. This was not the answer I was looking for so I filed a complaint with the state attorney general office of consumer protection. State attorney general office of consumer protection advocated on my behalf asking Acura why goodwill was not extended and further inquired as too Acura's life expectancy on the trans int the TL/CL etc. Acura told the Attorney General Consumer Protection Office to pound sand as well!

This cleared the way for the Attorney General Consumer Protection Office to close the case and advise me that I was well within my rights to seek recovery of the claimed damages in court....so I filed a lawsuit against Acura/Honda North America in district court seeking recover of the damages Acura/Honda North America has caused. I wanted to alert the community in an effort to find similarly situated individuals who may have been treated unfairly by Acura over this same trans issue. Please respond if you have had this problem but may not have been in the position to defend yourself. I think I may be able to help...

Yikes

'Atta boy!

Seriously though, best of luck- usually large corporations have 100s of lawyers with entire legal departments. Let's hope you win. I always thought Honda should have recalled all flawed transmissions- not just Accords, but Odysseys, TLs, and Pilots.

I know dealers and car manufacturers hate warranty work because they have to eat the bill, but Honda lost an untold amount of customers (many of whom were very loyal to the brand) during the late 1990s and early 2000s (I've even heard of '11s having problems) with their reluctance to deal with this transmission problem.

Camarillo TL

Yep mine has the same symptoms at 139,000 miles, I had the recall mod made a long while back. Same hot driving slippage between 2 and 3rd gear. Manual shifting and starting in D4 make no difference. Failing after warm up on freeway around 25 miles. Then bingo when I hit a red light and try to take off. Had fluid flushed waste of money, makes no difference. Uggh, knew this day would come. Like not making car payments so am considering keeping and fixing it.

bonknhead

^ from what I've read on AZ you should NEVER have a tranny flush - drain and fill only. Tranny flushes have been said to worsen the problem.

3.2TLc

Yeah, if ya had a power flush of your tranny fluid at your local corner lube shop who uses a generic all purpose ATF, ya may wanna consider getting Honda DW1 fluid back in ASAP. {3x3 Drain & Fill} DIY

victorican84

So I bought a used 2002 tl 5sp-auto feb of 2013
190k but I figured it was a honda and I had a 96 tl that never gave me problems
So after 2k the tranny slips in 3 to fourth and the car power shift down jerks and pick back up to normal speed (scared the shit out of me) when to a transmmision expert who could only tell the the problem was the tranny and it 3k $ to fix it is now August and I have to drive this thing to and from work reguardless should I part it out and but another car or should I pay up3k for the tranny also hsrd dissison becus I bout it for 3200 what shoild I do will the car last if I replace the transmission or is this a desing flaw
Help no advice is bad advice

3.2TLc

Welcome Victorican !!!
These TL's are basically great cars except for the problematic tranny's. The factory even extended it's warranty coverage on the 5 speed AT. There was a major recall involving inspection of the tranny and installing an oil jet kit or replacement of the tranny.

Now that these cars are well past that warranty period and with considerable mileage on the dial, you're on your own. So, other than the tranny....do ya like the car and is it otherwise mechanically solid ? Selling it now as is would be equivalent to a fire-sale at salvage value, less than $2000.

Depending upon your circumstances, consider locating a used '06>'07 Accord V6 tranny to replace the old one. These newer Acccord trannys will bolt in and are of an improved design. This will result in better durability than rebuilding the old existing tranny as many have witnessed here. Find a good tranny at less than $2000 and installation should be less than $1000. So, about $2500.

Doing the math...your present TL as is $1500 + $2500 for tranny = $4000.
What can ya do better for about that price ? These days $5000 will only buy another 10 year old car with it's own issues at over 100k, so it's basically a trade-off....IMO !!!

joemooch

'99 TL, 70K No transmission issues since '05 at 36K, when there seemed to be a shifting problem. Acura dealer said nothing wrong with shifts, but informally said, "don't worry, now that you have noted a transmission problem, you have a lifetime warranty." Nothing written, of course. So now at 70K, still no tranny issues, haven't been to a dealer since. Magnefine and DW-1 last December...considering a Tru-Cool 4544 now. Yes, I'm the old fart you gave the finger for going so slow!
I do all my own maintenance, except for trans. My '01 Ody got it's 3rd tranny at 120K last December and I'm active at Odyclub, so I know the story. The Ody has essentially the same 4-sp tranny.
Seeking suggestions for the TL. Should I take it to the Acura dealer now or when it hits 95K or wait until it fails? Will Acura replace up to 100K as many say?(that would be another 6 years = 20yoa) Love my TL, would likely do the AV6 when and if. Thanks all and GL Joe

jrs3.0cl

I have a 1999 CL 3.0 my granny was working fine I replaced all motor mounts and transmission mount now my CL all of a sudden slowing down it seems to jump in nutural and jump back onto gear I never had any issues with my transmission it has 197k miles and still runs like a champ it doesn't slep what can I do what can yall recommend me to do I toke it to get a diagnostic nothing came up please help

3.2TLc

Welcome Jrs3.0cl !!!

Being a '99, ya got the more durable 4 speed AT. If this problem just surfaced after replacing the mounts, ya may want to go over your work. If the old mounts were bad and the tranny wasn't being supported well, could possibly be something minor. Were all of the mounts replaced ?

Another thing to check would be the tranny's gear range selector which may need adjusted ? Being a CL, ya may wanna check out the site's "CL" forum ....which is specifically for CL info. Good luck with the problem !!!

joemooch

1. you're in the 2gen TL thread!

2. Sounds like you may have disconnected one of the tranny electrical connectors, but ???

Dman00tl

Honda makes great cars, but as a whole their transmissions suck, as everyone already knows. Just an FYI, we have an 03 Honda pilot. Bought it new in 03, a couple months after, with 2,300 miles on it, the tranny went, so they gave us a brand new "new" pilot. Now, 10 years and 111,000 miles later, whats the chances of this one's tranny going. She slips between 2&3 gear, so she's going back to Honda to get a new one. Also, i had to replace my 00tl tranny at 101,000, which was also slipping. My car wasn't under warranty, however Acura payed half of it. I love these cars, even with their flaws, i don't think i'd ever buy anything else.

Silver03Acura

247,565 miles and this is trans number FOUR that has gone out. It has 107,xxx on the tranny.

3.2TLc

Hey Silver03Acura, this time around find yourself a used low mileage
'06>'07 Honda V6 tranny for the best all around price and durability.

M3rl3n

Hey All,

First of all I LOVE my 2002 Acura TL-S. It has ~103k on it and of course the tranny is now going.

I've found a 2006 Accord tranny locally for a price that I can handle (has 73k on it and the car is being recycled due to passenger front side impact).

The problem is that I have been trolling, trying to gather as much info as I can about doing the swap, but in all of the treads that I've looked at, I haven't been able to resolve these issues:

Has anyone done a step by step DIY on the AV6 swap? If so, could you respond with the link?

I figure this may be a good time to put in a new rear main seal, but is that easy enough to do with the crank still in the engine. (my rebuilds have all been on cars 1969 and older https://acurazine.com/forums/images/...s/thumbsup.gif )? If so is there a DIY on that? Is this a split seal?

What about engine mounts? Good time to replace / upgrade?

Any other info that could be given would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan

Nicks2001tl

There is set of mounts (front, rear, side and two transmission) currently on eBay for about 100 bucks. The oem mounts are expensive and not very good.

There is an av6 thread out there but not a diy sticky.

nats007

Just dropped the car off to get the tranny rebuilt. I know everyone recommended the av6 swap but after several trips to different shops and talking to the shop that is doing the rebuild, I chose him because not only did he explain everything he's going to do, but also warranty his work. I'll post up what and what is done and since it was early (trans just started slipping), it did not have some other symptoms that most folks see.

rjheiss

How long is the warranty good and what's the charge for a rebuild? Good to know just in case.
Does removal of the tranny involve loosening up the motor mounts? Would replacing them at the same time makes sense for labor costs?

3.2TLc

Yeah, hey Nats007.....give us some background on how your tranny has been acting and other details such as if it's the original and the mileage. Have ya tried anything like the drain & fill or cleaning solenoids ?

Anyways, as Rjheiss previously stated....how much is the rebuild estimate and what sold ya on going that way ?

nats007

Standard is 18mo/18K, but I asked for an extended. He offered a 3yr/50K for $395.

Trans rebuild charge is $1665 + tax. Tack on the $395 for the extended warranty which includes a 25K transmission service at no additional charge.

I agree that replacing the motor mounts at the same time is worthwhile and they are putting in my rear motor mount and 2 transmission mounts at no additional charge. I already did the front and passenger mounts a month or so back.

Issue: Transmission was slipping badly on light to part throttle between 30-40 mph once the engine was warmed up. There were no CEL, TCS light, blinking D5, or hard shifting otherwise.

Current mileage is 204,5xx. This is either the second rebuild or first for this transmission (I cannot recall at this moment, but transmission work was done by Acura in 2005 at 130K with the previous owner). I do recall seeing the same symptoms noted on the bill, Acura confirmed and the bill stated replaced transmission.

Breakout of rebuild:
- new torque converter
- overhaul kit (gaskets, seals, clutches, steels)
- new filters
- new fluid
- new electronic pressure control valve
- new first gear
- new sprag and racings
- new rear main seal and plate due to leak

Labor = $675
Parts = $990

Total = $1665 + tax

I'm going to pass on the extended warranty EVEN though that's what sold me originally on the rebuild vs the swap

Other than that, the only other reason why I chose the rebuild over the swap is that I'd have to source the AV6 and bring it to the shop for install and no warranty that it will work. There's no way I can confirm the condition of the trans, and was worried that I can run into issues with that AV6 and still require work to be done to it.

It's a risk to go with the rebuild or do the swap, and I chose the rebuild just for the peace of mind that the rebuilder will at least warranty what he does. We'll see if I made the right choice after all.

3.2TLc

Best of luck with your choice....ya bought some time.

nats007

that its more than just some

kaiser.socei

Hi all just bought a 2000 tlp and the trans feels like its slipping into neutral (the motor revs but doesn't engage with the transmission) and then thunks back into drive suddenly. The car has 112k on it and at the moment the problem is intermittent, but I have only had the car for about a week now. Only had it happen three times so far.

That said, I'd like to know how long it was for you guys from when the trans started acting up and when it fails to the point it needs immediate replacement. I got the car for a good price, but would like to know if this issue means the trans is on its way out and I should start saving for an accord tranny now or if it can wait.

3.2TLc

If ya just bought the car, whatever the good price was....ya now must start saving for the '06>'07 Accord V-6 tranny. Three times in a week is not intermittent, but obviously the tranny's either in need of attention or replacement soon. Read the many threads and posts concerning our 2nd Gen tranny issues. Try to find out as much as ya can about the previous PM history and get ready for the inevitable.

Nicks2001tl

kaiser.socei Hi all just bought a 2000 tlp and the trans feels like its slipping into neutral (the motor revs but doesn't engage with the transmission) and then thunks back into drive suddenly. The car has 112k on it and at the moment the problem is intermittent, but I have only had the car for about a week now. Only had it happen three times so far.
What else do you know about the car, when was the last time the transmission oil was changed? Was there a previous repair done to it? Did you replace the external transmission filter? More info couldn`t hurt.

elderado145

My 99 TL tranny crapped out at 106K, just after the extended warranty. The new transmission made it and was still going at 220K before I sold the car. Thought any info could help

3.2TLc

The '99 TL had a more durable older 4 speed AT, what caused yours to crap out so early ?
Was the replacement tranny starting to crap out causing you to sell it ? Any info could help !!!

03blackbeast

Hey I know this was posted a while ago. But I still can't find the thread for cleaning shift solenoids in the DIY thread. Is it under a tricky name? Can someone link it here for me real quick? Would really love to see what needs to be done to clean these. Any help on finding the mystery thread with instructions would be great.

MrChanh

my car now has 175k but the trans i noticed is kind of leaking. does anyone know if this "extended warranty" still applies? it also makes a "click" sound when i pop it in drive, which i always thought was just normal. i purchased the car at 80k back in 2007.

IllinoisREI

- Hoping the experts are still checking this thread.
My 02 TL type S tranny is done at 167k. The trans shop I have trusted in the past says the type S won't accept the 06-07 Accord trans. True?
They also said the issue has been with overheating, a known problem with this generation, and is recommending a rebuild rather than replacement. He's quoting $3500.
What to do?

Yikes

The extended warranty covered up to 7 years or 100,000 miles. Sorry. You could always try and ask for good will, but most of the time that's only even considered if you've spent a fortune at the dealership.

A leaking transmission isn't really that commonly associated (from what I've read) with the majority of transmission failure experienced by people on this forum. It could even be something as simple as the rubber seal (can't think of the proper name at the moment) that seals around the axel. That is a cheap and easy fix. The clicking might be fluid related- check the fluid level and condition!



I'm no expert, but that sounds like a load of shit to me. There are a few people on this board who have the Type-S and have had great success with an AV6 transmission. Check the 06-07 accord transmissions swap thread. (https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-1999-2003-98/06-07-accord-trans-swap-858165/)


As for the overheating issue... yes that is true. The torque converter overheating (to the point where they can become very discolored and even blue, hence the slang term 'blue converter') is highly common with this type of transmission failure. The believed cause of this is that the valves inside the valve body, more specifically the main pressure regulator valve, get stuck and don't allow fluid to flow into the torque converter. However, that is just a theory. People have been trying to find the exact cause of these failures since the late 90s. But if you go the AV6 route, you use the torque converter from the AV6 transmission, not the TL.


As for the rebuild... don't get ripped off. The rebuild doesn't solve the problem that caused the transmission to fail in the first place. Rebuilding it is only building it up to fail again. Essentially a $3,500 Band-Aid.


The guy either doesn't know what he's talking about or is trying to sell snake oil. Don't spend the money on the rebuild.

3.2TLc

MrChanh, doubt that you'll have any luck with any factory warranty help....unless the tranny was recently replaced at an Acura dealership and is under it's own extended warranty.

As Yikes mentioned, check the lower part of your tranny and drive axles for any signs of fluid leaking. Very well could be an axle seal to the tranny going bad. A bad axle could also cause a clicking sound, especially when turning. Sometimes if ya park on an inclined surface such as a steep hill, the tranny will click when moved from park.