Well, wish me luck...




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Greetings fellow TLers,
I know this topic has been beaten to death and the answer I need is probably here, I thought i would ask anyway... some very simple questions.
My 2003 TL-S (190000, which I bought in the spring for a song ; $500.00) is finally showing signs of the tranny giving up the ghost. That is the reason the original owner wanted to get rid of it. I did the 3X fluid flush with Redline + Lucas which helped a LOT!!!! Today pulling out of the garage there was no movement in D. First time that it EVER happened to me. After moving the shift lever back and forth between gears it finally caught. To me, that is the sign of bad things to come. The car is in excellent condition and putting in another tranny is a no brainer as the car runs great. I'm going to do the AV6 swap with my brothers help, but was curious if I could use an Odyssey tranny?? My salvage yard has 5-6 with 50-60k miles for under $600.00. Should I only use an Accord tranny and MOST important, will I still be able to shift the tranny myself (like I can now)manually with the Accord or Odyssey trans? Any other important stuff I need to know about doing this is very much appreciated as I need the car as dependable as possible to get me to and fro for my Parkinsons therapy several times a month.
TIA

 

It's toast, I would put in a new tranny ASAP. I only had a few miles warning when mine went out. It started shifting oddly, wouldn't upshift when it was supposed to, came to a stop and wouldn't move at all so I had to get a tow. After it sat for a while it moved just enough to get it into my garage, then wouldn't engage again.

No matter what tranny you put in, the manumatic mode will work as it's implemented in software.

The Oddy tranny will work, I'm just not sure if there is any extra complication of swapping parts. I'll check the gear ratios in my service manual when I get home (for '05-'06 Odyssey, wife has an '06). I know the AV6 ratios are the same as the Type-S transmission.

 

Hi SuperGreg,
Thanks for the reply. Most appreciated.
Quick question: will an 07 Oddy tranny work??
My salvage yard has 2 under 60k and at a very good price.
TIA

 

I believe the '07+ went to the 4 shaft 5 speed, and that will not work from what I'm told.

 

Hi all!

I'm new here as I am a first time owner of a 2003 Acura TL Type-S. I want to first start of by saying I kind of wish I did some better research on this car before I bought it! Anyways it has 148,000km (I'm Canadian lol). My friend he's a 2nd year apprentice and knows a fair bit about cars plus I took it to where he works and his journeyman looked at the car as well. They both said I shouldn't have anything to worry about even after reading all the nightmare stories about others experience with their 2nd gen TLs trannies dying on them before the 100,000 mile mark (160,000km). I believe I read somewhere maybe on here in another thread about the 2nd gen TLs had something like a 2% failure rate over-all which is pretty high for a car but still means that 98% of them don't have this common issue.

So after my friend and his journeyman checked out my transmission they said everything looks in order and that even the transmission fluid was still decent but they recommended having a total transmission flush done; which I am doing tomorrow afternoon. I really hope there's nothing wrong with my transmission I spent $6k on this car and cannot afford to pay for a rebuilt tranny anytime soon! So do you guys think I made a mistake purchasing this vehicle or am I just reading too much into all the bad experiences people have had with this car as there are hopefully millions out there that have had nothing but a great experience with this car!

Cheers!

 

"So do you guys think I made a mistake purchasing this vehicle"
Only time will tell. My 2nd Gen '99 now has 85K. No major issues...motor mounts, brake pads. Keep the EGR and IACV clean.
Installing a CV half shaft next week due to a boot tear.
Do a tranny fluid cooler and filter and add some LubeGard.
GL Joe

 

Same thing happend to me! I bought a mint 2000 TL from the orginal owner with 108000km now im at 130000km, car is still on the orginal tranny! Good Luck!

 

So how common is the trans problem really? Like 1 in every 10 TL's or is it much more rare and we just see it here a ton because its a forum? I know there were a couple 100 thousand 2nd gen TL's made right? I'm at 242k and there's no signs (knock on wood) of trans problems at all. Then again, it may have already been swapped by a previous owner or rebuilt or something and I'll just never know.

 

From what I understand, the transmissions have a design flaw which causes them to fail sooner than they should. So I would take that to mean that 100% of them will fail eventually. Same with every other transmission ever invented. The question is, how soon will they fail?

I think the answer is that it depends on how you drive it. Mine was rebuilt at 96K and I changed the fluid at 145K. Fluid was black but didn't smell burnt (that is, smelled the same as new fluid). Transmission acts funny sometimes (I think I've narrowed it to TC and 3rd gear flares sometimes) but is still going. I think people who like to peg it and really race it around (like what the car was designed for) are the ones who experience failures sooner than those driving it on the freeway/highway to work.

 

Yes it depends on a lot variables like how much highway to city driving, how hard you are on the car, etc. They are a flawed design. I'd be willing to bet that 8 in 10 die before they hit 100k miles. I've had Acura dealers in the past (when the cars were only a few years ole) that they were swapping a few a day out. There are always the outliers like a few folks who may go well beyond 100k on the original trans but then there were others that died in under 10k miles. Look in any city on Craigslist right now and I bet you can find a handful of recent listings of 2G TLs with bad transmissions

 

Ok thanks! I'll keep my fingers crossed and keep driving it like a grandpa.. I have a much faster garage queen so I don't ever plan to drive this thing in a rush. I haven't even kicked vtec in since I bought it last month and have no desire to do so. Wish me luck haha

 

Ours...2003 Basemodel. 120k miles. Literally driven BY GRANDPA most of its life til handed down to daughter! Had the recall done back in the day. Had a couple Drain/Fills over the years....

Problems started 4 weeks ago. Drain Fill 2X, some solenoid cleaning brought it back to life for 2 weeks. Who knows, maybe pro-active solenoid & 3rd 4th pressure switch replacements might have saved it then...
But alas it is worse now than ever... Car is not drivable now. Recent fluid is dark and metallic sheen now. Needs a tranny ASAP.

Anyone know a Raleigh area shop or semi-pro (skilled JDM swap enthusiast???) to do the 2006/2007 Accord Tranny swap.... ready to start TODAY? ??? Please reply ASAP. I need to do something in DAYS, not weeks!
Thanks for any leads!

 

Where on the transmission housing is the marking for the model located? I want to get under there and see if a previous owner has done this or not.

 

It's a sticker right in front of the transmission, directly to the left of the starter. You should be able to see it easily just by popping the hood.

 

Our barcode now says BGRA! Yea! Found a Raleigh area mechanic and this week he ramped-up w/ forum PDF and swapped in an Odyssey tranny with less than 91k miles into our tranny-broke 03 TL.
shifts great now.... PM me if looking for Raleigh-area next-gen tranny swap for your Acura....

 

Hi guys. I'm sure someone's gonna flag this post, but I've scanned through 30 of the 96 pages in tranny complaints and have been unsuccessful finding matching symptoms to what my 01 TL (AT) is having. It seems to be between 3rd and 4th, or 4th and 5th gear. The transmission will "shudder" when shifting and shake the whole car (all symptoms under light load). Its not jumping RPMS or anything (I don't think its slipping), but my TACH does appear to be a little fruity. Seems to be dropping too quickly compared to how the car is actually driving. I have 250K miles on the car, and I think the tranny replacement was already done once. THERE IS a consistently occurring scraping noise during shifting between one of the two gears (4th and 5th I think). Almost sounds like scraping the front air dam on a parking block. Ive already replaced the Tach speed sensor to no avail. I changed the trans fluid today for the second time in 4k miles and I noticed the slightest bit of metal on the magnet of the plug.

Anyone have any experience with these symptoms or have a direction (or direct thread link) they could point me to?

Thanks in advance

 

^ Not sure on the scraping noise but the shuddering sounds like your torque converter going which I've experienced prior to my trans going out

 

uh oh... what's my estimated time of death? Can i fix the converter without going internal on the trans? (I have zero experience with any trans)

 

Change the trans external filter.

Do the "Stop n Go" until the ATF runs clean, like new ATF. 100% ATF exchange.

If still having the same problems with shudder and scraping sound in gears then change the following.

Shift C solenoid

 

stop and go?

same as the 3x3?

 

I don't want to hi jack this thread so I'll PM you.

 

You can swap out the TC for a new one, but to do so you have to drop the transmission. With the cost of paying someone to do it, or the hassle of doing it yourself, you may as well put a new tranny in while you're there, IMO. Especially if you're not 100% sure the problem is only the TC.

 

I just purchased a 2000 TL with a bad transmission. I got a used transmission supposedly from Japan. I put it in and sitting in the driveway everything was working fine. Shifting into reversed and drive and was moving and sounding just fine. I went to take it for a drive and got out of my driveway and then it stopped driving. Was like the transmission was in neutral and heard a loud clicking sound and wouldn't work in any gear. Any ideas as to what this could be?

 

I would check the fluid level first. How much did you add to the tranny after the install?

 

The drivers side cv axle had popped out. Any ideas as to what would cause that to happen? Could bad transmission mounts do this? I did notice they were both bad.

 

 

Hey guys. I own a 2003 TL-S with just under 180k. I recently started driving the car again since September, and now it feels like 3rd is starting to miss. It's like I'll be at a stop, it'll go through first... second... th- rattle rattle rattle shake shake shake ...ird. And then climb through 4th and 5th. I'm not sure when the last time the trans fluid was flushed or changed, but I've checked it and it's clean. Should I change the trans fluid? I have heard that runs a high risk of your trans falling apart even faster and I am totally unsure what to do.
I've owned the car for the past two years (154k) and the trans has always had a very small slip, and was very occasional and it probably wasnt even a slip. I do honestly drive the car pretty hard at times but I make sure I gas it after a certain point in third gear. The trans only slips at the very beginning of third, from what I can feel, at least. It doesn't do it all the time but today it did the majority of the time i drove it. I was in the car for about 2 hours and 20 minutes total and 3rd slipped/stuttered 3, 4 maybe 5 times on me.

If anyone can learn me some knowledge or lead me in the right direction, totally appreciated!

 

Definitely add Lubegard red or platinum, probably a double dose, keeping the level right.
Check the solenoids.
Pray.

 

It's likely the beginning of the end. I'd look into sourcing an AV6 transmission.

 

Agree...
my 99 TL is still smooth, only 86K, but I pray every day...

 

I appreciate the responses, guys. I will be taking my car to the Acura Dealership in Knoxville to see what they think. I'm hoping by adding some fluids it may buy me some extra time.

Now, that you've mentioned the AV6 trans.
If I'm going to replace the transmission, I would really like to manual swap it. If I manual swap it, what are my options then? I know I can get a CL-S6 trans, but can I use an AV6 5 speed manual trans, or do they make a 6? If there is a manual AV6 trans compatible with my car, will it be cheaper than the CL-S6, will it be more durable?

I live in the mountains and there are some pretty great roads here. So it's really hard not to take those turns fast. I can't part with my TL, I really just want to make the car reliable.

 

My brother traded for a 99 or 00 TL with navigation with my friend for a 95 EG 4 door.. Trans ran stronger at 235k than my Type S does at almost 180k. I think you'll be fine, and that's quite amazing to have such low miles like that, in an older TL especially. Maybe it's just because where I'm from, who knows. 😂

 

When you are as old as I am, the car is essentially a golf cart! LOL

 

Hey thoiboi, friend of mine is in the process of sourcing an av6 for his 02 TLS. When i sourced mine, a friend, than working at a yard with four av6 units, was able to provide some detail regarding the cars the transmissions came from. Of the four available, I ruled out two, due to 185k to 240k miles. One of the two remaining units had 53k, the other had 105k. The 63k unit had been titled in Washington, DC., it's entire life. The 105k unit, titled in Culpepper, Va., it's entire life. I chose the Culpepper, Va., 105k unit over the 53k Wash. DC. unit. My thinking was, yes, the Va. unit had almost twice the mileage, but being from a very rural location, chances are, it may actually have less wear than the 53k City car from D.C. Do You agree with my decision on selecting the higher mileage unit, or is my logic flawed?

 

That's some pretty sound logic IMO. Being DC, it was probably in short stop and go traffic moreso! I think you made a good choice!

 

So, I'm in good company I see. Bought a used 3.2 TL type S with 187,000 miles on it for $4,000. Transmission completely failed in less than one week. My mechanic says tranny is completely fried. I'm in Phoenix, Arizona. How best to find an AV6 replacement transmission? Or should I consider the $4,000 a sunk cost and go find a different vehicle?

 

So I have read elsewhere that, for my 2003 TL type s, that the replacement AV6 tranny should come from a '06 or '07 Accord. Is that still true or are there other years to consider?

 

Yes 06/07 accord v6.

 

Put an AV6 in and you'll prob still be driving the car at 300k. My tranny went out at 208k. For the cost of an AV6 to get this back on the road ($900) it was a no brainer. I love this car.