So today I was driving after having the car parked for about two weeks without gas due to the hurricane, put gas in last night and everything was fine, was driving to work this morning and everytime I got up to 20mph, it would not go anywhere while giving it gas, it would rev as if it was in neutral.......there are no lights on like they usually due when the tranny fails, do you guys think the tranny is done or could it be something else??? Thanks in advance.

 

when the first transmission failed in my car there were no lights or anything. If it just starts reeving up it sounds like it is gone to me. it could possibly be something else but it is hard to tell without codes.

 

Classic failed trans symptom. Was the car in water? What's the trans fluid look like?

 

Yeah Hitlayers, check the tranny fluid level and condition as Fsttyms1 suggested.
If it's been some time since the last tranny drain & fill, you may want to give that a try.

You have a '99, right ? How many miles ? They are a bit more durable than the 2000 and up models with the
5 Speed AT. Was it showing any signs of distress before it was parked ?

 

Thanks for your responses guys, no the car was not in water, but it was sitting for almonst two weeks without gas due to hurricane Sandy, I initally thought there was condensation in my gas tank since it was very cold and water may have froze in the gas line, because this happend with my daughter driving and when she explained it I thought it could be that, then I drove it last night and like I said it will start driving but when I hit around 20 to 30mph then it would just rev as if it was in neutral......any advice would be helpful, obviously going to take it to my shop, debating if it's woth getting fixed since I also need all mounts replace, it only has 114,000, and its my baby....

 

whats it do using SS mode?
hopefully its not 2nd/3rd gear clutch pack issue,,maybe just selenoid problem?

as usual- stop breathe think respond
get the codes ckd even without a cel lit--never know
look under car at wires etc

use seafoam in gas to remove moisture--help it pass thru system
stabil is good before the fact,,seafoam better for after

 

I am trying not to panic, just paid for a wedding, can't say I have the extra money right now.

Well at least you are giving me some hope, I will be having it towed to my mechanic on Saturday, and I guess we'll take it from there, it's weird, at least if I had a code I could get something read.

 

It has 115,000 miles, I have never done a tranny fluid flush, the only thing that was happening is that it was jerking little while sitting at a stop light, but not while driving.

 

Well never Changing the fluid did not help because you want to keep fresh fluid in there. The least I would change it would be every 30,000 miles. When I started having the most problems with mines was when I went out of town for a week and a half and came back to drive the car and it started slipping and codes started popping up

 

I've always checked the color of the tranny fluid and I was told changing it sometimes does more damage than fixing, do you think it would make a difference now?

 

I think the people that say don't change it are nuts. It's really no different than changing oil for your engine you just don't have to do it as frequently. The point of changing it is to get fresh fluid in there to get all the contaminated fluid out( metal filings, debris, and dirt) Plus fresh fluid will lubricate components better. If you change it now just drain and fill with about 3-3.4 quarts and see how that goes. Plan for te worse though, on the plus side I think I have seen the 4 speed autos are cheaper to rebuild and they are more reliable.

 

Hey Hitlayers, ya gotta keep the faith.....especially in your mechanic !

If your TL is your baby, ya gotta try to take care of it. Most times, if your old car is paid for....it pays to spend a few bucks on it, rather than have a payment book for something newer. If it's been relatively troublefree, get an estimate on repairs and go from there ! Good Luck.

 

I also just checked the tranny fluid today, still pink but I did notice a whining sound coming from the tranny, can a belt or something be loose, also I noticed in tiptronic it moves better, why is that? Should I still do the seafoam today?

 

i think you toasted it by never changing fluid

IF you have more than 100kmiles and never done = there is increased risk of the cleaners in the new fluid washing away the last bit of grip.. the crud was holding onto!

take a 3 ounce sample and send to blackstone labs
25 bucks will get you a correct answer on trans condition = amount of metals or clutch material floating around and what the amounts mean

using SS = has higher line pressure which helps force the shift

 

I have not dropped off the car yet but is there any hope if I do a flash now?

 

Can I drive it in SS mode right now without making things worse to the shop?

 

Hey Hitlayers, What have ya got to lose ? Gamble a few bucks !

Personally, I'd try draining the 3 qts. and replace with Honda ATF.
You may even want to try replacing the filter and cleaning the solenoids.

If the car is still driveable in ss mode, you're not going to make matters any worse.
If you don't feel comfortable, have someone follow you to the shop if it's not nearby.

 

ok, thanks everyone for you're input, I'll keep you guys updated

 

Ok, tranny is shot,$2000, thirteen year old car, think it's worth getting fixed? Any suggestions on what I can do to get some money for the car, any suggestions would help.

 

You won't find a better car for 2 grand for one. Two, find a used accord v6 trans, this will save you some money and be a better transmission as well. Please don't sell unless you intend it to be an "as-is" sale and you warn the new owner of its issues. Many people buy these cars and then a few days later the trans craps out on them due to hidden trans problems to make a quick sale.

 

^ he has a 99 which men's it will require A lot of work to get it to work right.

Like Dave said 2,000$ is way Better than trying to find a car for 2k$. Also as long as you change the fluid on this one it should last longer.

 

 

Hey Hitlayers, Ya gotta ask yourself......for $2000, what are ya gonna be able to buy ?
If ya know the car and it's been good to ya, then the answer is easy !

To sell it....as is, hmmmm....thats a good one, maybe take offers ? $1000 ? who knows ?
If ya need a car to replace the TL, it's gonna cost at least $5-6000. It's your baby !

 

Do the fluid flush first. My car was "dead" by all means twice, and every expert on here would say that it is "dead". Car was at the race track last week, with the same transmission.

Do the 3x3 fluid change.

Oh and as far as keeping the car, it 100% depends on your finances. If you made good money this year, find a generous charity and have them give you a $7,500-10,000 donation receipt paperwork for donating your TL.

 

Well this is a bit of good news, what do I have to loose, as far as finances, just got married a few months back so I do not have the money to have it rebuilt, I'll try the flush then take it from there, what is your opinion on just doing a fire sell, everything else on the car is mint....

 

3x3 flush will set you back roughly $90 total for the fluid from the Honda dealer. It is very simple DIY job, should take you under 1.5 hours to do it.

As far as trying to sell the car as-is, I doubt that you will get more than $3,000 even if the car is in flawless condition aside from the transmission. 100% working TL-S models from 02-03 can be had for $5,000-$7,000 depending on miles; so your 99 with dead tranny will not be a hit with the buyers.

 

Excuse my ignorance but what is 3x3 flush, I'm guessing there's a DIY thread on it,

 

Just got a quote from my mechanic to completely rebuilds the tranny, replace all components with a12 month 12,000 mile warranty, love my car, is it worth it?

 

Sorry, forgot to mention $2700 flat.

 

As I said before, check around and see what it'll take to buy an equivalent car.
By all means......try the drain & fill ! You have absolutely nothing to lose !!!

 

For just a little more than that 2700 I got a new jasper tranny installed in my 01 odyssey. Your 99 has same tranny so I'd look into that. 3yr/100000 mile warranty.

 

Hey Hitlayers, the tranny's fluid pan is located underneath the driver's front side of the motor where the tranny is. After warming up the fluid, look around for a "square" 3/8's plug , then use 3/8" socket adaptor "the square male end" with a 1/2" ratchet to remove the pan's drain plug. You should have approximately 3 quarts of tranny fluid that'll drain out.

Replace the plug, then go up on top of the motor to the right side....you'll see the tranny's dipstick and directly behind it a filler hole bolt. A long skinny funnel or tube is needed to refill the fluid. Use only Honda ATF fluid !!!!

Then tighten everything up and run the car, up to operating temperature through the gears.....shut the motor off and check the dipstick's level, it should be between the lines when the car is parked level. Don't overfill.

 

Has anyone dealt with Gibralter? Got a $1500 quote from them, no matter what the damage is.

 

If you don't feel comfortable trying the drain & fill, have a local trustworthy shop perform this before committing to a rebuild. Take 3 quarts of genuine Honda DW-1 ATF fluid with you. Also, if you want to go a step further, have them replace the inline top tranny filter....and perhaps even clean the shift solenoid's screens. Should be less than $100 for the fluid replacement and around $200 if you go to the other option.

Ya never really know for sure, unless ya give it a try ! Ya may even get lucky !

I'd be a bit weary of the lowball rebuild quote, unless you know firsthand of their reputation.

Sometimes, they sucker ya in....then rachet up the bill with misc. BS !!!
They got your car and you are at their mercy !

As MilwaukeeDave previously advised......if your primary interest is long term, your money may be better spent with an actual "new tranny with a solid warranty". That buys you alot of peace of mind on an otherwise great car with only 114k. These cars will last well over 200k, except many of them have unfortunately had a 2nd or 3rd tranny within that period. What else can you replace the TL with,..... for the money spent now ?

 

Will do, is this safe to buy from ebay?

 

Hey Hitlayers, is your car running at all...... is it still driveable ?

Yeah, ya could go with E-bay, but I've found that by going to my local Honda dealership, they will sell me the DW-1 "genuine Honda ATF fluid" at near the same costs as E-bay sources after they tack on their S&H charges.

Besides that, I usually don't have the patience to wait an extra day once I'm into something. But, if you're willing to wait....you might want to consider ordering a tranny filter at the same time.
(3qts. ATF + filter = < $50) plus your "DIY" labor !

 

Thanks for your reply, Yes, it is drivable, is it easy to change the tranny filter, is there a DIY on here?

 

"New" Official 2nd Gen TL "DIY" thread
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-1999-2003-98/new-official-2nd-gen-tl-diy-thread-706083/

That's our general all pupose DIY thread !

For the filter :
https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-problems-fixes-117/transmission-bypass-spin-filter-replacement-852465/

Hopefully this will help you understand the process and work necessary !
Is it easy ? What may be easy for one,.... may be rather difficult for another.

If mechanically inclined, these DIY's help out tremendously !!!!!!

 

Thanks man!

 

Thanks guys, really appreciate all the help, going to do it today, seems simple enough, how do I dispose of the old fluid? The same way as oil?