Islandbanker

I had the misfortune to have my tranny start slipping on Friday. It's at the Acura dealer now and I'm waiting for they're verdict, but from what I've read here, a possible cure is to change fluid 1/3. Does that sound right??? I also saw a tranny from a Honda Odyssey or Accord would be cheaper and better. Any idea's out there what to do???

3.2TLc

Hey Islandbanker, just a few questions:

How many miles are on the TL ?
Has the original tranny been previously replaced ?
How did the fluid appear to look and was the level up ?
Has the tranny been acting funky for awhile or did it just start slipping ?

You've already made the decision to go to an Acura dealership, they may be able to help you check out the previous recall and maintenance history. If the tranny is diagnosed as "bad", they sometimes are able to get a 50/50 split on the tranny replacement if the problem qualifies within Acura's special extended warranty guidelines. Make sure that you speak directly to the service manager concerning your options with the "verdict".

Islandbanker

There's 109k on the car. I don't know if the tranny was replaced though. I got the car last year with 89K miles and it's been flawless. The problem started on Friday. The fluid level was low the week before and I added some ATF. I drove it to the dealer this morning and had to stop once in a 10 mile treck because the tranny started to slip. I let the car cool for a few minutes and continued on with no problems.

I decided to go to an a Acura dealer with a good reputation even though I've never been there. I didn't know where to bring it to since having a tranny problem is like throwing chum at sharks.

3.2TLc

How low was the fluid ? That can't be good for a tranny, if it's leaking somewhere. Did the existing fluid appear discolored or smell burnt ? It's possible that a seal is leaking or something is either loose or damaged underneath ? The 2000 and up models are prone to transmission problems. '99s with the 4 spd. AT seem much more durable than the 5 spd.

If you're bored while waiting for the prognosis.....you could try checking your car's vin with www.owners.acura.com or call Acura-care @ 1.800.382.2238 ext.5 , either of these should be able to help you with questions concerning recall work, etc. Good luck !

Islandbanker

Not too low.. and no leaks that was ever noticed and I didn't smell anything abnormal. It's good idea to call Acura.

01tl4tl

how exactly did you ck the atf?
correct way is 15 minute freeway cruise from cold- stop safely off freeway on level ground
then ck as between the dots, not at either- BETWEEN, at that particular fluid temp..and engine off

ck cold on stick, and it will fool you!

what EXACTLY did you use for atf to top it off?
was it honda DW1?
or perhaps DEXTRON3? yes????,,uh-oh,,,
a used trans from oddy or accord of certain years is in your very near future
the dealer will not do that swap
and they have no history with you for sales or service to get Goodwill,,why should they give up any profit on a job

better luck getting the service and parts managers to make a deal because biz is slow than corp absorbing the cost

Once its slipping in 2nd-3rd when on the gas hard,,then on the gas at all,,its toast.
no amount of fluid will restore worn off clutch friction material

dealer will look at trans bolts for blue paint, means warranty unit, their system can look up when it was replaced- even when 800# doesnt know anything
There is a slight possibility it has a warranty left if that occurred and owner paid partial
those get 3/36 iirc

01tl4tl

only a few places the trans can leak,,watch the end seals where the axles go in,
and the overflow vent if you tend to drive it like a race car

any fluid left under the car is a serious and immediate matter to repair
low atf will kill a trans fast,,
so will low engine oil or coolant = engine blood

everyone! ck your tire pressures and fluid levels!

Islandbanker

The fluid was at thee low end of the range. It was checked warm and level. It wasn't Honda's atf but not sure. Possibly Dextron 3....not sure.The car ran fine before that. Could my ATF add on screwed up the tranny? I guess changing the fluid now is out of the question? he dealer gave me the corp # and basically said good luck. They did tell me that the tranny was corrected but couldn't tell me when or any of the details. Supposedly, corporate could give me that. I sense the run around from Acura is right around the corner. I got a quote for a replacement at $4500 and that's probably without tax. How about a rebuilding? I know Im not up to the task to do it...

Islandbanker

I heard about goodwill tranny's. What is that all about? Does it make sense in my case?

AZsilverTl

Get some 7 bottles of DW1 ATF from the Honda/Acura dealer. Run the car, drain the transmission fluid once; pour in 3 quarts + a little more. Drive for 15 minutes, repeat. My car lost all gears but 2nd two weeks ago, I drove it home in 2nd. I did the fluid changes and it lives, chirps second, and does 110MPH in third- fine.

In your situation, try the fluid change for $50 dollars. If it works- great, keep driving the car until it dies. If it does not, you are out $50.

Islandbanker

Wowa! I need to know... Does your car shift properly in all gears now? No slippage?

3.2TLc

Drain and fill with Honda fluid. This is a simple and relatively inexpensive last ditch effort to try, but well worth the effort. Also, with the car safely supported.....check for any signs of obvious fluid leaks.

How did the inquiry with Acura go ? You have to be persistent and try to get as much info on your options if the tranny was diagnosed by the dealer as being bad.

Islandbanker

The tranny replacement with an ECU was estimated at $5,650 + tax. Told me to call Corporate. Ill do that in a day.

AZsilverTl

Car shifts fine through all gears. I'v put 1,000 miles on since the breakdown. Replace the fluid, and see if car lives after that. I doubt corporate will do anything to pay for your claim, as the car is out of the warranty and unlikely to be given a goodwill replacement.

Taking any car to the dealer for ANYTHING after warranty will get you "everything needs replacing quote". I worked in the service department at Toyota back when I was in college; service advisers got paid based on the amount of ROs and repairs they sold and up-sold.

3.2TLc

Try the drain and fill ! It's an easy DIY !
Consider getting a second opinion on the tranny's condition.
If indeed bad, check out an independent shop replacing the tranny with a used low mileage Honda one, for less than half the price of the Acura replacement.

Islandbanker

I've got 10 bottles of DW1. I'll do a triple flush. The dealership wanted $89 per flush. I'll get back to everyone in a day or so.

01tl4tl

careful tossing around the word flush, which shops call a powered machine hooked into trans lines

you are going to do an `acura flush`= 3x3 -(gravity drain method)
which is actually for if you EVER put in a drop of dextron 3 you must immediatly get all the fluid changed out!!!!!!!

drain 3 while cold- and refill
drive under 5 minutes using every gear up and down to force fluid thru selenoids etc and towards drain area
on the ramps- drain and refill
drive 5-shift-drain and refill

and to do it really right= one more time
see owner book

trans holds 7.3 usa qts of which approx half is trapped inside during draining
we have to move a lot of fluid thru to get dextron3 out!

dex3 is forbidden by the manual -has been known to trash a TL trans in minutes or days
horror stories on here!

Islandbanker

Thanks all.. Now .... where the heck is that drain plug? Im looking for the letters ATF but it must be hidden behind something. I would think its on the drivers side somewhere but so far no go..HELP !!!

Islandbanker

Sorry about that last update. I dont know what happened.

jliu6789

https://acurazine.com/forums/showp...38&postcount=3

3/8 rachet fits right in. you will need to break it as it's really tight.

to fill, just do it from stick so you don't need to figure out and unscrew the filler bolt.

what did you copy/paste.

jliu6789

https://acurazine.com/forums/showpos...38&postcount=3

Islandbanker

Thanks for the pics. What a help!.... Yes, I tried to copy and paste a pic that I had..

01tl4tl

the atf drain plug is on rear of trans with ATF stamped above the plug
Only thing a 3/8 drive breaker bar/strong ratchet fits right into square cutout
torque spec 29 foot pounds but will be stuck in tight,,try tighten more then loosen

the top filler is under a large bolt with ATF stamped on it, on top of trans
if a pre 05 replacement or original trans it will have the oil jet kit in that filler hole, remove its 1 holder bolt and slide straight up and out
Much faster fill than thru dipstick

drains 3 to 3.4 qts depending ,,good idea to measure

Islandbanker

The tranny is still slipping. Ugh!!!! Is it better to swap out or rebuild? I was told by the dealer but they couldn't quote me a damn thing that the tranny was fixed previously. I didn't see any markings underneath that was so..Any how what do you folks think?

MilwaukeeDave

iTrader: (3)

An accord tranny swap would be easiest. 6MT swap bit more work but even better!!

01tl4tl

agree- oddesy or accord- see thread on what year/model works best
figure 500-750 used trans, and about the same labor to remove and install

make sure it gets the new honda dw1 fluid
change any external filter and clean selenoids or replace both ~75 bucks

we did mention before that slipping from worn clutches cant be fixed with fluid
but if you dont know whats wrong, 3 qts new wont kill you to try

but what about this car had dextron3 added to top it off,,was that correct??
because it appears there is no recovery from that--screws the clutches-friction ability up somehow and a full 3x3 may help it,,10 years ago if that happened when we had low miles....

dealer can look up in system if trans was ever replaced under warranty or other reason at dealer
they also look at the trans bolt heads- blue paint means warranty replaced unit, probably from the early clutch failure /special court ordered warranty
and can tell if anyone has worked on it

If another shop has been inside the trans before- acura wont take it as a core on the swap/sale of another rebuilt unit

another option as said before- ebay- same place as does acuras rebuilds --sells them as honda `white box` program rebuilt trans online

01tl4tl

did you follow the drive 5 minutes MAX
using each and every gear up and down- then drain again,,refill- drive 5 yadaayada

3.2TLc

Hey Islandbanker, I'm assuming that you've had no luck by doing the "3x3" drain & fill using Honda fluid. Do you have a CEL or flashing "D5" .....?

You might want to try a few more things such as replacing the tranny's external fluid filter and cleaning the shift solenoid valve screens. Also, check all wiring connectors and electrical grounds. These trannys are electronically controlled by the "PCM", the brain for the various inputs.

It may be worth having your car's tranny professionally evaluated to better understand the problem and options to repair.

01tl4tl

we really NEED to know if dextron 3 was actually added to atf

if so,,,,,

Gabru678

iTrader: (1)

So can somebody explain exactly what a 3x3 Gravity drain is?
I looked at the link but got a 404 error on the webpage :/

01tl4tl

the trans holds 7.3 qts but will only give up 3 to 3.4 at one time--the rest trapped in the torque converter

draining it out once and refilling would be 1x3 gravity method

if changing to dw1 hondas new atf for us, do it 3 times x 3 quarts each time
to get out old fluid
requires short drive using each gear up and down a few times- to move fluid out of TC and towards drain area

Islandbanker

Sorry gang..don't know if destron 3 was added. Yes, did the DW1 drain replace 3X. Drove the car at the recommended 15 min. It barely lasted 10. I didn't see any marking on the tranny to show that it was worked on preiously. No flashing D5. Engine light came on...didnt get the code. It's at the local AAMCO now. Didn't know who to go to. I didn't get anywhere with the local acura dealership. Im sure I could do better that the $5600 quoted by Acura.Got many choices around me. I'll be asking about the code.

MilwaukeeDave

iTrader: (3)

Aamco will just rebuild the current transmission. You will be better off finding a place that's willing to swap in the accord trans. It will last a lot longer.

Islandbanker

A few other places that I called didn't recommend the swap..becuase it's probably earier for them and then there's the issues with potential codes popping up.

MilwaukeeDave

iTrader: (3)

The guys here know their stuff bro. It's pretty much unanimous that the swap is better. If done right there'll be no codes. Basically rebuilding that trans is just resetting the countdown clock and in time you'll be back in the tranny shop for another. They'll love you for it but not exactly ideal. I say source the trans and buy it. There's gotta be a shop that'll take your money to do the swap. It's easier than a rebuild by far. Step 1: drop old trans. Step 2: put them side by side and swap over needed sensors etc to accord trans from old TL trans. Step 3: reinstall. I haven't done mine yet but when the time comes this will be the route I take. Good luck.

Islandbanker

I agree.. Everyone has been more than helpful.

Type S-ing!

Hi I'm new here and was wondering what exactly do you swap on accord to tl tranny?

Stephen00TL

I did the 07 av6 tranny swap on my car yesterday. You have to swap the oilfield filter cooler warmer assembly onto the new tranny( get a new filter), range switch( the one on the newer tranny doesn't have the right connectors), and 3rd and 4th gear pressure switch harness and that's it. Everything stays the same

Type S-ing!

Now I need to find a tranny at a good price.

Islandbanker

OK.. I took it to a local tranny place and had them rebuild it. $2,600 later, I've got a good running car with 24,000 mile warrantee. Not the course I really wanted to follow but with little or no time on my heand and paying out for a rental, I decided this route.