So here is the issue. I have a 2009 Acura TSX M/T. As to not bore you, I will cut to the chase. A few weeks back, I started feeling an aggressive rumble from my engine bay, I thought it may have been my engine mounts. Turns out it was not. The Transmission housing broke where my slave cylinder mounts. Worst of all, my warranty literally covers everything excluding the transmission housing.

So now, Hendrick Acura wants $4,900 to replace the transmission and the warranty will not cover a thing. I found a 6-speed M/T for about $1,200. My question is, if I buy the trani myself, would I be able to drop the old out or will I have to remove the engine in order to swap?

Any and all advice is welcome, I am eager to return my baby girl to the road. Thanks for all the help!

 

This is not a job you want to tackle yourself. In order for the swap to go without issues, the new tranny needs to be from the same model year with a similar trim level.


I would write Acura (real letter, with stamp, registered) and explain the problem. State that this problem appears to be unusual and could only be tied back to a manufacturing defect. Tell them that although you realize that the car is well out of warranty (provide mileage and date specifics - along with VIN) ask that they provide some sort of goodwill repair.


Stay factual and don't get emotional. You've got a decent shot of getting some sort of help from Acura.


Don't include pictures of your car but include clear pictures of the damage. Borrow stock wheels and tires if you need to bring the car in for an inspection. The closer the rest is to stock the better.


Good luck and keep us posted.

 

$4900 for the dealer to do it.
$1200 for a the tranny you found to install yourself.
-------
$3700 difference == ~37 hours-ish billable at the dealer (just spitballing an estimate).

Do you think you can accomplish the job in less than 37 hours, start to finish, including all materials and equipment? Do you have or have access to a lift? Tools? Accounting for fluids and towels and buckets and...?

ceb's got a good idea about contacting Acura to see if they'll help you out a bit, but my quick thought is that if you're asking about *if you* can do it, means it's probably outside your realm of experience.

Sure it can be done, and it's a job a person can tackle in their garage, but unless you're confident you can do it (and asking on the internet makes me hedge towards "not so confident"), it can turn into a messy and expensive job pretty quick.

I've done enough jobs to know that it's often much cheaper in the long run to have the experts do a job right the first time, rather than trying to learn as you go.

Good luck! And Welcome!

 

I like your grille actually..

And to answer the question you asked.. yes you do have to lift the engine to remove the tranny. LIFT though, you don't need to remove the whole thing. Unfortunately, it's one of the disadvantages of having transverse engine.

 

In addition, I would have to assume that the dealership engine comes with some sort of guarantee.


I'd also have a talk with the aftermarket warranty company - the tranny failed, not the housing. I'd argue that the tranny failure caused the housing to fail.


What is the mileage on your car and the in-service date? If it is still under 70k then you may have a better shot at getting Acura to help.