So I bought my RLX about 8 months ago. 2014 PAWS. It’s fun and I like it a lot. I just happened to notice that the transmission feels so weird when you really get on it. I know the shitt ride quality is normal and all but I can’t really tell if the shox are bad or if it’s normal. I tend to scrape bottom especially on speed bumps. It’s not a really bad scraping bottom but it’s there. It doesn’t look that low to the ground though? I am a very cautious driver when I’m not “getting on it” especially over these speed bumps. I have noticed a sluggish transmission that drops rpms here and there and some cranking transmission noises when slowing up to lights from time to time. It’s pretty alarming. Is this normal or should I be worried about the transmission going soon? 69xxx miles

 

My mechanic told me the RL/RLX transmission is quite good/trouble free unlike 2nd generation TL from 1999-2003, so it's very unlikely to have transmission failure at just 70k miles but do have the transmission fluid checked/replaced to see if that helps. If there is transmission issue I hope it can still be covered by the 70k/6-year drivetrain warranty by Acura? I bought my 2016 PAWS at about 50k miles and the first thing I did was to do transmission fluid change (not flushed) as well as brake fluid change too per Acura dealer recommendation.

 

The scraping on speed bumps is really peculiar and should not be happening at all for a sedan. The sluggish transmission and noises are not a good sign...When was your last maintenance or into a shop for an check and tune-up?

 

I’m gonna go ahead and change the filter and fluids. Does anyone know of the location of the transmission filter?

 

For the PAWS - I don't think there is a filter. There is a drain plug, and I fill through the dipstick tube. Pretty much like an oil change.
Changing tranny fluid is a good thing about every 30-50k miles IMO. Only use Honda fluids!!!

Scraping noises over speed bumps sounds more like dampers/A-arms, or other suspension part. The RLX's have decent ground clearance.

 

Well I bought new tires which might explain why it rode so low. The sidewall on the old tires must’ve really been shot because the car sits completely different now. I spoke with a couple friends who’ve had Honda’s and they advised me NOT to change the transmission fluid and that most transmissions don’t need their fluids changed EVER.

 

That's pretty bad advice.

 

The key is to not FLUSH a Honda/Acura transmission. But I can say that the fluid does need to be refreshed periodically, and the improvement is noticeable. The method is to do a "drain and fill". If you do it on a regular basis you only need to do it once. If you haven't changed it within the recommended timeframe, Honda/Acura recommends a 3-time "drain and fill" process, to make sure you get as much of the old fluid out.

But the advice to not CHANGE the fluid is wrong - just don't use a flushing process that some shops may recommend....

 

Transmission fluid is clear pink in color when it's brand new. Just check the color on the dipstick (rub it on a paper towel) - is it still pinkish or is it brownish (or even black). If the transmission fluid's color is brownish or darker, then it needs to be replaced. Honda recommends transmission fluid drain and fill (not flush) every 30k miles. Never replacing the transmission fluid is a grave mistake.

 

Following up a little late on this thread.I brought it into Springfield Acura for my subwoofer to be checked out and they ran the transmission. The guy at Acura said my transmission is fine. In the first place I’m a little bit of a nit pick as my family might say. I typically try to search for issues. (Maybe OCD) Anyway, guy at Acura also told me that the RLX suspension was specially designed for the 14’ model year and resulted in a really bumpy boaty ride. Thank you for everyone’s feedback.

 

At approx 40,000 miles, the trans in my '14 PAWS started to slip. I drained and filled the fluid and all was good in the world. I believe the owners manual calls for changing the fluid at 30,000 miles.

 

I’ve driven a lot of cars with new DCT transmissions so maybe my complaint is invalid about the tranny. Might just be due to the nature of what I’ve felt in a dct which cant be replicated by my RLX non-hybrid. I have changed the transmission fluid and haven’t had any complaints since.

 

I had a similar problem with my low mileage RLX 2019. Only 15,000 km. Making a buzzing or brrrrp sound at low gear say 1400 rpm. If you were cruising down a residential street or starting from a stop sign you would hear this for a couple seconds. Transmission felt strange and under powered. Took it to my dealer and they did the following. Cleared some computer codes on the transmission and reset a series of codes. That helped for a few days but the issue returned. Dealer then contacted Acura support who said there is a known problem and suggested they triple flush the automatic transmission fluid 3 times. That solved it. Been a few weeks and the car is better than new.