I hate posting negative things about my 04 TL because I really love the car, but there is one thing that is bothering me: this auto trans.

My 02 TLS has much firmer, quicker shifts that have no heistation between shifts and go to the redline in every gear. My 04 TL, however, has much weaker, slower shifts with some hesitiation. Also, the car refuses to go to the redline on the 1-2 shift. This is really pissing me off because its robbing power from the car since most of the power is up top on these cars. Also, when in SS mode, if I get on the gas at WOT in 1st and let go of the gas at 6000 rpms and then get back on the gas, the TLS chirps the tires into 2nd gear, while when i do this in the 04, the tranny is confused and waits for a sec to get into 2nd.

Im really starting to think that my TLS would handily beat my 04 in a race...something i really wasnt expecting.

 

This is probably a good thing, meaning longer life for the transmission!

 

i agree with original poster. the sport-shift in AT really sucks for a progressive trans!!

when i back out and shift int "D" there's a 2 sec pause before the tranny engages, WTF ??? i'm usually on the gas the instant the stick is in "D".

progressive shifting is very poor, has no control of 1st, and has a relatively long delay between shifts.

as i have posted in the past, if they can't build a decent progressive trans then don't build one at all, just offer "RNDL" and that's it. the progressive shift is actually a negative because since it works poorly i dont use it, and since it's there it's just something else that can fail.

i even find the AT to be in the OD gear way too soon. they should have offered a "OD" off button near the shifter. i find myself constantly having to really gas it to get the AT to upshift so i can get some ooomph to move around at highway speeds.....

offtopic, but i had prevously posted about when starting cold and rough idle at about 1100 rpm's and i said i held rpms there, well, the ECU holds rpms right about there when cold and hence i feel the roughness. sounds to me like bad ECU programming. my 96'4runner and 02'Tacoma run alot smoother then TL when cold!!

 

they have the same transmission and the same engine, so I really don't know why it would be different.

 

SS mode sucks. We all know this. Don't worry you ain't the first one saying so. Many threads have been talking about this.





For utilizing 1-2 shift, try L mode. ECU won't upshift your gear until 6300-6500 RPM at 1st gear.

 

who told you to buy an automatic in the first place???

At least in 2004 you have a CHOICE, all you have to do is make the right one.

 

i've neva tried redling the first gear...but i have on the second gear...and my shifts dont seem to lag....but sometimes...it wont shift when i want it to..

 

I should have clarified myself....i can take all the other gears to redline and the shifts dont seem to hesitate except for the 1-2 shift. All the other shifts are fine, except for what your talking about....the 2-3 shift sometimes doesnt happen in SS mode under hard throttle. I just thought it was my fault for not tapping it up hard enough into third......

 

Ah. The reason might be because you do not have full manual control over the 1-2 upshift. The 5AT will shift up for you at even if you are in the SS mode. All other gears you can bounce off the fuel cutoff and it will not upshift. I have a 6MT so this information is from the reviews of other 5AT owners. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, if in 2-3 it does not respond to your upshifts, perhaps you should take it in to a dealer. I know another thread was talking about this, I'll try to find it for you.

Edit:
Here is the thread about the 2-3 AT not upshifting.
http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95303

Also, as rets mentioned the "L" mode can help with the 1-2 upshift. Forgot about that.

 

Also on these new trannies, they retard the timing before the shift to prevent the tranny from destroying itself. Everything is controlled by the computers so that is why you get that lag. Unless you have a true sequential shifter (BMW SMG) then you will be stuck with the lag.

 

I had the slow tranny shift then I got the oil jet kit installed and then they flashed ecu. Now the tranny feels good. I don’t know if it’s because the engine has broken or the tranny update. But if I floor it I can definitely feel the snap when it changes gears.

 

I've perfected the art of getting to the peak performance in every gear.

Go to L, it will hit 6800 shift to 2 and if you don't switch to SS it will top out at redline and lag.

L -> 2 -> D will automatically shift it to 3(middle of D before redline), then SS if you want

I usually go L up to 2 -> SS.

I learned that on the forum actually. Doesn't damage your tranny to do that because Acura made it so it can't burn the gears or anything. All you have to worry about is pushing it. I don't do it too often...just when I want some serious speed.

On SS however take note that there is a lag so try to learn when your car shifts with SS. Some people move to the next gear at about 6400 and it shifts at 6800 some people 6500 etc.

Hope that helped

 

I never knew that the TL-S would go all the way up to redline on 1st gear. I always thought that it automatically shifts for you. Guess I have to try it out on the way home. I think they both work the same and I actually think that the 04 accelerates faster than the TL-S when I down shift with SS or just flooring the gas pedal.

Only thing I find wierd on the 04 is sometimes when I downshift from 3rd to 2nd and I'm flooring it, the car seems like its not going anywhere. It doesn't always happen and I think it has to do with my timing when I shift and applying the gas. Usually it's smooth as hell but there are those times where the engine is growling loudly and it feels like it's not going anywhere. It might be that I just have to bring my car in for the recall. Anyone ever experience this?

 

are you talking about when in "D" or "M" ??

 

what ??? i don't think they retard timing.... i'm still bringing up rpm's even after i shift and before the next gear engages.

 

my choice was AT. i'm just giving review of the AT progressive shift feature. i love the car, but from other posters this issue with AT has been lingering around for last few years, why have they not fixed the issues with AT yet ???

 

After owning a TL-S w/all it's known tranny "issues" why would you get it in the TL? This undoubtedly is a attempt to raise the average failure rate to more then 25k miles (as in the TL-S) on this eggshell of a tranny.

 

I think i shouldnt have used the word "stink" because this tranny still shifts faster that about 90% of the cars on the road. Im just annoyed that the tranny as not as aggressive as it is on my TLS. However, considering all the tranny prolems with the TypeS, I can see why Acura made the ECU a little more "protective."

 

i chose the AT even though i really wanted the 6 speed before i drove it. i know most of you guys will prolly hate on this comment but when i drove the 6sp M i hated it. maybe it was becuase i drove one that was made early on. it was actually the acura sales manager's car. he was trading in his 6 speed for an AT. same color and everything. it was the worst tranny ive driven. after that, i had to get the AT. the SS is surprisingly more efficient then i thought it would be compared to other cars. i just got mine last weekend and im loving it. glad i waited till acura fixed most of the problems (hopefully fixed em all by the time i got mine) i feel bad for the pioneers who had the balls to buy the TL as soon as it came out. i'm deeply sorry to hear about the problems that you guys had with it.

and i kno acura service prolly sucks but it doesnt suck everywhere, if you get crappy treatment at one dealership with the service, then just go to another one. the warranty, after all, is from acura and not the dealership itself. so you can go anywhere.

 

#1) Get used to the cluch
#2) The AT has been called everthing BUT efficient.(P.O.S., old faithfull,(dies every 25k miles) 25% hp loss.(ouch!!!)
#3) Ha, pioneers? This tranny rodeo aint over yet!

 

All I have to say is that my Infiniti G35 has a far superior auto transmission to my TL -- it operates more like I would expect from a sport-automatic (dropping a gear when you go from fully auto > manumatic should be mandatory from these things).

With that said, the TL does have better "learning" capabilities, but not much else.

 

The G35 is RWD so the tranny is a completely different animal than the TL (more robust, bigger, able to handle more torque due to the Q45 design specs). With that said, the TL transaxle is much better than most FWD vehicles. Unfortunately, you can't control the 1 to 2 shift

 

Why do people find it necessary to get a TL then be surprised when it does not drive like the latest formula-1 car on the circuit?

It's a sports sedan. It's not meant to be drag racing with your friends.

Just enjoy it for what it is. A mid-market luxury/sport sedan that's great for the money with a lot of gadgets and a comfortable ride.

Jeesh!

 

I was just skimming though posts and I have to say that "Sports" and "Automatic" don't belong in the same sentance. If you wanted more power, and more control of shifts, you should've gotten a 6 speed.

But I guess I'm just repeating what everyone else is saying.

 

Thats why I got the 6spd! BTW I had a TLS, the 3rd gen and it are identical as far as get go is concerned. But who cares, now all TL are at least as fast as the TLS, they all have better braking and handling too! So what used to be the "hottest" TL is just now the entry level I call that a radical improvement. Furthermore, the 6spd will literaly smoke the auto

 

Amen, preach the word, brother!

I agree with this statement, having upgraded from a 2002 TL-P (only 225 hp and skinnier tires/wheels).

If only my wife could drive stick....

 

what does it smell like?

 

AT tranny isn't really meant for racing on the streets. 1/4 miles are good on AT, because it's all about TIME and you just HIT THE GAS PEDDAL and GO. I just don't understand with all these complaints about 5AT sucks...why not get a 6MT in the first place? It's not like THEY DON'T OFFER IT ! With the 6MT, you can always do this

 

What suprised me was the published acceleration specs for the '04 TL. From 0-60 the AT is faster than the MT, while the MT had a better quarter mile. I wonder how that came to be?

 

I'm not sure if I'd go out and say the TL has a better auto tranny than most FWD cars. I like the 4T65-E auto tranny in my FWD Pontiac GTP much better, than my Wife's TL. The ECU shifts at various RPMs based on how I drive. I can actually make the car shift at any RPM I want just by how I use the accelerator. I also find that the GM auto tranny to be much smoother in all the shifts. You don't notice them at all. My wife's TL on the otherhand, you can feel the car "lag" as it shifts gears, in normal driving situations. I don't know if "lag" is the right term. It feels like when driving a manual, and you take too long with the clutch when engaging the next gear. I also find the GM tranny to shift much faster. In fact GM is even advertising the paddle-shifter in the CompG GTP, as being the quickest shifting manumatic this side of $50,000. I think I remember reading they said something like it only takes 2-3 tenths of a second for the tranny to complete the shift from when you first hit the paddle. I know my G35 and my wife's TL definately take at least a half second or more to complete the shift in manumatic mode. Other companies must think GM makes good auto trannys, as both BMW and Volvo use GM's 4 and 5 speed automatics.

The main thing that truly bothers me with my wife's TL, is if you let go of the throttle at 25 - 30mph (even in D), the car jerks, as it either downshifts, or starts engine breaking. None of my other cars, including my G35, do this. In fact from reading the service manual, my G35 will only engine break, if in manual shift mode.

 

After nearly twenty years and a few hundred thousand miles in a manual I must say I'm enjoying the AT. But I do miss the control of a MT. If only my wife would learn to drve it...

As my other car sits in the tranny shop waiting for a full rebuild (nothing inside salvageable, and it's been driven gently, mostly by my wife) I have no complaints about the TL tranny. My only consolation is it's not an Acura, so I still have hope for the TL.

I'm glad we're given the choice these days. A few years ago there was nary a sedan on the market available with a MT. Now there are a few.