Hey guys Im looking to join the Acura world with a used TL, I found a black 2006 with the A-spec package and parchment interior(not my favorite but I'm not picky) with 96k miles. It has a clean car fax on it, but I noticed one thing. It said at around 67k miles the guy had the the ATF changed at a Precision auto tune care which is like a high end jiffy lube, I figured they use a pump there to get it out which I heard was a death wish for an acura tranny. My question is do you think its safe to still buy since it was only flushed once and not drained, or should i steer clear from it? No matter what I get I will take it to my local Honda/Acura specialist to have him look but I just want to know yalls opinions. Thanks for the help.

 

Run, forrest run.....

Honda ATF only

How did they flush the unit exactly?

 

Im really not sure, its just speculation that since it wasnt at an acura dealer that they used a machine to flush it?

 

They may have used honda atf though i really dont know, the carfax doesnt go into that much detail, I will get a mechanic to look at the transmission before I buy though.

 

Ehh, look for a manual.

 

Well if it was flushed at 67k and it feels fine now 30k later and isn't exhibiting any premature signs of failure, Id think it would be ok. But im not a trans expert by any means. I have been told many times that Honda transmissions don't get flushed and I have never flushed any of the Hondas iv owned with an AT.

 

Just think, if it weren't listed on the CarFax, you wouldn't have given it a thought. Just think about how many things may have been done and they
aren't listed on the CarFax report, so if it passes an inspection, good to go.

 

These services use a multi vehicle ATF that (IMHO) won't be worse for your transmission than stock Z1 (which you car came with) from Honda. People (geniuses) on the web react violently to these services, (admittedly there are better ATFs for our TLs), but these fluids have fewer Friction Modifiers (FMs) than the Honda Z1, thus faster shifts, and less wear. And worn out, dirty ATF is definitely bad for transmission life.

I have serviced my Honda Odyssey this way, and have 200K with no problems. So I personally wouldn't be concerned--especially if it's shifting correctly.

I would, however, change out the 3rd and 4th gear pressure switches right away to prevent slipping and wear (known to cause problems), then I'd run one of the ATFs recommended on this board. The experts here like faster shifting fluids (less shift wear, less smooth shifts) like Dex III types, Redline DW4, and several other combinations. I'm currently running Acura DW1 with no problems with new switches, but will start migrate to Redline. Here's some more info: https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/very-interesting-conversation-my-transmission-builder-tl-721508/

I hope this helps.