I have a 2006 Acura TL with a transmission that went into limp mode where it will go into gear but only up to 2nd, which I was able to determine by using the tiptronic shift feature to shift manually. I can move it around my driveway in reverse, drive, low gear or move it in neutral but when it broke down on me last February, it randomly got stuck in a low gear, revved high, and I pulled over into a parking lot. There, I tried putting in reverse and drive and it did nothing (it was very cold then here in New Jersey below freezing!). I was told by my usual shop that it needs a transmission and only quoted me for a remanufactured unit from Jasper for $6400. To be fair, they are not a transmission specialist and do not do rebuilds but the shop only checked with 3 local junkyards to see if they have used units available, which they did not have.

I did buy a new car, a 2023 Subaru Legacy XT Touring, but I am thinking of fixing and keeping the TL as a second car as its still on my driveway unless I ultimately decide to sell as is. It's been my trusted daily driver since 2013 with 59k miles and it currently has 157k miles in great cosmetic shape and a strong engine. I hear one recommendation is the AV6/BAYA swap, where a 2006-2007 Accord V6 transmission is swapped in, as it bolts into 2004-2006 TLs. Based on my description of the transmission in limp mode and still being able to go into low gears, is it possible it could be a cheaper fix than a full rebuild like perhaps a solenoid, pressure switches, TCM, clogged transmission filter etc? There is no check engine light or flashing D light. There is a whine at idle and it does smoke and has a burnt smell that I assume is transmission fluid (I changed every 40-60k miles most recently May 2025 but unfortunately the 5AT transmissions were a weak spot).

 

Take to it AAMCO and see if they can do a rebuild on it, should be cheaper than the jasper. Also see if you can find a specialty trans shop to do the repair - also sign up for AAA so you can have it towed to the shop for free!