MBI

Hi all,
I have a 05 TL 6spd with about 9000 miles on it. I noticed that I started getting more and more transmition problems. I have a hard time with my 3rd gear. Most of the time I have to double clutch to engage it or skip 3rd and go directly from 2nd to 4th. Did anyone experience this problem?

Thanks,

Martin

ChuckDu

Quite a few manual transmission owners have noticed an issue going from 2nd to 3rd gear, especially when the car is cold. However, I don't recall anyone writing that they had to skip 3rd gear. Sounds like your transmission may be a bit more stubborn than most.

Why not take it back to the dealer and have them look at it? I find it best to document issues in writing with the dealer in case the problem gets worse when out of warranty.

Do a search on "GM Synchromesh" and you'll get a ton of threads to wade through.

CHIEFZUSAF

Imagine if we could do that in baseball.. .

TCBaby

I had the same problem but after i moved my seat forward a little, I was shifting like a champ again.

MBI

I have about 40% oil life left on my car. When I go for my oil change I will let the dealer look into this. I just wanted to see if anyone else had this probloem and if anyone did anything about it.

Brettg

Most cars seem to have problems going into 3rd gear at times.
Most people change the transmission fluid to the GM manual transmission fluid friction modified.
It makes the transmission shift very nicely indeed.

Some have just changed the original honda fluid out, but the GM stuff is semi synthetic and should last longer.

Brett

tomob63

I too had this prob and had the car in 3 times with the dealer not being able to re-produce problem. Finally, I printed a number of threads from this great forum and convinced the dealer to put the GM Syncromesh in.

I have not had the problem since.

The dealer did contact an Acura rep who was more familiar with the issue and we did come to agreement to notate in my maint history that this procedure was done at the approval of the Acura rep to insure I did not loose any warranty coverage in using the GM fluid.

I was advised to search for friction modified / friction modifier. Many threads on this issue.

Good luck.

Scribesoft

Count me as another who had the stubborn 3rd gear. GM-FMS fixed the issue about 4k ago and it hasn't come back yet.

Soiunds like we're all ful of it with the gmfms, but for me at least it's actually been a "fix in a bottle"... And I'm NOT someone who believes in "fixes in a bottle"

XtraKrispy

What dealer did you use in Chicago?

HEK

IMHO bring it to the dealer, if the car is under warranty why not let these issues be handled by them or if you want to try the GM stuff do it, I did w/out having any issues prior to the change and now shifting is so.. "smooth like medicated cotton" as my friend from Louisiana used to say about the belly of his wife...

SouthernBoy

I have seen a number of people on this site complain of the same problem. My '04 never experienced this at all. In fact, I would say that my transmission shifted remarkably. However, at 14,000 miles, I went ahead and drained the factory fill and installed the GM Synchromesh Friction Modified fluid (part # 12377916) anyway, mostly to get the factory stuck and the metal shavings out. The drain pan looked like I was panning for gold.. a lot of tiny metal particles from the synchronizers. I noticed a slight improvement with the GM fluid and within a week, the improvement increased. It would be most interesting to see what might be the cause of this problem for those people who have been having it.

I wonder if there might be some common thread such as very early clutch engagement onset. As all of you who have manuals know, the clutch pedal travel on the TL is relatively short and the clutch takeup is even shorter, with initial engagement rather sharp with very little "give". My '04 (and most of the others I've heard of) begins engagement about 1.5 inches from the clutch pedal stop pad on the floor board. Engagement is completed well before full release of the pedal (this is the takeup). If one gets a little lazy with their foot and the happen to have a TL which starts its engagement really soon, then getting into other gears (particularly at speed) is going to be harder and is also going to cause premature wear and failure of the synchronizers.

Let us know what you find out.

ttliang

i wanted to say this for the longest time. it could be something else of course but i wondered if shifting habits had anything to do with all these 3rd gear problems. i have 04 with original MTF and it still shifts great. i've been reading about similar threads for a while now. i kept waiting for mine to happen but there is just no sign of it. all GM stuff users here claimed it fixed their problem for good so i don't know. any of u who use GM now with relapses? I know a few who changed with new Honda MTF and had relapses after a while. Maybe the GM stuff is better therefore takes longer for relapses to occur if any. let us know. Thanks.

HEK

When I 1st got the car I had some issues with shifting mostly because of the "drive by wire" but never had an issue with engaging a gear or forcing a shift.
I decided before it got too cold and at 12K that why not try the GM stuff and can say that after the change not only did the car shifted better but now I can shift into 1st when I'm downshifting to a complete stop..
I wonder if "we" are having problems with 3rd gear due to not having adjusted the seat properly, one thing I had to do so I didn't jerk the car when taking off.
On another note when I changed the tranny fluid I looked at the fluid and found no shavings or any particles of anything when I poured it back into the containers for recycling..

stevel

I would bet that my dealer has the same rep as yours seeing as you are in northern IL and I'm in southern WI. a couple months ago, I complained about this problem and my tech did verify it and acura told them to repalce my third gear synchronizer and shift fork. less than 50 miles after picking up the car, third gear was acting up again..... ovbiously a worn synchronizer was not the case....

anyways... after talking to the rep and him mentioning that he had another customer at another of his dealers that showed him threads from here about the GM fluid, he agreed to put the GM fluid in my car paid for under warranty and I'm supposed to let them know if it solves my issue. so far it shifts great. changed almost a week ago and haven't had one bad shift yet.

tomob63

my dealer in Chicago area is Mullers Woodfield Acura

tomob63

3 weeks and I can't complain. No 3rd gear shifts where it's popped out - or any difficulities getting into third. I was very close to dumping the car for a G35x until I got the GM fluid put in. We'll see how long it lasts.

SouthernBoy

I was able to see the tiny metal shavings under direct sunlight since their color tends to reflect such strong light. I would consider this normal with a new transmission at the 14K mile mark. I tend to be VERY easy on my manual trannies and my clutches (read my prior posts about how to properly operate a manual transmission to see). If someone is having trouble getting into a given gear, the problem, if not the operator, is almost always the synchronizers. However, that's just the "final" cause of a hard shift. The root cause could be something entirely different, such as not fully disengaging the clutch prior to the shift.

Brettg

Before I put the GM stuff in my car, the only time I really had problems
was mostly when the trans was cold or warm (not hot), and I was trying to shift quickly. There was a few times (out of millions of shifts?) where it would not go directly into 1st.
I think if you are taking your time and shifting easy, you wont notice much of a problem.
If there was any wear metal in my trans lube, it was so slight to where I could not see it, even after searching for it. I also drained the GM stuff after a few thousand miles, and it was clean and new looking, so all kinds of nasty wear
is not starting with the GM stuff.

Brett

Jerseypapi307

Whenever my car is cold i have an extremely hard time getting it into 3rd gear. its actually pretty annoying..... Once the car is warmed up i do not have a problem.....

stevel

mine would not want to go into third while cold/warm, but like yours not hot. but, it had never done it shifting quick or at high engine rpm's, only during extremely conservative driving. 3000 rpm shifts or so...

trancemission

I've had some trouble a few times going into 3rd but not enough to make me skip the gear. When I take it in for an oil change Ill talk to my service rep about it..

Pele 96

Where did you guys buy this product?

SouthernBoy

I purchased my three quarts of GM Synchromesh Friction Modified from Pohanka Chevrolet in Chantilly, VA. I should think a number of GM product dealers might have this, though I've heard that it can be hard to find.

Brettg

Any GM dealer can search for the stuff and tell you who has how much localy.

Brett

BG74

GM Synchromesh is the best mod I have done so far to my TL....

ChuckDu

I purchased mine at GM Parts Online. Since then, I can't find the website anymore. The price was better than the local dealer even with the shipping. Anyone know if it's still in existence?

The other option is to go to any GM dealer's parts department. If they don't have it they will order it. You'll have it in a few days.