Ok let's cut to the chase,

I drive a SSM 2005 TL 5AT with 97k miles (no warranty). Here's what is going on with my car...

While driving around 2000 RPMs (no more than 2300) and while the car is shifting from 3rd to 4th, the car shakes/shudders, and when i let off the gas, the shuddering stops and the car shifts into 4th.

I found this thread by I Hate Cars, https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/very-interesting-conversation-my-transmission-builder-tl-721508/, and changed out my pressure switches as well as flushed and refilled by transmission fluid. I thought I fixed the problem, but after driving around a few days the problem came back.

What else could it be? I bet it could be THOUSANDS of problems so I wonder if I need a new transmission. And if that's the case I might consider selling it for what it's worth (roughly $14000) and upgrading, or I might even go for a newer 3G TL-S (I'm obsessed with these). I LOVE this car and baby the heck out of it, but I don't want to have to put any more money into it and I'd rather put that 2 grand or so (...how much are new transmissions?) into a new TSX Wagon or Audi A4 Avant. Or I could just suck it up, bite the bullet, buy a new transmission, and drive this thing another 150,000 miles...

Thoughts???

(PS. Sorry for the A.D.D.'ness of this thread, but I got a lot of crap on my mind...)

 

hmmm.... I was experience pretty much the same, but I followed I Hate Cars' remedy of the switches and drain/fill fluid and it cured it. I'm surprise it didn't for you. What kind of fluid did you put it?

New tranny will probably run you $3k to $4k.

 

F word!! Thats crazy its going to cost that much. It was earlier in the summer when I changed the ATF and man I couldn't even guess what I used...I did buy the fluid at walmart though.

If I'm going to spend $3-4k on a tranny, I might as well try to re-do the entire "I Hate Cars remedy" with better high end fluid to see if that's the case. What did you use?

 

ATF-Z1 or redline I don't think walmart carries any of those

 

That is why your issue got worse. Try to get some redline fluid ASAP

 

Do atleast a 3x3 drain/fill

 

Ok... Thanks a lot guys!

 

I'm going to get after it this weekend and I'll post an update then. Thanks again

 

Good luck to a fellow Mid TN 05 SSM owner with a shuddering transmission. I have the same prob every now and then with my 05 SSM AT.

 

Thanks a lot, Jackson615.

I reset my ECU this morning and man, I absolutely love doing this. Every time it's so much quicker! Anyways, since I reset my ECU I don't drive it below ~2500 RPMs so the shuddering isn't happening. I'm still going to 3x3 it this weekend just to be safe. Should I go with Redline? Is that the best for these transmissions?

 

I really had no idea! I wish I would have known before I f'd it all up! LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES, PEOPLE!

 

I own 2004 TL 5AT, daily driver, all maintenance done on time by myself, tranny fluid changes every 30kmi with honda ATF, spirited driving style.

I started getting exact same shudder between 3rd and 4th gears in April 2010. It was mostly while going uphill at low rpm.
It would happen 2-3 times per week on a bad week, and none the next week.

With 76,000mi on the clock, in August 2010 I stopped by the dealer (Courtesy Acura in Denver) for wheel alignment and mentioned this issue.

They could not recreate it, but tried replacing rear engine mount, which per some 2007 tech bulletin fixes vibration at around 45mph (4th gear?). That only fixed THAT vibration.

I drove the car around dealership with mechanic, and was able to recreate the tranny shudder. He said I'd need a new tranny.

Thankfully, I had purchased extended warranty from acura in 2004 for $1K, so the dealer replaced my tranny with a factory rebuild free of charge, with 36Kmi/3y warranty on it.

The total invoice was $4300


Now I am really pissed at Honda.
I also own 99 Accord EX V6, its tranny went out in Feb 2009 at 110Kmi with all reg maintenance. $2200 paid for rebuilding it at a private tranny shop.

I also own 2008 MDX and keepping my fingers crossed.

I doubt I will be buying another honda car with auto tranny any time soon.