dganesar

Hi,

This is my very first post, so bare with me please. I just bought a 2006 TL Automatic @ approximately 94,000 Km (~58k miles). I did some research before buying this vehicle, however I wasn't that thorough as this is my first car purchase. I loved the way the car looked and felt when I took it out for a test drive. I fell in love with the vehicle, however couple days after purchase I realized that a timing belt change was not done ( it is recommended to do one at 160,000 KM or 7 years) since the car is 10 years old. The car was driven by an elderly man for the past 10 years (~9,000 KM/year) and it was maintained in fairly good condition ( few wear and tear items). After I discovered that I needed a timing belt change soon, I became paranoid and started to do some research and stumbled across the automatic transmission problem. This is a huge concern for me since I did not anticipate this at all, otherwise I would have reconsidered my purchase. I don't have any transmission problems, however when I do drive the car you can hear the engine a bit more ( again I am a newbie to cars); I figured that this is normal. I feel like I am becoming a bit more nervous and paranoid about this purchase and I would like to gain some insight on the issue. I wanted this car to last me for about 4 years or more with the Honda/Acura Reliability stamp on the car; I thought I could not go wrong with this decision. I know maintenance is key and I am actually going to do an oil change and a transmission fluid change while also getting the timing belt, water pump, tensioner replaced.

Do you think I am overthinking this? OR is this an actual problem (automatic transmission)?

I live in Ottawa, Canada; if that makes any difference.

Let me know your thoughts and thank you,

Jackass

You are over thinking it. Could you have issues? I'm sure it is possible. There are plenty of people that have not had issues...there for sure are some who have had issues. Keep your fluids fresh, change out the pressure switches and you will "probably" be fine.

As for your timing belt....there is not agreement across everyone on the boards if the 7 year rule or recommendation is good. Again, many have taken it well past 7 years with no issues and many have taken it well past 100k miles as well. I for sure wouldn't push the mileage limit much...I am torn on the age limit.

dganesar

Thank you for your response,

I did give me some mental relief. I am going to change the timing belt anyway since it has been 10 years just to be on the safe side. Could you elaborate on the pressure switches? I don't know much about cars and I am learning about them now.

Thank you,

nist7

ATF is one of the more likely neglected parts of routine maintenance. Keep up with regular drain and refills, get the new 3rd/4th gear pressure switch as noted in this forum and don't abuse/traumatize your AT, do best practice for routine driving/car care and you should be good most likely.

Don't get scared into thinking every Honda AT from this era will fail no matter what. There are tons of people with high miles. My 06 TL 5AT is at 185,000+ miles and still shifts smooth and strong. Last owner went to dealer for all maintenance and when I bought it at 160k i immediately did the pressure switches and did regular ATF drain and refills (did a 6x3, now doing a 1x3 every oil change interval).

dganesar

Thank you,

Sorry to sound stupid, but is a ATF replacement the same as ATF flush? and what do you mean by 6x3 and 1x3?

I am getting the transmission fluid replaced since the color of the fluid is amber. How often should you do ATF replacement and flush?

Thank you,

dganesar

And I forgot to ask what kind of ATF are you using?

Honda Recommended or F-type?

nist7

My prior TL owner took it to dealer for ATF and the receipts always says "ATF flush" and so dealers have a machine that flushes all the ATF out all at once...since when you jack up the car and let out the ATF drain bolt...only about 3qts come out and the entire system holds something like 7-8qts. Hence the shorthand of 3x3 or 4x3 (meaning 3qts each time...and if you a single drain and fill, its a 1x3, if you 4 5 or 6 its that numberx3.)


3rd/4th gear pressure swtich replacement link: https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...2006-a-729149/

ATF threads:
Link: https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...-012-a-556044/
Link: https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...f-pics-745892/

Good thread on ATF in general, but some people use aftermarket ATF (Red Line) a small part Red Line Racing ATF in addition to aftermarket Red Line D4 ATF (instead of Honda oem ATF) to try to get the AT to shift better/faster. Some people feel that this is better than OEM and may fix/elongate life. No definitive answers to this method if this is "better" than using Honda ATF ( in terms of empirical scientific studies). But worth a read for some educational purposes:
link: https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...f-pics-745892/

(I've had good response with just regular old Honda DW-1 ATF so that's that.) Some people are more drawn to aftermarket/better brands/parts. Red Line D4/Racing ATF has good reputation on this forum at least if you want to go that route.

Here is a VERY well put together website that has great technical but readable information on this era of Honda transmissions. Good for a night of reading if you enjoy this sort of thing: http://www.brisdance.com/Honda/AutoTrans1.html

Index thread for all posts on DIY garage repairs/maintenance:
https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...ewbies-553554/

thoiboi

Atf dw-1.

nist7

Honda and many other car companies are moving to the MID/computer notified maintenance intervals.

They do say every 30k for heavy driving conditions:


(Note the above manual is from 2006, Honda has updated their ATF to DW-1 now. Z1 is old and should be replaced with DW-1)

So for me I would at LEAST do a 3x3 every 30k miles (2-3 years). It's cheap if you just get the Honda ATF and it's less than $100 for 9 quarts of Honda ATF every 30k miles (after getting any required tools of course for the ATF change.)

I've heard of some people even elect to do a 1x3 at very oil change interval (about 3-4 oil changes a year) which keeps a contnuing refreshed supply of ATF so that you don't go a long time without fresh ATF....this is more cumbersome/expensive but again may be worthwhile if it's a small financial hit to your budget and if it will stave off highly expensive AT failures...

alexb92

I had 160k on my '06 TL when it got totaled in an accident, original trans - and I drove it spiritedly pretty frequently. Shifted like it was brand new because I kept up with the trans maintenance over the course of the 60k miles I owned it.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

My trans went at 196k miles. You should be good for another 10 years if you keep up the maintenance.

truonghthe

keep up with the maint and you will be fine.

dganesar

Thank you all for your input. I do feel a little better after hearing from you.

I wanted to add that I noticed my transmission fluid to be "brown" in colour but the transmission shifts normal. Should I be concerned about the colour?

As I have mentioned before I am taking in the car to replace the timing belt, tensioner and water pump as well as an oil change and transmission fluid replacement (1x3). I am planning to replace the sensors next year as part of my preventive maintenance and also replace my transmission fluid at every oil change interval for next year and then do it just once a year.

I am a little worried about the "brownish" colour since I know the previous owner last did a B service in 2012 @46,000 miles; and according to the B service the dealer checks the condition of all fluids and I assume that the transmission fluid was also inspected. I am currently @58,000 miles.

Do you think that I should change the transmission fluid (1x3) ? OR will I damage the transmission by doing so?

I would really appreciate your input.

thoiboi

I would replace fluid and switches immediately .

dganesar

This is the colour of the the transmission fluid.... can anyone tell me how bad this looks?

nist7

^

OP: Just do it.

No one here is going to be able to tell how bad it is from just some color. New ATF has a nice reddish/pink tint to it. Just get the drain and fill done and do it regularly and you're good. Get the pressure switches to new ones as well.

dganesar

First of all I want to thank all of you guys for helping me out. I am very grateful for that.

The only reason I am panicking is because this is my very first car and I am also a student who doesn't have a reserve of money to put into repairing this car. I am doing a drain and fill tomorrow and then I will do one every oil change interval. The car shifts fine and there is no apparent problems. With my mediocre car knowledge, I am learning all of this on the go. I love the car and I want to keep it in good shape for years to come. I hope I don't run into major problems but with your insights it has definitely given me a peace of mind.

God bless you.

Thank you for everything. I really truly appreciate this.

dganesar

First of all I want to thank all of you guys for helping me out. I am very grateful for that.

The only reason I am panicking is because this is my very first car and I am also a student who doesn't have a reserve of money to put into repairing this car. I am doing a drain and fill tomorrow and then I will do one every oil change interval. The car shifts fine and there is no apparent problems. With my mediocre car knowledge, I am learning all of this on the go. I love the car and I want to keep it in good shape for years to come. I hope I don't run into major problems but with your insights it has definitely given me a peace of mind.

God bless you.

Thank you for everything. I really truly appreciate this.

nist7

No worries! That's what forums are for! We all can learn from each other. You're already ahead of the curve than many many other car owners and you're getting things planned so that's great. You'll learn as you go and really the 5AT is not as bad as its rep...it probably doesn't take neglect as well as other trans...which most people are not going to remember to do regular ATF changes anyway so you're good here.

dganesar

Did you replace the pressure switches? and was this for a 06 TL 5AT

thoiboi

Less thinking and asking, more doing.

Nist7 has all the answers in this post:

truonghthe

You can't use other TL to judge your AT life span, a lot of variable come to play for AT life span such as.

1. Did you bought it NEW?
2. Did you maintain meticulously?
3. Your driving habbit.
4. City vs highway cruise.
5. If you bought the car used, how did the previous owner drive the car?


There is a former member here sold his 05 TL at 300k miles WITH ORIGINAL AT still function normally. My brother in laws bought his TL as new in 06 and now have 150k miles still on the original AT. He only change the fluid once at 60k miles.

dganesar

Yes I understand all the variables. I took the car to the dealership today and got my TB/WP replaced along with an oil change and transmission fluid change(1x3). I am going to replace the switches as well just for a piece of mind.

I have a fair knowledge of the history of the car, the car was bought straight from the dealership from an elderly person who only drove approx ~ 5.5 miles/year. He did most city driving and I don't think he drove the car harshly. Over the ten years he did the regular maintenance and followed the maintenance minder in the car; he has done two B services and some A services from his invoices and kept up with the oil changes. He DID not change the transmission fluid however the dealership told me the colour that I saw (kindaish brown) is definitely an indication of dirty oil but not a major concern and recommended to do a transmission fluid change every oil change interval till the end of next year. He did tell me that switching the sensors is not something he recommends since he feels that it is money down the drain, unless your transmission is acting up like slipping or the green blinking light.

I am going to change the switches soon just for a piece of mind.

Thank you guys for all your responses.

truonghthe

well you can listen to dealer if you wanted too but a lot of us who change the switches already got positive experience on before vs after, after the switches replace sharper shifting and smoother engagement. BTW dealer tech isn't train specialize in transmission (since it is another ball game for mechanic) Whenever your tranny shutter they "recommend" replace the AT. I did research and post this article some time in the past and it WILL provide you with concrete evidence why the pressure switch need to be replaced.



https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...lained-926831/

smurfhunter

I have similar circumstances with my 2006 TL. Bought March 2016 with 88k. Previous owner was an older woman, who took care of it and had lots of maintenance documentation.
Fortunately she had recently replaced the timing belt and water pump before selling - saving me a lot of money.
Unfortunately the trans fluid was dark brown.

I recently had my shop (been taking our MDX there for years) flush the transmission, power steering and brake fluid. Oxidation is the silent killer with old engine fluids.
This was before I heard of the 1x3 process, but the vehicle does shift better IMHO. I will eventually do the pressure switches myself soon. I'm now at 93K.

Congrats. That's a fantastic first car. My first couple cars were total pieces of crap, but I did get familiar with basic automotive repairs

dganesar

Hi Guys,

Thank you all for your input, I am getting the switches done on Monday; I booked an appointment with Honda Dealership. I wanted to ask you guys whether it is normal to hear a slight knock when shifting from "P" to "R". I have driven many rental cars before I purchased this car, and this noise seems rather strange to me. I thought I heard this noise only when parking uphill but I do hear it when driving on normal roads. It is not a LOUD knock, it is a slight knock I hear. I'm hoping the switches would allow the noise to go away.

Either way your input would be much appreciated.

mlrailguy

Our 03 had just over 100,000 when trans failed. Had it repaired and had been great till last night. Went out just as if it was shifted into neutral. The only thing I noticed was the indicator light on dash, which shows what gear selector is in, started flashing. I pulled in down into D4, and that lit up, but the D5 continued to flash.
Just barely over a yr old so warranty is no good, and only 10,000 miles on it. $3000 to fix it. I will probably find a cheap one at a pull -n-save, then sell car immediately. Honda transmission is junk, and they know it.