I have a 2005 TL with ~33,000 miles. In the morning, when leaving my neighborhood (in other words, the car is cold), I experience a rather severe shaking / shuddering / vibration.

This only occurs in third gear and at very near 25 mph. It is more common going up a slight grade. It only occurs a a certain throttle position, which is a small amount above no pressure at all on the gas. Unfortunately, this is the throttle position which it takes to make the car go ~25 mph, so it is a common speed for maneuvering through neighborhoods. Any more or less gas and the shuddering will go away.

I suspect that there is an issue with the 3rd gear clutch / pressure onto the 3rd gear clutch.

I took the car to the dealer and they told me that this is a common and acceptable situtation. They said that they drove another TL around the same vintage and it dit the same thing. They also said that they talked with Honda and that they techs said that there is nothing wrong with the car.

The shaking is severe. It shakes the whole car. Please help.

As a side note, I don't think that I'm being picky because pasengers who happen to be riding with me a alarmed at the shuddering. They ask what is happening, and I explain that it is nothing to be worried about, since I had the dealer check it out. If they notice it immediately, then I am reassured that it is severe.

 

Do a search in the main part of the 3GL forum for this topic. People have had new (i.e. remanufactured) trannys put in for this issue. It is a known problem, but you may have to go to a different dealer, or involve Acura Customer Service to get resolution.

 

Don't know if this will solve it, but I experienced the exact same thing in my '04 TL in third gear at low RPM when I had around 33,000 mi on it. All I did was took it to the dealer and paid 70 bucks to have the transmission fluid flushed and changed. Remember though, YOU HAVE TO GO TO A DEALER!!! The Z1 fluid is not sold to the general public yet and taking it to some sort of quick lube place will VOID YOUR WARRANTY if somethng does go wrong. The first thing the dealer will do is test your fluid and if it is not Z1, you're screwed.
Anyway, after the flush and fluid change, the shutter went away. The reason is, the fluid that Acura uses is thinner and doesnt last as long, but it creates less internal resistance so the tranny runs smoother and lasts longer (if you keep up on the maintenance). You should get this done every 30,000 miles; hence the reason for the shuttering. Try that first. Hope this helps. These new cars are touchy.

 

Actually, it's sold at both Honda and Acura dealerships. Many here (including me) have changed their fluid themselves.

I have this EXACT problem (04 model AT, 41k miles), exactly how you described it. there is a thread here with more details. mine also occurs in 3rd gear, very light throttle, most of the time happens on inclines. after i changed my fluid at 40k, it got a lot better, but sometimes i still feel it... less pronounced though. might just be me dreaming.

i'm just worried that my transmission will crap out after 50k...

 

I'm having the same problem that you guys are. It's the only major issue I have with the car, but I feel that it is truly major. I had the transmission service done last October at the dealer, and have way less than 10,000 miles on it since then. I'm not sure what to do next, as in my experience I have found that nobody gives a shit about your car other than you, and certainly not the dealers or service people.

I feel better knowing I'm not alone in this, and maybe one of us will figure out what the dealership will do to fix it. "Common and acceptable"?... what a load of crap.

 

Sounds like you folks experiencing the infamous transmission shudder. The car needs to have the transmission as the torque converter is failing...

 

Solution found!!! I had this same problem and it turned out to be the ERG valve. This controls the air/fuel mix and accounted for the shutter. When they replaced these, it had all the 'pep' back.

 

im having the same problem, It just started to notice it this week. Its really annoying and my whole car shakes and I have a 04 with 30k. Is this problem only on 04 and half of 05's? If this is the case it gives me an excuse to look for an 07 Type S.

 

Did the dealer fix under the warranty? Who discovered that it was teh ERG valve that was defective?

 

Yes all fixed under warranty, it was one of the techs that had been there for 20 years that told me immediately what it was when he rode with me. They could not reproduce it, I had to.

 

i have a warranty with the same problem described the same as above, should I be worried about the dealership refusing service because modifications I've made (CAI)?