mm492433

Hey guys i need some help or advice on this one. I know there has been a bunch of threads on the transmission problems but this is different as i have an issue with no clear solution and the dealer refuses to fix it until they find one.

I have an 07 tl-s with 45,000 miles still under the factory warranty, with an acura extended warranty as well. Recently id say in the last 3-4,000 miles i noticed the car would shudder right at about 25 mph while in low rpm's say 1,500.

It had increasingly got worse and more common as time went on. Now, i had had this exact problem with my old Volkswagen and it ended up being that both my axles were cracked.Although reading through the forum, i don't think that is the issue with this car.

Now i had taken it to the dealer and they could not find anything wrong with the car, or so they said. I made a big deal about it and told them they are not giving me my car back until they find the problem.

The manager then came back and tried telling me that it was a "design flaw in the transmission and that's how its supposed to work" which is complete nonsense.

Long story short i got them to test drive the car with me, and the head mechanic agreed something is wrong as he had the whole time mind you. After a week they came back and told me that my brembo calipers were torqued wrong and that's what the problem was.

Now weeks later the problem is still present and common and i don't really know what to do or where to go from here, as the dealer has been no help in the past and i don't really know any problems to possibly bring to their attention.

Any one else ever have a similar problem? Any advice or help is greatly appreciated.

AtlM5

I guess you have a few options:

1. Go back to the dealer and tell the that the calipers weren't the problem and that's BS ect. Make a big deal out of it...I'd say first make them replace the tranny fluid and if that doesn't work their probably gonna have to rebuild/replace the tranny or open it up and see if the clutch is worn or whatever the problem is.

2. You could go to a different dealer and see if they will do something.

3. If the dealer will not help you, go to corporate and file a complaint...they'll make something happen.

mm492433

BTW my transmission is an automatic.

Thanks for the advice. Although i already had the fluid flushed about 6,000 miles ago.

I was thinking about going to a different dealer but then i will have to go through all the same nonsense i already went through with this dealer, just to get to the same point.

I would have liked for them to have opened it up but they were very reluctant to do that, as the head mechanic thought it was the brembo's so he wasn't really on board that it was a transmission issue.

I thought it could possibly be the 3rd and 4th switches as i've heard they have issues. Would these switches cause a shudder though?

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

AtlM is right. Part of the reason you go to the dealership to get it fixed is because you then have a fallback. Take it to them and make them get it right-to your satisfaction. With the warranty and the fact that you've taken it to them once and you still have the problem-they need to "get this right" for you.

jdm_94-07TypeS

iTrader: (10)

I had the same problem in my 07 MDX and the problem was the torque converter. You can know if the torque converter is bad, just drive your car at exactly 45mph and turn on the cruise control then take a look to the RPM needle, is it stay steady or move/make some fluctuations?? If the needle move your torque converter is beginning to fail. This way the dealer told me that my MDX's torque converter was bad, but I'm not 100% sure that this test will be the same for the TL maybe could be.

jda123

Forget about the 3rd and 4th switches. If they were bad, the damage is already done to the unit. If you replace them, then you might limp along enough to just get out of warranty. I would not even mention them - get the root cause fixed.

Call the 1-800 number with the warranty and open a complaint. Sounds like they are BSing you to get out of the repair.

Once you get it repaired, come out of pocket and put new 3rd and 4th pressure switches on the rebuilt/remaned tranny to keep it running strong for years to come. They switches are cheap and they can be swapped out in a driveway in about 20 minutes with normal tools.

mm492433

Any one else with any ideas?

I hate cars

It is the switches beyond a doubt. Swapping these along with a type F fluid will cure it. This is all in the switches thread. Tons of people complained about shudder and the switches had a 99% success rate.

It's up to you if you want to have them fix it now or make it go out while you're still in warranty. Any time it shudders it causes excessive wear and reduces the clutch packs' holding power. If you choose to ride it out, I would make it shudder as much as possible, don't change the trans fluid and hopefully it will go out under warranty. It serves them right for ignoring this issue since the cure has been posted for over a year and it was discovered by an uneducated redneck. Acura "tech" sucks. Make them replace the trans.

I'm trying so hard to not go on a rant but I think I'm going to compile a list of excuses and mis-diagnosis they have come up with over the past few years. The brake one in this thread is awesome. So sad a tech can't distinguish between a brake issue and a trans issue that only presents itself at certain RPM in a certain gear. Sad sad sad.

I hate cars

Definately keep taking it back, let them throw more and more new parts on the car until they finally get it right.

jackson615

IHC,
this is great info that you give out on this subject and I think all of us that face this problem thank you.
On another note...where do I get the 3rd and 4th pressure switches?
Local Acura Dealer? Loca Honda Dealer?

04WDPSeDaN

iTrader: (1)

Take it to park ave acura.

Ruby

Acura dealer 50 bucks each.

xxiiajc

Hello everyone, newb to this site and first of all I want to say thanks to everyone and their input as this site is very informative. To this point I have been a satisfied Acura owner. I currently have a 92 Leg coupe & a 95 Leg GS and love the cars. I thought that I would feel the same way about the TL.....but not so much now.

First I want to say that I bought my 05 TL, auto trans, approx 2 months ago from a Honda dealership. Just hit 70k mi last week. I have been having this "shuddering" problem about the last couple of weeks or so. It appears to happen around the 1500rpm-2250rpm range. For example, I'll be on the highway in 5th gear, if traffic slows and the car speed drops down to 60 mph or lower, the car begins to shudder. It's like the car won't downshift into 4th.

I took it back to the dealer and they give me the bs that it's because of the low profile tires and that they pick up the vibration in the road, although they couldn't tell me why it only happens in the rpm range I previously stated above. Another reason not to deal with the damn stealerships. I'm not a master mechanic but even I can tell it's not the tires. If it were I would feel it through the steering wheel. I feel the shudder thoughout the car, esp in the gas pedal.

Anyways, I've done alot of reading on this site and did the 3x3 drain/fill with the new Honda DW-I atf fluid. This did not fix the shuddering issue. Next step should be the changeout of the 3rd & 4th pressure switch? Is this going to rectify the problem? This shuddering is really driving me crazy and causing me lots of buyers remorse.....

I hate cars

Read the two threads titled "very interesting conversation with my trans builder" which covers the switches and "racing atf" by "inaccurate" which covers the proper fluid.

In short you need the switches and the Redline "Racing" ATF. Your shudder will be gone and you will have many trouble free miles. Honda atf is the absolute worse thing you can put in your Honda transmission ironically. You need to do both if you want it to last.

The switches must be done every 50,000 or 3 years.

Indy04TL

IHC. have you looked into the new Honda DW-I atf fluid? Is it any different than the old stuff?

I hate cars

It seems to be similar to Dex VI fluid. Lighter viscosity, better base oil and it behaves like it has less FM in it which is good. I think it's an improvement on Z1 but I would still do a non FM fluid in the TL. It just has too many advantages and no negatives.

If you want to stick with a factory fluid, I would definately do the DW-1 fluid over Z1.

charmer888

It sounds like your EGR Valve is plugged. When the valve is plugged, it sounds like knocking metal at low RPMs (between 1800-2200 RPM). After you go past the 2200rpm mark, the engine is fine. Try cleaning your EGR Valve with Carb cleaner, that should do the trick.

xxiiajc

Thanks to I H8 Cars, Indy04TL & Charmer88 (as well as the numerous others). Now that you say that, I had to have that cleaned on the GS as well. Gonna try some carb cleaner first. If not, got an appt. with the Dealer again next week. Will post how I make out.........

I hate cars

No prob. Definitely do both the switches and the Redline Racing fluid. It needs both if you want it to live for a long time and without the shudder. Time is important, the longer it shudders, the more irreversible wear is occurring.

bfried

if you call acura of america the first thing they are going to do is tell you to bring the vehicle to the dealer. doesnt matter if you have been there a hundred times for this problem. i would personally go to a different dealer.

charmer888

You might want to also check the Idler Pulley, Adjuster Pulley, and belt tesioner. Usually when the tesioner is warned out, it makes this grinding noise until the car is warmed up. Keep us posted!