johnd3546

Hey guys - I recently just replaced my 2009 TL to upgrade to a 2012 3.5 base TL. VERY EXCITED, black on black just what I wanted. (Will post pics to seperate post later).

Car has 34K on it. The first couple days I was driving it the transmission just didnt feel right. Hesitating and just feels wrong all together. I don't really know how to explain. I took it back to the dealer and they found the tranny fluid was low so they filled it to reccomended levels.

2 days later I took it on a 200 mile drive. Car feels better but something still feels kinda off. I did some research and have found some other complaints on this years transmission and people having the same issue.

Any other owners have similar issues or can give me some comforting advice? I appologize if this is a repeat thread, I did search but couldnt find much.

Thanks in advance!

wes878

John, I'm in the exact same situation as you. I bought a used 2012 TL with 25k miles on it last month. The transmission hesitates and shudders when shifting into 2nd and 3rd gears. After reading all the threads on faulty torque converters here, I took it back to the dealer, and they changed the transmission fluid and did a software update. It drives noticeably smoother now, but I still don't think it is quite right. They said they would change the torque converter if the symptoms continued, and I was not satisfied. I may end up having to do that.

LD2010

I just bought a 2012 TL Advance FWD 31k miles in early December and I noticed the same thing. I was having hesitation and a jerky feelings when car was shifting from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. I also had the common rpm blips that would. (If I watched tach around 30-50 mphs, I would see the tach jump 200 rpms or so.) Took car to dealer on 12/19 and the tech drove and before we hit 25 mph he said it was the torque converter. They took a "screenshot" of the car while it was doing it and ordered a new tq that day. I just got the tq replaced on 1/8 and they also did the software update and new tranny fluid. I can say the car drives like a brand new car at this point. I read a ton of forums before going in and I must say a huge thanks to this forums. Just thought I would share my experience with you all to keep pushing to get the tq replaced if you still are having the hesitation and jerkiness.

wes878

LD, that is great to hear. I think I may insist that they do the TQ change. Sounds like this was just a faulty product to begin with on the TL. I test drove a different 2012 TL when it was at the dealer and it did the same thing also. Are the shifts smooth in all gears now? Have you noticed any other changes, like increased/decreased MPG for example?

johnd3546

Thanks for sharing that, very comforting as I've been stressing about it over the past couple days.

I'm assuming all this was covered under the factory warranty?

LD2010

Yes - All the gear changes are super smooth and I feel more confident in my tranny. The software update has also made the tranny hold 1st and 2nd to higher rpms before shifting ( before update, I felt the tranny was shifting too early under mild acceleration in the lower 2 gears). I haven't been able to put many miles on the car since fix. But, I don't believe in the small amount of miles I have driven that it has decreased my mpgs.


Yes - everything was covered under factory warranty. Great thing is I haven't even registered the car yet and they asked no questions. The dealership was great to work with. I usually dont buy anything after the tech returns with his findings from the multi-point inspection; however, due to their great level of service I did go ahead and buy the cabin filter and engine air filter ( I was planning on changing these anyways). They also aligned the front end under warranty after replacing the tq.

Inspire08

I'm having the same issue with my 2012 FWD tech 23k mileage, took it in the dealership and they did software update on 12/17/14. After 2-3 weeks later I noticed that it's doing the same thing, I called the dealer today and SA told me that the torque Converter issue is for 09-11 models only. Shifting from 1-2 then 2-3 is more noticeable. He advise to bring the car back and they will take a snap shot and send it to Acura Headquarters if it needs a new TQ. What does the snapshot do and can they detect if there is a problem, I have a feeling that they will not replace the TQ. Any suggestion?

LD2010

The snapshot is recording all the actions that are occurring when your car is moving in this instance. So, it will record the shifting of the car, the rpms at which it shifted, etc. Again, the tech drove mine and he pointed out to me the rpm blips that were occurring and noted that this is common with a bad tc. So, not sure if the tech drove yours, but I would push for that. I will have to say the dealership I worked with was excellent. I read a lot of information and horror stories before I took mine in and I seemed to have either gotten lucky or just a great service department. They hooked me up with a brand new TLX loaner as well. I am going to try and get some pics of my work sheet loaded on here to share if that helps, showing the work that was done.

Inspire08

That would help out a lot, if you can load what was done or some kind of a graph. I live in Las Vegas and there are 2 Acura dealerships here, I guess I can take it to the other dealership if they refuse to replace the TQ.

Heracles

Is the tq issue only with the base tl? Or with the shawd also?

Does the shawd also need reprogram? Is it for the transmission?

janderson1021

I recently bought a 2012 TL Advanced and I was having the same problems. After reading the forums for the earlier models I took it in to have it looked at. The service advisor and tech both noticed the shuttering so they first did a software update. They were sending screenshots to Acura headquarters and the engineers there couldn't find anything wrong. After the software update the car felt a little better but the hesitation and shuttering was still there. So I took it back to that local dealer and this time I had the service manager drive the car with me in it. Of course, he told me there was nothing wrong and said "that's the way these cars drive". He also told me he would have no problem replacing the transmission but if they sent the old transmission back to Acura and they found nothing wrong with it, he would have to eat the cost of the transmission. I understood his point but I still wanted the car fixed. I called Acura corporate myself and voiced my concerns and issues and they basically told me to find another dealer. So I did just that and that dealer replaced my TC. I told them what went down at the first dealer and they were very happy to make it right. I think they kind of wanted to steal a little bit of business and they did.
Just an FYI…drive the car at various speeds and keep an eye on the tachometer. I noticed while driving at a constant speed on the freeway and at lower speeds on the streets I would have a steady foot on the gas and the tach would fluctuate up and down. I think that was the main determining factor in getting a new TC because everyone knows the RPM's should remain constant if you’re steady on the accelerator. A week later, because they had to order the part and it was on back order, the car drives like brand new!

wes878

All,

I took my car back to the dealer and they did another test, capturing a screen shot of the transmission on a laptop. They sent it back to Acura, who agreed that there was a problem, and the torque converter was replaced! It drives like a new car, it's incredible the difference. Not only is the "shudder" gone when shifting into 2nd and 3rd gears, every shift is smoother and the car does not lurch forward when starting from a dead stop. I always thought this was because the engine was so powerful, but nope. Starting from a dead stop is now silky smooth. BTW, all of this happened in 48 hours. Can't say enough good things about the dealer that fixed my car. The dealer I bought the car from on the other hand, denied that there was any problem.

Schu

I just got my certified shawd and I have this issue. I think I will have to take it in.

jwj1992

So after reading just a few of your post's I think I'm in the same boat as the rest of you. I purchased a 2012 Acura TL (tech) and fell in love the minute I started driving it...
BUT...DUN, dun da.... I got that hesitation / pulling sensation from a stop to acceleration, but only at first..
I took it to the Acura Dealer and now they tell me the Torque converter has to be replaced. They are aware of the issue with this car and it's being replaced. 2 days in the shop and a 1-2day of waiting for the part..


SO if you have this issue take it to the dealer ask for the torque converter to be checked. also I've seen the Coil packs to be an issue but I (knock on wood) have not had that issue.


This would have been great info to know if they posted information like this from Acura.


I hope this helps or atleast adds to the conversation.

Mcbp1875!

Had torque converter replaced at 38,000 miles, on my 2012 TL SHAWD...same problem. Drives like a dream again!