I have a 2006 Acura TL automatic with 56k miles. In my opinion the car shifts rather strange, but it may just be how i drive it. Sometimes when I gun it and then pull my foot off of the gas it seems to shift strangely.

Today I was pulling onto a highway and I was gunning it as usual and my RPM's ramped up to around 8,000 and would not shift so I had to throw it into manual shift. I think I may have lost traction but would this really happen if that were the case?

I called the Acura dealer because it is still under powertrain warranty. The guy said he has never heard of transmission issues with this car, but he did so it sounded strange but then also said it could have been from losing traction. If it turns out it is nothing it would run be $75 and if I am just being an idiot I would prefer not to do it. I figured I would see if it did something like that again before I took it in. He also said I could just bring it in and get the tranny fluid changed out running me about $175 but they would wave the fee to check it out.

Also it is a huge POA being without a car, etc.

Also I chcked the tranny fluid and it is not brown and does not smell burnt. The is really the extent of my car knowledge.

Would love a little advice.

Thanks

 

Consider what would be cheaper...the $75, or a new tranny once out of warrante?? Take it in and take advantage of every warrante the dealer can still give you!!

 

Should I get the transmission fluid changed while I am at it? It would be due at 60k miles anyway.

 

Search the forum for transmission. The TL does have some issues. Your dealer sounds like he is misleading you a little.

Check https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/110-diy-guide-replacing-3rd-4th-gear-pressure-switch-3g-tl-2004-2006-a-729149/

And try a different ATF

 

Although we [Acurazine 3G] have been seeing an alarming increase in trans failures, we need to be careful to not be on a "witch hunt".

To me, the OP seems to be experiencing the designed "Shift Hold control" feature of the trans. The ecu is holding the gear for a second to make sure that you don't want to get back into the throttle.

Cars driving jerky when letting off accel (click here)





Quotes from Acura -

5-Speed Sequential SportShift Automatic Transmission

* Quick-response Sequential SportShift allows semi-manual operation
* Coordination between Drive-by-Wire Throttle System and transmission makes for quicker, smoother shifts
* Intuitive 5-position shift gate
* Advanced shift-hold control limits Up-Shift during aggressive driving mode
* Lockup torque converter design for superior fuel economy
* Advanced Grade Logic Control System reduces gear "hunting" when driving on steep hills
* Linear solenoid direct-acting control reduces shift shock and improves smoothness




"When in automatic mode, the transmission incorporates an advanced Grade Logic Control System and Shift Hold control, which work to reduce gear "hunting" and unnecessary shifting."

"To cut down on unnecessary shifting when negotiating winding roads, the Sequential SportShift automatic incorporates improved logic called Shift-Hold Control. When the throttle is suddenly released and the brakes are applied, as is the case when decelerating at the entrance of a corner, Shift-Hold Control keeps the transmission in its current (lower) ratio as it negotiates the corner and accelerates out. This feature leaves the chassis undisturbed by excess shifting, and ensures that abundant power is available without a downshift at the exit of the corner."

End Acura quote -





Although the Acura statement says "When the throttle is suddenly released and the brakes are applied", I get it to happen with my car without hitting the brakes. By just quickly getting out of the throttle after WOT in lower gears, I get it to happen........ WOT, quickly take my foot off of pedal, and the RPM's stay high without the trans upshifting to bring the rev back down. The longest that it held the rev high was for approx 2 seconds before the trans decided to upshift (after it saw that I was not going to get back into the throttle).

To purposely try to invoke this feature, you would need to WOT, sudden release of the throttle, immediately touch the brake (just enough to cause the brake light to come on should do it), immediately back into the throttle and the same gear will be there. It is really easy to tell when it happens because you take off like a rocket when you get back into the throttle.

Very, very seldom do I ever engage this sequence of events to trigger it. Usually it is when I am driving aggressively (wot). A car pulls into my lane unexpectedly and causes me to tap the brake as I think of an escape route. I quickly spot an opening and I get back into the throttle and wham... "holy shit, didn't expect that, but it sure is nice."

 

The quote from above sounds EXACTLY like the classic "Refuse to Upshift BUG" (see links below).



1) stuck in 2nd gear on the highway? (click here)
2) 07 transmission oddity. What could have caused this (click here)
3) Type-S 5AT, Tranny refused to upshift! (click here)

 

Let me describe what happened to me so you can determine if it's the same thing.

I would be driving the car, and when I went to accelerate the car would act as though it was in neutral. It gradually got worse and worse until a time came when I'm sitting in traffic on one of the worst highways in South Jersey when my car won't move at all. It was in gear but was revving like it was in neutral. An emergency vehicle had to come push me off the road. I let the car sit and after cooling off i was able to drive it. I immediately took it to the closest Acura dealership and they told me all I needed was the fluid changed. They said the tranny was heating up and the fluid was thin resulting in the slippage. They were full of shit.

A week after having the fluid changed, the tranny started acting up again. It would completely slip out of gear (or maybe it was in gear but they weren't grabbing?) and the car felt like it was in neutral as I'm coasting down the road at 40+ mph. I took it to a different dealership near my work and they immediately knew my transmission was blown. This all happened right around 63K miles.

Keep an eye on the car. I used to drive 80 miles each way to work. Most of them highway miles. A little over a year and half after getting the first tranny replaced, I took the car in to have the timing belt changed (around 105k miles). The service people noticed a sound coming from the tranny and told me it needed to be replaced again. Luckily the Acura rep agreed to cover 85% of the costs.

 

Inaccurate said it all

 

I have a 2006 TL auto too and I found that sometimes when accelerating the car gets caught in 4th and won't upshift to 5th unless I come back down to a complete stop. Sometimes for down shifting too it'll hold in 4th and then kick harshly down into 3rd. The trans fluid was changed at 60k, and I'm at 90k now. Every time I tell the dealership they tell me I'll have to replicate something there cause they can't just fix it on my word that it's broken. I'm very nervous that it will crap out after my 100k warranty is done.

 

Thanks everyone. I ended up dropping it off at the dealer. The guy was very nice drove it around with the computer, etc and said everything was shifting normally and most likely I hit a patch of ice and cause the RPM's to crazy. I had the tranny fluid changed and they even changed my oil and detailed my car. Hopefully the guy was not a complete idiot, but everything seems good to go. I will be sure to keep all of my service documented and bring it in again if need be in case they are bulls***ing me. Thanks again!

 

Oh and inaccurate you are exactly describing what I found to be jerky shifting thank you for that that makes me feel better about the way my car drives. All in all probably worth it getting the tranny fluid flushed anyway and putting my mind at ease. When it would not shift down definitely is what mainly concerned me, but it is all good now.

 

Do you guys think the OP would pay a diagnostics fee (~$100) if he took it to the dealer to inspect the transmission while under drivetrain warranty? How does it work with Acura dealers?