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Highest mileage on 5AT transmission without rebuild?
Hey guys, I am a new 04 TL 5AT owner with 98k miles, I was wondering how many people have really high mileage on their automatics without a rebuild or replacement. Not really worried about the future of possibly having to replace or rebuild it but I am just curious to see how long I can go with an auto by taking care of it, obviously I know of the issues that plagued TL's for a bit.
I heard of 200k+ without issues. Just drain+refill every other oil change and replace your pressure switches and exterior transmission filter. All can be done with a tool set and some enthusiasm.
I am at 265,000 in my 07 with no problems and just the typical 3 x 3 schedule. Big difference though in the year. Earlier years seem to be somewhat more prone to issues than 07/08 transmissions.
280K miles on my 07 Accord V6, and torque converter clutch is worn out. I do drive in extremely heavy traffic frequently, which causes the TCC to wear out sooner. Torque converter lock-up happens whenever you hit 2nd gear, when driven in D. If you drive in traffic a a lot, the torque converter is going in and out of lockup constantly, causing extra wear.
I'm going in for a rebuild, which will cost $2000. I will be putting in the translab shift kit with oversized plungers in the valve body.
If you search you will find a former forum member has 340k miles when he sold his 04-05 TL with original AT, its was white and if i remember correctly he bought the car relatively new. He sold the TL for a GS350 and now he has a LS460.
2006 TL had my transmission rebuilt at 116,344 miles. Friend of mine had his 2004 TL rebuilt at 114,000 miles
Kinda crazy that you joined in 2010 but only had like 10 posts until today lol.
That being said, those are relatively low...did you drive your car hard? Have an all-city commute? My '06 is at 175k now on it's original 5AT. When it got it, it had a shudder between 3rd and 4th gear due due to the trans fluid and pressure switches being horribly neglected. Shifts great now, but based on other '06 owner replies in this thread, I wouldn't be surprised if mine failed within the next 25k.
You should not have to rebuild the transmission for 200k or even 250k miles if you do a 3x3 every year and change out the 2 pressure switches every 50k miles. If it's getting rebuild at near or just past 100k miles then it is not maintained properly.
Hello,
Mine's at 170k, but this morning things are giving out.
It's at the shop right now, and I hope it not a trans issue.
Hopefully, it's just a hose that leaked or the APP sensor.
2008 TL at 156k miles. Do 3x3 every 30k miles and changed the three pressure switches at 85k miles. Transmission still functions like when I purchased it at 74k miles.
Transmission failed at 256,000km. (159K miles) Acura TL '06 5AT. - Had it rebuild and have used it less now. Less than 10K miles on this rebuilt trans. :/
The most important thing you need to change out is the plungers in the valve body (lower left hand side). There is a problem with them not getting enough fluid in the OEM form. The enlarged version needs to be installed. And a cooler is a must if your transmission still has all the OEM components inside. Overheating of this torque converter is common due to the gap in the lockup bore allowing fluid to seep through, not cooling the valve body path. Here is a pic of everything that got changed out during my recent rebuild. It had minimal clutch wear but the torque converter clutch was worn out, not completely slipping but started to. Driving in D3 is a must in traffic to avoid constant torque converter partial lockup in gears above 1st gear. I also had the rear main seal changed out since the entire trans was off the car.
Does that TC partial lockup have anything to do with the infamous jolt on the shift from 2nd to 3rd at lower speeds?
Those clutch packs don't look as bad as mine did. 3rd was missing a considerable amount of friction material and the plates were blued. The TC was predictably roasted, and the bearings in the case had walked out. The builder also found a fractured snap ring, I think also from 3rd.
Before and after, yeah. No slip/flare or shuddering related to that 2->3 jolt though. It's just always struck me as odd, especially when it reaches for third just after lifting off the accelerator at parking lot/traffic speeds.
I don't have that jolt at all. Most of the trans strangeness went away after the rebuild with the modified valve body. But sometimes it does shift hard into 3rd at low crawling speed inching toward the shift point of going into 3rd. I am not worried and neither should you, as long as there is no miss or slipping. My trans was near the point of slipping whenever partial lock-up was engaged in speeds between 35 to 45.
To my knowledge my ATF has only been switched once (via a flush before I knew any better) around...100k? 120k? Miles. I'm at 172k now, and have a socket wrench head broken off in my ATF drain plug so that's still delayed and my transmission is still moving nice and happily. I have an 08 TL which looks like a decent transmission to start with, and it's been treating me better than I treat it and I've no reason to expect any problem with it for a little while yet, though I am getting to start replacing smaller stuff (O2 sensors, an as yet discovered piece of the fuel system).
You should not have to rebuild the transmission for 200k or even 250k miles if you do a 3x3 every year and change out the 2 pressure switches every 50k miles. If it's getting rebuild at near or just past 100k miles then it is not maintained properly.
That's not true. I did a 1x3 every oil change, which was basically every 2 months. I also changed the pressure switches 3 times, but my transmission still took a shit at 61k miles and again at 102k miles. From what I gather the longevity of this 5AT is dependent on how frequently you end up doing a 4-2 downshift on the highway, cuz it drags the 3rd gear clutch packs when you do, from what I hear.
Nope that's not it. The problem is the torque converter clutch dragging on the case when at a stop when the fluid is hot, on the OEM valve body plunger, which then causes the torque converter to overheat. This applies to all previous gen TL, Odyssey, Pilot, and Accord. Everyone needs to read the Sonnax technical article on what the issue is. The modified valve body + spring allows fluid to continue flowing to the torque converter at a stop for cooling, eliminating the issue.
Kinda crazy that you joined in 2010 but only had like 10 posts until today lol.
That being said, those are relatively low...did you drive your car hard? Have an all-city commute? My '06 is at 175k now on it's original 5AT. When it got it, it had a shudder between 3rd and 4th gear due due to the trans fluid and pressure switches being horribly neglected. Shifts great now, but based on other '06 owner replies in this thread, I wouldn't be surprised if mine failed within the next 25k.
Just not active, that's all. I post when I'm looking for particular answers or transmission stuff. Thinking about the transmission pisses me off.
I don't drive hard, and my commute to work and back is about 14 miles in a small/mid size city. I had the fluid flushed at 60k miles and was about to do it again at 120k
Last edited by goat96_25tl; 05-23-2018 at 09:17 AM.
You should not have to rebuild the transmission for 200k or even 250k miles if you do a 3x3 every year and change out the 2 pressure switches every 50k miles. If it's getting rebuild at near or just past 100k miles then it is not maintained properly.
Nope that's not it. The problem is the torque converter clutch dragging on the case when at a stop when the fluid is hot, on the OEM valve body plunger, which then causes the torque converter to overheat. This applies to all previous gen TL, Odyssey, Pilot, and Accord. Everyone needs to read the Sonnax technical article on what the issue is. The modified valve body + spring allows fluid to continue flowing to the torque converter at a stop for cooling, eliminating the issue.
Great article, thanks for sharing that. So it looks like when mine eventually dies, I'm looking both at a transmission rebuild plus a new torque converter with a modified valve body+spring to fix the flow issue?
Where the h*ll did you get that done? That's a fail on the rebuilder's part, the trans should come back stronger with the valve body modification.
I was given a 2 year warranty , first year was full parts and labor, second year only covered parts.
At that point I was so turned off by this transmission mess. I went to the dealership just to look at an accord sport 6spd and on the way there the trans started to act up.
Figured, since the CEL isnt on, i'll get more $ on the trade in. So reluctantly I made the trade.
I had this done at Lehigh Valley Transmission in Topton, PA. The job was done well but these honda transmissions are just horrible. I've religiously changed the trans fluid but if you really dig down on these transmissions work
you'll understand that they're just designed to fail.
Great article, thanks for sharing that. So it looks like when mine eventually dies, I'm looking both at a transmission rebuild plus a new torque converter with a modified valve body+spring to fix the flow issue?
If the torque converter experienced an overheat episode, then you need to replace the torque converter. If the torque converter never overheated, like mine, then it was reused with the torque converter clutch rebuilt on it. My torque converter never overheated to the point of turning blue mainly because of the external B&M cooler I have. The root problem of this transmission, is NOT in the transmission itself meaning the gears, clutch packs, clutch pressure switches, or the shift solenoids, but in the valve body and the valve regulator that controls the fluid flow to torque converter as I pointed out in the Sonnax article. If you drive in traffic a whole ton, sitting idle in traffic in hot weather in D (not D3), it does not matter what fluid you use or how frequent you change out the pressure switches, the torque converter will overheat because there is no cooler in the OEM form (let's forget the warmer mounted on top) plus fluid flow to the torque converter drops to very low pressure due to the fault in the valve body and valve body regulator design. The "shift kit" from either Sonnax or Translab have a modified valve body in the form of 1. larger valve body regulator 2. larger valve body cooling journal that allows more fluid to flow through 3. modified spring rate for the valve body regulator springs that controls its open or shut positions. The larger valve body regulator needs to be installed with the original size lockup bore drilled/bored out to fit the larger valve body regulator. The larger valve body regulator also has a slanted metal surface in 2 sections, which allows fluid to continue flowing to the torque converter when the regulator is in the shut position. THIS, fixes this transmission. If a trans rebuild shop is knowledgeable about this, then they would perform this fix, as my trans shop did. The first conversation I had with them was about how many Acura TL, Acura MDX, Honda Pilot, Honda Odyssey, and Honda Accord they get, for this same type of rebuild and fix. In fact, the day I went to pick up my car 2 weeks ago, I saw an Acura TL and an Acura MDX both there, for the same rebuild/fix. If your trans shop did not inform you about the modified valve body regulator or "shift kit" install, then they have no idea what they are doing.
I hope this gives people some ideas of what the root issue is, instead of just blindly putting in larger external cooler thinking it fixes the problem. The external cooler does help in delaying this certain death, but it does not prevent it until you fix the internals.
I'm at 180K miles and mine is slipping out of gear in 2nd or 3rd. I didn't have the fluid changed regularly, and clearly didn't maintain it properly. I just had the fluid drained and changed yesterday, but it still slips into oblivion. I can turn the car off and drive it away until an unspecified time where it slips away again. Am I looking at maintenance - replacing the switches, or am I looking at a new transmission? No codes and the D does not blink it stays green.
05-04-2018, 12:43 PM
