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Acura TL Transmission Questions

2

Comments

  • AcuraTL06AcuraTL06 Member Posts: 4
    I hear you on the finger wagging but I needed to get off the highway...never made it! Was very sudden with no warning.

    Dealer called this afternoon, says clutch is shot my fault and cost is $2997 plus tax! These guys must be trying to make up for not selling any cars.

    Local guy who has a very reputable foreign car repair shop wants me to put the transmission in the trunk and he will tow it to his shop and do it for $1200 plus the tow.

    I am going to meet with a field manager tomorrow because obviously I told them they were crazy with the 3K figure to do a clutch. Car dealers have a license to steal.Anyone have any advise?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    seems crazy. Is there another dealer in your area? Did you get a written estimate?
  • islandshifterislandshifter Member Posts: 5
    I had the identical issue. 37,000 miles, driven a shift all my life, started slipping just a little bit; called the dealer and he gave me an appointment a week away. On the way there the clutch disintegrated and it had to be towed in. Nowhere in the warranty is there any mention that the clutch is a "wear and tear" item like brake pads or tires and so not covered by warranty. The regional service manager finally offered to pay for labor if I paid for parts. I took the deal but then saw that I was charged for a new flywheel which is specifically listed as covered by the engine warranty. When I asked about that they said that since it was covered as an engine part and this was a transmission repair they wouldn't cover it. Best double talk I ever heard. I'm taking it to the Better Business Bureau and the State Attorney General's Consumer Fraud division since I think it's probably a violation of some consumer protection law on warranties.
  • AcuraTL06AcuraTL06 Member Posts: 4
    Double talk is what they do best.... I still have no resolution, Another Regional Service Manager is going to look at mine today and then we will see what happens.
  • practicatpracticat Member Posts: 2
    I too have driven MT cars for a long time (40+ years) and like you and certain Acura TSX owners posting elsewhere (messages from ‘clubkitty’ and ‘levinbrook’ in edmunds' TSX page), have experienced premature clutch failure with my '05 TL, requiring two clutch replacements over the course of 84K miles of driving -- around twice the failure rate for the clutches on the 7 cars previously owned by me. Based on such prior experience (and as a practicing professional engineer), I find it absurd that a properly operated clutch should need replacing at about the same time as the disk-brake pads do, as mine did. Making it even more absurd, the total parts & labor cost is around twice that for other cars (including clutch replacements in Honda’s, Acura’s parent company, by the way), resulting in fourfold higher clutch-replacement costs over time!!

    I believe that the poster ‘levinbrook’ was exploring the possibility of some sort of class-action lawsuit, but I do not know what progress s/he has made in such pursuits.
  • AcuraTL06AcuraTL06 Member Posts: 4
    The dealer and I reached a common ground where I buy thier $1100 clutch and the install for free. It was going to cost $`1200 at a local repair shop plus the tow to get it there.

    Still a bad deal for me however I am in need of a car and it has already been a week.
  • islandshifterislandshifter Member Posts: 5
    Same deal they gave me only I got a loaner. But the parts include the flywheel which is listed as covered by warranty in the engine section but which they refused to cover since it was a transmission repair.
  • kristopherleekristopherlee Member Posts: 1
    Hi all, I have a 1996 TL 2.5 with Automatic tranny, the check engine light came on so I took it to the mechanic and he said that the code came back as transmission Solenoid issue. Are the solenoids on the inside or the outside of the transmission? this might make my decision easier weather I will repair or ??
  • cahorsegalcahorsegal Member Posts: 1
    I have been reading here of the problems with the transmission.

    So here is my issue.

    I wasn't having any issues with my transmission but a friend did so I thought it would be a good idea to take mine in to have the fluid changed. I bought my 2003 TL S type s few years ago. It had 25K miles on it then and now has 69K miles.

    I took it in to one of the quick change oil places to have the transmission fluid changed. That evening while driving home it started to slip. Then going to work the next morning it went out completely. The mechanics I ended up at said that the problem why the transmission went out was that this quick change oil place put the wrong fluid in and it burnt out the transmission.

    Reading here I see that Acura extended the warranty to 100K. My car is being repaired at a mechanics now and it almost completed - can I still somehow get reimbursed by Acura. Or do you think this is an issue I need to address with this quick change oil place? What is the factory recommendations for changing the transmission fluids?

    Help - I'm lost on what to do now. I'm not a car knowledgeable person.
  • mjpier01mjpier01 Member Posts: 2
    I would have gone to the quick change oil place to get them to pay for a new transmission they should have known that it takes a special trans fluid, secondly you should definately have taken it to Acura now that another shop has touched your transmission they probably wont do anything about it.
  • roldan09roldan09 Member Posts: 1
    I had the same issue before with the same car, i brought my car to the nearest Acura dealership and they told me that they have to change the trans. and it will cost atleast $4000. So i called the corporate office i made my case that if they fixed the trans because of the recalled then i'm not goin to have the same issue, and they bought it, so they covered the whole expenses. So i suggest for you to call them anyway and tell them your story.

    I hope my experienced will help you in some way.
  • hardtop1959hardtop1959 Member Posts: 3
    Please help. I just bought a 2003 TL on 12/31/2008. On 2/05/09, I was driving down the freeway at 65 mph and had my car jolt on me as if I had slammed on the breaks. Limped to my local mechanic who advised I take it to Acura which I did. Before buying the car, I had done (what I thought) was all my homework. The VIN on the car did not match the "big" transmission recall for this year. There was another recall re the 2nd gear but this car checked out okay...supposedly. The dealership I had my car towed to suggested I call Acura which I did. Absolutely NO help. My 2003 TL had 63,000 original miles on it when this happened. Both the dealership and Acura Service are telling me no dice, no help. Nothing they can do. What case did YOU make with Acura to get them to agree to repairs? Was your car within the recalled ones? I'm in shock that a car of the calibre of Acura would have to have complete transmission replacement at 63k. Anyone, any help, please. In these economic times, I'm mortified at a $3600 repair bill. Thanks.
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    i had my 2003 type s transmission failed at 30k and again at 36k.The repair was done by Acura both times under warranty. Got rid of the car September 2006.
  • tlc12tlc12 Member Posts: 2
    All solenoids are on the outside of transmission. There are about 4 or 5 in all and some are expensive.
  • huggybear3huggybear3 Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought a 2000 acura 3.2 tl and only had it for just 3 days and went to refuel and after re fueling and proceeded to leave and the dreaded check engine light came on and so i looked in manual and it stated that this could sometimes does this if the fuel cap isn't on right and should go off after three drive cycles but it has now been 2 weeks and light is still on, so i went to auto zone to get them to scan to see what the code was and it show this Code P1709 and they checked to see what the description was and it stated this

    BBt transmission gear selection switch circuit fault
    001. Open or short circuit condition
    002. Poor electrical connection
    003. failed gear selection switch

    which i don't know what any of this was so i was hoping someone in this forum understands this and can explain to me what is going on
    to me it seems the trans is working fine but it would not show this if it was so i hope someone could help me on this on
  • terryp1terryp1 Member Posts: 55
    I'm considering the purchase of an '04 TL that is in great condition and at a very good price. I know that the "early" cars for that year had the a/t problem that led to a recall. But I don't know how to pinpoint the one I'm interested in. The CarFax report is great, listing lots of dealer service/maintenance. I even called the local dealer who sold/serviced it and spoke with the service manager, who vouched for it. He said the previous owner had the recall work done on the wipers and something else but that there was no need for such on the transmission.
    BUT. I want to know.
    The car was purchased in mid-April 2004. How might that fit as far as the "early" category is concerned? This is a Washington, D.C. suburb dealer and that means they probably move a lot of Acuras.
    Is there a way for me to determine this by the VIN? Other?
    Thanks.
  • wculbert1wculbert1 Member Posts: 16
    I have an 04 TL, very early production model, which I bought new and now have 82K miles on. Recently I have noticed infrequent, but serious at times, vibration ( I mean the whole car shakes) when the AT shifts from 2nd to 3rd, and especially from 3rd to 4th. The Acura dealer says I have 2 choices: change the fluid and see if that helps, or replace the transmission ( $3700!). I have read on here things about the fluid possibly being bad and about recalls on early models. Can anybody tell me the stroy on these 2 items and/or give me advice as to what I should do?
  • wculbert1wculbert1 Member Posts: 16
    I have an early model 04 and am having recent transmission problems. Can you tell me where I can find info about the recall you mention?
  • mikey38mikey38 Member Posts: 141
    My 06 had a similar issue with rough shifting. The dealer changed the transmission fluid at no cost to me and the problem went away. This was at about 40k miles. The dealer said they recommend changing the fluid every 30k.

    Hope that helps.
  • celticqueen1celticqueen1 Member Posts: 1
    I have just been told by Acura that our 2006 TL w/ 47,000 miles needs a new clutch. We will need to pay for the repairs & have Acura review their decision. Did Acura cover the cost of your cluth repair in the end? This is our 5th Honda/Acura & have never heard of anything so abusrd!!
  • youhooyouhoo Member Posts: 1
    My daughter has been told at the Acura dealer she needs a new transmission at a cost of $5,000. She is a recent graduate just starting out and cannot afford this expense which is more than what the car is worth. Apparently, this model is known for transmission issues but she is outside of the time limit???Can anyone recommend a shop in the McLean, Va area? What is a reasonable charge?
  • wculbert1wculbert1 Member Posts: 16
    I have an 04 TL with same problem. I was quoted $3700, but was told I could get a rebuilt for $1900.
  • frank209frank209 Member Posts: 5
    I have a 2004 TL with automatic transmission, bought in December 2003. It sticks in third gear or fourth gear. It started a few days ago. The engine light, traction control light, and exclamation warning lights come one. I see there was a recall on the transmissions on early 2004 models, which certainly includes mine. How many others have had this problem, and what was done about it?
  • tlc12tlc12 Member Posts: 2
    Do yourself a favor and get rid of the car while it still runs. Acura doesn't care that they made crappy transmissions and your trans WILL give out all together very shortly.
  • jetawayjetaway Member Posts: 14
    There is no way you are getting that trans rebuilt for $1900.The cheapest you can get it rebuilt is about $2700 and thats if its not in real bad shape.The most common failure in that trans is the touque convertor clutch disintegrates and the debris clogs the filter.When this happens the symptoms will be that the car moves when first started but quickly starts slipping soon after.Turning the engine off for a minute and restarting will get it to move again briefly.The trans has to be disassembled to replace the filter and it usually requires a soft parts overhaul and new tourqe convertor.The best way to prevent this failure is to add additional cooling capacity for the trans and replace the trans fluid every 20,000 miles{with the correct honda approved fluid}This goes for any Acura and Honda.They are all basically the same transmissions anyway.
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    I had the 2003 TL Type S, the tranny failed at 30,000 and 34,000 and was replaced both times (so they say) by the dealer under warranty.It was known problem for that model year and several recalls went out. I got rid of the car at 40K miles and skipped the 3rd generation TL.
  • jun4everjun4ever Member Posts: 1
    hi! did they pay for your clutch? i have 07 TLS and i clutch is slipping bad
  • roryajacobsroryajacobs Member Posts: 2
    Did anyone ever get there clutch fixed? Is this a common problem?

    I have an 06 TL and the clutch is starting to slip at 39K miles. Dealer quoted $1700 dollars to repair.
  • islandshifterislandshifter Member Posts: 5
    I had the same problem at the same mileage. Once it starts slipping, it will completely fail very quickly so get it taken care of. Mine died a block from the dealer and I still had to call Acura service on the 800 number to get it towed in.

    My dealer settled after talking to the regional service people; I paid for the parts only, no labor. Still cost around $1000.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    Is the clutch not covered under the 6yr/70000 powertrain warranty?
  • islandshifterislandshifter Member Posts: 5
    Nope, the clutch is considered a wear item like brake pads and is not covered.

    Nowhere is this said explicitly in the warranty book but it is not listed as a covered item so Acura said tough. I fought with Acura since the flywheel is listed as a covered item and it had to be replaced when they replaced the clutch but the furthest I got was as stated, I paid for parts, they paid for labor.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    How many flywheels does a car have? I'm pretty sure there is only one so it should be either covered or not covered. If the warranty says it is covered, what difference should it make as to what else is getting repaired? I think it is stupid to warranty the automatic trans for 70,000 miles and not the the clutch unless they can prove misuse.

    Is the fender listed as a covered item? What if it falls off? Will they say it wasn't specifically mentioned in the warranty? I don't own an Acura but I am looking at the '09 TL so I will asking a lot of questions to be sure.
  • lazwitda99tllazwitda99tl Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1999 acura tl with 181000 miles i have changed timing belt water pump hoses radiator and fans motor runs good just makes a clicking noise i think i need to adjust the valves my engine lite is on because of my egr ,tcc ,shift ratio and catalitic already have egr i know i have to clean the manifold but worse of all my tranny gives up starts slipping and hitting gears hard after car gets warmed up just wondering if anyone knows what are the main parts you need to change on a transmission rebuild for it to last another 100000 miles or so transmission drive lite is not blinking car tranny fuild was changed 3 times at 168000 just wanted to know because i know how transmission mecanics work and i dont want to get scerwed alot of them dont know about this cars transmission
  • killa2000killa2000 Member Posts: 5
    (Question) I have a 04 Acura Tl I purchased it I would say a few months ago. I have noticed something with it that I'm not use to with other cars I've driven in triptronic. I notice that the car automatically shifts in second gear by itself is that supposed to be normal? When down shifting it does the same thing. As stated earlier I've driven other automatic cars in manual but you have to change each gear by yourself. :confuse:
  • mikey38mikey38 Member Posts: 141
    every car I have ever driven, including my 06 TL, that has a manual mode for the automatic transmission will shift automatically to the next gear (up or down) as speed changes
  • killa2000killa2000 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks you for your reply "Mikey" but I'm not speaking about driving it in automatic I'm speaking about driving it in manual, when you drive it in manual you have to shift it up or down yourself as if your driving a stick-shift. I've had the Audi 04 & Saab 9-3 and you have to shift through all gears unlike my Acura that is goes in second gear by itself and you shift through the rest.
  • billyperks2billyperks2 Member Posts: 378
    When needle on the Tach goes pass a certain RPM it automatically does that- it prevents over reving. I had the same issue with my 2003 type S, the 09 that I have now does not seem to do that, and the revs match when you down shift. I think they are improving this technology better and better each year. When I had the 03 I use to do a lot of over revving when down shifting.
  • mikey38mikey38 Member Posts: 141
    If you'll reread my post you'll notice I was talking about driving an automatic in manual mode.
  • killa2000killa2000 Member Posts: 5
    Oh ok I misunderstood!! I did find out that I was able to drive in first then switch to the second gear manually but only some times. Should I worry about this? When I drive in automatic the gear shift ok I wont say perfect because some time I feel the gears kick in.
  • mikesmuranomikesmurano Member Posts: 118
    I purchased an '05 TL with a 6 spd. manual transmission.

    Love the car. One issue/question, when I am shifting into 3rd, on occasion, it wants to grind a little, almost as if I was not pushing the clutch pedal (which I am).

    It seems to be intermittant.

    Any thoughts here?
  • cosmo514cosmo514 Member Posts: 2
    I have the exact same problem. I purchased my MT '05 TL in June '08 and that "notchy" shift to 3rd has always bugged me. It is intermittent indeed. I'm having the "B24" maintenance done this Tuesday and asked the owner of the car service place to change the transmission fluid too and that I don't want the Acura recommended fluid. I've read quite a bit on Acurazine that GM's "Synchromesh Transmission Fluid - Friction Modified" is the way to go. My service guy said to let him know and he wil try and procure it. One place to start reading up on this is the following link below. Can't wait until after this Tuesday when I get the service completed!

    http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=740214
  • mikesmuranomikesmurano Member Posts: 118
    Hey thanks for the info.

    Please let us know how this works out for you.

    I may have the same service done if you have good results.

    BTW, enlighten me, what is the B24 maintenance?

    Thanks.
  • gpeoplesgpeoples Member Posts: 1
    Will simply draining and changing the fluid a couple times help solve a hard shift problem? Do I need to get complete flush? Money is low. trying to go low budget. Do I need to purchase kit and change or clean out the filter in the transmission?
  • tclovertclover Member Posts: 4
    Flush and fill may help but you know these transmissions on the TL's are trash right?. There is no filter you can change but if your fluid isn't red, a flush may help.
  • 22332233 Member Posts: 64
  • 22332233 Member Posts: 64
    edited August 2010
    I bought a new TL in 2000. About 3 years later the ever present transmission slippage began to occur. I complained to Dave White Acura in Toledo beginning at around 65,000 miles. The oil jet kit was performed. I formally complained to this dealership 6 times over the next 6 years and informally discussed it with the service rep nearly every time I brought it in for service. I asked for a new transmission several times but they always declined.

    The transmission died on my way home from having a leaking rear view mirror installed for around $160 at Acura. I mentioned the slippage again. 160k on the vehicle.

    I hoped Acura in California would approve a new transmission with the cost split fairly.
    After waiting 11 days and documenting all of my complaints, they finally decided today that they would pay approx. $500 of $5,100 for a trans leaving me with a cost of $4600.

    The car is only worth around $2500 so their offer was an insult. I did document that since 1990 that I had purchased 2 Acuras and 5 Hondas new and that my 3 brothers and dad purchased a total of 8 Hondas and 1 Acura MDX.

    Apparently loyalty means nothing to them.

    My brother had a transmission on a 2001 Accord go out and a 2002 Acura MDX also went out.

    The transmissions on nearly all Acuras and many Hondas have been known to be an issue for many years. The TL and MDX are junk and everyone should be aware of this.

    The dealer, Dave White Acura, also refused to allow me to return the $160 mirror which had been installed a few minutes before the car died.

    I have 2 Infiniti G35 cars and they are clearly superior. No wonder Acuras sales have dropped so much lately. Will they stay in business?

    Don't buy Acura TLs or MDX. Your transmission will go out.
  • cosmo514cosmo514 Member Posts: 2
    It's shifting flawlessly!!! If you look at your manual, you will see towards the back the descriptions of the maintenance codes that show up on the dash. There is "A" and "B" and they're usually accompanied with a number, 1 through 5 and any possible combination. "A" is standard oil change is due, I believe. I don't have my book with me. "B" is more areas to check, replace, etc.... "2" was one thing (can't recall) and "4" was to change the timing belt, plugs, etc... "3" is transmission fluid and even though it did not show up, I had them put in the GM Synchromesh, Friction Modified. WOW! it pops right into 3rd. They even procurred the fluid themselves from GM. I had a leak in the motor mount (never saw fluid in the garage) which they replaced. All in all it was $1349 but that's the first I've had to pay for this car in 2+ years (exception of new tires) since buying it with 60k miles. I now have 108k it should be good for another 100k mi. until the next "maintenance". Good luck!!
  • 22332233 Member Posts: 64
    Just an update on Acura's terrible customer service.

    My previous post details how my 2000 TL transmission went out after I had complained for 5 years in writing.

    Acura Customer Service made a laughable offer of $500 towards a $5100.00 transmission replacement. I sold the car to a salvage yard and let the national Acura customer service dept know how dissappointed I was.

    A few days later I wrote to them that I would accept the $500 that they offerred to reimbursement me in the form of a check to settle this matter amicably.

    An Ingrid in Customer Service called last week and said she would attempt to get the $500 check issued. However, she phoned me today and said her supervisor declined to issue the $500 check thus stiffing me again.

    I guess they see a big difference in issuing a $500 check and giving you $500 towards a repair.

    I will NEVER buy an Acura again or even a Honda product. I had 8 Acuras/Hondas in 20 years and they were aware of this.

    How will they treat you or everyone else if you only purchased one Acura?

    No wonder no one buys TLs . Terrible transmissions, terrible customer service and a very ugly vehicle.
  • collins15collins15 Member Posts: 3
    I am going to buy a 2002 Acura TL next week with about 80, 000 miles on it....
    ..You sound like a chronic whining complainer that no one could ever satisfy......
    160, 000 miles and you complain about needing a tyranny?? ...You g=have to be kidding me.....Acura and Honda are better off rid of customers like you..
  • mikesmuranomikesmurano Member Posts: 118
    edited September 2010
    I can appreciate your irritations about the transmission and the cost.

    I had some horrible experiences with a Nissan Murano and have sworn never to buy a Nissan product for the rest of time. I had to replace a transmission (CVT) at 121,000 miles (1000 miles out of warranty @ $6400).

    I sold the car after repairs. The car was always maintained properly.

    At least Acura offered you something. I got nothing. I actually purchased a 2005 TL recently and totally love the car. I got the 6 spd. manual.

    I can say from experience that if you don't change the fluid (and filter if needed) every 12 months you will set yourself up for failure. If you didn't maintain your Acura tranny it won't last. I have a 1999 4Runner (4WD) with 240,000 miles on the original tranny. I change the fluid annually. I know though it will eventually go.

    Front wheel drive cars are more prone to transmission failure due to their design and the compact area they sit in (they retain a lot of heat).

    Count your blessings on the Acura. You could have owned a crappy newer Nissan Murano.
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