[tlponderosa]

qcu
I recently bought an ACURA TL 2004 (automatic) with 121000 miles. I did not check it out before, but the last time the transmission fluid was replaced was 30000 miles. This is as per the CAR FAX record.

I am planning to do a full tune up of the car. I have the genuine transmission fluid from an ACURA dealer.

A mechanic told me that if the transmission fluid was not changed at 60,000 miles and at 90000 miles, it would be unwise to do so now.

He said that if the old automatic fluid was replaced, it would lead to the transmission slipping. He warned that then the whole transmission would need to be replaced - and that it would be a costly affair.

Is this true? I am totally confused about what to do. Can I please get some advice and answers ?

Thank you very much for your time and effort.

 

[Hondacuraplanet]

Welcome to the site

That kind of thinking was more prevalent in the early days of the Powerglide and Dynaflow 2 speed, and the subsequent 3 speed automatics that powered most cars up through the 1980s.

Unlike these transmission styles which relied heavily on fluid pressures and friction discs, the transmission in your Acura is a mainshaft/countershaft setup, which is basically an automatically shifted manual transmission with clutch packs on the shafts.

What does this mean? Basically, the same particles that may have assisted a transmission in shifting an older model, might clog up yours. You have a lot of sophisticated pressure switches, valve bodies, and gear shafts that are much more vulnerable to clogged passages and heat damage than older transmission designs.

I'd change it