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Did or Do you have transmission Problem?

  • Yes

    Votes: 42 44.2%
  • No

    Votes: 53 55.8%

Transmission Problems? 3rd Gen TL

147K views 60 replies 44 participants last post by  johnmark9120 
#1 ·
Just wondering if anyone has had problems with the Transmission on the 3rd Gen TL. Please let us know.
 
#3 ·
I have the 6 speed manual in my 2007 TL-S. I got the car about a month ago and third gear was a little hard to engage at times. I though the problem was with me not being used to the car (I've driven manual cars for the past 20 years, my last being a '07 VW GTI).
An Acura dealer and service center close to me (Denville Acura, NJ) did a complete transmission flush and adjustment under warranty.
Now it shifts as smooth as butter!
 
#4 ·
For the 6MT, a rough shift into 3rd gear is a known issue. My 2nd gear has a worn syncro (I am told). I can get it in and out of 2nd fine but it will not stay unless I hold it in.
 
#5 ·
Im asking about the 5speed Auto. To me when the vehicle shifts it pulls alittle much, or sometimes it feels like it doesn't know if it wants to go into gear or not...it might be me being crazy, just wasn't sure if im the only one it is happening too.
 
#12 ·
oh that's right you got your car already paid off.... nice.:)

The TL has great styling. Also inside is great. The seats made my back very comfortable.

Yea the GM is filing bankruptcy if I read it right somewhere... I don't feel comfortable buying anything from them at this point.
 
#19 ·
I have 130k on my 04' tl.

In my auto trans. it takes like 2 or 3 seconds for the car to switch from reverse to drive/ park to drive/ reverse to park/ etc....

A guy told me that it could be a solenoid valve that needs replacing.




Do I have anything to be worried about?
 
#24 ·
Seems to be a similar problem to what we see in the RSX type S: there was a TIB issued by Acura a year or 18 months ago (I think) involving the 3rd / 4th gear syncro and it was a "take it to the dealer and if they find the condition, Acura would pay for a repair / rebuild."

Good luck and please post back what you find out when you get it to the dealership!

John
 
#28 ·
I have a 2004 TL 5sp/auto with approx. 70,000 km. The tranny started hunting for the right gear between 2nd and 3rd when slowly going up a hill last year. I read somewhere that I should replace the fluid with a Redline product but can't remember exactly what the name was. Anyways, the dealer didn't have Redline in stock so they would only replace it with OEM tranny oil. That worked for about a year and now the same problem is coming back. Guess I'm going to have to find the name of the Redline oil and try again.
 
#31 ·
Hey guys, I dont thinks its the synchros or anything like that, if your car has trouble shifing under slow accerleration, like it doesnt know if it should shift or not, its probably the oil pressure sensor for the AT.
order these parts, it should fix the problem.
28600-RAY-003SWITCH ASSY., AT OIL PRESSURE (TEXAS INSTRUMENTS)1$33.51$33.51
28610-RAY-003SWITCH ASSY., AT OIL PRESSURE (TEXAS INSTRUMENTS)1$33.51$33.51
90471-PW7-A00GASKET (10MM)2$1.86$3.72

theres a DIY here:
tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=729149

it helped me and a lot of others over at a-zine, lets hear if it does anything for you guys
 
#33 ·
I have a 2006 Acura TL Manual and having wierd problem because it shifts fine but right after shift the rpms stay the same until i take foot off the pedal and it takes a sec for the car to go after applying gas. Any one else having this kind of problem and any ideas?
 
#34 ·
I'm having a problem with my Acura TL 2004.
When switching from 3rd to 4th gear seems like it wants to switch gears but it doesnt know, I feel a little vibration and then it switchs over. BUT IT DOESNT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. Only when I do light and slow driving... If I accelerate a little quicker nothing happends! It driver perfect!
I just got this car a few days ago I would hate to get bad news that it needs a trans...
 
#35 ·
What color is the ATF on the dip stick when you pull it? Sounds like a need for a 3X drain and fill.

There were some lingering issues that have shown up with the '04 transmissions, but generally they were pretty solid.
 
#36 ·
Jerking Transmission

I have a 2007 Acura TL s type .59,800 miles. Owned it for 4 months and very disappointed. Major issue is with transmission
The transmission approaches its first shift point (from 1 to 2) at 1500-1750rpm, 2nd gear is engaged with a jerk and the car feels as if it lurched forward. Noticeable more when accelerating slowly, frequent shifting between 1st and 2nd gear becomes a When the car is decelerating and transmission downshifts from a higher gear into 2nd a similar event occurs, there is slight jerk.

I also noticed that regardless of outside temperature or whether transmission is warmed up, when picking up speed or at moderate highway speed, 3rd (and sometimes 4th) gear is engaged with a sensation of pull and shift is always noticeable, occasionally there is a jerk as if some kind of mechanical friction prevented normal operation. On occasion when accelerating between city blocks through gears 1,2 and 3 with approximately 40-45mph and then decelerating - transmission would downshift with a jerk. Given the age and mileage of the vehicle, I would expect the transmission to operate seamlessly
I have taken this car to the dealer 3 times.
1st time they flushed the transmission. (220.00)
2nd time they changed EGR valve and cleaned out system think this had something to do with hesitation.(350.00)
3rd time they just wanted me to go way


The problem is still there. At this point my dealer says they can’t find anything wrong with car. :wtf:It’s very frustrating

I will be out of warranty in 10,000 miles
 
#37 ·
My 3G TL Auto 60k mile transmission blew on the highway on cruise control, the tach acting crazy on it's own. Maybe the speedo too but I took cruise off and it stopped, so I continued, then it happened twice more. I took cruise off and coasted to the side of the road. Let the car cool, check around it and the hood, check for leaks, freeze ball sac off in wind. At last I try putting it in drive, no power at the pedal. None of the gears had anything.

Call tow truck.
Battery goes dead on side of high way.
Huge tow bill later. The tow guy pulls my car out of alignment whilst dropping it off.

3 weeks before all of this I had a transmission fluid change at Acura. Always Acura serviced. The dash code called for the fluid change.

My warranty had just ran up. The head Acura office gave me a new transmission. I didn't ask Acura if they would do the install for free.
 
#38 ·
I have a 2006 5AT and I bought mine CPO at 23K. I'm at 46K now and having a few issues I need them to check out but two are hard to diagnose because they don't always happen. When accelerating lightly from a stop if the transmission shifts under 2500 RPM from first to second I've always had a sensation when it makes the shift of a slight buzz or vibration through the car.

Now when accelerating light to moderate in third gear between 2000 and 2500 RPM sometimes the car is lightly bucking as it accelerates. Not sure if its the tranny or an engine issue though.
 
#40 ·
Also having trouble with a herky jerky transmission

I drive a 2007 Acura TL with an automatic transmission that has ~58K miles on it, and I'm having the exact same transmission shifting problems that CALNEW described above at #36. I have a friend who frequently drives my car, and she's noticed the same shifting problems.

I bought my TL two years ago when she had ~35K miles on her. I noticed the transmission was a bit herky-jerky right from the beginning, but my car-fanatic guy friends told me that that's normal for "an aggressive sports car." Um, okaaaaay. :sqnteek: (Granted, my previous/first car was a Grand Prix, and that car shifted like butter and was able to "coast" without harsh downshifting, so I figured maybe I had just been spoiled.) Anyway, the shifting problem with my TL has only gotten worse with time.

I'm dreading taking her into the dealership, both because of the difficulty you've described, and because when I took my Grand Prix in for a similar problem back in the day, they all but patted me on the head while condescendingly telling me that there was nothing wrong with the car and sending me home without a solution. Less than a year later, Pontiac issued a TSB detailing the exact problem I had complained about (it was due to a bad pressure control solenoid in the transmission.) Anyway, if you fellas think you have a tough time convincing a dealer that an intermittent problem you're describing is real, imagine what it's like for us ladies. :rofl:

My underlying worry is that the transmission problem that was common in the previous generations of TLs is cropping up in our generation, despite Acura's insistence that they had finally fixed it. I bought my TL as a certified pre-owned, so thankfully my power-train warranty runs through 100K miles, but judging from the way my car handles and what I'm reading online, it looks like I'll be trading her in before the 100K mark just to be on the safe side. It's a damn shame, because I love my car otherwise, and a huge part of the reason I chose the TL over the competition is the car's superior reliability ratings.

Anyway, I'll check back in after I visit the dealer. Here's hoping they don't give me a hard time! I plan on printing out relevant forum discussions to illustrate that I'm not the only person having this problem. In the meantime, if anyone has had any luck fixing this issue, please chime in!
 
#41 ·
White Rabbit,

I have a 2007 TL with shift problems Calnew described on 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears. I replaced the three pressure switches and the car worked fine for 1,000 miles. The switches were less than 125 dollars out of a dealer near Atlanta, Georgia.

The car now seems to shift into 1st and 2nd far different than when new. The service manual identifies clutch pressure control solenoids, but I have not proven these are the culprits. There is pressure test the dealer is supposed to run in order to trouble shoot. The Acura dealer here has been good so far.
 
#42 ·
I would really hope someone has posted up the facts about our transmission, or maybe it is fairly new.

3x3 flush @ 36k ***transmission fluid cooler is highly recommended
2 sensors, need to be replaced every 75-100k

You will have no problems what so ever. Just learn about the sensors, what they do for the transmission, and you will understand exactly why the trans does fail.
I have had the very same issue with a load of Honda's, and that was the fix to those; however this is a common issue for 3g TL owners who do not maintain the two steps above. Those two are the very problem ,Which than will eventually develop to a destroyed trans if you maintain driving while it is not shifting properly. *NEVER TOO LATE IF YOU JUST STARTED EXPERIENCING IT, Time to Act, hopefully it is not too late.
 
#43 ·
Hey I'm having the same problems as you. I wish all these people on here would stop bullshitting and either give you an answer and stop argueing on your forum. Anyways back to the main topic, I have a 2004 TL 5AT aswell, with 118k exact miles. It only happens in the morning when its cold, or when its cold in general outside. I start it up, then it goes into reverse fine, but then when I put it into Drive, it takes about 2-5 seconds to catch. Because I can sit their in drive revving it, and doesnt go anywhere and the RPM's shoot up, then it finally catches and I can drive it. It doesn't do it once the engine is warmed up tho, and the funny thing is all of my fluids are topped off. So it's not a fluid problem.
 
#44 ·
THIS IS THE NEVER ENDING ISSUE WITH HONDA'S. Manufacturer or the Transmission has SPECIFICALLY TOLD EVERYONE.

Type S - 3 Switches
Base - 2 Switches

ALL MUST BE REPLACED.

IF YOU DO NOT REPLACE IT, IT DOESN'T ALLOW THE TRANS TO SHIFT PROPERLY, SEND THE ENGINE'S POWER/ENERGY INTO THE TRANS and not to the wheels.

What Does Energy Create? Heat as it transforms.

Therefore your torque converter begins to get extremely hot, and that is what dries your transmission.

IT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS COLD BECAUSE THE SOLENOID IS GETTING STUCK. Heat generally helps the car stop the tacking..

IT IS BEST, once your experience these problems, PRIMARILY on the first run of the day; warm the car up for 10 MINS.

THE ENGINE GETS HOT WAY FASTER THAN THE TRANS DOES; and now you need it to be hot, so you should wait 7-10 mins minimum.


*******************NOW the only time your transmission BREAKS, is because you begin to experience this; and you DO NOT CHANGE the sensors. Now you got yourself a hefty ass problem that will be costly. OP Burt explained.... THE CAR RUNS EVEN SWEETER.****************

The next option you have is to remove it from the trans, and have it PnP, with the same results; but if you do not have the equipment readily available to PnP, this is an extremely long story. Best to just buy the sensors.
 
#53 ·
Curious whether or not this would apply to manual trannys. My '04 has 67,000 miles and started to become notchy perhaps 20,000 miles ago. I attributed it to my wife's habit of downshifting, which I had to convince her was hard on the tranny and the synchros. Perhaps this is a common issue.

Mine doesn't pop out, but there a few times that I feel it doesn't quite engage the gear and I'm not sure if it is actually in gear. Can't recall the exact gear in which that happens, but it seems that it is second.
 
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