Acura TL transmission pressure switches

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I do not agree with BuickGN/i hate cars that these sensors should be replaced as preventive maintenance. Sensors should only replace if a proper diagnosis concludes that the sensors are not functioning properly. Blindly throwing parts at a problem (especially one that may not even exist) is downright silly.

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Slightly off topic, and I've said it before, it's very nice (convenient) that with Honda/Acura you can access the actual parts diagrams online, FOC. Same ones the parts guys at the dealership use.

Carry on!
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Originally Posted By: PandaBear
http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=729149

http://tl.acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=721508

From what these threads suggest, it seems like the reason for the Acura TL (possibly other Honda V6) transmission 3rd/4th gear clutch pack problem is the pressure switches going bad, causing an engagement pressure related shudder, and eventually burn the clutch pack.

Might worth taking a look at them if you have a Honda V6 automatic.


That was me that started that. This came after a long conversation with my trans builder and looking at the AT apart on the bench. There is more than enough clutch area, no torque holding issues at all. When I saw the internals I immediately started thinking there has to be another reason these are failing. My trans builder suggested this and I did mine with amazing results. Note, mine was not shuddering or slipping. Shift quality had degraded over time and I didn't realize how bad it was until I did the replacemnt. My car shifts like new at 77,000 miles and the manual downshifts especially are vastly improved. I highly recommend replacing these as preventative maintenence at 60K.

The sheer number of posters over there that it either helped with shift quality or cured the shudder speaks for itself. These were guys that were already saving money for an imminent trans failure and replacement. Instead, for $80 they have a trans that shifts like new.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
I do not agree with BuickGN/i hate cars that these sensors should be replaced as preventive maintenance. Sensors should only replace if a proper diagnosis concludes that the sensors are not functioning properly. Blindly throwing parts at a problem (especially one that may not even exist) is downright silly.

smirk2.gif



Your opinions are getting annoying. You're going against the 25 people that did it with only 2 not showing a signifigant difference. This isn't blindly throwing parts at something. It helped 95% of the people. There is no diagnosis or trouble codes. The sensors degrade over time. I'm sorry you don't understand this but I'm enjoying a huge improvement in shift quality on my TL that had no trouble codes.

Again, just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it's not helping people left and right. And a guy who does these for a living says they do these all the time for shift quality complaints as low as 40,000 miles. You're saying to wait until the sensors cause the clutches to slip and cause shudder and damage before you do anything about it. That's completely retarded.
 
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: The Critic
I do not agree with BuickGN/i hate cars that these sensors should be replaced as preventive maintenance. Sensors should only replace if a proper diagnosis concludes that the sensors are not functioning properly. Blindly throwing parts at a problem (especially one that may not even exist) is downright silly.

smirk2.gif



Your opinions are getting annoying. You're going against the 25 people that did it with only 2 not showing a signifigant difference. This isn't blindly throwing parts at something. It helped 95% of the people. There is no diagnosis or trouble codes. The sensors degrade over time. I'm sorry you don't understand this but I'm enjoying a huge improvement in shift quality on my TL that had no trouble codes.

Again, just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it's not helping people left and right. And a guy who does these for a living says they do these all the time for shift quality complaints as low as 40,000 miles. You're saying to wait until the sensors cause the clutches to slip and cause shudder and damage before you do anything about it. That's completely retarded.


I'm not saying don't replace them. By all means, if they are really that big of a problem, then I think owners should test their sensors to make sure that they are working properly. But replacing parts without testing them is just silly.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: The Critic
I do not agree with BuickGN/i hate cars that these sensors should be replaced as preventive maintenance. Sensors should only replace if a proper diagnosis concludes that the sensors are not functioning properly. Blindly throwing parts at a problem (especially one that may not even exist) is downright silly.

smirk2.gif



Your opinions are getting annoying. You're going against the 25 people that did it with only 2 not showing a signifigant difference. This isn't blindly throwing parts at something. It helped 95% of the people. There is no diagnosis or trouble codes. The sensors degrade over time. I'm sorry you don't understand this but I'm enjoying a huge improvement in shift quality on my TL that had no trouble codes.

Again, just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it's not helping people left and right. And a guy who does these for a living says they do these all the time for shift quality complaints as low as 40,000 miles. You're saying to wait until the sensors cause the clutches to slip and cause shudder and damage before you do anything about it. That's completely retarded.


I'm not saying don't replace them. By all means, if they are really that big of a problem, then I think owners should test their sensors to make sure that they are working properly. But replacing parts without testing them is just silly.


That's the point, there's no testing to be done. I saved my old ones, maybe I can test resistance and compare to the new ones but if that doesn't show a change, there's nothing that can be done to test. Even the ones with a shudder aren't thowing codes until it's too late.

We found the cause of this after all these years. If someone told you that you could go from extremely unreliable to reliable with your $5,000 trans for $80 worth of sensors, wouldn't you do it?

Even mine which had no actual problems, just inconsistant shifts, hard downshifts, and bump shift upshifts, it made a huge difference. The car just feels nicer and more expensive.
 
Blibbedy blah. How about Honda design a reliable 5 spd auto transmission that holds up to the torque load of modern high powered V6 engines. Until then, I'll stick to 4 spd autos and 4 cyl engines.
 
Originally Posted By: AcuraTech
Blibbedy blah. How about Honda design a reliable 5 spd auto transmission that holds up to the torque load of modern high powered V6 engines. Until then, I'll stick to 4 spd autos and 4 cyl engines.


Did you read the links or anything I posted? This is the cure. It's not about torque holding capacity, the 5 speed has plenty of that. The electronics are causing the failures.
 
buy a manual, problem solved.

im not disagreeing with anyone, how are these solenoids but internally? i know ford wants to change solenoid packs for certain drive issues, but those are updated part numbers.
 
Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
buy a manual, problem solved.

im not disagreeing with anyone, how are these solenoids but internally? i know ford wants to change solenoid packs for certain drive issues, but those are updated part numbers.


The manual TLs have a 3rd gear issue as well.

Part numbers are the same, they just go bad over time. That's why my trans builder says to do them as PM.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Sensors should only replace if a proper diagnosis concludes that the sensors are not functioning properly.


How can you do a proper diagnosis if the dumbed-down service manual doesn't give you any sensor output specifications so that you can use a scope or DMM to verify that it's correct?

I don't know if the Honda service manuals are like that. I can tell you that Saab ones aren't, GM and Chrysler ones are.

EDIT: I'd fall out of my chair if I ever saw any shop manual with actual waveforms in it. [censored], the Photofact for a $150 TV set has that info in it.
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
I do not agree with BuickGN/i hate cars that these sensors should be replaced as preventive maintenance. Sensors should only replace if a proper diagnosis concludes that the sensors are not functioning properly. Blindly throwing parts at a problem (especially one that may not even exist) is downright silly.

smirk2.gif



The equipment to test a pressure sensor and the labor may cost more than the sensor itself, unless you are a shop.

Just like you can keep gaping spark plugs and rethread your tires if you have the equipment, it is doable and waste less material, but not cost effective.
 
Originally Posted By: AcuraTech
Blibbedy blah. How about Honda design a reliable 5 spd auto transmission that holds up to the torque load of modern high powered V6 engines. Until then, I'll stick to 4 spd autos and 4 cyl engines.



Honda has problems with their 4 speed autos and 4 cylinder engined Accords as well. The BAXA unit in my 01' (98'-02' are known as 6th generation Accords) are known to fail. As I stated on another thread ...Honda needs to farm out the building of their A/T's to someone who knows how to build them.
 
Originally Posted By: benjamming
BuickGN,

Same thing apply to the Honda 4-speed automatics such as used in '98-'02 V6?


Not sure about that but I would lean toward no. If you follow the link and sign up on acurazine, there are many over there that would know for sure. I don't know much about Hondas, only what I've been forced to have experience with.
 
I wonder I had missed this one. But few years ago, I replaced the pressure switches on the V6 Honda which fixed 1-2 shift on a then recently rebuilt transmission. Incidentally, the same pressure switch seems to have degraded again and a new one is on the order. I will let you guys know if that fixes the inconsistent shift. I am little disappointed that the replacement switch seems to have only lasted 50K miles but to be fai,r it was an ebay special and did NOT come in a genuine Honda bag. This time I will be going with a real mccoy.

I absolutely believe that degraded pressure switches are indeed the culprit in the infamous Honda V6 saga.

To test the pressure switch, one has to device home made testing contraption and measure the behavior of the switch. They need to come out of the car and then hooked up to home made contraption to plot the pressure vs resistance graph. Given the low price and low labor needed to swap them, it is pretty much a no-brainer to replace them at the first sign of trouble.
 
not just Honda - good 'ole Chrysler 41TE and variants can benefit from the $100 solenoid swap as well. Electronically controlled AT's are still relatively new as far as automotive history goes. Hydraulically controlled ATs started when.... in the '50's? They ran for 40 years before /full/ electronic actuation became mainstream. By now with +/-15 years of electronic actuation in our belts, we should be building pretty solid units... but back when the TL was made, (didn't give year) they were still pretty new tech.
 
Some things are so obvious that diagnostics are superfluous.

I got the Blinking D and hard 3/4 shifts in the old '05 Pilot, threw a couple of sensors in there with zero diagnostics (beyond reading forums) and the problem has gone away for 2 years/25K miles. Total cost less than $100 for genuine Honda parts from Majestic.

Earlier Honda V6 5-speed autos had an internal lubrication problem that was fixed in '05. Of all modern automatics, Honda V6 5-speeds really, really need regular ATF replenishment, and the Honda service schedule reflects that.
 
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