With the cold season coming again, the shifter will be very stiff when the engine is cold. This doesn't happen in the warmer seasons. After warming up (15 minutes of driving), everything is back to normal. Acura is telling me that this is normal, and nothing needs to be done unless the problem gets worse.
Question : Is there a synthetic fluid out there, that could be used instead of the current Honda fluid ? The dealer says some people have switched to this successfully, but cannot recommend it (for warranty purposes).
The fix is most likely just a simple change of the guild.
I have a 2005 TL 6-sp Manual Transmission like you. With only a couple of thousand miles I started having the "3rd gear" shift problem where it needed a bit of force when cold to get in 3rd gear. I changed the fluid at about 2,000 and the problem went away. The car now has about 7,500 miles on it and still shifting perfectly.
The Acura forum I frequent has lots of info on the topic and I found that the GM "Syncromesh Friction Modified" fluid seemed to work well for everyone who used it. Most people rave of the improvement. Of course Acura would not like that fluid, but some Acura dealers are actually using it since the problems go away when using it.
Some have had success with Acura changing it with their previous MT fluid. Some used Redline or other after market fluid or even GM Syncromesh Friction Modified with very good results.
Acura just came out with a new Manual Transmission Fluid. It has a white cap on the bottle. I don't know how much it is improved as it came out in August and I don't know anyone who has used it. "Acura Precision Crafted MTF: ItÕs Even Better Than Before" (bottom of page
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Acura ServiceNews Bulletins links on Acurazine forum page:
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Lots of good info and experience here and worth the time (have to join to post and search forum but it's free):
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