Like all mechanical parts in an Acura, the transmission is one that eventually will wear out. It is difficult and expensive to repair and replace a transmission. Catching problems early can save an Acura owner money on repairs and increase the safety and operating quality of the vehicle.
One sign of a fading transmission is hard shifting in both automatic and manual versions. In an automatic, this will present as jerky, pronounced stuttering or shaking when the car attempts to shift gears. It also may present as erratic shifting, which will make it seem as if the car has a hard time deciding what gear it wants to be in. In a manual, Acura owners will notice that it's increasingly difficult to get the car to go into gear. With the exception of the NSX supercar, all Acura cars are front wheel drive, so this hard shift will be more pronounced as it will shake the drive wheels harder.
Similar to hard shifts, another symptom of a dying transmission is when the gears start slipping. This is present in both manual and automatic transmissions when the gears don't seem to want to catch when it shifts. In an automatic, this will resort in short bursts of high RPMs as the transmission shifts. In a manual, drivers may need to let the clutch out much slower and keep the engine revved a little higher while shifting, or even pressing the accelerator, to get the car to shift. It also will feel like the transmission is caught long after the clutch has been let out. In Acura cars with a hydraulic clutch, this may be a problem with the master cylinder leaking.
An early warning sign of transmission trouble is when it's cold it will have a hard time shifting, even after the engine has warmed up. In an automatic transmission, this will present as if the engine is refusing to shift, even after achieving higher than normal RPM ranges. In a manual transmission, drivers may have trouble getting the car to go into gear, and the shifter also may feel sluggish or stuck. This problem will go away as the weather warms up; however, it is not to be ignored.
