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Who do i need to call?? I really need some help with this!!
Honda's should recall their auto transmission??? I will NEVER buy another Honda Cars or SUV.
I should have bought Toyota Sienna.. I have 2004 Toyota Corolla with 187,000 miles and never had any Engine or Transmission problems... Go Toyota and bye Honda !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only because I have a 2007 as well.
Did you have your TCM (transmission control module) software udpated when the van was recalled for this?
I had mine reprogrammed in 2009 and 2010 and so far no problem.
Tranny troubles for years and the best they did was a patch up re-call to install a return line fluid diverter in the top of the gear box to squirt a little oil down onto the gears and shaft that were buring up due to oil starvation.
As for the rest of the multitude of problems in their a/t's, nothing short of a total re-design of the whole system would fix what's wrong with them. We know that's not going to happen. They even put in the a/t from the Honda Ridgeline truck as a stop gap until they came up with then new a/t's from the last few years. Of course they forgot to re-program it for the Ody but hey, it was a start.
Consumers Reports gave the 1999 to 2004 Ody's a clean bill of health for years until they finally had to admit the a/ts they were giving full red stars to, were actually solid black in the real world. This accounted for thousands of unsuspecting Van buyers getting taken to the cleaners along with all the other HOnda vehicles that used that transmission.
I have a friend that re-builds transmissions and he sees Honda Ody's in the shop every week for burnt up clutch packs, fried tourqe converters and tranny fluid that smells like burning garbage.
For one thing he has never used the Honda Z1 fluid in his re-builds (that he guarantees for 5 years 50,000 miles) even tho if you read the owners manual you would think the world would come to an end if you didn't.
Just this year they have finally/quietly dropped the Honda Z1 and replaced it with a synthetic for all their a/ts.
Claiming they did it to "increase milage on cold starts" More HOnda BS, they did it to try and stop the rush of people who have come to the same solution to their many years of reliability issues..."see-ya-Honda" :mad:
As suggested by website accuratecars.com I did a complete (not flush) transmission fluid change to DW-1 which is Honda's full synthetic transmission fluid. I have a 2007 Honda Odyssey with 120,000 km and only time will tell if this works!
They are not "Honda Factory Re-builds" anyway...they bid out the contract for all their rebuilds to a big anonymous outfit with the fastest turnaround, and lowest cost.
Guess why so many of the 'rebuilds' have such a bad reputaion? They use the same Honda parts, spend no time solving the basic design flaws of the unit, patch them up and quickly send them back to the Honda warehouse for dealer installation.
Until Honda a/t's come with an easy to service filter (or you intall one yourself) these things are time bombs.
Your best bet for anyone with these older Ody's (myself included) is to avoid the Honda shop at all costs and go with a re-buider who actually gives a ^&*T about fixing them and usually at a couple of thou$and less than the "Honda" re-build.
Insist they install a Magnefine filter in the return line, put in a full synthetic fluid and change it often, drive it for a while.....then ...."See-ya-Honda"
Have your mechanic install a good aftermarket cooler. Hayden is an excellent brand. Their model 678 cooler will keep your transaxle happy for a long time. Here's a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Hayden-Inc-678-Transmission-Cooler/dp/B000C3DDKO
Don't drive it like a race car. Minivans aren't meant to be drive like someone is chasing you. A light right foot means less stress on all the compenents, front the engine to the tires, and everything in between.
Some Ody's have a tube type cooler. Do you think an inline is still required if you put in DW-1?
Our Odyssey has that useless Honda cooler. It's a joke, and it should be replaced with the far more effecient *stacked plate* version. See this link for a quick tutorial on how heat affects the fluid:
http://www.txchange.com/heatchrt.htm
You can't cool ATF fluid too much. Spend the $60 on the Hayden cooler and have it installed. You could save yourself $100 and do it yourself. It really isnt' difficult if you have a little patience.
http://www.haydenauto.com/ROOT-Home/Content.aspx
The compatibility issue concerns hose and fitting placement, and clearances at the radiator. I'm sure thye can tell you which one will fit your vehicle. I know the 678 fits my 1999 Odyssey.
They adjusted those levels.
It was fine for a few weeks, and then the battery was dead again. Once started, it made the same hissing and let off the same steam. I took it in once more and they diagnosed that the whole ac compressor would need to be replaced for $1000.
I am supposed to take it in tomorrow for the compressor to be replaced, but I'd much prefer to just replace a relay.
They look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them I think that the battery and the a/c problems correlate.
Was there any better terminology that would help me explain things to them so that we can properly diagnose this?
Thanks
After ready many of the horror stories on this forum, it's starting to sound true but still ridiculous. I researched Odyssey vs. many other minivan models before we bought the Odyssey and don't remember seeing the tranny problem discussed much. Just hope it isn't an indication of tranny replacement in the near future.
Anyone else seeing tranny fluid replacement warnings at the 40,000 mile range? Does $155 to replace the fluid seem like gouging?
and I consider it cheap insurance. 60K would be the most I would consider reasonable on one of these, and I do every 30K on my 2005.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
They filled the oil and asked me to check it if keeps loosing. I will have to now get it diagnosed ($150) and then who knows how much will it cost. Reading about previous models transmission issues makes me nervous.
thanks in advance
The 2007 tranny is out of the Honda Ridgeline truck was much better unless you ignored the re-call for re-programming. Seems Honda just slapped it into the Odyssey as a stop gap fix while they were designing the new 5 speeds, but left it set up for the truck. Dumb/Bad move.
Honda has left a trail of stink down the road now for many many years on this issue but they know it will finally go away as the older 1999 to 20..? Odys get crushed, melted down and turned into re-bar.
My tranny went at 184,000 kms. Anyone I know that had a Windstar had their tranny go at about 104,000 kms. Coolers are standard on the Sienna.
A few weeks ago we got the dreaded engine light. The mechanic pulled a P0730 code and told us if it happened again, to replace the tranny. Since then it has been ok except for some rough shifting. Occasionally it will fail to shift into 3rd and act as if it is neutral, but if I back off the gas it will shift.
I took it to the local Honda dealer for a 2nd opinion, they also said to replace the tranny and quoted me $5,400 (said it needs a new engine computer when replacing the transmission). They local Honda rep offered to cover $1k. I called two other shops and got quotes around $4700.
In addition, it needs an ABS modulator, engine mount, and timing belt. Total bill was almost $9k. So, we're getting rid of it and have bought a new Odyssey (even after all this, I still prefer the Honda over any other van. Wish me luck!)
If you were the original owner you would have received the recall notice for the 03'. Under that recall they would have inspected the tranny for the burnt gears and replaced the unit with its first rebuilt.
If your gears and shaft were not discolored yet they would have installed a fluid diverter on the return line to the tanny case and sent you on your way.
This little do dad simply squirts the returning a/t fluid over a couple of inches and down onto the shaft and gears that are running dry and burning up.
That solved one problem, but that tranny has a host of other issues that only a total re-design would fix. As you are on this forum and reading the stories, I'm sure you know by now that the Honda Odyssey a/t's are timebombs.
Most Ody owners find out about changing the a/t fluid soon and often, installing a cooler, and adding an in-line a/t filter but by then that tranny is usually toast and Honda will say, "we understand your problem, but sorry, can't help"
If you were the original owner and had a record of tranny fluid changes, and the re-call done, it might help, but as the second or (?) owner with no history, I doubt it. :sick:
Hope I'm wrong, keep in touch.
Book valvue is only around $2500 - $4500. Not sure if it is worth fixing.
Any suggestions?
P0740 - Torque Converter Clutch Circuit
P0420 - Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold
P1456 - Manufacture Control Auxiliary Emission Controls
Basically transmission, catalytic converter and other emission issues.
IMHO, it's time to take Nellie out back...
Or Craigslist it for $1000 and move on.
The last transmission that failed was installed by McConnell Imports in Montgomery, Alabama in September, 2009. McConnell Imports installed a transmission which had been remanufactured by Howard Engineering (Los Angeles) and which carried a 3 year warranty.
This transmission failed and was replaced by Sons Honda in McDonough GA on 2/28/11. The transmission was clearly within the 3 year warranty period. Howard Engineering sent a replacement transmission to Sons Honda and advised the Service Manager that I could recover the labor cost by applying to Howard Engineering for a reimbursement. I’ve sent 2 requests to Howard (one of them certified mail) and have never received a response.
On 5/20/11, I sent a certified letter to the General Manager at McConnell Imports asking them to intervene with Howard Engineering on my behalf. McConnell has never acknowledged my problem or responded to my letter. Since then, I’ve learned that the Better Business Bureau has given Howard Engineering an “F” rating and that they’ve had multiple complaints about failing to respond to complaints and failing to honor warranty claims.
Why would a Honda dealer use this type of supplier? Why would they also not intervene on a customer’s behalf? Given this type of service, why would anyone take their car to a Honda dealer for service?
I'm buying 2 vehicles later this year. Neither will be a Honda.
Probably because they picked the outfit that supplied the Honda re-built at the lowest possible price. And as the old saying goes "you just get what you pay for" however you got much less.
There are reputable a/t re-builders out there that do stand behind their warranty, but the HOnda trannies from those years are time bombs and there really aren't any good options other than using the same OEM parts that failed the original, and (this is the big one) unless the HOnda a/t has a much improved filtering system to take out the circulating clutch debris and metal bits that turn your fluid into grinding compound and plug up the solenoid filters....the same fate awaits your re-build.
The original "Honda Z1" fluid could also be a part of the problem and only this year has Honda quietly gone over to a more robust synthetic replacement ("DW1")
That particular tranny has given HOnda a big Black Eye on consumer reports as well, and all the other models (including Acura) that used it had the same reliability issues.
Eventually Honda a/t stories like yours will all be history, but only when they are all scrapped and melted down, my 03 Ody' included. :sick: