Honda Car Forum

Somebody told me this and I just wanted to confirm. The only
distinction between their x-missions, I was told, was that they're
just "tuned" differently. I already knew that the Pilot/Ody/MDX all
shared the same platform, but didn't think the TL also had the same
x-mission as those cars.

If this is the case, then since the TL, MDX and the Odyssey are known
to have transmission problems, is it reasonable to expect or think
that the some of the Pilots probably will develop similar transmission
problems as well?

Also, what are the symptoms or signs which would surface if you're
having the transmission problems often associated with the TL/MDX/Ody?

I noticed just in the last month or so with my Pilot (has
28,000KM/17,500miles) that every so often, when starting out from a
standstill, for a second or so, before the car actually proceeds
forward. At first I thought it was the VTM-4 engaging, but then, I
never stepped on the gas hard at all at those times and the roads were
in good condition which wouldn't have made the wheels slip at all.

When I was at the dealer to get my car serviced, I mentioned it to the
advisor and was given the usual "if we can't duplicate it, we won't
diagnose it" line, so I passed up on the testdrive with a technician.
I called up another dealer in town and was given the same line as
well.

This hesitation hasn't occurred at any other time, such as merging
onto a freeway or when I step on the gas again to resume accelerating
after I've been coasting for just a little while. I checked the
x-mission fluid which was changed about 10,000KM/62,00miles ago and
the color and the level looked alright to me. Any thoughts on the
hesitations I'm experiencing? Thanks for your time and courtesy.

Steve Lee wrote:
>
> Somebody told me this and I just wanted to confirm. The only
> distinction between their x-missions, I was told, was that they're
> just "tuned" differently. I already knew that the Pilot/Ody/MDX all
> shared the same platform, but didn't think the TL also had the same
> x-mission as those cars.
>
> If this is the case, then since the TL, MDX and the Odyssey are known
> to have transmission problems, is it reasonable to expect or think
> that the some of the Pilots probably will develop similar transmission
> problems as well?
>
> Also, what are the symptoms or signs which would surface if you're
> having the transmission problems often associated with the TL/MDX/Ody?
>
> I noticed just in the last month or so with my Pilot (has
> 28,000KM/17,500miles) that every so often, when starting out from a
> standstill, for a second or so, before the car actually proceeds
> forward.

------------------------------- SNIP

Our '95 Odyssey does it, and our '97 Odyssey does it. You put it into
gear, and wait for about 1/2 second for it to kick into gear.

'Curly'

------------------------------

To REPLY: If there are a couple of underscores in my return address,
you must remove them to reply directly . . . . . . Thanks.

Regarding stage performances: When everyone else has finished playing,
you should not play any notes you have left over. -

On most Honda's there is a gear change. When you are at a light with your
foot on the brake, you are in 2nd. Then when you take your foot of the
brake and press the gas, it shifts to first. I don't know if these newer V6
cars do that or not.

"Steve Lee" <hate@spam.com> wrote in message
news:fud8kvcfq20nnimj8iq9u5gk53hn743j22@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 20:50:19 -0600, "'Curly Q. Links'"
> <motsco_@_interbaun.com> wrote:
>
> >Steve Lee wrote:
> >>
> [snikp]
> >> I noticed just in the last month or so with my Pilot (has
> >> 28,000KM/17,500miles) that every so often, when starting out from a
> >> standstill, for a second or so, before the car actually proceeds
> >> forward.
> >------------------------------- SNIP
> >Our '95 Odyssey does it, and our '97 Odyssey does it. You put it into
> >gear, and wait for about 1/2 second for it to kick into gear.
>
> Oh, sorry for not having myself clear. When I said from a
> "standstill", I meant such as starting out after a light change. I'm
> not talking about after having changed gear from say R to D. There's
> no gear changing involved at all manually.
>
> My Pilot would already be in its first gear at a redlight and when the
> light changes and I step on the gas is when I felt the hesitations.

In article <6248kv0ab1i4q5id453ghptrc31n2mkg4v@4ax.com>, Steve Lee
<hate@spam.com> wrote:

....>
> When I was at the dealer to get my car serviced, I mentioned it to the
> advisor and was given the usual "if we can't duplicate it, we won't
> diagnose it" line, so I passed up on the testdrive with a technician.
> I called up another dealer in town and was given the same line as
> well.
>

I really hate this response, which is all too common these days.
Irresponsible in my mind. They must teach this in tech school. Had
District Service Manager say the same thing. Is this Honda policy?

I have a problem with engine noise vibration on my 98 Accord 4 cyl that is
very intermittant, and also very annoying. I can even drive directly to
the dealer when it is happening, and it always goes away, or at least soon
does. Thankfully it has actually become less frequesnt. But they (more
than one) seldom even ask diagnostic questions. For them it doesn't
exist. (BTW acts like hard motor mount.)

In contrast, I have a local tire shop (very successful I might add) whose
response is, if I say I have a problem, then I have a problem. More than
once they have corrected problems that Honda would not even acknowledge I
have. (Honda could at least be sympathetic, rather than so dismissive.)
When I bought new tires (not OEM!!) I had one which was not quite right,
they swapped TWO, and said drive it. Difference in my mond was night and
day, and they believed me. So I am a happy customer. [Original problem
they corrected (NOT Honda) was really bad straight-line tracking.
Combination of alignment and bad tires.]

I heard on NPR today that companies in Silicon Valey are adopting a new
business model: actually sell things, to happy customers, who are then
glad to pay. What a novel idea.

Honda knows that its sutomers are picky. That is why they buy Hondas and
not Chevrolets. So why not treat them accordingly, and make them
happy??? And not just dismiss them.

Listening Honda?

Yeah, I agree. Or even, yes we can duplicate it, but it's not a
problem.

I left my 03 Accord with the dealer the other day with three questions
/ complaints. The car has a tendency to drfit to the left (second time
I've reported this), I think there is an excessive level of tire
noise, and the sunroof when tilted open from the back makes too much
whistling noise to be able to use it (even at relatively slow speeds).

Their responses as entered into the service slip ...

Car drifts left when in the left hand lane of a local freeway and
right when on the right hand lane. Therefore nothing wrong with the
car. First of all, I don't think a car drifting every which way
depending on minor changes in the road is the way it is supposed to
be. These are very minor freeway crowns. None of my other cars did /
do this. Second, given their comments, seems like the solution is to
find a level surface to test for the drifting. Lazy response.

Tire noise - not excessive.

Sunroof noise - all sunroofs make noise.

No call asking me for more information. No checking in with me at all.
Just dismissed.

It ain't perfect, but it's as good as we expect it to be so go away.
Sounds like the position is if most Accords have a problem, then it's
normal.


On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 10:02:20 -0400, hern@wcnet.org (Thomas Hern)
wrote:

>In article <6248kv0ab1i4q5id453ghptrc31n2mkg4v@4ax.com>, Steve Lee
><hate@spam.com> wrote:
>
>...>
>> When I was at the dealer to get my car serviced, I mentioned it to the
>> advisor and was given the usual "if we can't duplicate it, we won't
>> diagnose it" line, so I passed up on the testdrive with a technician.
>> I called up another dealer in town and was given the same line as
>> well.
>>
>
>I really hate this response, which is all too common these days.
>Irresponsible in my mind. They must teach this in tech school. Had
>District Service Manager say the same thing. Is this Honda policy?
>
>I have a problem with engine noise vibration on my 98 Accord 4 cyl that is
>very intermittant, and also very annoying. I can even drive directly to
>the dealer when it is happening, and it always goes away, or at least soon
>does. Thankfully it has actually become less frequesnt. But they (more
>than one) seldom even ask diagnostic questions. For them it doesn't
>exist. (BTW acts like hard motor mount.)
>
>In contrast, I have a local tire shop (very successful I might add) whose
>response is, if I say I have a problem, then I have a problem. More than
>once they have corrected problems that Honda would not even acknowledge I
>have. (Honda could at least be sympathetic, rather than so dismissive.)
>When I bought new tires (not OEM!!) I had one which was not quite right,
>they swapped TWO, and said drive it. Difference in my mond was night and
>day, and they believed me. So I am a happy customer. [Original problem
>they corrected (NOT Honda) was really bad straight-line tracking.
>Combination of alignment and bad tires.]
>
>I heard on NPR today that companies in Silicon Valey are adopting a new
>business model: actually sell things, to happy customers, who are then
>glad to pay. What a novel idea.
>
>Honda knows that its sutomers are picky. That is why they buy Hondas and
>not Chevrolets. So why not treat them accordingly, and make them
>happy??? And not just dismiss them.
>
>Listening Honda?

Jafir Elkurd wrote:

> On most Honda's there is a gear change. When you are at a light with your
> foot on the brake, you are in 2nd. Then when you take your foot of the
> brake and press the gas, it shifts to first. I don't know if these newer V6
> cars do that or not.

On my 2003 TL-S, as soon as the car stops completely, the car shifts to
1st gear. You can see it if you are switched to Sport-Shift.

"Thomas Hern" <hern@wcnet.org> wrote in message
news:hern-2108031002200001@dial-bu-190-027.wcnet.org...
> In article <6248kv0ab1i4q5id453ghptrc31n2mkg4v@4ax.com>, Steve Lee
> <hate@spam.com> wrote:
>
> ...>
> > When I was at the dealer to get my car serviced, I mentioned it to the
> > advisor and was given the usual "if we can't duplicate it, we won't
> > diagnose it" line, so I passed up on the testdrive with a technician.
> > I called up another dealer in town and was given the same line as
> > well.
> >
>
> I really hate this response, which is all too common these days.
> Irresponsible in my mind. They must teach this in tech school. Had
> District Service Manager say the same thing. Is this Honda policy?

its policy pretty much everywhere. noone has the time to sit around and
"wait" for something to happen.

"SoCalMike" <mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote
> "Thomas Hern" <hern@wcnet.org> wrote
Steve Lee
> > <hate@spam.com> wrote:
> >
> > ...>
> > > When I was at the dealer to get my car serviced, I mentioned it to the
> > > advisor and was given the usual "if we can't duplicate it, we won't
> > > diagnose it" line, so I passed up on the testdrive with a technician.
> > > I called up another dealer in town and was given the same line as
> > > well.
> > >
> >
> > I really hate this response, which is all too common these days.
> > Irresponsible in my mind. They must teach this in tech school. Had
> > District Service Manager say the same thing. Is this Honda policy?
>
> its policy pretty much everywhere. noone has the time to sit around and
> "wait" for something to happen.

Agreed.

I don't know what else the shop can do, besides offer a test drive and ask
about other symptoms, when the problem won't duplicate every time it's
driven. I suppose if people want the technicians to drive the car until the
problem repeats, then they had best be willing to pay them for their
valuable time.

I suggest that car owners who can't get a car to duplicate the problem on
the spot describe the symptoms and ask the shop to specifically check out
this, this, and that, based on the owner's rough guess of where the
non-recurring problem seems to be originating when it occurs. Then cheerily
pay the diagnostic fee, even if nothing is found wrong...

Two cents.

I agree to a point. That is, obviously they can't fix what they can
diagnose, and often (but not always) you have to duplicate the problem
in order to do the diagosis. However, there are lots of conditions
that an experienced technician should be able to recognize and know at
least where to start / what to check for that condition without having
to actually experience it themselves.

The original poster did not indicate how old the car was, but if the
car is pretty new, I think the dealer / service departments have some
obligations to try to solve intermittent problems. Whether that's the
case here or not, I don't know.

On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 17:21:55 GMT, "Caliban" <caliban27@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>"SoCalMike" <mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote
>> "Thomas Hern" <hern@wcnet.org> wrote
>Steve Lee
>> > <hate@spam.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > ...>
>> > > When I was at the dealer to get my car serviced, I mentioned it to the
>> > > advisor and was given the usual "if we can't duplicate it, we won't
>> > > diagnose it" line, so I passed up on the testdrive with a technician.
>> > > I called up another dealer in town and was given the same line as
>> > > well.
>> > >
>> >
>> > I really hate this response, which is all too common these days.
>> > Irresponsible in my mind. They must teach this in tech school. Had
>> > District Service Manager say the same thing. Is this Honda policy?
>>
>> its policy pretty much everywhere. noone has the time to sit around and
>> "wait" for something to happen.
>
>Agreed.
>
>I don't know what else the shop can do, besides offer a test drive and ask
>about other symptoms, when the problem won't duplicate every time it's
>driven. I suppose if people want the technicians to drive the car until the
>problem repeats, then they had best be willing to pay them for their
>valuable time.
>
>I suggest that car owners who can't get a car to duplicate the problem on
>the spot describe the symptoms and ask the shop to specifically check out
>this, this, and that, based on the owner's rough guess of where the
>non-recurring problem seems to be originating when it occurs. Then cheerily
>pay the diagnostic fee, even if nothing is found wrong...
>
>Two cents.
>

hern@wcnet.org (Thomas Hern) wrote in message news:<hern-2108031002200001@dial-bu-190-027.wcnet.org>...
********************snip***********
>I heard on NPR today that companies in Silicon Valey are adopting a
new
> business model: actually sell things, to happy customers, who are then
> glad to pay. What a novel idea.
>
> Honda knows that its sutomers are picky. That is why they buy Hondas and
> not Chevrolets. So why not treat them accordingly, and make them
> happy??? And not just dismiss them.
>
> Listening Honda?

Good post. I heard you!

p.s. Honda wouldn't give me a new car when the engine folded at 800
miles, but they fixed it. I was really pissed. I bought a new, used
car. I've been buying Hondas since 1966.