Honda Car Forum

I just took my Honda Odyssey 2002 in for the transmission recall. They
apparently did not find anything wrong with it and added an "oil jet
kit" that is supposed to keep the tranny from overheating. There is
something wierd that happens when driving around 35-30 mph. It is as
though someone is stepping on the clutch (although it is an automatic);
The engine revs, but the gears are not engaged. I have had this happen
to me before on a Subaru when the transmission fluid is low. However,
the tranny fluid on the Honda is not loww (a little bit high if
anything). It happens for 10-15 seconds then stops. It happens more when
my wife dirves than when I do - which is to say she complains about it
happening all the time, and I only experience it occasional ywhen I
drive it.

Does anyone have an idea of what this is? Is it dangerous to drive?

"Stuart S. Berr" <berr@virginia.edu> wrote:

> I just took my Honda Odyssey 2002 in for the transmission recall. They
> apparently did not find anything wrong with it and added an "oil jet
> kit" that is supposed to keep the tranny from overheating. There is
> something wierd that happens when driving around 35-30 mph. It is as
> though someone is stepping on the clutch (although it is an automatic);
> The engine revs, but the gears are not engaged.

Does this happen as the transmission is shifting (between gears)? If
so, it sounds similar to my first 2 transmissions - each was diagnosed
with burned out clutch packs. If you are getting little or no grip
(lots of slip), you could be looking at the same problem.

> I have had this happen
> to me before on a Subaru when the transmission fluid is low. However,
> the tranny fluid on the Honda is not loww (a little bit high if
> anything). It happens for 10-15 seconds then stops.

10-15 seconds seems REAL long. The worst mine got was about 3 seconds
on my first transmission after driving 6,000 miles while Honda fought
me on the replacement since this was "so rare."

> It happens more when
> my wife dirves than when I do - which is to say she complains about it
> happening all the time, and I only experience it occasional ywhen I
> drive it.
>
> Does anyone have an idea of what this is? Is it dangerous to drive?

I have read much in the way of posts here and on other forums as well
as the 1000+ page pdf from Acura on the NHTSA website. It seems the
trannys eventually just not go into a gear at all, or in the case of
some of the early 5 speed autos, downshift unexpectedly at high speeds
and effectively kill themselves. Just hesitating while slipping (or
not being engaged in a gear) would be dangerous. The downshifting
would be real dangerous with enough speed.

I would take it back to the dealer - tell them the trans is slipping.
If they are uncooperative, call the service managers at other dealers
and explain your situation. Most likely one of them would like to
have Honda pay them for another 6 hour trans swap.
Good Luck

-James

It does happen as the car is shifting between gears (maybe it is mosre
like 3 seconds). A burned out clutch pad sounds like it might be it.
Does the transmission have to be replaced to fix this? How dangerous is
it to drive (my wife and kids are taking it on a 500 mile trip Sat)?

James wrote:

>"Stuart S. Berr" <berr@virginia.edu> wrote:
>
>
>
>>I just took my Honda Odyssey 2002 in for the transmission recall. They
>>apparently did not find anything wrong with it and added an "oil jet
>>kit" that is supposed to keep the tranny from overheating. There is
>>something wierd that happens when driving around 35-30 mph. It is as
>>though someone is stepping on the clutch (although it is an automatic);
>>The engine revs, but the gears are not engaged.
>>
>>
>
>Does this happen as the transmission is shifting (between gears)? If
>so, it sounds similar to my first 2 transmissions - each was diagnosed
>with burned out clutch packs. If you are getting little or no grip
>(lots of slip), you could be looking at the same problem.
>
>
>
>>I have had this happen
>>to me before on a Subaru when the transmission fluid is low. However,
>>the tranny fluid on the Honda is not loww (a little bit high if
>>anything). It happens for 10-15 seconds then stops.
>>
>>
>
>10-15 seconds seems REAL long. The worst mine got was about 3 seconds
>on my first transmission after driving 6,000 miles while Honda fought
>me on the replacement since this was "so rare."
>
>
>
>>It happens more when
>>my wife dirves than when I do - which is to say she complains about it
>>happening all the time, and I only experience it occasional ywhen I
>>drive it.
>>
>>Does anyone have an idea of what this is? Is it dangerous to drive?
>>
>>
>
>I have read much in the way of posts here and on other forums as well
>as the 1000+ page pdf from Acura on the NHTSA website. It seems the
>trannys eventually just not go into a gear at all, or in the case of
>some of the early 5 speed autos, downshift unexpectedly at high speeds
>and effectively kill themselves. Just hesitating while slipping (or
>not being engaged in a gear) would be dangerous. The downshifting
>would be real dangerous with enough speed.
>
>I would take it back to the dealer - tell them the trans is slipping.
>If they are uncooperative, call the service managers at other dealers
>and explain your situation. Most likely one of them would like to
>have Honda pay them for another 6 hour trans swap.
>Good Luck
>
>-James
>
>

"Stuart S. Berr" <berr@virginia.edu> wrote in message news:<cfgl6k$lbd$1@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>...
> It does happen as the car is shifting between gears (maybe it is mosre
> like 3 seconds). A burned out clutch pad sounds like it might be it.
> Does the transmission have to be replaced to fix this? How dangerous is
> it to drive (my wife and kids are taking it on a 500 mile trip Sat)?
>


more likely to be an egr issue, unplug it and drive it and see if the
problem is still there. one trip shouldn't set a code.
Chip

"Stuart S. Berr" <berr@virginia.edu> wrote:

> It does happen as the car is shifting between gears (maybe it is mosre
> like 3 seconds). A burned out clutch pad sounds like it might be it.
> Does the transmission have to be replaced to fix this?

If a Honda dealer does it under warranty, then yes - they will order a
remanufactured (nice, huh?) trans and replace it. In the Accord the
trans swap is about a 6 hour job.

> How dangerous is
> it to drive (my wife and kids are taking it on a 500 mile trip Sat)?
>

The transmission slipping in and of itself should not be too
dangerous, but the consequences of being stuck in oncoming traffic
with a car that is moving too slowly (like when turning left) could
be.

-James

In article <896c9ed3.0408130454.21910141@posting.google.com >,
news@daytona.jcu.edu (James) wrote:

> > It does happen as the car is shifting between gears (maybe it is mosre
> > like 3 seconds). A burned out clutch pad sounds like it might be it.
> > Does the transmission have to be replaced to fix this?
>
> If a Honda dealer does it under warranty, then yes - they will order a
> remanufactured (nice, huh?) trans and replace it.

The "rebuilt" transmission uses a previously used case, so law requires
that it be listed as "remanufactured". However, everything inside is
new and it is built by the same manufacturer that builds the "new"
transmissions that are installed in the factory.

Can you deal with a re-used outer case? I'm sure you can. Does the
fact that the case is used mean it's not realisitcally a new
transmission? No. It's just how the law is written.

So to pooh-pooh Honda's use of "remanufactured" transmissions is silly.
Everything inside the case is new, from the original manufacturer. How
much newer do you need before you're satisfied that it's a "new"
transmission?

Don't pooh-pooh Honda; pooh-pooh your lawmakers who wrote the law.

Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:

> In article <896c9ed3.0408130454.21910141@posting.google.com >,
> news@daytona.jcu.edu (James) wrote:
>
>
>>>It does happen as the car is shifting between gears (maybe it is mosre
>>>like 3 seconds). A burned out clutch pad sounds like it might be it.
>>>Does the transmission have to be replaced to fix this?
>>
>>If a Honda dealer does it under warranty, then yes - they will order a
>>remanufactured (nice, huh?) trans and replace it.
>
>
> The "rebuilt" transmission uses a previously used case, so law requires
> that it be listed as "remanufactured". However, everything inside is
> new and it is built by the same manufacturer that builds the "new"
> transmissions that are installed in the factory.
>
> Can you deal with a re-used outer case? I'm sure you can. Does the
> fact that the case is used mean it's not realisitcally a new
> transmission? No. It's just how the law is written.
>
> So to pooh-pooh Honda's use of "remanufactured" transmissions is silly.
> Everything inside the case is new, from the original manufacturer. How
> much newer do you need before you're satisfied that it's a "new"
> transmission?
>
> Don't pooh-pooh Honda; pooh-pooh your lawmakers who wrote the law.

Is the "remanufactured" trans covered by Honda as a new one? If so, big
whoop.

news@daytona.jcu.edu (James) wrote in message news:<896c9ed3.0408130454.21910141@posting.google. com>...
> "Stuart S. Berr" <berr@virginia.edu> wrote:
>
> > It does happen as the car is shifting between gears (maybe it is mosre
> > like 3 seconds). A burned out clutch pad sounds like it might be it.
> > Does the transmission have to be replaced to fix this?
>
> If a Honda dealer does it under warranty, then yes - they will order a
> remanufactured (nice, huh?) trans and replace it. In the Accord the
> trans swap is about a 6 hour job.
>

and yes the reman ones do fail from time to time.

Chip Stein wrote:

> news@daytona.jcu.edu (James) wrote in message news:<896c9ed3.0408130454.21910141@posting.google. com>...
>
>>"Stuart S. Berr" <berr@virginia.edu> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>It does happen as the car is shifting between gears (maybe it is mosre
>>>like 3 seconds). A burned out clutch pad sounds like it might be it.
>>>Does the transmission have to be replaced to fix this?
>>
>>If a Honda dealer does it under warranty, then yes - they will order a
>>remanufactured (nice, huh?) trans and replace it. In the Accord the
>>trans swap is about a 6 hour job.
>
> and yes the reman ones do fail from time to time.

Of course, all devices fail from time to time.

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop@nastydesigns.com> wrote:

> Can you deal with a re-used outer case? I'm sure you can.

The case? Yes. A transmission that is as bad as the original? No.

My "remanufatured" trans failed at 25k miles. Can you deal with that?
From posts (v6p.net, for instance) it seems that the remans fail
about as frequently as the originals. Perhaps the remans are built
exactly like the new ones, I don't know, but either way, my point is
that the basic design seems flawed. Nearly every Honda V6 trans has
had a higher rate of failure than Honda wants to see for the past 7
years.

> Does the
> fact that the case is used mean it's not realisitcally a new
> transmission? No. It's just how the law is written.

True, and I couldn't give a fat rats behind about the cosmetics. The
newness of the internals doesn't help longevity when there is a
fundamental design problem, or worse yet, a quality issue. What I
want is a tranmission that will not fail for 125k+ miles. EVERY other
car I have owned made it that far, and I drove some of them MUCH
harder than I drive my Honda.

>
> So to pooh-pooh Honda's use of "remanufactured" transmissions is silly.
> Everything inside the case is new, from the original manufacturer. How
> much newer do you need before you're satisfied that it's a "new"
> transmission?
>

New is not what I'm after. I want a stable, solid, well-engineered
trans. A transmission that is as good as the remainder of the car.
The fact that they are using remans is not the problem. The failure
of the remans, regardless of cause is unacceptable (and reason enough
for me to "pooh-pooh" Honda).

> Don't pooh-pooh Honda; pooh-pooh your lawmakers who wrote the law.

My lawmakers aren't responsible for the transmissions I have received,
only for the language used to describe them.