Honda Pilot 4x4 transmission problems..

SEAIRESCUE

Active Member
Joined
May 8, 2006
Location
SO Pines
Any tech's out there that have dug into Pilot and Odyssey transmissions to resolve the classic 45 MPH , top gear, lurching, stumbling, in-and-out of converter lockup and jerking? With as much electronics as there is on the outside of the case I wonder if most of the reported problems are more electrical than mechanical? I have found some good information on Piloteers but beyond pressure switch changes and cleaning the screens in the linear shift solenoids there is not much more to know. I did recently learn that a paper clip across pins 4 and 9 of the DTC connector will yield flashing lights that only Honda can decode. Any help would be appreciated.
 
What year is it? Sounds like you are talking about torque converter clutch shudder. Welcome to the world of honda. The dealer did have a reflash on certain MDXs and oddyseys that changed the command for lock up. How bad is it? ie How frequent How long has it been doing it? How many miles? Im sure Lee will chime in with a more knowledgeable reply but a few more details will surely help him help you.
 
i'm sorry i didn't get into it more in the pm. it was 7:00 and i was trying to get out of the shop. now that i'm home i will try to explain it.
if the solenoids are not clogged, this is what's going on. honda transmissions have major design flaws, the pump is incredibly small and they don't have enough volume to feed the whole transmission.
the pressure regulator system cuts off converter charge at low rpm's, when you are on the highway at 65-70 in 4th or 5th in full l/u the rpm's drop down low enough to cut converter charge when it needs it most.
the valve body is sealed with aluminum end plugs, they wear out from the constant hammering of the valve against them. when they wear out, they leak.
combine the end plug leak with the pressure regulator cutting off converter flow, and you have fluid boiling in the converter.

all of this is dependent on your solenoids condition, if they are clogged you may catch it in time before all of the major damage is done.
honda does not know how to fix this because if they did they would have done 15 years ago.
when i rebuild them, they get new aluminum end plugs with orings, they also get a new pressure regulator valve designed with a check valve inside of it to allow constant converter charge and prevent this from happening again. i also bypass the radiator on every one and install a 24000 gvw cooler.

like i said in the pm, i could write a book on this. the first thing you need to do is get it checked for codes, advance auto won't scan the transmission controller, you will need to find a shop or someone with quality scanner to do this for you. if you have pressure switch codes i will explain what to do then. if you don't have pressure switch codes, pull the solenoids off and check the condition of the screens.
if it is neither of those, you have most likely not caught it in time. if it were a solenoid problem(electrically) the pcm would have detected it and set the cel.

i deal with this everyday, hell if it wasn't for honda and chevy i wouldn't be in business.
 
if it was egr ports it would have set the cel. part of hondas "ultra low emissions" cafe rating (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_Average_Fuel_Economy) is because of their egr design. i have done almost as many of these as i have their trannies.

Lee, and others. Thank you for sharing with me your experiences with these transmissions. I lay awake at night wondering what the Hell Honda did wrong in the design? Boiling fluid in the converter makes sense. It takes a few miles on the open road for the show to begin. Cavitation from boiling would certainly present a host of problems. I will pull the double linear solenoid assembly this weekend and check it as well. The single on the front was OK with no worn debris in the strainer. I will also ohm all the electricals I can to see if they are in range. The EGR is fairly new and clean. I will pull the intake center section off to ensure that the passages are clean as well. Disappointed to hear that the pump design is insufficient...explains why not much can be done by Honda to fix them. Do you know if a later model transmission would fit and be a better choice when repair/replacement is required?
I have a 07 ridgeline and at 150k miles it still works great. Will also immediately install a Hayden gooler and bypass the radiator. If all the above do not satisify my concerns, what is your typical rebuild cost and I would bring you the transmission? If you prefer a phone call I can do that as well.
Thank you again.
 
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