I have a 2000 Honda accord 4cyl auto 300,000 km. I have owned it since 160,000 and my last one went 360,000 I bought it from the original owner. he put in a rebuilt transaxle at the Honda dealer. my wife drives it most days. it has been clunking in reverse about 5 seconds after the shift for a while now. the atf fluid is clean and smells good. I change it about every third or fourth oil change. today she calls and said there was a massive clunk on downshift then it slipped and clunked again slipped some more then the D light on dash flashed and then it locked into second or third gear. she is not really mechanical but said it was like it shifted into neutral but she also said it was slipping and did not want to get going.


I towed it home on a trailer. the check engine light is on but car runs and shifts good??? I went for a test drive and it drives great. there are two codes stored. P0730 gear ratio incorrect andP0780 shift malfunction.


I am inclined to pull the transaxle and send it out for a complete rebuild, but I am wondering if I should have the codes read at Honda or a trans shop with more sophisticated gear in case its something minor which can be fixed from outside the trans.


your thoughts please?? full rebuild or??.


thanks

 

I'm not an AT guy, but what year is this - 2000 or 2003?

 

I don't see a P0370 listed?

Recheck the codes and post them. Also clear up the issue with the year - title says 2000 but the text says 2003, that crosses generations which "might mean" different out comes.

 

Sorry for the confusion. I was on a mini keyboard with my fat fingers.

Car is 2000 honda accord 4 cyl auto 300,000 km.
codes are p0730 generic gear ratio incorrect and p0780 generic shift malfunction.

Thanks for your help!

 

300Km is about 187K miles and that's pretty good for that geration of AT... Rebuild it using the latest guide from Honda or replace it with another one that was rebuilt and has blue painted bolts on it...

 

There are a couple of things that you can check prior to removing the transmission. One, check the shift lever and the button on the shift lever to ensure that is properly locking in position when you place it in D. It may be that the lock button is dirty and when you wife drives it it is not exactly locked in which can mess up the output ratios and cause the symptoms and codes noted. The second thing you can look at is the shift solenoids. First make sure that the wires are in good condition and that the electrical connectors are properly seated and tight. Third, if the above check out fine you can remove the shift solenoids and check the filter screens on them. All you need to remove them is a 10mm socket. When you pull one off and turn it over you will see the filter screen. If they are dirty you can clean them with some throttle body cleaner and air dry them. Reinstall and reconnect wiring. These are the first easy steps that come to mind given the fact that you regularly change the ATF and the fluid smells normal. After this it gets a little more complicated and you may want to have a diagnosis and a reputable transmission shop.

 

So tranny is acting up all the time now. I drove it today and it is making shifts at inappropriate times. into neutral mostly but down a gear too. sometimes no reverse sometimes locks into second or third and wont shift. throwing codes P1751 and P0730. I pulled all the solenoids two in components and two individuals a total of six all click with twelve volts all appear functional. the component on the top front with two solenoids had fibrous material on screen all others clean. I cleaned them all it did not help. some particles apparent on dispstick level normal. smells a bit when hot but ok when cold. flashing D on dash.


what should I do now. pull and send for a rebuild????

 

I'm midway through a rebuild on a B7XA (V-6) and I have to say the design of the tranny is a bit *** backwards. The felt filter needs 70% of the tranny dimantled to replace it. Honda put these fine mesh screens all over the place to catch the large debris, but there are some screens in the valve body which are probably plugged on yours.

Some of the stuff get caught in the valves of the valve body, causing them to stick. Hate to say it, but the tranny needs to come out. It's up to you whether it's worth a rebuild. In my area, rebuilds run around $3000-5000. The Honda remanufactured unit with a 3-yr warrantee is $4,000 from the dealer!

Sonnax came out with valve body kit in 2013 but not sure it will solve the durability issues with the tranny. It addresses torque converter issues and you replace several valves in the valve body, and drill half a dozen holes in the valve body plates. Pump clearances are critical, which is maybe why rebuilds by pros still fail.

 

So I went with a rebuilt from the same company who did the last rebuilt. $2000. I got it in tonight and now I am thinking I screwed up.


I didn't fill the torque converter before I installed it. I just realized it's a pump and without fluid it may not prime.


Do I need to drop it and fill before I test fire it or will it pick up fluid from the transmission.


I guess I could call the company back and ask too.


its not too late I haven't fired it up.

 

^ take TQ converter out and fill it up, reinstall it, then add fluid to the transmission