Thanks poorman. Do i have to get underenath the car or can I reach it with the hood open to replace the 3rd clutch pressure switch?

I fixed my signature.

 

To be honest, I can't remember? I think from under the hood......

I haven't been under the hood of a 6th gen for some time.....my neighbor had one but he moved about 6 months ago.

When you figure it out, let us know.

 

I finally caught hold of John and we were able to do the following:


1. To fix P1839 - replace with genuine honda 3rd clutch pressure switch
2. To fix P1457 - replace with genuine honda canister vent valve and canister set. I had replaced the bypass valve a couple months ago.

3rd clutch pressure and P1839:
===================

The access to the 3rd clutch pressure switch was from under the vehicle. The splash guard at the bottom had to be opened (something I would never have been able to given no penchant to break those plastic tabs holding that the guard to the rest of the frame). It was right there in hands reach. If you have removed that guard under the vehicle in the past, this is really 10-15 minute job for you (assuming the car is mounted up).

smoke test and P1457:
==============

After replacing the bypass valve, the code P1457 came back on after 100 miles or so of driving. On this visit, we smoked the system again, this time however, crimping the vent pipe into the body (and atmosphere). Yes, there is a pipe that vents directly from the canister through the vent valve. This is odd, there is a 3-way connector that is connected to the 2-way valve and one end dangles (I dont know what its function is). Closing that exposed hole finally showed the problem...the canister vent valve was leaking at the seams where plastic and metal met

Ofcourse, the canister vent valve bolt was rusted and to put an end to this terrible saga, i decided to swallow another $50 bucks of cost and ordered a canister set from majestic honda (hondaautomotiveparts.com). If not for this ridiculous shipping/handling, i cannot complain :-)..better than napa/autozone/aap on OEM parts and prices!

 

I have been driving for a week and the 2 codes have not yet popped up. The car shifts much better. I had forgotten the vehicle shifts gears aroudn 1800rpms. The right turns are great. One thing I do notice is, the vehicle is far more sensitive to decelerations...2-3 months ago, I could make the right turn, slow down a bit and pick up from where i left off...but now, a slight drop in speed...makes the vehicle shift quickly.

The vehicle taking off from a complete stop is reminiscent of when the car was fairly new...as i accelerate from a stop, i can see the vehicle taking its time to shift.

WOT's - is not a problem at all. I never never ever drive WOT.

My style is grandma-driving - slow starts, gentle acceleration - I believe with this kind of driving, the car seems to struggle a bit...but, the hard jerks, sudden shifts and uphill shifts are a thing of the past. I couldnt be happier.


BUT, surely enough, on to the next problem - P420 (argh!) - I will be starting a new thread and update this post with the link for those wishing to follow my story...on to chapter 2. The link to the new thread with code P0420, if you are still reading this :-)