A Cars forum. AutoBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AutoBanter forum » Auto makers » Honda
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

94 Accord AT going bad?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old June 20th 05, 02:12 PM
jim beam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

R. P. wrote:
> "jim beam" > wrote:
>
>> too much atf would mean all kinds of wierdness on the shift and fluid
>> leakage - assuming you didn't blow any control valves.
>>
>> when you say there's too much, are you measuring with the motor
>> running? on a honda, the motor is supposed to be *off*, unlike almost
>> every other automatic out there...

>
>
> I measured it with the engine off but still warm. That's how the Owner's
> Guide specifies it.


good! not everyone does that...

>
>> if there is too much, it's easy to fix - just drain & refill with the
>> correct amount of honda atf. sounds like you need to do that anyway.

>
>
> It sure looks like I need it.
>
>> regarding growling, it could be a bearing. but check the motor mounts
>> first. put it in park, with the brake off, then rock the car back &
>> forth & see how the mounts behave.

>
>
> It's not that kind of growling. It's more like something related to
> belts and only when I am accelerating or slowing down with engine brake.
> Once I am at a steady speed on a straight stretch of road I cannot hear
> it. Gear shifting is also rougher than usual.
>
> Rudy


how many miles since last timing belt change? are you losing coolant?
may be a water pump [or alternator] bearing.

Ads
  #12  
Old June 20th 05, 06:47 PM
R. P.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"jim beam" > wrote:
> how many miles since last timing belt change? are you losing coolant?
> may be a water pump [or alternator] bearing.


I doubt it as I had the timing belt and water pump replaced 25,000 miles
ago. Actually, my last service was a small scheduled maint. service,
like the one performed at 22,500 miles
and it was performed at a Honda service shop. The previous more major
scheduled maintenance visit and later an oil change-only visit was at
that independent shop I mentioned. Those are the guys I suspect screwing
up my previously well running car because they installed a
remanufactured Delco distributor in place of the leaking original one
and they also probably used a non-Honda ATF. After that I immediately
noticed that faint whine from under the hood that seemed to vary with
the RPM but I did not pay much attention to it then. I was more
concerned by the low torque at idle speed, causing me several stalls
during starts while the engine was warm.

The AT related issues however bacame more noticeable in the last couple
weeks, even though I had that last (minor) maintenance service performed
at a Honda dealer since then. I was just checking the work sheet of that
service and it does show a check mark at the item, titled "Check all
fluid levels, condition of fluids and check for leaks, if needed add
transmission fluid, engine coolant,brake fluid, power steering fluid and
windshield washer fluid." So now I wonder if the Honda mechanic just
blindly added more ATF and overfilling it, or he just left in the
original fluid from the independent shop. I am due for another oil
change in about 1,000 miles, which for me means about three weeks, but I
might give them a call about this and see if they feel some
responsibility for the ATF overfill.

Rudy

  #13  
Old June 20th 05, 11:51 PM
R. P.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"motsco_ _" <"motsco_ > wrote:
> I'm suggesting you procede with caution. It might be something simple.


Well, I did visit my Honda dealer and a long time mechanic took me along
with a test drive. He immediately, even before we started rolling, said
that it was a sound he's heard many times before and it was coming from
the torque converter going bad. When I suggested that I would still
prefer to try flushing the trany from the old ATF and fill it with
genuine Honda ATF to see what improvement that would bring, he talked me
out of it as something pretty much useless as that would still not fix
the torque converter. He also thought that the ATF overfill would not
cause that noise. Well, he might be right, but he also might be a bit
influenced by the fact that his shop would make more money with the
replaced torque converter option. It's like going to a surgeon for a
diagnosis and he would naturally lean toward cutting you open, while an
internist would probably try some drugs first. In any case, he said
that the job can wait till my next due oil change, so I have some time
to think about it. To his credit though he did suggest a remanufactured
torque converter that would cost me only around $200 as opposed to a new
Honda part at $850. He also said that the remanufactured TQ would start
out as an OEM part and would have to have certain letters stamped on it
to fit my car model. It cannot be garanteed, however, that they would
have it when I need it and unfortunately those letters are not known
till the mechanic actually removes the existing TQ at which point I am
pretty much committed and might have to choose leaving my car there till
the proper remanufactured TQ becomes available or pay for a much more
expensive new OEM TQ. That's not a choice I like to face, so I think
I'll still try the ATF flush method first somehow.

Rudy

  #14  
Old June 21st 05, 03:56 AM
jim beam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

R. P. wrote:
> "jim beam" > wrote:
>
>> how many miles since last timing belt change? are you losing coolant?
>> may be a water pump [or alternator] bearing.

>
>
> I doubt it as I had the timing belt and water pump replaced 25,000 miles
> ago. Actually, my last service was a small scheduled maint. service,
> like the one performed at 22,500 miles
> and it was performed at a Honda service shop. The previous more major
> scheduled maintenance visit and later an oil change-only visit was at
> that independent shop I mentioned. Those are the guys I suspect screwing
> up my previously well running car because they installed a
> remanufactured Delco distributor in place of the leaking original one
> and they also probably used a non-Honda ATF. After that I immediately
> noticed that faint whine from under the hood that seemed to vary with
> the RPM but I did not pay much attention to it then. I was more
> concerned by the low torque at idle speed, causing me several stalls
> during starts while the engine was warm.


ok, if it varies with rpm, not speed, and you have low torque, get that
belt checked quick! it's probably skipped a tooth because it's too
loose. and if you can, try to find out exactly what brand of water pump
they used last time - if they changed it at all. there are some nasty
cheapo aftermarket ones out there whose seals and bearings are grossly
inferior.

>
> The AT related issues however bacame more noticeable in the last couple
> weeks, even though I had that last (minor) maintenance service performed
> at a Honda dealer since then. I was just checking the work sheet of that
> service and it does show a check mark at the item, titled "Check all
> fluid levels, condition of fluids and check for leaks, if needed add
> transmission fluid, engine coolant,brake fluid, power steering fluid and
> windshield washer fluid."


the worksheet description is just word padding to justify the cost.

> So now I wonder if the Honda mechanic just
> blindly added more ATF and overfilling it, or he just left in the
> original fluid from the independent shop.


sure, if he checked it at all - which is more likely.

> I am due for another oil
> change in about 1,000 miles, which for me means about three weeks, but I
> might give them a call about this and see if they feel some
> responsibility for the ATF overfill.


sometimes it's best to vote with your feet and research alternatives
that know what they're doing.

>
> Rudy


  #15  
Old June 21st 05, 04:03 AM
jim beam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

R. P. wrote:
> "motsco_ _" <"motsco_ > wrote:
>
>> I'm suggesting you procede with caution. It might be something simple.

>
>
> Well, I did visit my Honda dealer and a long time mechanic took me along
> with a test drive. He immediately, even before we started rolling, said
> that it was a sound he's heard many times before and it was coming from
> the torque converter going bad.


afaik, the commonest problem with accord torque converters, and even
then it's not that common from what i can see, is a lack of lockup
clutch. i've never had that problem in a honda myself, but i'd be
surprised if you could hear this problem on driveaway being as the
lockup clutch only engages at higher speeds and during braking.

> When I suggested that I would still
> prefer to try flushing the trany from the old ATF and fill it with
> genuine Honda ATF to see what improvement that would bring, he talked me
> out of it as something pretty much useless as that would still not fix
> the torque converter. He also thought that the ATF overfill would not
> cause that noise. Well, he might be right, but he also might be a bit
> influenced by the fact that his shop would make more money with the
> replaced torque converter option. It's like going to a surgeon for a
> diagnosis and he would naturally lean toward cutting you open, while an
> internist would probably try some drugs first. In any case, he said
> that the job can wait till my next due oil change, so I have some time
> to think about it. To his credit though he did suggest a remanufactured
> torque converter that would cost me only around $200 as opposed to a new
> Honda part at $850. He also said that the remanufactured TQ would start
> out as an OEM part and would have to have certain letters stamped on it
> to fit my car model. It cannot be garanteed, however, that they would
> have it when I need it and unfortunately those letters are not known
> till the mechanic actually removes the existing TQ at which point I am
> pretty much committed and might have to choose leaving my car there till
> the proper remanufactured TQ becomes available or pay for a much more
> expensive new OEM TQ. That's not a choice I like to face, so I think
> I'll still try the ATF flush method first somehow.
>
> Rudy
>


  #16  
Old June 21st 05, 08:56 AM
R. P.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"jim beam" > wrote:
>
> ok, if it varies with rpm, not speed, and you have low torque, get
> that belt checked quick! it's probably skipped a tooth because it's
> too loose. and if you can, try to find out exactly what brand of
> water pump they used last time - if they changed it at all. there are
> some nasty cheapo aftermarket ones out there whose seals and bearings
> are grossly inferior.


The timing belt and water pump was replaced by a Honda dealer at 180,000
miles, so I don't think that was the problem. I went to that
independent shop later, for the 195,000 ml scheduled maintenance, then
for the following oil change at 198,750 miles. After that I returned to
another Honda dealer's service at 202,500 miles. Now the mileage is
around 204,000.

> the worksheet description is just word padding to justify the cost.


That's what I figured, too.

> sometimes it's best to vote with your feet and research alternatives
> that know what they're doing.


I'm running out of options without really knowing a good shop.
Sometimes a new one turns out worse than the old one. That's how it
turned out for me with that independent shop.

Rudy

  #17  
Old June 21st 05, 09:06 AM
R. P.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"jim beam" > wrote:
> afaik, the commonest problem with accord torque converters, and even
> then it's not that common from what i can see, is a lack of lockup
> clutch. i've never had that problem in a honda myself, but i'd be
> surprised if you could hear this problem on driveaway being as the
> lockup clutch only engages at higher speeds and during braking.


Well, I did drain the ATF last evening and refilled it with 2.5 qt
genuine Honda ATF-Z1. A test drive after it did not show any noticeable
change in that noise I reported earlier. I'll replace the ATF again
next weekend though I'm not having high hopes for an improvement.
Perhaps that mechanic was right after all and my car needs its torque
converter replaced. At least if I was sure that they could find the
right remanufactured converter for it and it would really solve the
problem and not just be part of a process of elimination game till the
whole transmission is replaced.

Rudy

  #18  
Old June 22nd 05, 05:00 AM
SoCalMike
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

R. P. wrote:
>
> I'm running out of options without really knowing a good shop. Sometimes
> a new one turns out worse than the old one. That's how it turned out for
> me with that independent shop.


try www.cartalk.com and use their mechanic locator. worth a shot.
  #19  
Old June 23rd 05, 03:06 AM
R. P.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"SoCalMike" > wrote:
> try www.cartalk.com and use their mechanic locator. worth a shot.


Thanks for that tip, SoCal Mike! Looks like this time I picked the
*right* Honda dealership.

Rudy
(formerly of Huntington Beach)

  #20  
Old June 23rd 05, 06:28 AM
jim beam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

R. P. wrote:
> "jim beam" > wrote:
>
>> afaik, the commonest problem with accord torque converters, and even
>> then it's not that common from what i can see, is a lack of lockup
>> clutch. i've never had that problem in a honda myself, but i'd be
>> surprised if you could hear this problem on driveaway being as the
>> lockup clutch only engages at higher speeds and during braking.

>
>
> Well, I did drain the ATF last evening and refilled it with 2.5 qt
> genuine Honda ATF-Z1. A test drive after it did not show any noticeable
> change in that noise I reported earlier. I'll replace the ATF again
> next weekend though I'm not having high hopes for an improvement.
> Perhaps that mechanic was right after all and my car needs its torque
> converter replaced. At least if I was sure that they could find the
> right remanufactured converter for it and it would really solve the
> problem and not just be part of a process of elimination game till the
> whole transmission is replaced.
>
> Rudy
>

ok. keep us posted with the result - add the data to the pool.

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
suggestions to buy accord yahmed Honda 3 May 15th 05 08:02 PM
2005 Accord: iPod-friendly? Paul Wylie Honda 11 April 5th 05 09:09 PM
Honda OEM Parts Catalogs for Sale Joe Honda 0 February 12th 05 02:43 PM
2005 Accord ... Should I? DaveR Honda 21 February 10th 05 01:15 AM
2003 Accord power lock problem Steve Driska Honda 0 September 26th 04 04:02 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:45 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AutoBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.