My 06 RL Tech package has a mild vibration at about 45mph with low RPMs, which seems to come from the transmission. Accelerate and it goes away. A Honda-certified mechanic friend (lives in another state) told me to ask the dealership to update the PCM software and it would eliminate the vibration. My wife's 06 MDX had the same issue and the dealership updated the PCM (TSB 09-037), which eliminated the vibration completely.

Anyone have the same issue? Thanks.

 

That bulletin only applied to 05-06 MDX..Your dealer will most likely want to replace the torque converter

 

+1 on Torque converter. I had the same issue with mine.

 

My '10 RL had the software update done 2 months ago and it solved my problem.

 

The update for the 2009-10 does not apply to the 2006 (3.5 versus 3.7)

 

Is there a tranny software update that does apply to an '05 RL? I flipped through some older posts and the garage, didn't see anything specific.

What's been happening for me is a slight shudder, or vibration really, between 1600 & 2000 rpms, mostly when it drops back down in RPM's from shifting up from 2 to 3, 3 to 4, or 4 to 5. It's been happening for a while, just seems like either I'm noticing it more, or it's a bit more pronounced now. If I feather the gas I can make it easier to feel through the pedal, and if I gas it just a little more the rpm's hop up over 2000 quickly and it's gone. Had the fluid changed recently. Too cold for a 3x3 so I had my Honda dealer do a drain and fill. Seems to otherwise shift nicely up/down through the gear. No hesitation, solid feel to the next gear and if I get on it, it drops down in gears and pulls off strong.

Seems like if it were to hold 3 or 4 gears longer, before up shifting, it would be better. Or maybe the TC logic needs an adjustment?

 

If was the torque converter, you'd only feel it in 1st gear and 5th... If you are feeling it in all gears, perhaps the vibration is simply a motor mount?

-Mojo

 

Anytime your gear is too high for your speed, you will feel a shudder. Try starting in third in a manual. It will feel like the car is humping the road. This is all normal car behavior. It isn't necessarily that the RL is letting you shift to TOO high a gear, but anytime you are at the bottom of a gear's RPM range, you will feel shaking, vibrating, or shuddering.

 

Right. I have forced it in manual mode, when I've shifted a little too soon in to a higher gear, or from a dead stop. But not quite as pronounced as it is now though.

I was also wondering about the motor mounts, wasn't sure if a vibration or shudder would be a symptom of that. I'm at 105K now, so planning that big maintenance for sometime soon.

 

I believe mounts are a potential cause of shaking. The tranny should have mounts too which would probably cause it more.