So I sourced and bought an 06 accord trans and am preparing for a swap. I'm gonna list my symptoms and double check with others on here before I get to this swap.

First thing I noticed it seemed like it took a little longer to get 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th. The next day it was not engaging 3rd to 4th right away at all. rpms would shoot up 3/4k and then it would engage. not every time but worse as it warmed up.

Started to notice going from park to drive or reverse it takes a few seconds longer to engage than it normally does.

And Finally I hear a faint whining noise I don't recall ever hearing before. usually when I'm coming to a stop or accelerating from a stop.

Over the past two or three years I would get a shudder around 2nd and 3rd and 3rd and 4th. Normally during the summer with the A/C cranked. Wasn't an everyday thing some days were worse than others and during the winter it rarely ever happend. I figured it was a small fuel filter I installed to bridge the gap in the line that a tree rat decided to take a chunk out of. ( I hope it choked on it) I figured it might be impeding the flow of fuel some to the injectors and that was messing with the engine under load.

Anyhow, The car still drives but I parked it the past week and did some research. So now I'm looking for a little input on it before I just jump into a swap. Do these symptoms sound like the beginnings of the infamous 2ndgen Acura trans fail or possible something a little less...uh..infamous? its an 03 with 120,000miles and up until last week never had any trouble from it other than that shudder. thoughts?

 

Its not normal... The issue with out trans happens within 2nd to 3rd.
3rd to 4th? NOPE not related.


The last resource is to shift with SS (Sport Shift) to see if you don't have bad or clogged shift solenoids which like to use lower pressure in D5 than the high pressure they use on SS.


But to be perfectly clear the trans issue (Worn Out Clutch Packs) affects only 2nd to 3rd Shift.

 

Do ya know if the tranny was ever replaced previously under recall ? May wanna have your local Acura dealer double check the VIN to know if anything was done. Look for blue paint on the tranny's bolts, which would indicate an Acura replaced tranny.

How is the fluid level and condition ? When was the tranny last serviced with a Drain & Fill ?

May want to inspect the tranny's magnetic drain plug for residue and then replace the fluid with Honda DW1. Also, replace the inline spin-on ATF filter and check the solenoid screens for clogging. Read up on the 3rd & 4th pressure switches.....as the 4th Gen guys replace them as "PM".

 

I looked up the VIN on Acura site and it say's "fixed" so maybe it has been worked on. I'll check the bolts when I change the fluid tomorrow. I did try it in SS mode and when I had it 4th it would down shift on its own then back then down while coasting never hit the breaks.
it very well could be 2nd to 3rd and I'm imagining a shift somewhere,

Thanks for the input though, Gonna change fluid and filter and see what happens, it will either make it better or worse. in any event I have the AV6 on stand by. I've done a whole lot of reading and it could be anything from a pressure sens. to bad motor mounts.

 

A: get rid of a flow pressure restrictive filter in the fuel line- we have only a filter sock on the fuel pickup in tank for a reason- high pressure!!

B: see outlawspeeder thread on rebuild, shows wear to clutch plates
ANY gear is susceptible but the special extended warranty was about 3rd gear

FIXED on the recall page of your acura account only means the RECALL was DONE
In this case it means the 2nd gear oil spray bar was installed on top of trans
Is there a large bolt with ATF stamped on it or a funky device held on by 1 small bolt on its side -mount

ATF filler hole bolt means entire trans was replaced post feb 2005 under warranty = blue paint on bolt heads..which may still just say `fixed` on the web

If anything shows on your accounts recalls page as OPEN you need to call dealer for appointment- many cars have not taken care of the recent airbag inflator issue

Dealer service dept can run vin and tell you exactly what happened when regarding trans - the 800 number doesn't have replaced trans info

Yes sluggishness and rpm jumps indicate worn clutches

 

what atf were you planning on using?

Instead of wasting that money- spend 20 bucks at blackstone labs (look it up)
a 3 ounce sample of the fluid will be run thru a mass spectrograph, then a human interpretation of readings with comparison to every sample of that fluid they have ever tested and recommendations on how to proceed = trash the trans or do a complete fluid change-out, is made

on the blackstone note with miles etc tell them what your plans are

If there is any fluid in the new trans- a sample of it might reveal important things!

from the sounds of it= the current trans overheard your talk of the superior replacement sitting right next to it!!!
and gave you the finger~

 

I picked up some DW-1 from the honda dealer today, So I checked out the trans filler plug or what I thought was the plug. Posting pictures

I saw blue and green. The 1st pic that bolt is blue and the 3rd i saw two green bolts for the motor mount...that black sharpie is peculiar. 40,210? maybe?

 

Check the "DIY" sticky for info on replacing the ATF fluid and filter.


Here's a thread showing the proper ATF drain plug :
https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...0/#post8390438

 

Blue bolt means it's an updated unit. Try doing a 3X3 drain and fill see if that fixes the problem this is your last resort if not... ur trans could be on it's way out U wait and pray.

 

That is most likely an original unit with just the Jet Kit.. There are no blue bolts on it as far I can see.

 

paint on minor items are QC cks
the blue trans bolts are every bolt holding trans to eng and most of the ones holding small brackets etc to trans
Very obvious when present

that looks like the infamous oil jet kit installed under recall in 2004
Remove that 1 10mm bolt and pull assembly straight up to remove
Fill new atf thru that hole
Can use dipstick tube to refill (but much slower) if hassle to remove the spray kit

NOTE trans will drain between 3 and 3.4 qts depending on temp, your patience, an general luck
That's when you want to measure outgoing so you refill correctly

See owner book for correct inspection/testing atf level procedure
and BETWEEN the 2 dots is correct- never at either

 

grab a sample from mid-drain of atf and send it to blackstone
call them or email for free sample kit and shipping container
you don't pay until you send a sample for testing

Knowledge of fluid condition and contaminants is all powerful when it comes to things happening inside the trans

 

just read 1st post again, 120,000 miles on an original unit with spray kit is pretty good life actually!
and that replacement sitting there waiting~
why bother with a mix of really old fluid and new fluid?
turn that old trans into recycle material

 

Well, I drained the trans fluid, changed the screw in filter and refilled 3.2qrts. At first she was acting very normal. So I thought "let me drop it in SS and see if I get any of the same issues I had before" It auto shifts from 1st to 2nd and that was not so smooth took a little bit longer then it had before SS. Seemed fine besides that. Took it home and listend for the faint whine when I pulled in and it still had it. So I backed out and drove some more. That's when it went down hill. 2nd to 3rd Rpms shot up before engaging. Then I got to a stop light and while stopped i could feel it wanting to pull forward off and on. like it was trying to hump the car in front of me. Light turned green, gave it gas, and nope not going anywhere. lucky it was on a slight grade and coasted into a gas station. turned it off let it sit and 5min later tried again. Lucky for me it was working again and i got home. So I think the other trans will come in handy now.

 

How did the tranny's ATF and drain plug appear when ya did the D&F ?
If there was evidence of burnt fluid and residue on the plug, the solenoid screens may be clogged.

Chances are that it's time to bolt up the donor "AV6".

 

I would say yes..Was pretty thick on the plug and the fluid was pretty dark. of course I never changed it chances are its the same fluid its had for a long long time.

 

had that been posted before refilling with 25$ of new fluid,,,,
its clear that trans has seen its last mile
the 40xxx written on trans may be when they installed the oil jet kit
or when atf last changed

have fun with the swap!

 

Definitely replace the torque convertor in the donor trans- approx. 100 dollars to have a clean fresh rebuilt unit-(no crud inside from unknown abuse of donor trans)

worth new shift solenoids too, replace what you can while its on the bench
Ck your motor and trans mounts as well, make it all perfect and enjoy without worry!

 

Yeah, ya got the "AV6"......just do it and don't look back.
Hopefully once it's all back together, you'll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor and effort.

 

I plain on putting on a new TC and solenoids, it just makes sense while it's in the open. I really do appreciate everyone that took time to post their input on my Trans troubles. Now I just hope the donor trans isn't on it's way out. Anything I should look for as troubling while I can inspect it thoroughly?

 

CK its drain plug!!
and condition of the shift solenoids? -hows the fluid look and smell?

 

Well, when's the AV6 transplant going in ???

Keep us updated. Good luck.

 

Got the trans swapped today. Took two other people and myself around Five and a half hours. Not bad for a swap but Had I done it myself with the tools I have at home it would have been a pretty big Project to take on. Luckily I have a friend that works in the maintenance shop at a Honda dealership. Lift, tools, and know how on hand. I printed off all the diagrams from the AV6 swap thread but once we had them Side by side it was pretty obvious what needed to be changed. Kept the screw on filter being it was brand new and also swapped the spray kit from the old trans. Couldn't hurt. Day one and all is good. shifts fine and seems to be working. Hopefully this will get me at least another 120,000 miles.

 

Thanks for the update !!!
So it appears everything went smoothly, especially with the lift and experienced help.

Were there any problems encountered along the way ?
What would've been the biggest headache had ya done it by yourself ..... other than the extra tools, lift and skilled knowledge ? What was your friend's thoughts on bolting in the donor "AV6" ?

Keep us updated with progress reports. Thanks !!!

 

I'm just glad the donor trans wasn't shot. One of those things you won't know till its all done.

Doing it by yourself would be a huge headache. it is doable with one person but I wouldn't recommend it. Having an extra set of hands and eye's is almost invaluable in this swap. Removing the rotors from the axle would be tough with out a good sized breaker bar. Getting the trans out and in was difficult even with 2 others. It's very easy to break the plastic connectors on the trans. So I would say that's going to be the biggest hurdle in the whole process. Besides that Its just unbolting and bolting back. keeping up with all the pieces and parts. making sure you don't miss something important in the reassembly.

My mechanic friend thought it was a good option. I told him about the issues and to him it's the only logical way to go. When we got them side by side he commented that besides the cooler, and a couple brackets they are identical.

Will do a drain and fill in a few weeks and post the progress at that point.

 

So, as they say...... it's almost a perfect updated "bolt-in" replacement for our crappy original trannys.

Cheaper and more dependable than rebuilding the old "POS" that was in there before.

 

Well, it's been longer than a few weeks but the trans swap is still 100% solid.