I agree but the way to avoid this is easy- connect your jump box to the OBDII connector when you change the battery and you will retain all your adaptions and settings
2024 Honda Ridgeline Transmission problem
- Thread starter millerbl00
- Start date
Where do you get one? practically have to fly south now to find one that isn't rotted out.
Past Sunday I had to drop the daughter off at college. Which is in Manhattan. Yeah there was a time of life I would not have minded a manual transmission, even there. Now? eh... Had to crawl through some night time construction in CT, the sort where you stop, then inch a car length, stop again, repeat for a few miles.
If they can keep an odometer at the correct mileage after a battery swap, they could do the same to a transmission. Sorry Honda, no excuses on this one from me.
That may be true but I have not seen any car that I have owned, including but not limited to Honda, keep the adaptions without using a jump box connected to the OBDII connector.
Probably a combination of both. On my Honda I did drain and fills every 15k miles. Fluid isn't that expensive and keeps it fresh to hopefully stave off problems.
The dealership changed the battery. They did NOT use a jump box connected to the OBDII connector.
They of all people should know if plugging in an alternate supply is required to prevent shifting problems. Shame on them for not doing so--but shame on Honda for needing that. What car won't need a battery replacement in its lifetime? poor engineering.
I know of NO vehicle that does NOT lose its trans setting on battery disconnects. Its ALL manufactures.
Poor engineering. A battery should have nothing to do with a trans setting. A radio pre set or clock yes,,,that's about it.
Again you seem like a nice person and I like reading your posts but there hasn’t been a car made in the last 30 years that doesn’t have adaptions functionality in the transmission that resets when the battery is disconnected. Now typically disconnecting the battery is no big deal as the adaptions will reset within a couple of days or a few hundred miles at most. So it is not critical to keep the computer connected via The OBDII port. But other cars, like my wife’s Mercedes (we don’t have it anymore, I recall it was an 09), or my Ram 1/2 ton, can temporarily throw a check engine light or other idiot lights and you will also see limited functionality in the various convenience apps in the center console while everything “reboots.” The idiot lights all turn themselves off - This can take a few hours or overnight once you park it. To reduce complaints and customer confusion, shops that know which cars this happens too will use a jump box attached via a “dongle” to the OBDII to prevent losing the adaptions. Again no dog in this fight other than having had Hondas, they are very good cars and they are not at all outliers or “weird” in any respect with regard to this behavior. Take care.
I am not up on the latest Ridgeline and Odyssey's but the 2010 - 2020's versions benefitted greatly from drain and fills on a regular basis (say every 2nd oil change, just the 3ish litre drain and fill). Use the correct Honda ATF fluid also not aftermarket fluids.
Don't recall having this issue on our '03 CRV, nor on my '99 Camry, nor on my '10 Tundra (my '11 Camry was a manual so it doesn't count). Not sure on my '21 Corolla though, haven't needed to remove the battery, yet. Only issue I've seen on the '03 CRV is that the auto up/down on the driver's window forgets and has to relearn.
Maybe all my vehicles have been older? Maybe Toyota is really behind the times...
I *did* have a problem with the throttle body on the '11 Camry, I cleaned that and the darn thing forgot how to idle. No idea why, it only has one job in life. When I cleaned the throttle body on my '10 Tundra, it simply ran better.
Maybe all my vehicles have been older? Maybe Toyota is really behind the times...
I *did* have a problem with the throttle body on the '11 Camry, I cleaned that and the darn thing forgot how to idle. No idea why, it only has one job in life. When I cleaned the throttle body on my '10 Tundra, it simply ran better.
Thank you RBT for that post. My cars are older 03,06 Toyota / 13' CRV. Never had an issue with a battery swap except for radio clock and pre-sets. I'm a bit behind the times 
... Obviously, a lot of things have changed. My mistake. Sorry...
... Obviously, a lot of things have changed. My mistake. Sorry...FWIW, that's called "Sequential" mode in the manual, if you're pressing the "D/S" button twice. I can't find "Sport" mode anywhere in my manual or my Ridgeline.
Out of curiosity, what happens if you upshift or downshift via the paddle shifters when it's hunting in "D"? You can still safely switch gears in "D" by doing that.
I did 3 drain and fills and added 6 oz of lubeguard red. that cleared it up
JHZR2
Staff member
What days were those? I recall my inlaws 02 accord 4 cyl AT only lasted around 30k miles in severe terrain.
Isn’t this AT used by other makers?
Too complicated since when? 30 years ago maybe?? Vacuum modulators and Bowden cables that affect shift timing and firmness got finicky too.
Shouldn’t the NVRAM in the transmission ECU have the learned adaptives in memory even with the battery pulled?
Yea, on Mercedes you had not just the vacuum modulator but a mechanical linkage between the throttle and the transmission that controlled shifting. Even Toyota’s ECTs in the 80s had the Bowden cable to control shifts, GM was still using the TV cable on the 4L60/4T60 - which was one of their first electronically controlled units.
It started shifting bad again at 65mph, no codes. Added 6oz more Lube guard and traded it in
Thanks for the update, it's always good to hear how it turned out.
This reminds me of the CVT issues with the Nissan Cube (Versa) that seemed to be resolved with firmware updates but was exacerbated by lack of (poor) maintenance (fluid change, cleaning magnets, etc).
If you get another used vehicle I would strongly recommend dropping the transmission pan to inspect / clean the magnets if possible. It's not a replacement for firmware updates but it is always beneficial.
Dirty magnets don't clean. Dirty fluid accelerates wear.